The Drawer That Rang

Samir liked the harbour fish auction because nothing about it ever changed. Every morning at five, the boats tied up at the quay. The crates slid down the ramp, and the big clock above the hall began to fall.

Samir menyukai lelang ikan di pelabuhan karena tidak ada yang pernah berubah di sana. Setiap pagi pukul lima, perahu-perahu bersandar di dermaga. Peti-peti meluncur turun dari lantai miring, dan jam besar di atas aula mulai turun.

It was a price clock. A number started high and dropped one cent at a time. The first buyer to press a button stopped the clock and won the fish. Samir sat at a small desk in the auctioneer's office, which had a window onto the hall. He wrote every sale in a thick ledger. He was sixteen, and it was his Saturday job.

Itu jam harga. Sebuah angka dimulai dari tinggi dan turun satu sen demi satu sen. Pembeli pertama yang menekan tombol menghentikan jam dan memenangkan ikannya. Samir duduk di meja kecil di kantor juru lelang, yang punya jendela menghadap aula. Ia mencatat setiap penjualan di buku besar yang tebal. Usianya enam belas tahun, dan itu pekerjaan Sabtunya.

His friend Darius worked in the hall too. He was seventeen, and he was a runner. He pushed carts of ice and fish across the wet floor and carried sample boxes to the buyers. He never walked when he could run.

Temannya, Darius, juga bekerja di aula. Usianya tujuh belas tahun, dan ia seorang pelari. Ia mendorong gerobak es dan ikan melintasi lantai basah dan membawa kotak-kotak contoh kepada para pembeli. Ia tidak pernah berjalan kalau bisa berlari.

The auctioneer's desk had one strange thing on it. In the middle of the left side there was a small drawer with a brass lock. She wore the key on a string round her neck. She had never opened the drawer in front of anyone.

Meja juru lelang punya satu hal aneh. Di tengah sisi kiri ada laci kecil dengan kunci kuningan. Juru lelang itu mengenakan kuncinya pada seutas tali di lehernya. Ia tidak pernah membuka laci itu di depan siapa pun.

"What is in it?" Darius had asked once.

"Isinya apa?" Darius pernah bertanya.

"Probably money," Samir had said. "Or old letters."

"Mungkin uang," kata Samir. "Atau surat-surat lama."

"Or a very small fish," Darius had said, and they had laughed.

"Atau seekor ikan yang sangat kecil," kata Darius, dan mereka tertawa.

On this Saturday, everything began as usual. The boats arrived, and the cold air smelled of salt and diesel. The hall slowly filled with buyers in rubber boots. At half past six the auctioneer stood up and fixed her silver whistle to her collar.

Pada hari Sabtu ini, semuanya dimulai seperti biasa. Perahu-perahu tiba, dan udara dingin berbau garam dan solar. Aula perlahan penuh dengan para pembeli berbot karet. Pukul setengah tujuh juru lelang itu berdiri dan menyematkan peluit peraknya di kerahnya.

"I must sign the fuel papers at the harbour office," she said. "Ten minutes. Samir, keep the ledger. Darius, keep the carts moving. The clock runs by itself, so nobody touch anything."

"Aku harus menandatangani surat bahan bakar di kantor pelabuhan," katanya. "Sepuluh menit. Samir, pegang buku besarnya. Darius, jaga gerobak-gerobak tetap bergerak. Jamnya berjalan sendiri, jadi jangan ada yang menyentuh apa pun."

She went out through the side door. The door closed with a bang.

Ia keluar lewat pintu samping. Pintunya menutup dengan bantingan.

The biggest lot of the day was waiting by the ramp. It was forty crates of mackerel from a boat that had stayed out for two nights. Its captain stood beside the clock with his arms crossed. He looked like a man who had slept for five hours in three days.

Lot terbesar hari itu menunggu di dekat lantai miring. Empat puluh peti ikan makerel dari perahu yang bertahan di laut selama dua malam. Kaptennya berdiri di samping jam dengan tangan bersedekap. Ia tampak seperti orang yang hanya tidur lima jam dalam tiga hari.

The captain had told Samir the problem the week before. The big buyers often waited together. They let the price fall to the very bottom, and then they all pressed at the same moment. Last month the captain had sold his catch for less than the fuel had cost.

Si kapten telah menceritakan masalahnya kepada Samir minggu sebelumnya. Para pembeli besar sering menunggu bersama-sama. Mereka membiarkan harga jatuh sampai ke dasar, lalu semuanya menekan pada saat yang sama. Bulan lalu kapten itu menjual tangkapannya dengan harga lebih rendah daripada biaya bahan bakarnya.

"Three fifty," he had said. "That is the least I can accept. After that, I lose money."

"Tiga lima puluh," katanya. "Itu yang paling rendah yang bisa kuterima. Setelah itu, aku rugi."

