The Ball on the Roof

The left-luggage room at Gate Street is a long, narrow room with a counter at one end. Behind the counter stand rows of metal shelves, and every shelf is full of other people's lives. There are suitcases, guitar cases, boxes tied with string and one stuffed rabbit. Lorna has worked here for three years.

Ruang penitipan barang di Gate Street adalah ruangan panjang dan sempit dengan sebuah meja di salah satu ujungnya. Di belakang meja berdiri deretan rak logam, dan setiap rak penuh dengan kehidupan orang lain. Ada koper, kotak gitar, kardus yang diikat tali, dan seekor kelinci boneka. Lorna sudah bekerja di sini selama tiga tahun.

At the back of the room, high on the wall, there is a small window. It looks out onto the flat roof of the ticket office next door. For one month, a blue-and-white ball has sat on that roof. It leans against a metal vent, and Lorna looks at it every morning.

Di bagian belakang ruangan, tinggi di dinding, ada sebuah jendela kecil. Jendela itu menghadap ke atap datar kantor tiket di sebelahnya. Selama sebulan, sebuah bola biru-putih tergeletak di atap itu. Bola itu bersandar pada sebuah ventilasi logam, dan Lorna memandanginya setiap pagi.

She knows exactly how it got there. A little girl was waiting for a bus with her father. She kicked the ball too hard, and it flew over the wall and rolled onto the roof. The girl did not cry. She stood still and looked up, as if the ball might change its mind.

Ia tahu persis bagaimana bola itu bisa ada di sana. Seorang gadis kecil sedang menunggu bus bersama ayahnya. Ia menendang bola itu terlalu keras, dan bola itu melayang melewati tembok lalu menggelinding ke atap. Gadis itu tidak menangis. Ia berdiri diam dan menengadah, seakan bola itu mungkin berubah pikiran.

"I'll get it down for you," Lorna told her father. "Come back tomorrow."

"Saya akan menurunkannya untuk putri Anda," kata Lorna kepada sang ayah. "Datanglah lagi besok."

He has come back every day since. He never asks about the ball. He simply stands at the counter, and Lorna says, "Not yet," and he nods and leaves.

Sejak itu pria itu datang setiap hari. Ia tidak pernah bertanya soal bola itu. Ia hanya berdiri di depan meja, dan Lorna berkata, "Belum," dan pria itu mengangguk lalu pergi.

The roof is the problem. The only way up is a hatch behind the tallest shelf, and nobody has opened it for years. Lorna does not have the key. She also has no ladder and no permission, and the manager is away until next week. So the ball waits, and so does Lorna.

Atap itulah masalahnya. Satu-satunya jalan naik adalah sebuah pintu palka di belakang rak yang paling tinggi, dan tak seorang pun membukanya selama bertahun-tahun. Lorna tidak punya kuncinya. Ia juga tidak punya tangga dan tidak punya izin, dan manajernya pergi sampai minggu depan. Jadi bola itu menunggu, dan Lorna juga.

On a quiet afternoon a man walks in, carrying a heavy blue bag. He is perhaps thirty, with a dark beard and a careful way of standing. He puts a small book on the counter and opens it to a page with a pencil mark.

Pada suatu sore yang sepi, seorang pria masuk membawa tas biru yang berat. Usianya mungkin tiga puluh tahun, dengan janggut gelap dan cara berdiri yang hati-hati. Ia meletakkan sebuah buku kecil di meja dan membukanya pada halaman yang ditandai pensil.

"Good afternoon," he reads. "I would like to leave my bag. It is for six hours. Is it possible?"

"Selamat sore," bacanya. "Saya mau titip tas saya. Enam jam. Bisa?"

"Of course," says Lorna. "Name, please?"

"Tentu saja," kata Lorna. "Nama Anda, silakan?"

"Fabrice." He smiles with relief. "Your English is very fast. My English is slow, but I am learning."

"Fabrice." Ia tersenyum lega. "Bahasa Inggris Anda cepat sekali. Bahasa Inggris saya lambat, tapi saya sedang belajar."

"Your English is fine," says Lorna. "You've said it better than most people I know."

"Bahasa Inggris Anda bagus," kata Lorna. "Anda mengucapkannya lebih baik daripada kebanyakan orang yang saya kenal."

She writes a ticket and takes the bag. Fabrice has a bus to catch at nine, and he has six hours to fill before it leaves. He does not seem to know what to do with them. He walks to the end of the room and back. Then he stops by the little window at the back, and he stays there.

Ia menulis sebuah tiket dan menerima tas itu. Fabrice harus naik bus pukul sembilan, dan ia punya enam jam untuk diisi sebelum bus itu berangkat. Ia tampak tidak tahu harus berbuat apa dengan waktu itu. Ia berjalan ke ujung ruangan dan kembali. Lalu ia berhenti di dekat jendela kecil di belakang, dan tetap di sana.

