The Key With No Label

The village of Hollin Ford had one football pitch and one goal. The second goal had been missing for six years, and nobody ever talked about it.

Desa Hollin Ford hanya punya satu lapangan sepak bola dan satu gawang. Gawang yang kedua sudah hilang selama enam tahun, dan tidak ada yang pernah membicarakannya.

Oded took the job of looking after the pitch in March. He was twenty-seven, and he had never kept anything alive for longer than a houseplant. He was quietly sure that he would fail.

Oded mengambil pekerjaan merawat lapangan itu pada bulan Maret. Umurnya dua puluh tujuh tahun, dan ia belum pernah merawat apa pun lebih lama daripada tanaman hias. Diam-diam ia yakin bahwa ia akan gagal.

The man who had done the job before him had moved to the coast. He left Oded a list of tasks, a flask of oil, and a ring of keys.

Pria yang mengerjakannya sebelum dia sudah pindah ke pesisir. Ia meninggalkan untuk Oded sebuah daftar tugas, sebotol oli, dan seikat kunci.

The ring held nine keys. Eight of them had paper tags in careful capital letters. They read SHED, GATE, WATER, BOILER, LINES, NETS, CLUBHOUSE and BELL. The ninth key was long and dark. Its tag had fallen off long before Oded arrived. Only a small hole in the metal showed where it had been.

Ikatan itu berisi sembilan kunci. Delapan di antaranya punya label kertas dengan huruf kapital yang rapi. Bunyinya GUDANG, GERBANG, AIR, KETEL, GARIS, JARING, RUMAH KLUB dan LONCENG. Kunci kesembilan panjang dan gelap. Labelnya sudah lepas jauh sebelum Oded datang. Hanya sebuah lubang kecil di logamnya yang menunjukkan di mana label itu dulu berada.

Oded never asked what the ninth key opened. Asking meant admitting that he did not know. He had worked hard all spring to look like a man who knew everything.

Oded tidak pernah bertanya kunci kesembilan itu membuka apa. Bertanya berarti mengakui bahwa ia tidak tahu. Sepanjang musim semi ia bekerja keras agar tampak seperti orang yang tahu segalanya.

His days followed a pattern. He walked to the pitch at six, while the grass was still wet with dew. He unlocked the shed and pulled out the chalk machine. Then he drew the lines again, because the children's boots rubbed them away every evening.

Hari-harinya mengikuti sebuah pola. Ia berjalan ke lapangan pukul enam, saat rumput masih basah oleh embun. Ia membuka gudang dan menarik keluar mesin kapur. Lalu ia menggambar garis-garis itu lagi, karena sepatu bot anak-anak menghapusnya setiap sore.

Then he dragged the single goal to the middle of the field. It was heavy and the wheels were crooked. The job took him ten minutes and two bad words. Every child in the village played at that one goal. They took turns to shoot and took turns to stand in front of it.

Lalu ia menyeret satu-satunya gawang itu ke tengah lapangan. Gawang itu berat dan rodanya bengkok. Pekerjaan itu memakan waktu sepuluh menit dan dua kata kasar. Setiap anak di desa bermain di gawang yang satu itu. Mereka bergiliran menendang dan bergiliran berdiri di depannya.

"Why do we only have one?" a girl asked him once. She was about nine, and she had mud on both knees.

"Kenapa kita cuma punya satu?" tanya seorang gadis kecil sekali waktu. Umurnya sekitar sembilan tahun, dan kedua lututnya berlumpur.

"We have always managed with one," Oded said. It was not an answer, and she knew it.

"Kita selalu bisa dengan satu saja," kata Oded. Itu bukan jawaban, dan gadis itu tahu.

On the far side of the pitch stood a rusty iron hatch set into the ground. Oded mowed around it every week. He had decided long ago that it was part of the landscape, like a rock or a tree.

Di sisi jauh lapangan ada sebuah palka besi berkarat yang tertanam di tanah. Oded memotong rumput di sekelilingnya setiap minggu. Sejak lama ia sudah memutuskan bahwa benda itu bagian dari lanskap, seperti batu atau pohon.

One Tuesday in June, a white van drove through the gate. Oded was kneeling by the touchline with a bucket of chalk, and he stood up too quickly. The man who climbed out was broad and sunburnt, with a pencil behind each ear.

Pada suatu hari Selasa di bulan Juni, sebuah mobil van putih masuk lewat gerbang. Oded sedang berlutut di dekat garis tepi dengan seember kapur, dan ia berdiri terlalu cepat. Pria yang turun dari van itu bertubuh besar dan berkulit terbakar matahari, dengan sebatang pensil terselip di balik masing-masing telinga.

"I am looking for the keeper," the man said. "My name is Ozan. I build goals for the county."

"Saya mencari penjaga lapangan," kata pria itu. "Nama saya Ozan. Saya membuat gawang untuk kabupaten."

"I am the keeper," Oded said. He tried to say it like someone who had been the keeper for years.

"Saya penjaga lapangannya," kata Oded. Ia mencoba mengucapkannya seperti orang yang sudah bertahun-tahun menjadi penjaga.

Ozan opened the back of the van. Inside lay a brand-new steel goal, still wrapped in plastic. It was bigger than the old one and painted a clean, bright white.

Ozan membuka bagian belakang van. Di dalamnya terbaring sebuah gawang baja baru, masih terbungkus plastik. Gawang itu lebih besar daripada yang lama dan dicat putih bersih yang cerah.

"The village council ordered it in the winter," Ozan said. "The children collected the money themselves. They sold jam and washed cars for months. Nobody told you?"

"Dewan desa memesannya pada musim dingin," kata Ozan. "Anak-anak mengumpulkan uangnya sendiri. Mereka menjual selai dan mencuci mobil selama berbulan-bulan. Tidak ada yang memberi tahu Anda?"

