The Drum Above the Hall

Zeynep sits at a long table in the church hall. In front of her is a pile of grey cloth. It is the fourth hour of the sewing circle.

Zeynep duduk di meja panjang di aula gereja. Di depannya ada setumpuk kain abu-abu. Ini jam keempat lingkaran menjahit.

She pushes a needle into the cloth. It makes no sound. Nothing in this room makes a sound.

Ia menusukkan jarum ke kain. Tidak ada bunyinya. Tidak ada apa pun di ruangan ini yang bersuara.

Next to her, Rolf cuts thread with a small pair of scissors. He yawns for the tenth time.

Di sebelahnya, Rolf memotong benang dengan gunting kecil. Ia menguap untuk kesepuluh kalinya.

"I want an adventure," Zeynep whispers.

"Aku ingin petualangan," bisik Zeynep.

"Me too," says Rolf. "I want to climb a mountain. Or cross a desert."

"Aku juga," kata Rolf. "Aku ingin mendaki gunung. Atau menyeberangi gurun."

"Or find a lost city."

"Atau menemukan kota yang hilang."

"Or just leave this table."

"Atau sekadar pergi dari meja ini."

They laugh quietly. Across the hall, the circle leader looks up. She has sharp eyes and a quick smile.

Mereka tertawa pelan. Di seberang aula, pemimpin lingkaran mendongak. Matanya tajam dan senyumnya cepat.

"What is so funny over there?" she asks.

"Apa yang lucu di sana?" tanyanya.

Zeynep stands up. Her heart beats fast, but she speaks anyway.

Zeynep berdiri. Jantungnya berdegup kencang, tetapi ia tetap berbicara.

"Please, give us something exciting to do. Just once. We sew grey cloth all day."

"Tolong, beri kami sesuatu yang seru untuk dikerjakan. Sekali saja. Kami menjahit kain abu-abu sepanjang hari."

The room is quiet. The other members stop sewing and look at the two teens.

Ruangan itu sunyi. Anggota lain berhenti menjahit dan menatap kedua remaja itu.

The leader puts down her cup. "Something exciting," she says slowly. "Hmm. I may have a job for you."

Sang pemimpin meletakkan cangkirnya. "Sesuatu yang seru," katanya perlahan. "Hmm. Mungkin aku punya tugas untuk kalian."

She walks to a shelf by the window. On it sits a small round drum with a faded blue top. She picks it up and holds it out to Zeynep.

Ia berjalan ke rak dekat jendela. Di atasnya ada sebuah drum bundar kecil dengan penutup biru pudar. Ia mengambilnya dan mengulurkannya kepada Zeynep.

"Our big banner is missing," she says. "We need it for the town fair this weekend. It hangs somewhere in the tower."

"Spanduk besar kita hilang," katanya. "Kita membutuhkannya untuk pesta rakyat kota akhir pekan ini. Spanduknya tergantung di suatu tempat di menara."

"The tower?" says Rolf. His voice is a little high.

"Menara?" kata Rolf. Suaranya agak tinggi.

"Yes. The door is behind the stage. The banner is at the top. Take the drum with you. When you find the banner, beat the drum three times. We will hear you down here."

"Ya. Pintunya di belakang panggung. Spanduknya ada di puncak. Bawa drum ini. Kalau kalian sudah menemukan spanduknya, pukul drum tiga kali. Kami akan mendengarnya dari bawah sini."

Zeynep takes the drum. It is light, and the top feels warm. "That is the whole job?"

Zeynep mengambil drum itu. Ringan, dan bagian atasnya terasa hangat. "Itu saja tugasnya?"

"That is the whole job," the leader says. "Be careful on the stairs."

"Itu saja tugasnya," kata sang pemimpin. "Hati-hati di tangga."

Behind the stage, there is a low wooden door. It looks like a door to a cupboard. Rolf pulls the handle, but it does not move.

Di belakang panggung ada pintu kayu yang rendah. Tampak seperti pintu lemari. Rolf menarik gagangnya, tetapi pintunya tidak bergerak.

"It is locked," he says.

"Terkunci," katanya.

"Look up," says Zeynep.

"Lihat ke atas," kata Zeynep.

On a hook above the door hangs a key. It has a round head like a button. She stands on a chair and takes it down.

Di sebuah pengait di atas pintu tergantung sebuah kunci. Kepalanya bulat seperti kancing. Ia berdiri di atas kursi dan menurunkannya.

The key turns with a loud click. The door opens, and a cold smell of dust comes out. Beyond it are stone stairs that go up in a tight circle.

Kunci itu berputar dengan klik keras. Pintunya terbuka, dan bau debu yang dingin keluar. Di baliknya ada tangga batu yang naik melingkar sempit.

"You go first," says Rolf.

"Kamu duluan," kata Rolf.

"No," says Zeynep. "We go together."

"Tidak," kata Zeynep. "Kita bersama-sama."

They climb. The stairs are narrow, and the walls are rough. A small window shows them a piece of blue sky. Zeynep counts the steps out loud. At forty, Rolf stops.

Mereka mendaki. Tangganya sempit, dan dindingnya kasar. Sebuah jendela kecil memperlihatkan sepotong langit biru. Zeynep menghitung anak tangga dengan suara keras. Pada hitungan keempat puluh, Rolf berhenti.

"My legs hurt," he says.

"Kakiku sakit," katanya.

"Mine too," says Zeynep. "But this is an adventure. Adventures always hurt a little."

"Punyaku juga," kata Zeynep. "Tapi ini petualangan. Petualangan selalu sedikit menyakitkan."

"Who told you that?"

"Siapa yang bilang begitu?"

"I just decided it."