"Excuse me," he says. "What is this? On the roof?"

"Permisi," katanya. "Itu apa? Di atap?"

"A ball," Lorna says.

"Bola," kata Lorna.

"I see that it is a ball. But why is it there?"

"Saya lihat itu bola. Tapi kenapa di sana?"

So she tells him. She does it slowly, with simple words. She does the same with every visitor who carries a phrase book. Fabrice listens with his head on one side. When she says "kicked," he repeats it quietly. When she says "hatch," he asks her to draw one.

Maka Lorna menceritakannya. Ia melakukannya pelan-pelan, dengan kata-kata sederhana. Ia melakukan hal yang sama kepada setiap pengunjung yang membawa buku percakapan. Fabrice mendengarkan dengan kepala dimiringkan. Ketika Lorna berkata "menendang," ia mengulanginya pelan. Ketika Lorna berkata "palka," ia memintanya menggambar satu.

She draws a square on the back of a ticket. He studies it as if it is a map.

Lorna menggambar sebuah persegi di balik tiket. Fabrice mempelajarinya seakan itu sebuah peta.

"I know this," he says. "In my country, I am a roofer. For eleven years I climb roofs. This hatch is easy."

"Saya tahu ini," katanya. "Di negara saya, saya tukang atap. Sebelas tahun saya panjat atap. Palka ini mudah."

"It is locked," says Lorna. "And there's no ladder."

"Pintunya terkunci," kata Lorna. "Dan tidak ada tangga."

"Is there a… " He searches for the word and makes a shape in the air with his hands.

"Ada… " Ia mencari kata itu dan membuat bentuk di udara dengan kedua tangannya.

"A trolley?" asks Lorna. "A big one for the bags?"

"Troli?" tanya Lorna. "Yang besar untuk tas?"

"Yes! A trolley. And a long stick?"

"Ya! Troli. Dan tongkat panjang?"

Lorna looks at him. For three years she has been the person who helps. She gives directions, finds lost tickets and teaches people to say "platform." Nobody has ever offered to climb a roof for her. She feels something unfamiliar, and it takes her a moment to name it. It is the feeling of being helped.

Lorna memandangnya. Selama tiga tahun ia menjadi orang yang membantu. Ia memberi petunjuk arah, mencari tiket yang hilang, dan mengajari orang mengucapkan "peron." Belum pernah ada yang menawarkan diri memanjat atap untuknya. Ia merasakan sesuatu yang asing, dan ia butuh waktu sejenak untuk menamainya. Itu adalah perasaan dibantu.

"I have a broom," she says. "And there's a screwdriver in the drawer."

"Saya punya sapu," katanya. "Dan ada obeng di laci."

The hatch is old and stiff. Fabrice pulls the tallest shelf away from the wall with a loud squeal. A cloud of dust rises. Lorna holds her hand over her mouth. He does not mind the dust. He takes the screwdriver and starts on the lock. He hums a tune that sounds very old.

Pintu palka itu tua dan kaku. Fabrice menarik rak tertinggi menjauh dari dinding dengan derit keras. Awan debu membubung. Lorna menutup mulutnya dengan tangan. Fabrice tidak peduli pada debu itu. Ia mengambil obeng dan mulai mengerjakan kuncinya. Ia bersenandung, sebuah lagu yang terdengar sangat tua.

"Do you do this often?" she asks.

"Apakah Anda sering melakukan ini?" tanyanya.

"Every day, at home. Here it is a holiday." He grins. "But my hands remember."

"Setiap hari, di rumah. Di sini libur." Ia menyeringai. "Tapi tangan saya ingat."

It takes twenty minutes. At last the lock gives a small click, and the hatch swings open. A square of white sky appears above them. Fabrice puts one foot on the trolley, and it rolls. He says a word in his own language, and Lorna catches the trolley with both hands.

Butuh dua puluh menit. Akhirnya kunci itu bergeser dengan bunyi klik kecil, dan palka terayun terbuka. Sepetak langit putih muncul di atas mereka. Fabrice menaruh satu kaki di atas troli, dan troli itu bergulir. Ia mengucapkan sebuah kata dalam bahasanya sendiri, dan Lorna menangkap troli itu dengan kedua tangan.

"Hold it," he says. "Please. Strongly."

"Pegang," katanya. "Tolong. Kuat-kuat."

"I'm holding!"

"Saya pegang!"

He climbs through the hatch, first his arms, then his shoulders, then his knees. For a moment only his boots hang in the air. Then they disappear too. Lorna stands alone in the left-luggage room. She holds the trolley with all her weight and listens to footsteps on the ceiling.

Ia memanjat melalui palka, mula-mula lengannya, lalu bahunya, lalu lututnya. Sesaat hanya sepatu botnya yang menggantung di udara. Lalu keduanya pun menghilang. Lorna berdiri sendirian di ruang penitipan barang. Ia menahan troli dengan seluruh bobotnya dan mendengarkan langkah kaki di langit-langit.

