The Calendar Stuck in March

Luca found the calendar on his third day at the tram depot. It hung behind a pile of signal lamps in the back office. The paper had turned yellow, and the picture showed a stone bridge in spring.

Luca menemukan kalender itu pada hari ketiganya di depo trem. Kalender itu tergantung di balik tumpukan lampu sinyal di kantor belakang. Kertasnya sudah menguning, dan gambarnya memperlihatkan jembatan batu di musim semi.

"March," Luca said to the empty room. "It is still March."

"Maret," kata Luca kepada ruangan yang kosong. "Masih bulan Maret."

He checked his phone. It was late October. He tried to turn the page, but it did not move. It was not glued down. It felt like thin metal that someone had printed to look like paper.

Ia memeriksa ponselnya. Sekarang akhir Oktober. Ia mencoba membalik halamannya, tetapi tidak bergerak. Halaman itu tidak direkatkan. Rasanya seperti logam tipis yang dicetak agar tampak seperti kertas.

Cosmo came in with a heavy toolbox and a tired face. He had worked at the depot for six years, and he mostly worked alone.

Cosmo masuk membawa kotak perkakas yang berat dan wajah yang lelah. Ia sudah bekerja di depo itu selama enam tahun, dan ia kebanyakan bekerja sendirian.

"Are you still hunting for lamps?" Cosmo asked.

"Kamu masih mencari lampu?" tanya Cosmo.

"I am hunting for a reason," Luca said. "Look at this calendar."

"Aku mencari alasan," kata Luca. "Lihat kalender ini."

Cosmo glanced at it and shrugged. "It was here before I came. Nobody touches it. The last foreman said it was bad luck to throw it away."

Cosmo meliriknya dan mengangkat bahu. "Ini sudah ada di sini sebelum aku datang. Tidak ada yang menyentuhnya. Mandor yang terakhir bilang membuangnya akan mendatangkan sial."

"Why would it be bad luck? It is only a calendar."

"Kenapa bisa sial? Ini cuma kalender."

"Ask someone who has stayed here longer than me," Cosmo said. He picked up his box and left.

"Tanya orang yang sudah lebih lama di sini daripada aku," kata Cosmo. Ia mengangkat kotaknya dan pergi.

Luca lifted the calendar off its nail. It came away easily, and it weighed almost nothing. He turned it over. On the back, a line of faint pencil said, "Give me to the one who needs me."

Luca mengangkat kalender itu dari pakunya. Kalender itu terlepas dengan mudah, dan beratnya nyaris tidak ada. Ia membaliknya. Di bagian belakang, sebaris pensil samar berbunyi, "Berikan aku kepada orang yang membutuhkanku."

He read the line three times. Then he put the calendar under his arm and went to find someone who needed it.

Ia membaca baris itu tiga kali. Lalu ia menyelipkan kalender itu di bawah lengannya dan pergi mencari seseorang yang membutuhkannya.

The first person he found was the clerk. She kept the depot records in a room full of grey cabinets. She looked up from a pile of timetables with a patient smile.

Orang pertama yang ia temui adalah petugas arsip. Perempuan itu menyimpan catatan depo di sebuah ruangan penuh lemari abu-abu. Ia mendongak dari setumpuk jadwal dengan senyum sabar.

"Could you hold this for a moment?" Luca asked. "I think it wants an owner."

"Bisakah Anda memegang ini sebentar?" tanya Luca. "Saya rasa ia menginginkan pemilik."

The clerk laughed, but she took it. She held it in both hands and waited.

Petugas arsip itu tertawa, tetapi ia menerimanya. Ia memegangnya dengan kedua tangan dan menunggu.

For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then the clock above her desk began to tick backward. The second hand slid from twelve to eleven, to ten, to nine. The clerk stared at it with her mouth open.

Selama beberapa detik, tidak terjadi apa-apa. Lalu jam di atas mejanya mulai berdetak mundur. Jarum detiknya bergeser dari dua belas ke sebelas, ke sepuluh, ke sembilan. Petugas arsip itu menatapnya dengan mulut ternganga.

