The Ice Skating Lesson

Arin skates twice a week. Today she takes her little cousin to the ice rink. It is his first time. He is seven years old and very small.

Arin bermain seluncur es dua kali seminggu. Hari ini ia membawa sepupunya yang masih kecil ke arena es. Ini pertama kalinya bagi sepupunya. Ia berumur tujuh tahun dan bertubuh sangat kecil.

At the edge, he holds the wall with both hands. He does not move.

Di tepi arena, ia berpegangan pada dinding dengan kedua tangan. Ia tidak bergerak.

"The ice is too slippery," he says. "I am going to fall."

"Esnya terlalu licin," katanya. "Aku akan jatuh."

"Everyone falls," Arin says. "I fall too, and it does not hurt much."

"Semua orang pernah jatuh," kata Arin. "Aku juga jatuh, dan tidak terlalu sakit."

She gets a small plastic chair from the side of the rink. "Hold this," she says. "Push it in front of you. Take small steps."

Ia mengambil sebuah kursi plastik kecil dari pinggir arena. "Pegang ini," katanya. "Dorong ke depanmu. Melangkahlah sedikit-sedikit."

He pushes the chair and moves one step. Then another. His knees shake, but he does not stop.

Ia mendorong kursi itu dan maju satu langkah. Lalu satu langkah lagi. Lututnya gemetar, tetapi ia tidak berhenti.

After ten minutes, Arin shows him a new trick. "Now try the penguin walk. Put your feet apart. Turn your toes out. Hold your arms out like wings."

Setelah sepuluh menit, Arin menunjukkan trik baru kepadanya. "Sekarang coba jalan penguin. Buka kakimu lebar-lebar. Putar ujung kakimu ke luar. Rentangkan lenganmu seperti sayap."

He tries it and starts to laugh. Penguins are his favorite animal. He walks across the ice with his arms out. Arin laughs too.

Ia mencobanya dan mulai tertawa. Penguin adalah hewan kesukaannya. Ia berjalan melintasi es dengan lengan terentang. Arin pun tertawa.

He falls once and sits on the ice. "That did not hurt," he says in surprise. Arin pulls him up.

Ia jatuh sekali dan duduk di atas es. "Ternyata tidak sakit," katanya heran. Arin menariknya berdiri.

Then he lets go of the chair. He takes ten penguin steps all by himself. At the end, he slides a little. Arin stands back and puts her hands in her pockets.

Lalu ia melepaskan kursi itu. Ia melangkah sepuluh langkah penguin sendirian. Di akhir, ia meluncur sedikit. Arin berdiri menjauh dan memasukkan tangannya ke saku.

"Look at me!" he shouts. "I can skate!"

"Lihat aku!" teriaknya. "Aku bisa bermain seluncur!"