The Green Sofa on the Stairs

Noa bought a green sofa from a man named Rafe. He said he could bring it to her flat. She lived on the fourth floor.

Noa membeli sofa hijau dari seorang pria bernama Rafe. Rafe bilang ia bisa mengantarkannya ke flat Noa. Noa tinggal di lantai empat.

Rafe came on Saturday morning. He looked at the narrow stairs. Then he looked at the sofa.

Rafe datang pada Sabtu pagi. Ia memandang tangga yang sempit. Lalu ia memandang sofanya.

"Which floor?" he asked.

"Lantai berapa?" tanyanya.

"The fourth," Noa said.

"Lantai empat," kata Noa.

"There is no lift?"

"Tidak ada lift?"

"No lift," she said. "Only stairs. And you."

"Tidak ada lift," katanya. "Hanya tangga. Dan Anda."

"I am a man with a sofa," Rafe said. "I am not a man with magic."

"Saya ini orang yang membawa sofa," kata Rafe. "Bukan orang yang membawa sihir."

Noa laughed. She took the front end. Rafe took the back end. The sofa was heavy and very wide.

Noa tertawa. Ia memegang ujung depan. Rafe memegang ujung belakang. Sofa itu berat dan lebar sekali.

"Go slowly," he said. "I cannot see my feet."

"Pelan-pelan," katanya. "Saya tidak bisa melihat kaki saya."

"I cannot see anything," Noa said. "The sofa is in my face."

"Saya tidak bisa melihat apa-apa," kata Noa. "Sofanya menutupi muka saya."

They climbed to the first floor. Then the stairs turned left. The sofa did not turn.

Mereka naik ke lantai satu. Lalu tangganya berbelok ke kiri. Sofanya tidak ikut berbelok.

"Push," Noa said.

"Dorong," kata Noa.

"I push," Rafe said. "The sofa does not listen."

"Saya dorong," kata Rafe. "Sofanya tidak mau dengar."

"Now pull," he said a moment later.

"Sekarang tarik," katanya sesaat kemudian.

"I pull," Noa said. "The sofa hates me."

"Saya tarik," kata Noa. "Sofanya membenci saya."

"It does not hate you. It hates the wall."

"Dia tidak membenci Anda. Dia membenci dinding."

A door opened above them. A man named Bram looked down. He held a cup of coffee.

Sebuah pintu terbuka di atas mereka. Seorang pria bernama Bram melihat ke bawah. Ia memegang secangkir kopi.

"Good morning," Bram said. "Do you need help?"

"Selamat pagi," kata Bram. "Butuh bantuan?"

"No," said Rafe.

"Tidak," kata Rafe.

"Yes," said Noa.

"Ya," kata Noa.

Bram drank some coffee. "I think I will watch," he said. "It is a good show." Then he went back inside and shut his door.

Bram meminum sedikit kopinya. "Kayaknya saya nonton saja," katanya. "Pertunjukan yang bagus." Lalu ia masuk lagi dan menutup pintunya.

Noa sat on the stair and looked at the sofa. She thought for a minute. Then she stood up.

Noa duduk di anak tangga dan memandangi sofa itu. Ia berpikir semenit. Lalu ia berdiri.

"Let us stand it on its end," she said. "Like a tall door."

"Ayo kita berdirikan, bertumpu pada ujungnya," katanya. "Seperti pintu yang tinggi."

"That is clever," Rafe said.

"Pintar juga," kata Rafe.

They lifted the sofa together. It stood up with a loud bump. Now Noa and Rafe stood face to face. The sofa stood between them.

Mereka mengangkat sofa itu bersama-sama. Sofa itu berdiri dengan bunyi gedebuk keras. Kini Noa dan Rafe berdiri berhadapan. Sofa itu berdiri di antara mereka.

Rafe had kind brown eyes and dust in his hair. Noa looked at him for too long.

Rafe punya mata cokelat yang ramah dan debu di rambutnya. Noa menatapnya terlalu lama.

"Hello," he said.

"Halo," katanya.

"Hello," she said. "We are stuck."

"Halo," kata Noa. "Kita tersangkut."

"I know. I like it here."

"Saya tahu. Saya suka di sini."

"You like a dusty stair?"

"Anda suka tangga berdebu?"

"I like the company," Rafe said. "The sofa is a bit rude."

"Saya suka teman bicaranya," kata Rafe. "Sofanya agak kurang sopan."

Noa laughed again. She pushed hard. The sofa slid around the corner. They went up the last two floors. They had only one small argument.

Noa tertawa lagi. Ia mendorong sekuat tenaga. Sofa itu meluncur melewati tikungan. Mereka naik dua lantai terakhir. Mereka hanya berdebat satu kali, itu pun kecil.

At the fourth floor, Noa opened her door wide. Rafe pushed the sofa forward. It went in an inch and stopped.

Di lantai empat, Noa membuka pintunya lebar-lebar. Rafe mendorong sofa ke depan. Sofa itu masuk satu inci lalu macet.

"The door is small," Rafe said.

"Pintunya kecil," kata Rafe.

"The door is normal," Noa said. "The sofa is huge."

"Pintunya biasa saja," kata Noa. "Sofanya yang raksasa."

They tried it on its side. They tried it on its back. They tried it with Rafe on one side. Then Noa tried the other side. Both of them said, "Gently, gently."

Mereka mencobanya dengan posisi miring. Mereka mencobanya dengan posisi telentang. Mereka mencobanya dengan Rafe di satu sisi. Lalu Noa mencoba di sisi yang lain. Keduanya berkata, "Pelan-pelan, pelan-pelan."

At last they sat on the sofa in the hall. It was a very good sofa. It was soft and cool. After the stairs, it felt wonderful.

Akhirnya mereka duduk di sofa itu di lorong. Sofa itu bagus sekali. Empuk dan sejuk. Setelah menaiki tangga, rasanya nikmat sekali.

"I want to say something," Rafe said.

"Saya mau bilang sesuatu," kata Rafe.

"Please do."

"Silakan."

"I forgot to measure your door."

"Saya lupa mengukur pintu Anda."

"I forgot to measure my sofa," Noa said.

"Saya lupa mengukur sofa saya," kata Noa.

"You did not forget. You bought it from me."

"Anda tidak lupa. Anda membelinya dari saya."

"Then it is your fault."

"Kalau begitu, ini salah Anda."

"Yes," Rafe said. "It is." He looked at the sofa and then at the door. Then he looked at the window down the hall. "Do you have a rope?"

"Ya," kata Rafe. "Betul." Ia memandang sofa lalu pintu. Kemudian ia memandang jendela di ujung lorong. "Anda punya tali?"

Noa stood up and looked at the window too. "Yes," she said. "In the kitchen."

Noa berdiri dan ikut memandang jendela itu. "Punya," katanya. "Di dapur."

Rafe took off his shoes and put his feet up. "I am not moving," he said. "I live here now."

Rafe melepas sepatunya dan menaikkan kakinya. "Saya tidak mau pindah," katanya. "Saya tinggal di sini sekarang."

"Then you pay rent," Noa said. She gave him the rope. "Start with the window."

"Kalau begitu Anda bayar sewa," kata Noa. Ia memberikan tali itu padanya. "Mulai dari jendela."