The Guard in the Big Jacket

Chidi stands in a glass shelter at a tram stop. It is seven in the morning. The street is quiet and the air is cold.

Chidi berdiri di halte kaca di perhentian trem. Saat itu pukul tujuh pagi. Jalanan sepi dan udara dingin.

On the wall of the shelter there is a big map. It shows the lines in many colours. Chidi looks at it every day. The city is new to him. Three weeks is not long.

Di dinding halte ada peta besar. Peta itu menunjukkan jalur-jalur dalam banyak warna. Chidi melihatnya setiap hari. Kota ini baru baginya. Tiga minggu belum lama.

Today is a special day. It is his first day at a new job. He works as a guard at the city museum. His uniform is dark blue with a silver badge.

Hari ini hari yang istimewa. Ini hari pertamanya di pekerjaan baru. Ia bekerja sebagai penjaga di museum kota. Seragamnya biru tua dengan lencana perak.

The uniform is also too big. The jacket falls past his hands. The trousers are long and wide. Chidi holds them up with a belt and some hope.

Seragam itu juga terlalu besar. Jaketnya jatuh melewati tangannya. Celananya panjang dan lebar. Chidi menahannya dengan ikat pinggang dan sedikit harapan.

"One size fits all," the man at the office says. Chidi does not believe him. Now he believes him even less.

"Satu ukuran untuk semua," kata pria di kantor. Chidi tidak percaya padanya. Sekarang ia lebih tidak percaya lagi.

He is early. His shift starts at eight. He knows the way to the museum. He knows it well from this map. Take line six. Go four stops. Walk two streets past the fountain.

Ia datang lebih awal. Giliran kerjanya mulai pukul delapan. Ia tahu jalan ke museum. Ia hafal dari peta ini. Naik jalur enam. Empat perhentian. Jalan kaki dua jalan melewati air mancur.

So he waits and he reads the map again. The colours help him calm down. Line six is green. The museum is a small square with a star.

Jadi ia menunggu dan membaca peta itu lagi. Warna-warna itu membantunya tenang. Jalur enam berwarna hijau. Museum adalah kotak kecil dengan bintang.

Steps sound behind him. A woman runs into the shelter. She is out of breath. She wears a nice jacket. She holds a leather folder in one hand.

Terdengar langkah di belakangnya. Seorang wanita berlari masuk ke halte. Ia terengah-engah. Ia mengenakan jaket bagus. Di satu tangannya ia memegang map kulit.

"Excuse me," she says. "Do you work here?"

"Permisi," katanya. "Apakah Anda bekerja di sini?"

"Here?" Chidi says. "At the tram stop?"

"Di sini?" kata Chidi. "Di halte trem?"

"I mean, do you know this city?" The woman looks at his uniform. "You look like a worker."

"Maksud saya, apakah Anda tahu kota ini?" Wanita itu melihat seragamnya. "Anda tampak seperti petugas."

Chidi looks down at his sleeves. "This is a work jacket. It is just big."

Chidi menunduk melihat lengan bajunya. "Ini jaket kerja. Hanya saja besar."

The woman laughs, but it is a worried laugh. "I am Vanya. I am from a small town. I arrived last night. I have an exam at eight-thirty."

Wanita itu tertawa, tetapi itu tawa yang cemas. "Saya Vanya. Saya dari kota kecil. Saya tiba semalam. Saya ada ujian pukul setengah sembilan."

"What kind of exam?" Chidi asks.

"Ujian apa?" tanya Chidi.

"It is for a job at the city library. I must arrive on time. If I am late, I lose my place." Vanya takes out her phone. "My phone is dead. I cannot see the way."

"Untuk pekerjaan di perpustakaan kota. Saya harus tiba tepat waktu. Kalau terlambat, saya kehilangan kesempatan." Vanya mengeluarkan ponselnya. "Ponsel saya mati. Saya tidak bisa melihat jalan."

Chidi feels a strange warm feeling in his chest. Every week, other people show him the way. A woman at the market. A boy at the station. A man with a dog. Now someone asks him.

Chidi merasakan perasaan hangat yang aneh di dadanya. Setiap minggu, orang lain menunjukkan jalan kepadanya. Seorang wanita di pasar. Seorang anak laki-laki di stasiun. Seorang pria dengan anjing. Sekarang seseorang bertanya kepadanya.

