The Chalk Square Outside Room Nine

Pria sits at the desk by the window in Room Nine. She stares at the first page of her maths exam. She is forty-three. She works nights at a warehouse, and she has studied for this paper every morning for a year. Her pencil case is on the desk. Her hands are cold.

Pria duduk di meja dekat jendela di Ruang Sembilan. Ia menatap halaman pertama ujian matematikanya. Usianya empat puluh tiga tahun. Ia bekerja malam di sebuah gudang, dan ia telah belajar untuk ujian ini setiap pagi selama setahun. Kotak pensilnya ada di meja. Tangannya dingin.

The invigilator walks slowly between the rows. She is young, and her name badge says Lotte. She holds a stack of spare papers as if they might bite her. Pria guesses it is her first time.

Pengawas ujian berjalan pelan di antara barisan. Ia masih muda, dan lencana namanya bertuliskan Lotte. Ia memegang setumpuk kertas cadangan seakan kertas itu bisa menggigit. Pria menduga ini pertama kalinya baginya.

"You may begin," says Lotte. Her voice cracks on the last word.

"Silakan mulai," kata Lotte. Suaranya pecah pada kata terakhir.

Pria begins. The first question is easy, and so is the second. By the fifth, she feels something she has not felt in a classroom for twenty years. She feels clever.

Pria mulai. Soal pertama mudah, begitu juga soal kedua. Pada soal kelima, ia merasakan sesuatu yang sudah dua puluh tahun tidak ia rasakan di ruang kelas. Ia merasa pintar.

At twenty past seven, a small sound comes from the door. Lotte is whispering with a man in a grey suit. He has a lanyard and a tired face. He points towards the window, and then he leaves. Lotte comes back down the aisle with her eyes fixed on the floor.

Pukul tujuh lewat dua puluh, terdengar suara kecil dari pintu. Lotte berbisik-bisik dengan seorang pria berjas abu-abu. Pria itu memakai tali tanda pengenal dan berwajah lelah. Ia menunjuk ke arah jendela, lalu pergi. Lotte kembali menyusuri lorong dengan mata tertuju ke lantai.

She stops beside Pria's desk and bends down. "Sorry," she whispers. "I cannot talk during the exam. But could you look outside? Only look. I am not allowed to ask about the paper."

Ia berhenti di samping meja Pria dan membungkuk. "Maaf," bisiknya. "Saya tidak boleh bicara selama ujian. Tapi bisakah Anda melihat ke luar? Hanya melihat. Saya tidak boleh bertanya tentang soalnya."

Pria frowns. Then she lifts her head and looks through the window.

Pria mengernyit. Lalu ia mengangkat kepala dan memandang lewat jendela.

Below, on the pavement outside the main door, a large drawing covers the paving stones. It is made of white chalk. Pria sees a square, and inside it a smaller grid of nine boxes. Each box holds a number, except the middle one. The middle one is empty.

Di bawah, di trotoar di depan pintu utama, sebuah gambar besar menutupi paving. Gambar itu dibuat dengan kapur putih. Pria melihat sebuah persegi, dan di dalamnya kisi yang lebih kecil dengan sembilan kotak. Setiap kotak berisi sebuah angka, kecuali yang di tengah. Yang di tengah kosong.

The numbers are eight, one, six in the top row. Then three, blank, seven. Then four, nine, two.

Angkanya adalah delapan, satu, enam di baris atas. Lalu tiga, kosong, tujuh. Lalu empat, sembilan, dua.

Pria looks at it for a few seconds. Then she looks back at Lotte and nods once. She returns to her exam, because there is still a lot of paper left. But her mind keeps drifting down to the pavement.

Pria memandanginya beberapa detik. Lalu ia menatap Lotte kembali dan mengangguk sekali. Ia kembali ke ujiannya, karena masih banyak kertas yang tersisa. Tetapi pikirannya terus melayang ke trotoar di bawah.

For the next hour, the room is silent. Pria finishes question fourteen. She checks her working, and then she checks it again. At eight twenty, she turns over her last page and puts down her pencil. There are still thirty minutes left, and the rules say she must stay in her seat.

Selama satu jam berikutnya, ruangan itu hening. Pria menyelesaikan soal empat belas. Ia memeriksa pekerjaannya, lalu memeriksanya lagi. Pukul delapan lewat dua puluh, ia membalik halaman terakhir dan meletakkan pensilnya. Masih ada tiga puluh menit lagi, dan aturan mengharuskannya tetap di kursi.

So she sits and looks out of the window. The pavement drawing is clearer from up here. Whoever made it drew each line with great care. The digits are neat.

Jadi ia duduk dan memandang ke luar jendela. Gambar di trotoar itu terlihat lebih jelas dari atas sini. Siapa pun yang membuatnya menggambar setiap garis dengan sangat teliti. Angka-angkanya rapi.

She does the sum without trying. Eight plus one plus six is fifteen. The first column adds up to fifteen as well. Every row, every column and both diagonals should be fifteen. It is a magic square, and the missing number is five.