At twenty to seven, Samir heard a noise. It was a small, dull buzz, and it came from the auctioneer's desk. He looked down. The brass drawer was shaking a little, like a sleeping animal.

Pukul tujuh kurang dua puluh menit, Samir mendengar sebuah bunyi. Dengung kecil yang tumpul, datang dari meja juru lelang. Ia menunduk. Laci kuningan itu bergetar sedikit, seperti hewan yang sedang tidur.

Then it began to ring.

Lalu laci itu mulai berdering.

It was an ordinary phone ring, with a silly tune that sounded very loud in the quiet office. It rang six times and stopped. Darius came running in with an empty cart and froze.

Itu dering telepon biasa, dengan nada konyol yang terdengar sangat keras di kantor yang sunyi. Berdering enam kali lalu berhenti. Darius masuk berlari dengan gerobak kosong dan mematung.

"Your desk is calling you," he said.

"Mejamu memanggilmu," katanya.

"It's not my desk. It is hers," Samir said. "And I am not allowed to touch it."

"Itu bukan mejaku. Itu meja dia," kata Samir. "Dan aku tidak boleh menyentuhnya."

The drawer rang again. This time Samir felt a cold feeling in his stomach. He put his hand in his jacket pocket and found a small yellow note. He read it, and his face went pale.

Laci itu berdering lagi. Kali ini Samir merasakan dingin di perutnya. Ia memasukkan tangan ke saku jaket dan menemukan secarik catatan kuning kecil. Ia membacanya, dan wajahnya memucat.

The note said, in his own handwriting: Phone buyer from the city market. Calls 6:45. Bidding on the mackerel. Tell the clock to stop at the price he says.

Catatan itu berbunyi, dengan tulisan tangannya sendiri: Pembeli lewat telepon dari pasar kota. Menelepon pukul 6.45. Menawar makerel. Suruh jam berhenti di harga yang ia sebutkan.

"I forgot," he said quietly. "She told me yesterday. I wrote it down, and I forgot to give it to her."

"Aku lupa," katanya pelan. "Dia memberi tahuku kemarin. Aku menuliskannya, dan lupa menyerahkannya padanya."

"What is it?" Darius asked.

"Apa itu?" tanya Darius.

"A buyer from the city market. He wants the mackerel, and he will pay a good price. But he cannot be here, so he calls her second phone." Samir looked at the drawer. "She locked the phone inside."

"Pembeli dari pasar kota. Dia mau makerelnya, dan dia akan membayar harga bagus. Tapi dia tidak bisa hadir, jadi dia menelepon ponsel keduanya." Samir menatap laci itu. "Dia mengunci ponselnya di dalam."

Through the window they could see the hall. The lot was about to start. A man in a green apron was already walking towards the clock.

Melalui jendela mereka bisa melihat aula. Lot itu hampir dimulai. Seorang pria berapron hijau sudah berjalan menuju jam.

"How long do we have?" Darius asked.

"Berapa lama waktu kita?" tanya Darius.

"Four minutes."

"Empat menit."

He knelt in front of the desk and tried a paper clip in the lock. The clip bent in half. He tried a pen. The pen cracked. Samir ran his hands along the back of the desk. He found four small screws holding a wooden panel.

Ia berlutut di depan meja dan mencoba memasukkan klip kertas ke lubang kunci. Klipnya melengkung jadi dua. Ia mencoba pulpen. Pulpennya retak. Samir menyusuri bagian belakang meja dengan tangannya. Ia menemukan empat sekrup kecil yang menahan sebuah panel kayu.

"A coin," he said. "Quickly."

"Koin," katanya. "Cepat."

Darius found a coin in his pocket. They took turns to turn the screws, and their fingers were slippery from the ice. Outside, a bell rang once. The green button was pressed, and the great clock started to fall.

Darius menemukan sebuah koin di sakunya. Mereka bergantian memutar sekrup, dan jari-jari mereka licin oleh es. Di luar, sebuah bel berbunyi sekali. Tombol hijau ditekan, dan jam besar itu mulai turun.

The panel came loose at the last screw. Darius reached inside with one long arm. He pushed past the dust and a lost pencil and pulled out the phone. It was still ringing.

Panel itu lepas pada sekrup terakhir. Darius mengulurkan satu lengannya yang panjang ke dalam. Ia menyingkirkan debu dan sebatang pensil yang hilang lalu menarik keluar ponsel itu. Ponsel itu masih berdering.

Samir took it and pressed the green circle. "Harbour auction," he said. His voice shook.

Samir menerimanya dan menekan lingkaran hijau. "Lelang pelabuhan," katanya. Suaranya gemetar.

"At last," a calm voice said. "I have been calling for ten minutes. Where is the clock?"

"Akhirnya," kata suara yang tenang. "Sudah sepuluh menit saya menelepon. Di mana jamnya?"

"Four twenty," Samir said, because he had looked through the window. "And it is falling."

