The Fort at the Tram Stop

Leona signed the lease on Tuesday. By Friday evening she still had no bed.

Leona menandatangani kontrak sewa pada hari Selasa. Sampai Jumat malam ia masih belum punya tempat tidur.

The flat was a bright room on the top floor. It had a tiny kitchen and a window above the street. It had no sofa, no chairs and no curtains. The furniture shop said her bed would arrive in two weeks.

Flat itu sebuah ruangan terang di lantai teratas. Ada dapur mungil dan jendela yang menghadap jalan. Tidak ada sofa, kursi, ataupun tirai. Toko furnitur bilang tempat tidurnya baru akan tiba dua minggu lagi.

"Two weeks is a long time to sleep on the floor," Leona said on the phone.

"Dua minggu itu lama sekali untuk tidur di lantai," kata Leona di telepon.

"So don't sleep on the floor," said Zahra. "Sleep on pillows. I know a man who sells them cheap."

"Jadi jangan tidur di lantai," kata Zahra. "Tidurlah di atas bantal. Aku kenal seorang pria yang menjualnya murah."

Zahra lived in the flat below. They had met on the stairs the day before, when Leona was carrying a single lamp. Zahra had looked at the lamp, then at Leona, and decided they were friends. At home, Leona's friendships grew slowly, like trees. Zahra simply walked in and sat down.

Zahra tinggal di flat di bawahnya. Mereka bertemu di tangga sehari sebelumnya, ketika Leona sedang membawa sebuah lampu. Zahra memandang lampu itu, lalu Leona, dan memutuskan bahwa mereka berteman. Di kampung halamannya, pertemanan Leona tumbuh pelan-pelan, seperti pohon. Zahra langsung saja masuk dan duduk.

The man with the pillows had a stall at the night market across the river. He had forty left, all in odd colours. He sold twenty-two of them for the price of a pizza. He packed them into two enormous plastic bags.

Pria penjual bantal itu punya lapak di pasar malam di seberang sungai. Tersisa empat puluh bantal, semuanya dengan warna-warna aneh. Ia menjual dua puluh dua di antaranya dengan harga sebuah pizza. Ia mengemasnya ke dalam dua kantong plastik raksasa.

"How do we carry these?" Leona asked.

"Bagaimana cara kita membawanya?" tanya Leona.

"On our heads," Zahra said. "Like queens."

"Di atas kepala," kata Zahra. "Seperti ratu."

They did not carry them on their heads. They dragged the bags down the market street to the tram stop at the end. It was ten o'clock, and the stop was almost empty. A glass shelter stood beside the rails. Inside it were a bench and a big lit map of the whole city.

Mereka tidak membawanya di atas kepala. Mereka menyeret kantong-kantong itu menyusuri jalan pasar sampai halte trem di ujungnya. Waktu itu pukul sepuluh, dan halte hampir kosong. Sebuah tempat berteduh dari kaca berdiri di samping rel. Di dalamnya ada bangku dan peta besar bercahaya dari seluruh kota.

Leona dropped her bag and sat on it. Her arms hurt, and her new shoes hurt more. She had lived in this city for eleven days. She still got lost every time she left the house. She never told anyone that.

Leona menjatuhkan kantongnya dan duduk di atasnya. Lengannya sakit, dan sepatu barunya lebih sakit lagi. Ia sudah tinggal di kota ini selama sebelas hari. Ia masih tersesat setiap kali keluar rumah. Ia tak pernah memberi tahu siapa pun soal itu.

"The next tram is at ten past," Zahra said. She read the board, and then she stopped smiling. "Or it isn't."

"Trem berikutnya pukul sepuluh lewat sepuluh," kata Zahra. Ia membaca papan jadwal, lalu berhenti tersenyum. "Atau tidak ada."

A paper notice was taped across the timetable. The line was closed for repairs until Monday morning. There was no tram, and there would be no tram all weekend.

Sebuah pengumuman kertas ditempel menyilang di atas jadwal. Jalur itu ditutup untuk perbaikan sampai Senin pagi. Tidak ada trem, dan tidak akan ada trem sepanjang akhir pekan.

Zahra tried to call a taxi. The market had just closed, and every driver in the area was busy.

Zahra mencoba memanggil taksi. Pasar baru saja tutup, dan setiap sopir di sekitar situ sedang sibuk.

"One hour," she read. "Maybe more."

"Satu jam," bacanya. "Mungkin lebih."

"We could walk," Leona said slowly. "It isn't far. It's only two miles."

"Kita bisa jalan kaki," kata Leona pelan. "Tidak jauh. Hanya tiga kilometer."

"My phone has three percent left," Zahra said. "I used it all on pillow photos."

"Ponselku tinggal tiga persen," kata Zahra. "Kupakai habis untuk memotret bantal."

Leona pulled out her own phone. It had two percent. She opened the map, watched the little blue dot turn, and then the screen went black.

Leona mengeluarkan ponselnya sendiri. Baterainya dua persen. Ia membuka peta, melihat titik biru kecil berputar, lalu layarnya menjadi hitam.