"That is not normal," she said.

"Ini tidak normal," katanya.

"No," Luca said. "But is the calendar yours?"

"Tidak," kata Luca. "Tapi apakah kalender ini milik Anda?"

The clerk looked at the page. It still said March. It still would not turn. "I have never lost anything in March," she said slowly. "I think it belongs to somebody who has."

Petugas arsip itu memandang halaman itu. Tetap bertuliskan Maret. Tetap tidak mau terbalik. "Saya belum pernah kehilangan apa pun di bulan Maret," katanya perlahan. "Saya rasa ini milik seseorang yang pernah."

She gave it back, and the clock jumped forward to the correct time. Luca thanked her and walked on.

Ia mengembalikannya, dan jam itu melompat maju ke waktu yang benar. Luca berterima kasih kepadanya dan melangkah terus.

The second person was the electrician, who was fixing a cable under the old turntable. He was a calm man with a pencil behind his ear. Luca explained everything while the electrician wiped oil from his hands.

Orang kedua adalah tukang listrik, yang sedang memperbaiki kabel di bawah meja putar tua. Ia pria tenang dengan pensil terselip di belakang telinga. Luca menjelaskan semuanya sementara si tukang listrik menyeka minyak dari tangannya.

"Let me see it," the electrician said.

"Coba kulihat," kata tukang listrik itu.

He held the calendar up to the work lamp. The paper began to hum, very softly, like a fridge in a quiet kitchen. A line of tiny numbers appeared along the edge of the page. They counted down from fourteen to one and then stopped.

Ia mengangkat kalender itu ke arah lampu kerja. Kertas itu mulai berdengung, sangat lembut, seperti kulkas di dapur yang sunyi. Deretan angka kecil muncul di sepanjang tepi halaman. Angka-angka itu menghitung mundur dari empat belas sampai satu lalu berhenti.

"That is the number of a tram car," the electrician said. "Car fourteen. It is the one at the back of the yard."

"Itu nomor sebuah gerbong trem," kata tukang listrik. "Gerbong empat belas. Yang di bagian belakang halaman."

"I checked its wiring last year," he added. "It is not my problem. Try someone who works on the brakes."

"Aku memeriksa kabelnya tahun lalu," tambahnya. "Itu bukan masalahku. Coba tanya orang yang menangani rem."

"Thank you."

"Terima kasih."

"One more thing," the electrician said. He lowered his voice. "If the page turns, don't read what is on the other side alone. Take a witness."

"Satu hal lagi," kata tukang listrik itu. Ia merendahkan suaranya. "Kalau halamannya terbuka, jangan membaca apa yang ada di baliknya sendirian. Bawa seorang saksi."

Luca nodded, although he did not understand. He tucked the calendar under his arm again and stepped into the yard.

Luca mengangguk, meski ia tidak mengerti. Ia menyelipkan kalender itu di bawah lengannya lagi dan melangkah ke halaman depo.

The evening sun lay low across the tracks. At the very back, behind two trams without wheels, car fourteen waited in the long grass. A single bell hung above its front window.

Matahari sore berbaring rendah di atas rel. Di bagian paling belakang, di balik dua trem tanpa roda, gerbong empat belas menunggu di rumput tinggi. Sebuah lonceng tunggal tergantung di atas jendela depannya.

Luca walked around it slowly. The calendar grew warmer under his arm. When he reached the front step, the paper trembled, and he nearly dropped it.

Luca berjalan mengitarinya pelan-pelan. Kalender itu makin hangat di bawah lengannya. Ketika ia sampai di tangga depan, kertas itu bergetar, dan ia nyaris menjatuhkannya.

"You found it," someone said behind him.

"Kamu menemukannya," kata seseorang di belakangnya.

Luca turned. Cosmo stood at the gate with his toolbox in one hand and a sandwich in the other. He looked like a man who had not planned to follow anyone.