"Empat dua puluh," kata Samir, karena ia sudah melihatnya lewat jendela. "Dan terus turun."

"I will take the whole lot at four exactly," the voice said. "No lower. You must stop it at four. Can you do that?"

"Saya ambil semua lot-nya pada empat tepat," kata suara itu. "Tidak lebih rendah. Anda harus menghentikannya di empat. Bisa?"

Samir looked at the window. The clock showed 4.18. Three cents later it showed 4.15. The only button for a phone bidder was on the auctioneer's console in the middle of the hall. The hall was full of buyers in heavy boots.

Samir memandang jendela. Jam menunjukkan 4,18. Tiga sen kemudian menunjukkan 4,15. Satu-satunya tombol untuk penawar lewat telepon ada di konsol juru lelang di tengah aula. Aula itu penuh dengan para pembeli bersepatu bot berat.

"I can try," he said.

"Aku akan mencoba," katanya.

"Then run," Darius said, and he picked up an empty fish crate and put it on his shoulder.

"Kalau begitu lari," kata Darius, dan ia mengangkat peti ikan kosong ke bahunya.

They ran out together. Darius went first, shouting loudly in the narrow space between the buyers. "Wet floor! Heavy fish! Coming through!" People jumped away from him. Samir followed with the phone against his ear. The calm voice counted down like a second clock.

Mereka berlari keluar bersama. Darius di depan, berteriak keras di ruang sempit di antara para pembeli. "Lantai basah! Ikan berat! Permisi lewat!" Orang-orang melompat menyingkir darinya. Samir mengikuti dengan ponsel menempel di telinga. Suara tenang itu menghitung mundur seperti jam kedua.

"Four ten," the voice said. "Are you there?"

"Empat sepuluh," kata suara itu. "Anda masih di sana?"

"Yes. I am near."

"Ya. Aku sudah dekat."

The console stood on a platform at the end of the hall. A big buyer in a leather coat was leaning on it, watching the numbers fall. He looked like a man who waited for the price to reach the bottom. He did not move when Samir came.

Konsol itu berdiri di atas panggung di ujung aula. Seorang pembeli besar berjaket kulit bersandar padanya, memperhatikan angka-angka turun. Ia tampak seperti orang yang menunggu harga mencapai dasar. Ia tidak bergerak ketika Samir datang.

"Excuse me," Samir said.

"Permisi," kata Samir.

The man did not look at him. Darius put the crate down very close to the man's boot. The man stepped back with a surprised noise.

Pria itu tidak menoleh kepadanya. Darius meletakkan peti itu tepat di dekat sepatu bot si pria. Pria itu mundur dengan bunyi terkejut.

The clock showed 4.03.

Jam menunjukkan 4,03.

"Now?" Samir asked into the phone.

"Sekarang?" tanya Samir ke ponsel.

"Wait," said the voice. "Wait. Now."

"Tunggu," kata suara itu. "Tunggu. Sekarang."

Samir pressed the blue phone button with his thumb. A loud, short beep filled the whole hall, and the clock stopped at 4.00.

Samir menekan tombol telepon yang biru dengan ibu jarinya. Bunyi bip pendek yang keras memenuhi seluruh aula, dan jam berhenti di 4,00.

For a moment nobody spoke. The buyers looked hard at the frozen number. The man in the leather coat said a word that young people were not supposed to hear. Beside the ramp, the captain slowly uncrossed his arms and smiled.

Sesaat tak seorang pun berbicara. Para pembeli menatap tajam angka yang membeku itu. Pria berjaket kulit itu mengucapkan kata yang tidak seharusnya didengar anak muda. Di samping lantai miring, si kapten perlahan melepas tangannya yang bersedekap dan tersenyum.

The side door opened. The auctioneer stood in the doorway with a bundle of papers in her hand. She looked at the clock. She looked at the broken back of her desk. Then she looked at Samir, who was holding her second phone in one shaking hand.

Pintu samping terbuka. Juru lelang berdiri di ambang pintu dengan seikat kertas di tangan. Ia memandang jam. Ia memandang bagian belakang mejanya yang rusak. Lalu ia memandang Samir, yang memegang ponsel keduanya dengan satu tangan yang gemetar.

She walked across the hall without a word and took the phone from him. She put it to her ear and listened for a long time. A small smile showed at the corner of her mouth.

Ia berjalan melintasi aula tanpa sepatah kata pun dan mengambil ponsel itu darinya. Ia menempelkannya ke telinga dan mendengarkan lama sekali. Senyum kecil tampak di sudut mulutnya.

"Four exactly," she said to the voice on the phone. "Do we have a deal?"

"Empat tepat," katanya kepada suara di telepon. "Sepakat?"

Then she gave her own answer with a single word.

Lalu ia memberikan jawabannya sendiri dengan satu kata.

"Sold."

"Terjual."