The Hum Behind Nuri

At seven in the morning, Nuri stands at the orchard gate. The air smells of apples and cold earth. Thirty pickers wait in a loose group. Most of them wear old coats and thick gloves.

Pukul tujuh pagi, Nuri berdiri di gerbang kebun apel. Udara berbau apel dan tanah yang dingin. Tiga puluh pemetik menunggu dalam kelompok yang longgar. Kebanyakan dari mereka memakai mantel tua dan sarung tangan tebal.

Hedy stands next to her. They are in the same class at school. Today is their first picking day. Both girls need the money.

Hedy berdiri di sebelahnya. Mereka sekelas di sekolah. Hari ini adalah hari pertama mereka memetik apel. Kedua gadis itu butuh uang.

The farm boss climbs onto a wooden box. He holds up a small grey machine. It has four arms, and a fan on each one.

Mandor kebun naik ke atas sebuah kotak kayu. Ia mengangkat sebuah mesin kecil berwarna abu-abu. Mesin itu punya empat lengan, dan di setiap lengan ada sebuah kipas.

"This is new," he says. "It is a drone. It follows one person and carries the crate."

"Ini barang baru," katanya. "Namanya drone. Ia mengikuti satu orang dan membawakan peti."

Some pickers laugh. Others lean closer to look.

Beberapa pemetik tertawa. Yang lain mencondongkan badan untuk melihat lebih dekat.

"We have only one," the boss says. "It follows a yellow wristband, and nothing else. So one picker gets it today."

"Kita hanya punya satu," kata mandor. "Ia mengikuti gelang tangan kuning, dan tidak yang lain. Jadi hari ini hanya satu pemetik yang mendapatkannya."

Nuri stares at the machine. It looks like a large fly. She wants to touch it.

Nuri menatap mesin itu. Bentuknya seperti lalat besar. Ia ingin menyentuhnya.

"Here is the plan," the boss says. "The north rows have the tallest trees. The apples there are big and sweet. A picker with the drone works alone, and works fast. You fill more crates, so you earn more."

"Begini rencananya," kata mandor. "Barisan utara punya pohon-pohon tertinggi. Apel di sana besar dan manis. Pemetik yang membawa drone bekerja sendirian, dan bekerja cepat. Kalian mengisi lebih banyak peti, jadi penghasilannya lebih banyak."

He points the other way. "The south rows have small trees. Two people share one ladder and one crate. That is slower. But it is a good job too."

Ia menunjuk ke arah lain. "Barisan selatan punya pohon-pohon pendek. Dua orang berbagi satu tangga dan satu peti. Itu lebih lambat. Tapi itu juga pekerjaan yang bagus."

He looks at the group. "The youngest picker chooses first. That is my rule. Who is the youngest?"

Ia memandang kelompok itu. "Pemetik termuda memilih lebih dulu. Itu aturan saya. Siapa yang termuda?"

"Me," says Nuri. "By one month."

"Saya," kata Nuri. "Lebih muda satu bulan."

"Then you choose. North with the drone, or south with a partner?"

"Kalau begitu kamu yang memilih. Utara dengan drone, atau selatan dengan teman?"

Nuri looks at Hedy. Hedy looks at the ground.

Nuri menoleh ke Hedy. Hedy menunduk menatap tanah.

"Take the band," Hedy says quietly. "You want that new camera. Go and earn it."

"Ambil gelangnya," kata Hedy pelan. "Kamu kan mau kamera baru itu. Pergi dan dapatkan."

"What about you?"

"Terus kamu bagaimana?"

"I find another partner. It is not a problem."

"Aku cari partner lain. Bukan masalah."

The boss holds out the yellow band. "Five minutes," he says. "Then you stay with your choice all day."

Mandor mengulurkan gelang kuning itu. "Lima menit," katanya. "Setelah itu kamu bertahan dengan pilihanmu seharian."

Nuri walks to the fence and thinks. The north is a good option. She can fill many crates and buy the camera sooner. She likes to work fast. She likes quiet, too. And the drone is really cool.

