The Bees and the Cracked Pot

The note was under Joss's door when she came down from the roof. It was written on the back of a receipt, in small, careful letters.

Catatan itu terselip di bawah pintu Joss ketika ia turun dari atap. Catatan itu ditulis di balik sebuah struk, dengan huruf-huruf kecil yang rapi.

Your bees are in my flower pot. Please come and see it today. Gil, flat 4B.

Lebah Anda ada di pot bunga saya. Mohon datang melihatnya hari ini. Gil, unit 4B.

Joss read it twice. Then she sat down on the bottom stair with her veil still hanging from her hat. She kept two beehives on the roof of the building. The residents' committee had agreed to them last spring, but only after a long and tense meeting. One man had said that bees and blocks of flats did not belong together. Joss had promised that nobody would ever have a reason to complain.

Joss membacanya dua kali. Lalu ia duduk di anak tangga paling bawah dengan kerudung jaring masih menggantung dari topinya. Ia memelihara dua sarang lebah di atap gedung itu. Komite penghuni telah menyetujuinya musim semi lalu, tetapi hanya setelah rapat yang panjang dan tegang. Seorang pria berkata bahwa lebah dan gedung apartemen tidak cocok bersama. Joss telah berjanji bahwa tidak akan ada seorang pun yang punya alasan untuk mengeluh.

Now someone had a reason.

Sekarang ada yang punya alasan.

She did not know Gil. She knew only that flat 4B was on the floor directly below the roof. Its balcony was full of pots. She had seen them from above, a crowded row of green. She had never imagined that her bees might visit them.

Ia tidak mengenal Gil. Ia hanya tahu bahwa unit 4B berada di lantai tepat di bawah atap. Balkonnya penuh pot. Ia pernah melihatnya dari atas, deretan hijau yang padat. Ia tidak pernah membayangkan lebah-lebahnya mungkin mengunjungi pot-pot itu.

"They are not even mine," she muttered. "They belong to the sun and the flowers."

"Mereka bahkan bukan milikku," gumamnya. "Mereka milik matahari dan bunga-bunga."

It was not a very good argument, and she knew it.

Itu bukan argumen yang bagus, dan ia tahu itu.

She went upstairs and spent half an hour preparing. She found the committee's letter and the minutes of the meeting. She put them in a folder. Then she filled a small jar with honey from her best hive. It is difficult to shout at a person who is holding honey. She checked her reflection in the hallway mirror and took a deep breath. Then she went down two flights to flat 4B.

Ia naik ke atas dan menghabiskan setengah jam untuk bersiap. Ia menemukan surat dari komite dan notulen rapat. Ia memasukkannya ke dalam sebuah map. Lalu ia mengisi sebuah toples kecil dengan madu dari sarangnya yang terbaik. Sulit memarahi orang yang sedang memegang madu. Ia memeriksa bayangannya di cermin lorong dan menarik napas dalam-dalam. Lalu ia turun dua lantai menuju unit 4B.

Gil opened the door at the first knock. He was a tall man in a faded music shirt, with a pencil behind his ear. He looked tired, and he looked relieved to see her.

Gil membuka pintu pada ketukan pertama. Ia seorang pria jangkung dengan kaus musik yang pudar, dengan pensil terselip di belakang telinganya. Ia tampak lelah, dan tampak lega melihatnya.

"You came," he said. "Thank you. I was afraid you would be too busy."

"Anda datang," katanya. "Terima kasih. Saya takut Anda terlalu sibuk."

"I got your note." Joss held the folder in front of her like a shield. "I want to say, before we start, that I have all the permissions. The committee approved the hives. Everything is legal."

"Saya sudah menerima catatan Anda." Joss memegang map itu di depannya seperti perisai. "Saya ingin mengatakan, sebelum kita mulai, bahwa saya punya semua izin. Komite menyetujui sarang-sarang itu. Semuanya legal."

Gil stared at the folder. "I'm sorry?"

Gil menatap map itu. "Maaf?"

"The bees are registered, and they are checked every month. I can show you the papers." Her voice sounded sharper than she wanted. "If one of them has stung you, I will pay for the doctor. But I would like to say that bees do not sting unless they feel threatened."

"Lebah-lebah itu terdaftar, dan diperiksa setiap bulan. Saya bisa menunjukkan dokumennya." Suaranya terdengar lebih tajam daripada yang ia inginkan. "Kalau salah satunya menyengat Anda, saya akan membayar dokternya. Tapi saya ingin mengatakan bahwa lebah tidak menyengat kecuali mereka merasa terancam."

"Stung me?" Gil shook his head. "No, no. Nobody has stung me. Please, come in."