For a moment neither of them spoke. Somewhere behind the market, a late stall pulled down its metal shutters with a long rattle.

Sesaat tak seorang pun dari mereka berbicara. Di suatu tempat di belakang pasar, sebuah lapak yang terlambat menutup menurunkan rolling door-nya dengan derak panjang.

Then Leona looked at the big lit map on the wall of the shelter.

Lalu Leona memandang peta besar bercahaya di dinding tempat berteduh itu.

She stood up and walked over to it. She found the river, then the market, then the tram line with its thin blue stripe. She put her finger on the dot that said YOU ARE HERE. Then she followed the streets with her finger, slowly, all the way to her own front door.

Ia berdiri dan berjalan menghampirinya. Ia menemukan sungai, lalu pasar, lalu jalur trem dengan garis birunya yang tipis. Ia menaruh jarinya pada titik bertuliskan ANDA BERADA DI SINI. Lalu ia menyusuri jalan-jalan dengan jarinya, pelan-pelan, sampai ke pintu depan rumahnya sendiri.

"Left at the fountain," she said. "Then along the canal until the iron bridge. Over the bridge, and the second street on the right. Then straight uphill."

"Belok kiri di air mancur," katanya. "Lalu menyusuri kanal sampai jembatan besi. Menyeberangi jembatan, lalu jalan kedua di sebelah kanan. Setelah itu lurus menanjak."

"You know this?" Zahra asked.

"Kamu tahu ini?" tanya Zahra.

"I don't know it yet," Leona said. "Give me a minute."

"Aku belum tahu," kata Leona. "Beri aku semenit."

She said the route aloud four times, first with her eyes open and then with them closed. Zahra waited and did not make a single joke.

Ia mengucapkan rute itu dengan lantang empat kali, pertama dengan mata terbuka lalu dengan mata terpejam. Zahra menunggu dan tidak membuat satu lelucon pun.

"Okay," Leona said at last. "I think I have it."

"Oke," kata Leona akhirnya. "Kurasa aku sudah hafal."

They picked up the bags and set off.

Mereka mengangkat kantong-kantong itu dan berangkat.

At the first corner, the bag in Zahra's hand split down one side with a soft, sad sound. Pillows slid out onto the pavement, one after another. A blue one rolled into the road. A yellow one landed face down under a lamp.

Di sudut jalan pertama, kantong di tangan Zahra robek sepanjang satu sisi dengan bunyi lembut yang sedih. Bantal-bantal meluncur keluar ke trotoar, satu demi satu. Yang biru menggelinding ke jalan. Yang kuning mendarat telungkup di bawah lampu.

"Stop," Zahra said, laughing so hard that she had to hold a wall. "Stop, stop. We have lost the beds."

"Berhenti," kata Zahra, tertawa begitu keras sampai harus berpegangan pada dinding. "Berhenti, berhenti. Kita kehilangan tempat tidur."

"We have not lost them," said Leona. "They are everywhere."

"Kita tidak kehilangannya," kata Leona. "Mereka ada di mana-mana."

She did not feel like laughing. If they could not carry the pillows, they would have to leave half of them here.

Ia tidak merasa ingin tertawa. Kalau mereka tak bisa membawa bantal-bantal itu, mereka harus meninggalkan separuhnya di sini.

Then she remembered the scarf around her neck. She pulled it off.

Lalu ia teringat syal di lehernya. Ia melepasnya.

"Give me your scarf," she said. "And your belt."

"Berikan syalmu," katanya. "Dan sabukmu."

"My belt? Why?"

"Sabukku? Untuk apa?"

"Because we are going to wear them."

"Karena kita akan memakainya."

It took ten minutes. Leona stacked six pillows into a tall bundle and tied them tightly with her scarf. Then she pushed her arms through two loops of Zahra's belt. The bundle sat on her back like a school bag. Zahra copied her. They stuffed four more pillows inside their coats, until both of them looked like round, soft penguins. They carried the last ones under their arms.

Butuh sepuluh menit. Leona menumpuk enam bantal menjadi bungkusan tinggi dan mengikatnya erat dengan syalnya. Lalu ia memasukkan kedua lengannya ke dua lingkar sabuk Zahra. Bungkusan itu bertengger di punggungnya seperti tas sekolah. Zahra menirunya. Mereka menjejalkan empat bantal lagi ke dalam mantel, sampai keduanya tampak seperti pinguin yang bulat dan lembut. Sisanya mereka bawa di bawah lengan.

"You look ridiculous," Zahra said happily. "I love it."

"Kamu kelihatan konyol," kata Zahra dengan gembira. "Aku suka."

Leona led the way. At the fountain she turned left without stopping. She heard Zahra's footsteps behind her, and the whisper of pillows against pillows. The streets were quiet.

Leona memimpin jalan. Di air mancur ia berbelok ke kiri tanpa berhenti. Ia mendengar langkah Zahra di belakangnya, dan bisikan bantal beradu dengan bantal. Jalan-jalan sunyi.

The canal came, just as the map had promised. The water was black and still. They walked beside it for a long time, past a boat with a string of tiny lights. Leona's shoulders ached. But her head felt clear and strange, as if someone had opened a window inside it.

