The Broken Washing Machine

Patrick's washing machine had been making a strange noise for a week. On Thursday morning, it finally stopped working. He opened the door and found a soaking wet, half-washed load of towels sitting inside.

Mesin cuci Patrick sudah mengeluarkan bunyi aneh selama seminggu. Pada Kamis pagi, mesin itu akhirnya berhenti bekerja. Ia membuka pintunya dan menemukan setumpuk handuk basah kuyup yang baru setengah tercuci di dalamnya.

He tried restarting it twice, but the machine only buzzed and refused to turn. Patrick sighed and called the building's maintenance line. A recorded voice told him a technician could come on Tuesday, five days away.

Ia mencoba menyalakannya ulang dua kali, tetapi mesin itu hanya berdengung dan menolak berputar. Patrick menghela napas dan menelepon saluran pemeliharaan gedung. Suara rekaman mengatakan seorang teknisi bisa datang hari Selasa, lima hari lagi.

"Five days," Patrick muttered, looking at the growing pile of laundry in the corner of his bathroom. He had work clothes, gym clothes, and a stack of towels that all needed washing before then.

"Lima hari," gumam Patrick sambil memandang tumpukan cucian yang makin menggunung di sudut kamar mandinya. Ia punya baju kerja, baju olahraga, dan setumpuk handuk yang semuanya harus dicuci sebelum itu.

He called Gabriel, the building superintendent, hoping for better news. "I'm sorry," Gabriel said. "We're short-staffed this week, and Tuesday is the earliest anyone is available."

Ia menelepon Gabriel, pengawas gedung, berharap ada kabar yang lebih baik. "Maaf," kata Gabriel. "Minggu ini kami kekurangan staf, dan Selasa adalah waktu paling awal yang tersedia."

Patrick decided he couldn't wait. He looked up the nearest laundromat, which turned out to be a fifteen-minute walk from his building. If he carries everything in one trip, he can finish it all in one afternoon.

Patrick memutuskan ia tidak bisa menunggu. Ia mencari tempat binatu swalayan terdekat, yang ternyata berjarak lima belas menit berjalan kaki dari gedungnya. Kalau ia membawa semuanya dalam sekali jalan, ia bisa menyelesaikan semuanya dalam satu sore.

He filled two large bags with dirty clothes and set out early Saturday morning. The laundromat was quiet, with only one other customer folding sheets near the window.

Ia mengisi dua tas besar dengan pakaian kotor dan berangkat pagi-pagi pada hari Sabtu. Tempat binatu itu sepi, hanya ada satu pelanggan lain yang melipat seprai di dekat jendela.

Patrick had never used a laundromat before, and the machines looked more complicated than his own. A woman working there noticed him studying the instructions and walked over. "First time here?" she asked kindly.

Patrick belum pernah memakai binatu swalayan, dan mesin-mesinnya tampak lebih rumit daripada mesin cucinya sendiri. Seorang perempuan yang bekerja di sana melihatnya mempelajari petunjuk dan menghampirinya. "Pertama kali ke sini?" tanyanya ramah.

"Is it that obvious?" Patrick said, laughing.

"Kelihatan sekali, ya?" kata Patrick sambil tertawa.

She showed him which machines took coins and which used a card. She also explained how long each cycle usually took. Patrick thanked her and loaded his first machine.

Perempuan itu menunjukkan mesin mana yang memakai koin dan mana yang memakai kartu. Ia juga menjelaskan berapa lama biasanya setiap siklus berlangsung. Patrick berterima kasih dan memasukkan cucian ke mesin pertamanya.

While he waited, he sat by the window with his phone. He half-read the news and half-watched people walk by outside. It was strange, but not unpleasant, to have nowhere to be for an hour.

Sambil menunggu, ia duduk di dekat jendela dengan ponselnya. Ia setengah membaca berita dan setengah memperhatikan orang-orang yang lewat di luar. Rasanya aneh, tetapi tidak tidak menyenangkan, tidak punya tempat yang harus dituju selama satu jam.

By early afternoon, Patrick had finished all of his laundry, folded and bagged. He walked home with clean clothes for the first time in days.

Menjelang awal sore, Patrick sudah menyelesaikan semua cuciannya, terlipat dan dimasukkan ke dalam tas. Ia berjalan pulang dengan pakaian bersih untuk pertama kalinya setelah beberapa hari.

On Tuesday, the technician arrived and fixed the machine within twenty minutes. Patrick thanked him, closed the door behind him, and loaded the first real wash in almost a week.

Pada hari Selasa, teknisi datang dan memperbaiki mesin itu dalam waktu dua puluh menit. Patrick berterima kasih kepadanya, menutup pintu setelah ia pergi, dan memasukkan cucian sungguhan pertama dalam hampir seminggu.