"Menyengat saya?" Gil menggeleng. "Tidak, tidak. Tidak ada yang menyengat saya. Silakan, masuklah."

Joss followed him through a small, bright flat full of books and half-finished drawings. A guitar leaned against the wall. A door at the far end opened onto the balcony, and Gil walked straight out. Joss hesitated, then followed.

Joss mengikutinya melewati sebuah flat kecil yang terang, penuh buku dan gambar yang belum selesai. Sebuah gitar bersandar di dinding. Sebuah pintu di ujung ruangan terbuka ke balkon, dan Gil langsung berjalan keluar. Joss ragu sejenak, lalu mengikutinya.

The balcony was small, and it was full of plants. Lavender grew in a long box. Mint and thyme spilled out of old tins. In the corner stood a large clay flower pot. A crack ran down its side, from the rim to the base. A thin line of dark soil showed through the gap.

Balkon itu kecil, dan penuh tanaman. Lavender tumbuh di dalam sebuah kotak panjang. Mint dan thyme meluap dari kaleng-kaleng tua. Di sudut berdiri sebuah pot tanah liat besar. Sebuah retakan memanjang di sisinya, dari bibir pot sampai ke dasar. Garis tipis tanah gelap tampak menembus celahnya.

Around the pot, a dozen bees moved slowly in the afternoon light.

Di sekitar pot itu, selusin lebah bergerak pelan dalam cahaya sore.

"There," Gil said quietly. "That is what I wanted to show you."

"Itu," kata Gil pelan. "Itulah yang ingin saya tunjukkan kepada Anda."

Joss looked. The bees were not on the lavender. They were crawling along the crack, one after another, drinking from the damp earth.

Joss memperhatikan. Lebah-lebah itu tidak berada di lavender. Mereka merayap di sepanjang retakan, satu demi satu, minum dari tanah yang lembap.

"I water that pot every morning," Gil said. "The water leaks out through the crack and makes a little wet line. Your bees found it last week. Now they come all day long." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm worried, because I made a mistake. Ten days ago I sprayed the lavender, because it had small green insects on it. I didn't know about the bees then. I read the label afterwards, and it said nothing about them, one way or the other."

"Saya menyiram pot itu setiap pagi," kata Gil. "Airnya bocor lewat retakan dan membuat garis basah kecil. Lebah Anda menemukannya minggu lalu. Sekarang mereka datang sepanjang hari." Ia mengusap tengkuknya. "Saya khawatir, karena saya membuat kesalahan. Sepuluh hari lalu saya menyemprot lavender itu, karena ada serangga hijau kecil di atasnya. Waktu itu saya tidak tahu soal lebah. Saya membaca labelnya sesudahnya, dan di situ tidak tertulis apa-apa tentang lebah, baik ya maupun tidak."

Joss turned to look at him. "You sprayed the lavender?"

Joss menoleh menatapnya. "Anda menyemprot lavender itu?"

"Yes. And I have been awake at night, thinking that I poisoned your hives. I haven't seen any dead bees, but I wouldn't know what to look for." He looked at the folder in her hands. "I'm sorry. I thought you ought to know as soon as possible."

"Ya. Dan saya terjaga setiap malam, memikirkan bahwa saya telah meracuni sarang Anda. Saya belum melihat lebah mati, tapi saya tidak tahu apa yang harus dicari." Ia melihat map di tangan Joss. "Maafkan saya. Saya pikir Anda perlu tahu secepat mungkin."

For a moment, Joss did not say anything. She looked at the folder. She looked at the jar of honey in her other hand. Then she began to laugh. She had to lean on the balcony rail, because her legs felt weak.

Sejenak, Joss tidak berkata apa-apa. Ia menatap map itu. Ia menatap toples madu di tangannya yang lain. Lalu ia mulai tertawa. Ia harus bersandar pada pagar balkon, karena kakinya terasa lemas.

"What is funny?" Gil asked.

"Apa yang lucu?" tanya Gil.

"Nothing. Everything." She wiped her eyes. "I thought you wanted to complain. I spent half an hour finding my papers. I even brought a bribe."

"Tidak ada. Semuanya." Ia menyeka matanya. "Saya kira Anda mau mengeluh. Saya menghabiskan setengah jam mencari dokumen. Saya bahkan membawa suap."

"A bribe?"

"Suap?"

She held out the jar. "Honey. For emergencies."

Ia mengulurkan toples itu. "Madu. Untuk keadaan darurat."

Gil started to laugh as well. It was a low, surprised laugh, like someone who had not laughed in a few days. They stood together on the narrow balcony, laughing, while the bees went on drinking from the crack.