"Show me your paper," he says.

"Tunjukkan kertas Anda," katanya.

Vanya opens the folder. The address of the library is at the top. It is on Maple Street.

Vanya membuka map. Alamat perpustakaan ada di bagian atas. Letaknya di Jalan Maple.

Chidi turns to the map. He puts his finger on a blue line. His long sleeve hides his hand, so he rolls it back.

Chidi berbalik ke peta. Ia menaruh jarinya pada jalur biru. Lengan bajunya yang panjang menyembunyikan tangannya, jadi ia menggulungnya ke belakang.

"Here is Maple Street," he says. "You take line two. It is the blue one. It comes in five minutes."

"Ini Jalan Maple," katanya. "Anda naik jalur dua. Yang biru. Datang lima menit lagi."

"How many stops?" Vanya asks.

"Berapa perhentian?" tanya Vanya.

"Six," says Chidi. "Count them. You get off at the stop with the clock."

"Enam," kata Chidi. "Hitung saja. Anda turun di perhentian yang ada jamnya."

"The stop with the clock," Vanya repeats. She nods many times. "Then what?"

"Perhentian yang ada jamnya," Vanya mengulang. Ia mengangguk berkali-kali. "Lalu?"

"Then you turn left. You walk past a pharmacy and a shoe shop. The library is the stone building with two lions."

"Lalu belok kiri. Anda berjalan melewati apotek dan toko sepatu. Perpustakaannya gedung batu dengan dua singa."

"Two lions," says Vanya. She looks at him with wide eyes. "How do you know all this?"

"Dua singa," kata Vanya. Ia menatapnya dengan mata lebar. "Bagaimana Anda tahu semua ini?"

"I walk a lot," says Chidi. "Three weeks, three hundred streets. I like to know where I am."

"Saya banyak berjalan kaki," kata Chidi. "Tiga minggu, tiga ratus jalan. Saya suka tahu di mana saya berada."

Vanya lets out a long breath. She looks at the clock in the shelter. "Eight minutes past seven. I am not late yet."

Vanya mengembuskan napas panjang. Ia melihat jam di halte. "Pukul tujuh lewat delapan menit. Saya belum terlambat."

"You are very early," says Chidi. "You have time."

"Anda masih sangat awal," kata Chidi. "Anda punya waktu."

"I am so nervous," says Vanya. "I studied all night. My head is full of dates and book names."

"Saya sangat gugup," kata Vanya. "Saya belajar semalaman. Kepala saya penuh tanggal dan nama buku."

"My head is full of door numbers," says Chidi. "Today I learn forty doors."

"Kepala saya penuh nomor pintu," kata Chidi. "Hari ini saya belajar empat puluh pintu."

"Forty?"

"Empat puluh?"

"Yes. Every door has a key. Every key has a name. I must remember them all."

"Ya. Setiap pintu punya kunci. Setiap kunci punya nama. Saya harus mengingat semuanya."

Vanya smiles. This time the smile is real. "We are both new here," she says. "That is a good thing to know."

Vanya tersenyum. Kali ini senyumnya sungguhan. "Kita sama-sama baru di sini," katanya. "Itu hal bagus untuk diketahui."

The blue tram comes round the corner. It is long and bright. It makes a soft noise. The doors open with a hiss, and the driver waits.

Trem biru muncul di tikungan. Trem itu panjang dan terang. Ia mengeluarkan suara lembut. Pintunya terbuka dengan desis, dan sopir menunggu.

"This is yours," says Chidi. "Line two. Do not forget the clock."

"Ini punya Anda," kata Chidi. "Jalur dua. Jangan lupa jamnya."

Vanya steps toward the door. Then she stops. She turns back and looks at him closely.

Vanya melangkah ke pintu. Lalu ia berhenti. Ia berbalik dan memandangnya lekat-lekat.

"Is your job on line two?" she asks.

"Apakah tempat kerja Anda di jalur dua?" tanyanya.

"No, I am on line six."

"Tidak, saya di jalur enam."

"The green one." Vanya nods. "Thank you, really."

"Yang hijau." Vanya mengangguk. "Terima kasih, sungguh."