"Aku baru saja memutuskannya."

He laughs and starts to climb again. At sixty steps, they reach a small room full of old chairs. A pigeon sits on a table. It looks at them with one round eye. Then it flies out of a hole in the wall.

Rolf tertawa dan mulai mendaki lagi. Pada langkah keenam puluh, mereka sampai di ruangan kecil penuh kursi tua. Seekor merpati bertengger di atas meja. Ia menatap mereka dengan satu mata bulat. Lalu ia terbang keluar lewat lubang di dinding.

At ninety steps, the stairs end. In front of them is a wooden ladder. It goes up to a square door in the ceiling.

Pada langkah kesembilan puluh, tangga berakhir. Di depan mereka ada tangga kayu. Tangga itu naik ke pintu persegi di langit-langit.

Rolf looks at the ladder. His face is pale.

Rolf menatap tangga itu. Wajahnya pucat.

"I do not like heights," he says.

"Aku tidak suka ketinggian," katanya.

"I know," says Zeynep. "I will go first. You can hold the drum."

"Aku tahu," kata Zeynep. "Aku duluan. Kamu pegang drumnya."

She gives him the drum. She climbs the ladder, one hand after the other. She pushes the door open with her shoulder. Light falls on her face.

Ia memberikan drum itu kepadanya. Ia memanjat tangga, satu tangan demi satu tangan. Ia mendorong pintu itu hingga terbuka dengan bahunya. Cahaya jatuh di wajahnya.

"Rolf, come up. You must see this."

"Rolf, naiklah. Kamu harus melihat ini."

He closes his eyes and climbs. Zeynep takes his hand at the top and pulls him through.

Rolf memejamkan mata dan memanjat. Zeynep meraih tangannya di puncak dan menariknya naik.

They are in the bell room. There are open arches on every side. Below them lies the whole town. The roofs look like toys. The river shines like a silver thread. Far away, a train crosses a long bridge.

Mereka berada di ruang lonceng. Ada lengkungan terbuka di setiap sisi. Di bawah mereka terhampar seluruh kota. Atap-atapnya tampak seperti mainan. Sungainya berkilau seperti benang perak. Jauh di sana, sebuah kereta melintasi jembatan panjang.

"Wow," says Rolf. He forgets to be afraid.

"Wow," kata Rolf. Ia lupa merasa takut.

"We are higher than the trees," Zeynep says. "We are higher than everything."

"Kita lebih tinggi daripada pepohonan," kata Zeynep. "Kita lebih tinggi daripada segalanya."

In the middle of the room hangs a huge old bell. Around the bell, someone tied a long, heavy roll of cloth. It is dusty. But Zeynep sees a stripe of gold at the edge.

Di tengah ruangan tergantung sebuah lonceng tua yang besar. Di sekeliling lonceng itu, seseorang mengikatkan gulungan kain panjang yang berat. Kain itu berdebu. Tetapi Zeynep melihat garis emas di tepinya.

"The banner," she says. "It was here all the time."

"Spanduknya," katanya. "Ternyata ada di sini sepanjang waktu."

"Somebody hid it," says Rolf. "Or forgot it."

"Seseorang menyembunyikannya," kata Rolf. "Atau melupakannya."

"Does it matter?"

"Apakah itu penting?"

"No." He grins. "We found it."

"Tidak." Ia nyengir. "Kita menemukannya."

Together they pull the cloth. It falls to the floor in a heavy wave. Dust jumps up and makes them cough. Under the dust, the banner shines. It shows a blue river and a white bird. Tiny lines of thread cover it.

Bersama-sama mereka menarik kain itu. Kain itu jatuh ke lantai dalam gelombang yang berat. Debu melompat naik dan membuat mereka terbatuk. Di bawah debu, spanduknya bersinar. Spanduk itu menampilkan sungai biru dan seekor burung putih. Garis-garis benang kecil menutupinya.

Zeynep touches the white bird. "Look at the thread. The circle made this."

Zeynep menyentuh burung putih itu. "Lihat benangnya. Lingkaran menjahit kita yang membuat ini."

"Maybe the leader sewed it herself," says Rolf. "Many years ago."

"Mungkin pemimpinnya sendiri yang menjahitnya," kata Rolf. "Bertahun-tahun lalu."

"Maybe she wanted us to see the town from here."

"Mungkin dia ingin kita melihat kota dari sini."

"Maybe she planned the whole thing."

"Mungkin dia merencanakan semuanya."

Zeynep thinks about the leader's quick smile. She thinks about the grey cloth and the long boring hours. Today she wants a lost city. Instead she gets ninety steps and a view of the river.

Zeynep memikirkan senyum cepat sang pemimpin. Ia memikirkan kain abu-abu dan jam-jam panjang yang membosankan. Hari ini ia menginginkan kota yang hilang. Sebagai gantinya ia mendapat sembilan puluh anak tangga dan pemandangan sungai.

It is not the adventure she wanted. It is better, because it is real.

Itu bukan petualangan yang ia inginkan. Itu lebih baik, karena nyata.

"We still have a job," says Rolf. He holds out the drum.

"Kita masih punya tugas," kata Rolf. Ia mengulurkan drum itu.

Zeynep takes it and steps close to the open arch. The wind pulls at her hair. Below her, the church hall is a small grey square.

Zeynep mengambilnya dan melangkah mendekati lengkungan yang terbuka. Angin menarik rambutnya. Di bawahnya, aula gereja tampak seperti kotak abu-abu kecil.

She lifts the drum high above her head. She hits it three times.

Ia mengangkat drum itu tinggi di atas kepalanya. Ia memukulnya tiga kali.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Bum. Bum. Bum.