Gil mulai tertawa juga. Tawanya rendah dan terkejut, seperti orang yang beberapa hari tidak tertawa. Mereka berdiri bersama di balkon sempit itu, tertawa, sementara lebah-lebah terus minum dari retakan.

"I had no idea you were worried about them," Joss said at last. "Most people only worry about being stung."

"Saya tidak tahu Anda mengkhawatirkan mereka," kata Joss akhirnya. "Kebanyakan orang hanya khawatir disengat."

"I like them. They are very polite." Gil looked at the pot with a fond expression. "I painted a picture of them yesterday, but I couldn't finish it. I kept thinking about the spray."

"Saya menyukai mereka. Mereka sangat sopan." Gil menatap pot itu dengan sayang. "Kemarin saya melukis mereka, tapi tidak bisa menyelesaikannya. Saya terus memikirkan semprotan itu."

"What was it?"

"Itu apa?"

He fetched the bottle from under the sink. Joss read the label slowly. It was a mild soap spray, safe for most insects once it dried. The bottle was nearly full.

Ia mengambil botol itu dari bawah wastafel. Joss membaca labelnya perlahan. Itu semprotan sabun yang ringan, aman bagi sebagian besar serangga setelah kering. Botolnya hampir penuh.

"It's all right," she said. "It dried days ago, and soap spray washes off in a few hours. I checked my hives this morning, and the bees look healthy. If anything had been wrong, I would have seen it by now."

"Tidak apa-apa," katanya. "Itu sudah kering berhari-hari lalu, dan semprotan sabun terbilas dalam beberapa jam. Pagi ini saya memeriksa sarang saya, dan lebah-lebahnya tampak sehat. Kalau ada yang salah, saya pasti sudah melihatnya sekarang."

Gil let out a long breath. "I am very glad to hear that. I'm sorry about the note. I wrote it quickly, and I think I frightened you."

Gil menghembuskan napas panjang. "Saya sangat lega mendengarnya. Maaf soal catatan itu. Saya menulisnya terburu-buru, dan saya rasa saya membuat Anda ketakutan."

"You did. But it was my mistake. I read what I expected to read." Joss put the folder under her arm. "You know, bees can drink from a lot of places, but a damp crack is perfect. They land on the edge and do not fall in. That pot is better than the bowl I put on the roof."

"Memang. Tapi itu kesalahan saya. Saya membaca apa yang saya duga akan saya baca." Joss menyelipkan map itu di bawah lengannya. "Anda tahu, lebah bisa minum dari banyak tempat, tapi retakan yang lembap itu sempurna. Mereka hinggap di tepinya dan tidak tercebur. Pot itu lebih baik daripada mangkuk yang saya taruh di atap."

"Then I should not fix it."

"Kalau begitu saya tidak boleh memperbaikinya."

"You should not. But you could move it." She pointed upward. "On my roof, they would not have to fly down to your balcony for every drink. And you would not have to worry about your lavender."

"Jangan. Tapi Anda bisa memindahkannya." Ia menunjuk ke atas. "Di atap saya, mereka tidak perlu terbang turun ke balkon Anda untuk setiap kali minum. Dan Anda tidak perlu mengkhawatirkan lavender Anda."

Gil thought about this. "Could I come and visit?"

Gil memikirkannya. "Bolehkah saya berkunjung?"

"Whenever you like. I will lend you a veil. It's an excellent one, with a very small hole."

"Kapan pun Anda mau. Saya akan meminjamkan kerudung jaring. Kerudung yang sangat bagus, dengan lubang yang sangat kecil."

"A hole?"

"Lubang?"

"It's a joke," Joss said. "Mostly."

"Itu lelucon," kata Joss. "Sebagian besar."

They picked up the pot together, one hand each on the rim. They carried it carefully through the flat. It was heavy and cold, and it left a thin trail of soil on the floor. On the stairs, a bee followed them all the way up. She seemed to want to be sure of the route.

Mereka mengangkat pot itu bersama-sama, masing-masing satu tangan di bibirnya. Mereka membawanya hati-hati melewati flat. Pot itu berat dan dingin, dan meninggalkan jejak tanah tipis di lantai. Di tangga, seekor lebah mengikuti mereka sampai ke atas. Ia tampak ingin memastikan rutenya.

On the roof, Joss cleared a space beside the hives. Gil set the pot down in it. Then he filled the small jug at the roof tap and tipped it slowly over the soil. Water ran into the crack, and the first bee landed.

Di atap, Joss membersihkan tempat di samping sarang-sarang. Gil meletakkan pot itu di sana. Lalu ia mengisi kendi kecil dari keran atap dan menuangkannya perlahan ke atas tanah. Air mengalir ke dalam retakan, dan lebah pertama hinggap.