Ia menghitungnya tanpa berusaha. Delapan tambah satu tambah enam adalah lima belas. Kolom pertama juga berjumlah lima belas. Setiap baris, setiap kolom, dan kedua diagonal seharusnya berjumlah lima belas. Itu adalah kuadrat ajaib, dan angka yang hilang adalah lima.

At eight fifty, a bell rings. The students stand, stretch and hand in their papers. Lotte collects them one by one, and she counts each pile twice. When Pria gives hers over, Lotte holds on to it a moment too long.

Pukul delapan lewat lima puluh, bel berbunyi. Para siswa berdiri, meregangkan badan, dan mengumpulkan kertas mereka. Lotte mengumpulkannya satu per satu, dan ia menghitung setiap tumpukan dua kali. Ketika Pria menyerahkan kertasnya, Lotte menahannya sedikit terlalu lama.

"Thank you," Lotte says quietly. "Please wait outside the door. I need to ask you something."

"Terima kasih," kata Lotte pelan. "Tolong tunggu di luar pintu. Saya perlu bertanya sesuatu kepada Anda."

In the corridor, Pria leans against the wall. Her legs feel weak. She has finished. Whatever the result, she has finished.

Di koridor, Pria bersandar ke dinding. Kakinya terasa lemas. Ia sudah selesai. Apa pun hasilnya, ia sudah selesai.

Lotte comes out two minutes later with her bag. Her face looks pale.

Dua menit kemudian Lotte keluar membawa tasnya. Wajahnya tampak pucat.

"I am so sorry," she says. "You have just done a two-hour exam, and now I want a favour."

"Saya benar-benar minta maaf," katanya. "Anda baru saja mengerjakan ujian dua jam, dan sekarang saya meminta bantuan."

"What is the problem?" asks Pria.

"Ada masalah apa?" tanya Pria.

"The head of department thinks the drawing is a code." Lotte talks fast. "He thinks someone is signalling answers to the students. Or it is a joke about the exam. He wants to know who did it before the results go out. He wants me to find out." She lowers her voice. "I teach history. I do not understand any of it."

"Kepala jurusan mengira gambar itu sebuah sandi." Lotte bicara cepat. "Ia mengira ada yang mengirim isyarat jawaban kepada para siswa. Atau itu lelucon tentang ujian. Ia ingin tahu siapa pelakunya sebelum hasil ujian diumumkan. Ia menyuruh saya mencari tahu." Ia merendahkan suaranya. "Saya mengajar sejarah. Saya tidak mengerti semua ini."

Pria almost laughs. "It is not a code," she says. "It is a magic square. The missing number is five."

Pria nyaris tertawa. "Itu bukan sandi," katanya. "Itu kuadrat ajaib. Angka yang hilang adalah lima."

"How do you know that?"

"Bagaimana Anda tahu?"

"Every row adds up to fifteen. Look." Pria takes a pen from her pocket and writes the numbers on her hand. "Eight, one, six. Three, five, seven. Four, nine, two. Fifteen, fifteen, fifteen. It is an old puzzle. Children learn it at school."

"Setiap baris berjumlah lima belas. Lihat." Pria mengeluarkan pulpen dari sakunya dan menulis angka-angka itu di tangannya. "Delapan, satu, enam. Tiga, lima, tujuh. Empat, sembilan, dua. Lima belas, lima belas, lima belas. Ini teka-teki lama. Anak-anak mempelajarinya di sekolah."

Lotte stares at the numbers. Then she lets out a long breath. "So it is harmless."

Lotte menatap angka-angka itu. Lalu ia menghela napas panjang. "Jadi tidak berbahaya."

"It is harmless," says Pria. "But somebody still drew it, and I would like to know who."

"Tidak berbahaya," kata Pria. "Tapi tetap saja ada yang menggambarnya, dan saya ingin tahu siapa."

They walk down the stairs together. The lobby is full of tired students and the smell of floor polish. At the main door, Pria stops, because the drawing looks different from ground level. There is something she did not see from above. At the bottom corner of the square, a tiny arrow points to the left.

Mereka menuruni tangga bersama. Lobi penuh dengan siswa yang kelelahan dan bau semir lantai. Di pintu utama, Pria berhenti, karena gambar itu terlihat berbeda dari permukaan tanah. Ada sesuatu yang tidak ia lihat dari atas. Di sudut bawah persegi itu, sebuah anak panah kecil menunjuk ke kiri.

They follow it. On the next paving stone, there is a second drawing. It is a small spiral with numbers along its curve. It is a different puzzle, and it is also unfinished.

Mereka mengikutinya. Di paving berikutnya, ada gambar kedua. Sebuah spiral kecil dengan angka-angka di sepanjang lengkungannya. Itu teka-teki yang lain, dan belum selesai juga.

"There are more," whispers Lotte.

"Masih ada lagi," bisik Lotte.

The arrows lead them along the building wall, round the corner and towards the bins. Each stone holds a new puzzle. There is a triangle of numbers and a clock face with no hands. There is a little ladder with missing steps. Pria feels like a girl again.