Luca berbalik. Cosmo berdiri di gerbang dengan kotak perkakas di satu tangan dan sepotong sandwich di tangan lainnya. Ia tampak seperti orang yang tidak berencana mengikuti siapa pun.

"I saw you walk past the window with that thing," Cosmo said. "I thought you might hurt yourself."

"Aku melihatmu lewat di depan jendela membawa benda itu," kata Cosmo. "Kupikir kamu bisa melukai dirimu sendiri."

"The clerk could not use it," Luca said. "The electrician could not use it either. It keeps pointing here."

"Petugas arsip tidak bisa memakainya," kata Luca. "Tukang listrik juga tidak bisa. Benda ini terus menunjuk ke sini."

"Pointing where?"

"Menunjuk ke mana?"

"To this tram. Car fourteen." Luca held the calendar out. "I think you should hold it."

"Ke trem ini. Gerbong empat belas." Luca mengulurkan kalender itu. "Kurasa kamu yang harus memegangnya."

Cosmo laughed, but the laugh sounded thin. "Why me?"

Cosmo tertawa, tetapi tawanya terdengar tipis. "Kenapa aku?"

"Because I do not know anybody else who has a reason to come out here."

"Karena aku tidak kenal orang lain yang punya alasan untuk datang ke sini."

Cosmo said nothing for a while. He put his sandwich on the step. Then, very carefully, he took the calendar from Luca.

Cosmo tidak berkata apa-apa beberapa saat. Ia meletakkan sandwich-nya di tangga. Lalu, dengan sangat hati-hati, ia mengambil kalender itu dari Luca.

The paper stopped trembling. It lay in his hands like a sleeping animal.

Kertas itu berhenti bergetar. Kalender itu terbaring di tangannya seperti binatang yang tertidur.

"I worked on this car before I was a full mechanic," Cosmo said at last. "The foreman asked me to check the third bolt on the brake arm. It was a small job. I wrote it on this calendar, and I meant to do it on Thursday."

"Aku pernah mengerjakan gerbong ini sebelum menjadi mekanik penuh," kata Cosmo akhirnya. "Mandor memintaku memeriksa baut ketiga pada lengan rem. Pekerjaan kecil. Aku menuliskannya di kalender ini, dan aku berniat mengerjakannya hari Kamis."

"And did you?" Luca asked.

"Dan kamu mengerjakannya?" tanya Luca.

"I forgot." Cosmo rubbed his forehead. "Nothing happened. The car was already out of service, so nobody was hurt. But I always wondered what I had missed."

"Aku lupa." Cosmo mengusap dahinya. "Tidak terjadi apa-apa. Gerbong itu sudah tidak beroperasi, jadi tidak ada yang terluka. Tapi aku selalu bertanya-tanya apa yang terlewat olehku."

"Then maybe the calendar has been waiting for you to finish it."

"Kalau begitu mungkin kalender ini sudah menunggumu untuk menyelesaikannya."

Cosmo looked at the page. He put one finger on the corner. This time the paper lifted at once, as lightly as a leaf.

Cosmo memandang halaman itu. Ia meletakkan satu jari di sudutnya. Kali ini kertas itu terangkat seketika, seringan selembar daun.

"Wait," Luca said. "The electrician said we should not look alone. So I am here."

"Tunggu," kata Luca. "Tukang listrik bilang kita tidak boleh melihat sendirian. Jadi aku di sini."

"Good," Cosmo said. "Stay."

"Bagus," kata Cosmo. "Tetaplah di sini."

Underneath was the month of April. The picture showed a small tram crossing the same stone bridge, with tiny people at the windows. Across the top, someone had written a message in blue pencil.

Di baliknya ada bulan April. Gambarnya memperlihatkan sebuah trem kecil menyeberangi jembatan batu yang sama, dengan orang-orang mungil di jendelanya. Di bagian atas, seseorang telah menulis pesan dengan pensil biru.

Cosmo read it out loud. His voice was careful and low.