"Can you see it?" she calls.

"Anda bisa melihatnya?" serunya.

"I see it! It is behind the vent." The footsteps stop. "It is hard to reach. I must lie down."

"Saya lihat! Di belakang ventilasi." Langkah-langkah itu berhenti. "Susah dijangkau. Saya harus berbaring."

Lorna waits. A bus engine starts outside, and then another. Customers come and go behind her, but today they find a closed counter with a note. She has written, "Back in ten minutes," and then crossed out ten, and written twenty.

Lorna menunggu. Mesin sebuah bus menyala di luar, lalu satu lagi. Pelanggan datang dan pergi di belakangnya, tetapi hari ini mereka menemukan meja yang tutup dengan secarik catatan. Ia telah menulis, "Kembali sepuluh menit lagi," lalu mencoret sepuluh, dan menulis dua puluh.

"Lorna!" The voice is high above her. "I have it!"

"Lorna!" Suara itu terdengar tinggi di atasnya. "Dapat!"

A moment later the ball drops through the hatch and bounces twice on the floor. She picks it up. It is dusty and a little soft, but whole. A thin line of grey marker runs round its middle, as if someone wrote on it long ago.

Sesaat kemudian bola itu jatuh melalui palka dan memantul dua kali di lantai. Ia memungutnya. Bola itu berdebu dan agak lembek, tetapi utuh. Sebuah garis tipis spidol abu-abu melingkar di tengahnya, seakan seseorang pernah menulis di atasnya dahulu kala.

Fabrice comes down the same way he went up, backwards and slowly. His shirt is black with dirt, and he is smiling like a boy. He sits on the trolley and shakes the dust out of his beard.

Fabrice turun dengan cara yang sama seperti ia naik, mundur dan perlahan. Kemejanya hitam oleh kotoran, dan ia tersenyum seperti anak lelaki. Ia duduk di atas troli dan mengibaskan debu dari janggutnya.

"Thank you," Lorna says. The words feel too small. "I mean it. Thank you."

"Terima kasih," kata Lorna. Kata-kata itu terasa terlalu kecil. "Saya sungguh-sungguh. Terima kasih."

"No, no," says Fabrice. "Thank you. You speak with me for one hour. I speak English more than in one month."

"Tidak, tidak," kata Fabrice. "Terima kasih. Anda bicara dengan saya satu jam. Saya bicara Inggris lebih banyak daripada satu bulan."

The girl's father arrives at four, as he does every day. He stands at the counter and looks at Lorna, and she says nothing at all. She just puts the ball in his hands. He looks at it for a long time. Then he laughs and says a few words in an unsteady voice. He hurries out to find his daughter.

Ayah si gadis tiba pukul empat, seperti setiap hari. Ia berdiri di depan meja dan memandang Lorna, dan Lorna tidak berkata apa-apa sama sekali. Ia hanya meletakkan bola itu di tangan pria itu. Pria itu memandanginya lama sekali. Lalu ia tertawa dan mengucapkan beberapa kata dengan suara bergetar. Ia bergegas keluar untuk mencari putrinya.

Lorna wipes the counter and turns back to the room. Fabrice is washing his hands at the small sink. Beside him lies his phrase book, still open, and she sees a new pencil mark on the page. It is next to the word "hatch."

Lorna mengelap meja dan berbalik ke ruangan. Fabrice sedang mencuci tangan di wastafel kecil. Di sampingnya tergeletak buku percakapannya, masih terbuka, dan ia melihat sebuah tanda pensil baru di halaman itu. Tanda itu berada di sebelah kata "hatch."

When she dusts the shelves that evening, she notices something else. The ball has left a faint ring of dust on the floor where she put it down. In the middle of the ring lies a small bit of paper, that came off the ball. It has a few letters in grey marker, and a place name she does not know.

Ketika ia membersihkan debu rak-rak malam itu, ia menyadari hal lain. Bola itu meninggalkan cincin debu tipis di lantai tempat ia meletakkannya. Di tengah cincin itu tergeletak secarik kecil kertas yang terlepas dari bola. Ada beberapa huruf dengan spidol abu-abu, dan sebuah nama tempat yang tidak ia kenal.

Fabrice walks over to look. He reads it once, and then again. His mouth opens, and then it closes.

Fabrice berjalan menghampiri untuk melihat. Ia membacanya sekali, lalu sekali lagi. Mulutnya terbuka, lalu menutup.

"What does it say?" Lorna asks.

"Apa bunyinya?" tanya Lorna.

Outside, the loudspeaker crackles into life. A voice announces the nine o'clock bus. Fabrice folds the paper twice and puts it in his pocket.

Di luar, pengeras suara berderak menyala. Sebuah suara mengumumkan bus pukul sembilan. Fabrice melipat kertas itu dua kali dan memasukkannya ke sakunya.