Anak-anak panah itu menuntun mereka menyusuri dinding gedung, berbelok di sudut, dan menuju tempat sampah. Setiap paving berisi teka-teki baru. Ada segitiga angka dan wajah jam tanpa jarum. Ada tangga kecil dengan anak tangga yang hilang. Pria merasa seperti gadis kecil lagi.

At the end of the path, a man in a blue overall is kneeling beside the back door. He holds a stub of chalk and draws a careful curve. A bucket and a mop stand beside him.

Di ujung jalan itu, seorang pria berseragam kerja biru berlutut di samping pintu belakang. Ia memegang sepotong kapur dan menggambar lengkungan dengan hati-hati. Sebuah ember dan pel berdiri di sampingnya.

"Good evening," says Pria.

"Selamat malam," kata Pria.

The man looks up and does not seem surprised. He is about sixty, and he has chalk dust on his knees. "Good evening," he says. "Are you here for the next one?"

Pria itu mendongak dan tidak tampak terkejut. Usianya sekitar enam puluh, dan ada debu kapur di lututnya. "Selamat malam," katanya. "Apakah Anda datang untuk yang berikutnya?"

"The next one?" asks Lotte.

"Yang berikutnya?" tanya Lotte.

"I draw one every night during exam week," he says. "The students come out of the building looking so serious. I thought they might like something to solve on the way home." He glances at Lotte's badge. "I hope I have not made trouble."

"Saya menggambar satu setiap malam selama minggu ujian," katanya. "Para siswa keluar dari gedung dengan wajah begitu serius. Saya pikir mungkin mereka suka sesuatu untuk dipecahkan dalam perjalanan pulang." Ia melirik lencana Lotte. "Semoga saya tidak menimbulkan masalah."

Lotte opens her mouth and closes it again. "My head of department thought you were sending hidden messages."

Lotte membuka mulut lalu menutupnya lagi. "Kepala jurusan saya mengira Bapak mengirim pesan tersembunyi."

"Only the messages that say, think about this," says the man, and he smiles.

"Hanya pesan yang bunyinya, pikirkan ini," kata pria itu, dan ia tersenyum.

Pria crouches beside him and studies the half-finished curve. "You were a teacher once," she says.

Pria berjongkok di sampingnya dan mempelajari lengkungan yang setengah jadi itu. "Dulu Bapak seorang guru," katanya.

"I taught maths for thirty years," he answers. "Then my knees got old, and now I mop floors. But I miss it every day." He taps the paving stone. "This one is hard. Nobody has solved the first half yet."

"Saya mengajar matematika selama tiga puluh tahun," jawabnya. "Lalu lutut saya menua, dan sekarang saya mengepel lantai. Tapi saya merindukannya setiap hari." Ia mengetuk paving itu. "Yang ini sulit. Belum ada yang memecahkan separuh pertamanya."

Pria takes the chalk. She thinks for a moment. Her exam is finished, her shift starts in two hours, and she should go home and sleep. But the puzzle looks at her like a door that has been left open.

Pria mengambil kapur itu. Ia berpikir sejenak. Ujiannya sudah selesai, shift-nya mulai dua jam lagi, dan ia seharusnya pulang dan tidur. Tetapi teka-teki itu menatapnya seperti pintu yang dibiarkan terbuka.

"Seven," she says at last, and she writes it in the gap.

"Tujuh," katanya akhirnya, dan ia menuliskannya di celah itu.

The man leans closer. He reads the numbers and then reads them again. His eyebrows go up. "That is right," he says. "That is exactly right. Most people never see it."

Pria itu mencondongkan badan. Ia membaca angka-angka itu lalu membacanya lagi. Alisnya terangkat. "Benar," katanya. "Tepat sekali. Kebanyakan orang tidak pernah melihatnya."

Lotte lets out a small laugh. She sits down on the kerb, holds her bag in her lap and looks at both of them. The day has been very long for her.

Lotte tertawa kecil. Ia duduk di tepi trotoar, memangku tasnya, dan memandangi mereka berdua. Hari ini sangat panjang baginya.

"So what do I tell my head of department?" she asks.

"Jadi apa yang harus saya katakan kepada kepala jurusan?" tanyanya.

"Tell him the truth," says Pria. "A caretaker drew a puzzle, and a student solved it."

"Katakan yang sebenarnya," kata Pria. "Seorang petugas kebersihan menggambar teka-teki, dan seorang siswa memecahkannya."

"He will want a name," says Lotte.

"Ia akan menginginkan nama," kata Lotte.

"My name is not important," the man says. He picks up his bucket. Then he looks at Pria, and there is a bright, curious light in his eyes. "But I am running out of easy puzzles. Do you know any hard ones?"

"Nama saya tidak penting," kata pria itu. Ia mengambil embernya. Lalu ia menatap Pria, dan ada cahaya cerah yang penuh rasa ingin tahu di matanya. "Tapi saya hampir kehabisan teka-teki yang mudah. Apakah Anda tahu yang sulit?"