Cosmo membacanya keras-keras. Suaranya hati-hati dan rendah.

"Third bolt, brake arm, car fourteen. Check it before you turn the page."

"Baut ketiga, lengan rem, gerbong empat belas. Periksa sebelum kamu membalik halaman."

"That is your job," Luca said. "Is it your handwriting?"

"Itu pekerjaanmu," kata Luca. "Apakah itu tulisan tanganmu?"

"No." Cosmo frowned. "It looks like the foreman's. But he left years ago."

"Bukan." Cosmo mengerutkan kening. "Kelihatannya seperti tulisan mandor. Tapi dia sudah pergi bertahun-tahun lalu."

They climbed onto the step together. Cosmo opened his toolbox and chose a short spanner. He crawled under the front of the car while Luca held the work lamp. The metal was cold and gritty, and the third bolt had a thin crack across its head.

Mereka naik ke tangga bersama-sama. Cosmo membuka kotak perkakasnya dan memilih kunci pas pendek. Ia merangkak ke bawah bagian depan gerbong sementara Luca memegang lampu kerja. Logamnya dingin dan berpasir, dan baut ketiga memiliki retakan tipis di kepalanya.

"It is loose," Cosmo called from below. "It has been loose for years. If anybody had moved this car, the arm could have slipped."

"Longgar," seru Cosmo dari bawah. "Sudah longgar bertahun-tahun. Kalau ada yang menggerakkan gerbong ini, lengannya bisa tergelincir."

"So the calendar was warning you."

"Jadi kalender itu memperingatkanmu."

"Or reminding me." Cosmo tightened the bolt with a slow, steady turn. It made a satisfying click, like a key in a lock. Then he slid out from under the car with dust on his sleeves.

"Atau mengingatkanku." Cosmo mengencangkan baut itu dengan putaran yang pelan dan mantap. Terdengar bunyi klik yang memuaskan, seperti kunci di dalam gembok. Lalu ia meluncur keluar dari bawah gerbong dengan debu di lengan bajunya.

High above the front window, the small brass bell gave one clear note, although nobody had touched it.

Tinggi di atas jendela depan, lonceng kuningan kecil itu membunyikan satu nada yang jernih, meski tidak ada yang menyentuhnya.

"Did you hear that?" Luca whispered.

"Kamu dengar itu?" bisik Luca.

"I heard it," Cosmo said.

"Aku dengar," kata Cosmo.

Luca picked up the calendar from the step. The page for April had slid back by itself, and a new sheet lay on top. It showed a different bridge, with a wide river under it. The paper felt like ordinary paper now.

Luca mengambil kalender itu dari tangga. Halaman April telah bergeser kembali dengan sendirinya, dan selembar halaman baru terhampar di atasnya. Halaman itu menunjukkan jembatan yang berbeda, dengan sungai lebar di bawahnya. Kertasnya terasa seperti kertas biasa sekarang.

"May," Luca said. "It finally moved."

"Mei," kata Luca. "Akhirnya bergerak."

"Then my job is done."

"Kalau begitu tugasku selesai."

"Is it?" Luca held up the calendar so the lamp shone through the page. A circle of pencil had appeared around one date in May. Next to it, in handwriting that looked exactly like Cosmo's own, a single word was written.

"Benarkah?" Luca mengangkat kalender itu sehingga lampu menyinari halamannya. Sebuah lingkaran pensil telah muncul di sekeliling satu tanggal di bulan Mei. Di sampingnya, dengan tulisan tangan yang tampak persis seperti milik Cosmo sendiri, tertulis satu kata.

"Again?" Cosmo read, and his shoulders sank. "What does that mean?"

"Lagi?" Cosmo membaca, dan bahunya merosot. "Apa maksudnya?"

Luca did not answer. Behind them, in the dark yard, another tram bell began to ring.

Luca tidak menjawab. Di belakang mereka, di halaman depo yang gelap, lonceng trem lain mulai berbunyi.