The Clock in Room Nine

The big clock in Room Nine has a secret. Every Monday, it is five minutes slow. On Tuesday, it is right again.

Jam besar di Ruang Sembilan punya sebuah rahasia. Setiap hari Senin, jam itu terlambat lima menit. Pada hari Selasa, jam itu tepat lagi.

Ximena notices it first. She sits near the wall. She looks at the clock a lot. She likes numbers.

Ximena yang pertama kali menyadarinya. Dia duduk di dekat dinding. Dia sering menatap jam itu. Dia suka angka.

"Is our clock broken?" she asks the teacher on Monday.

"Apakah jam kita rusak?" tanyanya kepada guru pada hari Senin.

The teacher looks up. "It is a mystery," she says. "A new battery does not help. A new clock does not help. Every Monday, the same thing."

Guru itu mendongak. "Itu sebuah misteri," katanya. "Baterai baru tidak membantu. Jam baru juga tidak membantu. Setiap hari Senin, selalu sama."

Ximena opens her notebook. She writes at the top: The Clock Case.

Ximena membuka buku catatannya. Di bagian atas, dia menulis: Kasus Jam.

Clue one: the clock is slow only on Monday.

Petunjuk pertama: jam itu terlambat hanya pada hari Senin.

Clue two: it is right by evening.

Petunjuk kedua: pada sore hari jam itu sudah tepat.

Clue three: nobody in class sees the change.

Petunjuk ketiga: tidak ada yang di kelas melihat perubahannya.

She thinks about it all week. On Tuesday, she asks the caretaker. He is a kind man with a big key ring.

Dia memikirkannya sepanjang minggu. Pada hari Selasa, dia bertanya kepada penjaga sekolah. Dia seorang pria baik hati dengan seikat besar kunci.

"I do not touch that clock," he says. "I only clean the room at night."

"Saya tidak menyentuh jam itu," katanya. "Saya hanya membersihkan ruangan pada malam hari."

"Then who does?" Ximena asks.

"Kalau begitu, siapa yang menyentuhnya?" tanya Ximena.

He smiles and shrugs. "A good question for a good detective."

Dia tersenyum dan mengangkat bahu. "Pertanyaan bagus untuk detektif yang bagus."

Ximena goes home with a plan. On the next Monday, she wakes up very early. She walks to school in the gray light. The building is still quiet. She slips into Room Nine at seven o'clock. She hides behind the coat rack.

Ximena pulang dengan sebuah rencana. Pada hari Senin berikutnya, dia bangun sangat pagi. Dia berjalan ke sekolah dalam cahaya kelabu. Gedung itu masih sepi. Dia menyelinap ke Ruang Sembilan pada pukul tujuh. Dia bersembunyi di balik gantungan mantel.

She waits. She hears her own heart. A bird sings outside.

Dia menunggu. Dia mendengar detak jantungnya sendiri. Seekor burung berkicau di luar.

At seven-thirty, the door opens. Someone walks in. It is a boy with a big green bag. It is Zane, the quiet boy from the back row.

Pada pukul tujuh tiga puluh, pintu terbuka. Seseorang masuk. Seorang anak laki-laki dengan tas hijau besar. Dia Zane, anak pendiam dari barisan belakang.

Zane looks at the door. Then he looks around. He does not see Ximena. He pulls a chair to the wall. He stands on it. He lifts the clock down. He turns a small wheel on the back.

Zane menatap pintu. Lalu dia melihat sekeliling. Dia tidak melihat Ximena. Dia menarik sebuah kursi ke dinding. Dia naik ke atasnya. Dia menurunkan jam itu. Dia memutar roda kecil di bagian belakangnya.

Ximena steps out. "Hello, Zane," she says.

Ximena melangkah keluar. "Halo, Zane," katanya.

Zane jumps. He nearly falls from the chair. The clock shakes in his hands.

Zane terlonjak. Dia hampir jatuh dari kursi. Jam itu bergetar di tangannya.

"Ximena!" he says. His face goes red. "Why are you here?"

"Ximena!" katanya. Wajahnya memerah. "Kenapa kamu di sini?"

"I am a detective," she says. "I want to know about the clock."

"Aku seorang detektif," katanya. "Aku ingin tahu soal jam itu."

Zane sits down on the chair. He holds the clock on his knees. For a moment, he says nothing.

Zane duduk di kursi. Dia memegang jam itu di pangkuannya. Sejenak, dia tidak berkata apa-apa.

"Every Monday, my little sister has dance class," he says. "It ends late, and I walk her home. My mother works at the hospital. So I come to school late on Monday morning."

"Setiap hari Senin, adik perempuanku ada kelas menari," katanya. "Kelasnya selesai larut, dan aku mengantarnya pulang. Ibuku bekerja di rumah sakit. Jadi aku datang terlambat ke sekolah pada hari Senin pagi."

"The clock helps you," Ximena says slowly.

"Jam itu membantumu," kata Ximena pelan.

"A slow clock helps me," Zane says.

"Jam yang lambat membantuku," kata Zane.

"My name is not on the late list."

"Namaku tidak masuk daftar terlambat."

"It is only five minutes. But I was afraid to ask for help."

"Itu cuma lima menit. Tapi aku takut meminta tolong."

Ximena looks at the clock. She looks at Zane. "You do not need a trick," she says. "You need to tell the teacher."

Ximena menatap jam itu. Dia menatap Zane. "Kamu tidak perlu trik," katanya. "Kamu perlu bilang kepada guru."

"What if she says no?"

"Bagaimana kalau dia bilang tidak?"

"She will not," says Ximena. "She is not a monster."

"Dia tidak akan begitu," kata Ximena. "Dia bukan monster."

Zane laughs a little. He hangs the clock on the wall. Ximena helps him. They set it right.

Zane tertawa kecil. Dia menggantung jam itu di dinding. Ximena membantunya. Mereka mengatur jam itu dengan benar.

At eight o'clock, the other students arrive. The teacher comes in and puts down her bag. Zane stands up. His hands shake, but he walks to her desk. Ximena watches from her seat.

Pada pukul delapan, murid-murid lain datang. Guru masuk dan meletakkan tasnya. Zane berdiri. Tangannya gemetar, tetapi dia berjalan ke meja guru. Ximena menonton dari bangkunya.

Zane talks for a short time. The teacher listens. Then she smiles and puts a hand on his shoulder. She writes something in her book.

Zane berbicara sebentar. Guru itu mendengarkan. Lalu dia tersenyum dan meletakkan tangan di bahu Zane. Dia menulis sesuatu di bukunya.

When he returns, Zane sits down beside Ximena. He whispers, "She says Mondays are fine."

Ketika kembali, Zane duduk di samping Ximena. Dia berbisik, "Katanya hari Senin tidak apa-apa."

Ximena opens her notebook. Under the last clue, she writes two big words.

Ximena membuka buku catatannya. Di bawah petunjuk terakhir, dia menulis dua kata besar.

Case closed.

Kasus selesai.