Nuri berjalan ke pagar dan berpikir. Utara adalah pilihan yang bagus. Ia bisa mengisi banyak peti dan membeli kameranya lebih cepat. Ia suka bekerja cepat. Ia juga suka ketenangan. Dan drone itu benar-benar keren.

The south is a good option too. She knows Hedy. She knows Hedy sings badly and tells long jokes. A day with her is never boring. But the pay is smaller. The camera costs a lot, and it must wait.

Selatan juga pilihan yang bagus. Ia kenal Hedy. Ia tahu Hedy bernyanyi dengan buruk dan suka menceritakan lelucon panjang. Sehari bersamanya tidak pernah membosankan. Tapi bayarannya lebih kecil. Kamera itu mahal, dan harus menunggu.

She counts on her fingers. North, south. Money, friend. Fast, slow. Nothing is wrong with either answer.

Ia menghitung dengan jarinya. Utara, selatan. Uang, teman. Cepat, lambat. Tidak ada yang salah dari kedua jawaban itu.

She walks back to the boss. She feels strange and light.

Ia berjalan kembali ke mandor. Perasaannya aneh dan ringan.

"I choose the south," she says. "With Hedy."

"Saya pilih selatan," katanya. "Dengan Hedy."

Hedy looks up and smiles.

Hedy mendongak dan tersenyum.

"Fine," the boss says. He turns. He gives the band to the man in the green cap. "Then it is yours."

"Baiklah," kata mandor. Ia berbalik. Ia memberikan gelang itu kepada pria bertopi hijau. "Kalau begitu ini untukmu."

The man puts it on his wrist. The drone lifts up and follows him with a happy hum. Everybody claps.

Pria itu memasang gelang di pergelangan tangannya. Drone itu terangkat dan mengikutinya dengan dengungan riang. Semua orang bertepuk tangan.

The south rows are quiet and green. The trees are short, and the apples hang low. Hedy climbs the ladder first. Nuri holds it and gives her the empty bag.

Barisan selatan sepi dan hijau. Pohon-pohonnya pendek, dan apelnya menggantung rendah. Hedy naik tangga lebih dulu. Nuri memegangi tangga dan memberinya tas kosong.

"Catch!" Hedy says. She drops an apple, and Nuri catches it with one hand.

"Tangkap!" kata Hedy. Ia menjatuhkan sebuah apel, dan Nuri menangkapnya dengan satu tangan.

"Gold medal," Nuri says.

"Medali emas," kata Nuri.

"Gold apple," says Hedy. "It goes in the crate."

"Apel emas," kata Hedy. "Masuk ke peti."

They work well together. Hedy picks. Nuri holds, counts and lifts the full bags. After an hour, they change places. Nuri climbs. The ground looks small from the top. The whole orchard smells sweet.

Mereka bekerja dengan kompak. Hedy memetik. Nuri memegangi, menghitung, dan mengangkat tas-tas yang sudah penuh. Setelah satu jam, mereka bertukar tempat. Nuri naik. Dari atas, tanah tampak kecil. Seluruh kebun berbau manis.

At ten o'clock, they take a break. They sit on the empty crate and look across the hill. Far away, in the north rows, a grey shape moves between trees. It hums, a thin high sound, like a fly.

Pukul sepuluh, mereka beristirahat. Mereka duduk di atas peti kosong dan memandang ke seberang bukit. Jauh di sana, di barisan utara, sebuah bayangan abu-abu bergerak di antara pepohonan. Ia berdengung, suara tipis dan tinggi, seperti lalat.

"Look at him," Hedy says. "He picks, the drone follows, and he never talks to it."

"Lihat dia," kata Hedy. "Dia memetik, drone-nya mengikuti, dan dia tidak pernah bicara padanya."

"Maybe the drone is a good listener."

"Mungkin drone itu pendengar yang baik."

They laugh until their stomachs hurt.

Mereka tertawa sampai perut mereka sakit.

At noon, the man in the green cap comes down the hill. The drone hums behind him with a crate of apples. He sits on the grass near their ladder. The drone floats just above his shoulder.