"You are welcome," Chidi says. "Go. Pass your exam."

"Sama-sama," kata Chidi. "Pergilah. Lulus ujiannya."

But Vanya does not go. She puts her leather folder under her arm. She takes his hands, and they disappear in his long sleeves. She shakes them with a serious face.

Tetapi Vanya tidak pergi. Ia menyelipkan map kulitnya di bawah lengan. Ia meraih tangan Chidi, yang menghilang dalam lengan bajunya yang panjang. Ia menjabatnya dengan wajah serius.

"Where do you work?" she asks.

"Anda bekerja di mana?" tanyanya.

"At the city museum. I am a guard."

"Di museum kota. Saya penjaga."

"A guard!" Vanya laughs. "A guard in a uniform that is too big. Are you sure it is not your father's coat?"

"Penjaga!" Vanya tertawa. "Penjaga dengan seragam yang terlalu besar. Anda yakin itu bukan mantel ayah Anda?"

"I am sure," says Chidi. "The man at the office says one size fits all."

"Saya yakin," kata Chidi. "Pria di kantor bilang satu ukuran untuk semua."

"Then he is wrong," says Vanya. "It fits two."

"Kalau begitu dia salah," kata Vanya. "Ukuran itu muat untuk dua orang."

Chidi laughs so hard that his belt slides. He grabs his trousers with both hands. The tram bell rings.

Chidi tertawa begitu keras sampai ikat pinggangnya melorot. Ia menyambar celananya dengan kedua tangan. Lonceng trem berbunyi.

Vanya jumps into the tram. The doors begin to close. She waves from the window, and her face is bright. Chidi waves back with a sleeve that hangs down like a flag.

Vanya melompat ke dalam trem. Pintu mulai menutup. Ia melambai dari jendela, dan wajahnya cerah. Chidi membalas lambaian dengan lengan baju yang menggantung seperti bendera.

The tram goes away. The shelter is quiet again. Chidi looks at the map once more. He checks line six and the fountain. He finds the little square with the star.

Trem pergi. Halte kembali sunyi. Chidi melihat peta sekali lagi. Ia memeriksa jalur enam dan air mancur. Ia menemukan kotak kecil dengan bintang.

Then he smiles. He is no longer alone in this city. Somewhere a woman sits down for her exam. She knows the stop with the clock. A small part of the map is his now.

Lalu ia tersenyum. Ia tidak lagi sendirian di kota ini. Di suatu tempat seorang wanita duduk untuk ujiannya. Ia tahu perhentian yang ada jamnya. Sebagian kecil peta itu kini miliknya.

Ten minutes later his own tram comes. It is green and almost empty. He gets on and sits by the window. He holds his badge in his hand. The silver shines in the early light.

Sepuluh menit kemudian trem miliknya datang. Trem itu hijau dan hampir kosong. Ia naik dan duduk di dekat jendela. Ia memegang lencananya di tangan. Peraknya berkilau dalam cahaya pagi.

He rolls up his sleeves again and again. They always fall down. At last he stops and lets them hang.

Ia menggulung lengan bajunya berulang kali. Lengan itu selalu jatuh lagi. Akhirnya ia berhenti dan membiarkannya menggantung.

At the museum door, the head guard waits for him. She is tall and she has a kind voice. She looks at his jacket and does not say a word. Then she opens a drawer and gives him two safety pins.

Di pintu museum, kepala penjaga menunggunya. Ia jangkung dan bersuara ramah. Ia melihat jaket Chidi dan tidak berkata sepatah kata pun. Lalu ia membuka laci dan memberinya dua peniti.

"For the sleeves," she says. "And please, no running in the halls."

"Untuk lengan bajunya," katanya. "Dan tolong, jangan berlari di aula."

"No running," Chidi says. "Walking is hard enough."

"Jangan berlari," kata Chidi. "Berjalan saja sudah cukup sulit."

He pins his sleeves up and stands straight. The jacket still hangs on him like a tent. He looks at her. "If I fall, call it art," he says.

Ia menyematkan lengan bajunya dan berdiri tegak. Jaket itu masih menggantung padanya seperti tenda. Ia menatapnya. "Kalau saya jatuh, sebut saja seni," katanya.