Kanal itu muncul, persis seperti yang dijanjikan peta. Airnya hitam dan tenang. Mereka berjalan di sampingnya lama sekali, melewati sebuah perahu dengan untaian lampu mungil. Bahu Leona pegal. Tetapi kepalanya terasa jernih dan aneh, seakan seseorang membuka jendela di dalamnya.

Then she reached the iron bridge, and her stomach dropped. There were two bridges. One was iron, and one was made of grey stone, and they stood side by side.

Lalu ia sampai di jembatan besi, dan perutnya terasa jatuh. Ada dua jembatan. Satu dari besi, satu dari batu abu-abu, dan keduanya berdiri berdampingan.

"Which one?" Zahra asked.

"Yang mana?" tanya Zahra.

Leona closed her eyes and saw the map again. The mark across the canal had been a straight line. A straight line meant the flat stone one. She had been about to take the pretty one.

Leona memejamkan mata dan melihat peta itu lagi. Tanda di seberang kanal itu berupa garis lurus. Garis lurus berarti jembatan batu yang datar. Ia nyaris memilih yang cantik.

"The stone one," she said. "The iron one goes to the park."

"Yang batu," katanya. "Yang besi menuju ke taman."

"Are you sure?"

"Kamu yakin?"

"No," Leona said. "But I think so."

"Tidak," kata Leona. "Tapi kurasa begitu."

They crossed the stone bridge. On the other side, a sign said Mill Road. It was the second street on the right. Leona nearly laughed out loud.

Mereka menyeberangi jembatan batu. Di seberangnya, sebuah papan bertuliskan Jalan Mill. Itu jalan kedua di sebelah kanan. Leona nyaris tertawa keras.

Then came the hill. It was steeper than it looked on the map, and the bundles felt heavier with every step. Twice Zahra stopped. Twice Leona said, "Ten more steps," and counted them aloud. By the end, they were counting together.

Lalu datang tanjakan. Tanjakan itu lebih curam daripada yang tampak di peta, dan bungkusan-bungkusan itu terasa makin berat setiap langkah. Dua kali Zahra berhenti. Dua kali Leona berkata, "Sepuluh langkah lagi," dan menghitungnya dengan lantang. Pada akhirnya, mereka menghitung bersama.

At the top of the hill, a familiar yellow door waited under a lamp. It was her own front door.

Di puncak tanjakan, sebuah pintu kuning yang akrab menunggu di bawah lampu. Itu pintu depannya sendiri.

"We did it," Zahra said. "You did it."

"Kita berhasil," kata Zahra. "Kamu yang berhasil."

Up in the empty flat, they dropped everything in the middle of the floor. Then Zahra pulled a clean sheet out of a box in the corner. She tied two of its corners to the radiator and the window handle.

Di flat yang kosong di atas, mereka menjatuhkan semuanya di tengah lantai. Lalu Zahra menarik selembar seprai bersih dari kardus di pojok. Ia mengikat dua sudutnya pada radiator dan pegangan jendela.

"What are you doing?" Leona asked.

"Kamu sedang apa?" tanya Leona.

"A fort," said Zahra. "Every good flat needs one."

"Benteng," kata Zahra. "Setiap flat yang baik butuh satu."

They built it together. The big pillows made walls, the small ones made a floor, and the sheet made a roof. They tucked in the edges until the whole thing looked like a round, lopsided nest. Leona crawled in first. It smelled of dust and market and new cotton.

Mereka membangunnya bersama-sama. Bantal-bantal besar menjadi dinding, yang kecil menjadi lantai, dan seprai menjadi atap. Mereka menyelipkan tepi-tepinya sampai seluruhnya tampak seperti sarang bulat yang miring. Leona merangkak masuk lebih dulu. Baunya seperti debu dan pasar dan katun baru.

Zahra crawled in after her and pulled a pillow under her head. "Tomorrow I will bring you a blanket," she said. "And a kettle. And one more lamp."

Zahra merangkak masuk menyusulnya dan menarik sebuah bantal ke bawah kepalanya. "Besok aku akan membawakanmu selimut," katanya. "Dan ketel. Dan satu lampu lagi."

"You don't have to," Leona said.

"Tidak perlu," kata Leona.

"I know." Zahra yawned. "That is why I am going to."

"Aku tahu." Zahra menguap. "Justru itu aku akan melakukannya."

Soon her breathing grew slow and even. Leona lay awake a little longer, looking up at the sheet. A line of yellow light from the street came through a gap in the pillows. It lay across her hand. Far away, down the hill, she could hear one bicycle bell, small and clear, ringing in the dark.

Tak lama napasnya menjadi pelan dan teratur. Leona terjaga sedikit lebih lama, memandangi seprai di atasnya. Seberkas cahaya kuning dari jalan masuk lewat celah di antara bantal. Cahaya itu jatuh di atas tangannya. Jauh di sana, di bawah bukit, ia bisa mendengar sebuah bel sepeda, kecil dan jernih, berdering dalam gelap.

She closed her eyes and let it ring.

Ia memejamkan mata dan membiarkannya berdering.