Saat tengah hari, pria bertopi hijau itu turun dari bukit. Drone berdengung di belakangnya membawa peti berisi apel. Ia duduk di rumput dekat tangga mereka. Drone itu melayang tepat di atas bahunya.

"May I sit here?" he asks. "Nobody talks to me on that hill. Only this thing hums at me."

"Boleh saya duduk di sini?" tanyanya. "Tidak ada yang mengajak saya bicara di bukit itu. Hanya benda ini yang berdengung pada saya."

"Sit down," says Nuri. "Do you want some cheese?"

"Silakan duduk," kata Nuri. "Mau keju?"

"Yes, please."

"Mau, terima kasih."

They share their lunch. "I have a daughter," he says. "She is nine." He points at the drone. "This thing follows me everywhere."

Mereka berbagi makan siang. "Saya punya seorang putri," katanya. "Umurnya sembilan tahun." Ia menunjuk drone itu. "Benda ini mengikuti saya ke mana-mana."

Hedy laughs so hard that she drops her sandwich. The drone moves in a small circle. It seems to find this funny.

Hedy tertawa begitu keras sampai roti lapisnya jatuh. Drone itu bergerak membuat lingkaran kecil. Sepertinya ia merasa ini lucu.

"It is fast, though," the man says. He looks at his full crate. "I have eleven already."

"Tapi cepat juga," kata pria itu. Ia menatap petinya yang penuh. "Saya sudah punya sebelas."

"We have six," says Nuri.

"Kami baru enam," kata Nuri.

"Six is good for two people."

"Enam itu bagus untuk dua orang."

"It is good," Hedy agrees, "and it is more fun."

"Memang bagus," Hedy setuju, "dan lebih menyenangkan."

After lunch, the work gets harder. The sun is hot on their backs. One branch near the top has the best apples. Hedy leans out to reach them. The ladder shakes.

Setelah makan siang, pekerjaan menjadi lebih berat. Matahari terasa panas di punggung mereka. Satu dahan di dekat puncak punya apel-apel terbaik. Hedy mencondongkan badan untuk menjangkaunya. Tangganya bergoyang.

Nuri holds the ladder with both hands. "I have you," she says. "Take your time."

Nuri memegangi tangga dengan kedua tangannya. "Aku pegang kamu," katanya. "Pelan-pelan saja."

Hedy takes the apples one by one. Her face is serious. She comes down slowly, with her bag full.

Hedy mengambil apel-apel itu satu per satu. Wajahnya serius. Ia turun pelan-pelan, dengan tas yang penuh.

"Thank you," she says. Her voice is small. "I do not like that branch."

"Terima kasih," katanya. Suaranya kecil. "Aku tidak suka dahan itu."

"I know."

"Aku tahu."

At five o'clock, the boss counts the crates. The man in the green cap has twenty-one. Nuri and Hedy have fourteen. That is seven each. The pay is less than half of his.

Pukul lima, mandor menghitung peti. Pria bertopi hijau punya dua puluh satu. Nuri dan Hedy punya empat belas. Itu tujuh untuk masing-masing. Bayarannya kurang dari separuh bayarannya.

Nuri looks at the numbers. For a moment, she feels a small pain. The camera will wait another month.

Nuri memandangi angka-angka itu. Sejenak, ia merasakan sakit kecil. Kamera itu harus menunggu sebulan lagi.

Then Hedy puts a gold apple in her hand. It is the one from the morning, still shiny.

Lalu Hedy meletakkan sebuah apel emas di tangannya. Itu apel dari pagi tadi, masih mengilap.

"You keep it," Hedy says. "It's for the camera."

"Kamu simpan," kata Hedy. "Ini untuk kamera."

Nuri laughs. She holds the apple up against the sky. The sun is low. Behind them, the drone hums its way toward the shed.

Nuri tertawa. Ia mengangkat apel itu ke arah langit. Matahari sudah rendah. Di belakang mereka, drone berdengung menuju gudang.

"Hedy," she says. "Does the boss let two people share one drone?"

"Hedy," katanya. "Apa mandor mengizinkan dua orang berbagi satu drone?"