Oded shook his head. He remembered a jar of coins in the clubhouse, but he had never asked who it was for.

Oded menggeleng. Ia ingat ada toples berisi koin di rumah klub, tetapi ia tidak pernah bertanya itu untuk siapa.

"Well, it is here now," Ozan said cheerfully. "The plan says the ground sockets are under a cover at the far end. The key should be on your ring."

"Nah, sekarang sudah sampai," kata Ozan riang. "Menurut rencananya, lubang pemasangan ada di bawah sebuah penutup di ujung sana. Kuncinya seharusnya ada di ikatan Anda."

They walked across the field together. The iron hatch looked even more rusty up close. A heavy padlock hung through its handle, and the lock was as old as the hatch.

Mereka berjalan melintasi lapangan bersama-sama. Palka besi itu tampak lebih berkarat lagi dari dekat. Sebuah gembok berat menggantung di pegangannya, dan gembok itu setua palkanya.

Oded took out his ring and tried the first key. It was the SHED key, and it did not fit. He tried GATE, then WATER, then BOILER. Ozan watched in polite silence, rocking on his heels.

Oded mengeluarkan ikatan kuncinya dan mencoba kunci pertama. Itu kunci GUDANG, dan tidak cocok. Ia mencoba GERBANG, lalu AIR, lalu KETEL. Ozan menonton dengan diam yang sopan, menggoyangkan badan di atas tumitnya.

By the time Oded reached BELL, his hands were sweating. He had run out of labelled keys, and the lock had not moved. Only the ninth key was left, the long dark one with no tag.

Saat Oded sampai pada LONCENG, tangannya berkeringat. Kunci-kunci berlabelnya sudah habis, dan gembok itu tidak bergerak. Hanya tersisa kunci kesembilan, yang panjang dan gelap tanpa label.

He stood there holding it, and the whole spring came down on him at once. Three months of pretending, of nodding at questions he could not answer. For a moment he almost said that the lock must be broken.

Ia berdiri di sana memegangnya, dan seluruh musim semi menimpanya sekaligus. Tiga bulan berpura-pura, mengangguk pada pertanyaan yang tidak bisa ia jawab. Sesaat ia hampir mengatakan bahwa gembok itu pasti rusak.

"I have a confession," he said instead. His voice sounded smaller than he wanted. "I do not know what this key opens. I have never known. I was afraid to ask."

"Aku mau mengaku," katanya sebagai gantinya. Suaranya terdengar lebih kecil daripada yang ia inginkan. "Aku tidak tahu kunci ini membuka apa. Aku tidak pernah tahu. Aku takut bertanya."

Ozan did not laugh. He scratched his chin and looked at the key for a while.

Ozan tidak tertawa. Ia menggaruk dagunya dan memandangi kunci itu beberapa saat.

"Do you know how many keys I carry?" he said at last. "Thirty-one. Four of them are a mystery to me. I keep them in case one day a door appears."

"Tahu berapa banyak kunci yang kubawa?" katanya akhirnya. "Tiga puluh satu. Empat di antaranya misteri bagiku. Aku menyimpannya kalau-kalau suatu hari sebuah pintu muncul."

Oded laughed, and the knot in his chest loosened a little.

Oded tertawa, dan simpul di dadanya sedikit mengendur.

"Then let us find out," Ozan said. "If it fits, we will all know something new."

"Kalau begitu ayo kita cari tahu," kata Ozan. "Kalau cocok, kita semua akan tahu sesuatu yang baru."

Oded pushed the long key into the padlock. It slid in smoothly, as if it had been waiting. He turned it, and the lock gave a dull clunk and fell open.

Oded memasukkan kunci panjang itu ke dalam gembok. Kunci itu masuk dengan mulus, seakan sudah menunggu. Ia memutarnya, dan gembok itu mengeluarkan bunyi gedebuk tumpul lalu terbuka.

Neither of them said anything. The hatch itself was another matter. It had not moved in six years, and it fought them. Ozan poured oil along the hinges, and Oded found a crowbar in the shed. They pulled together, counting aloud, until the iron lid screamed upward and crashed against the grass.

Tak seorang pun dari mereka berkata apa-apa. Palka itu sendiri urusan yang lain. Palka itu tidak bergerak selama enam tahun, dan ia melawan mereka. Ozan menuangkan oli di sepanjang engselnya, dan Oded menemukan linggis di gudang. Mereka menarik bersama-sama sambil berhitung keras-keras, sampai tutup besi itu menjerit terangkat dan menghantam rumput.

Underneath lay a neat concrete hole with a steel sleeve at the bottom. Next to it was a second sleeve, and beside that, a small tin box. Oded wiped the dust away with his sleeve. Inside the box he found a folded paper, yellow at the edges.

Di bawahnya ada sebuah lubang beton yang rapi dengan selongsong baja di dasarnya. Di sebelahnya ada selongsong kedua, dan di sampingnya, sebuah kotak timah kecil. Oded mengusap debunya dengan lengan bajunya. Di dalam kotak itu ia menemukan selembar kertas terlipat, menguning di tepinya.

It was a drawing in pencil, dated six years earlier. It showed two goals, one at each end of the pitch. A tiny stick figure stood in front of each. Under the drawing the old keeper had written: "For whoever comes next. Ask anyone anything. Nobody here minds."

Itu sebuah gambar pensil, bertanggal enam tahun lalu. Gambar itu menunjukkan dua gawang, satu di setiap ujung lapangan. Sebuah tokoh orang-orangan kecil berdiri di depan masing-masing. Di bawah gambar itu penjaga lama telah menulis: "Untuk siapa pun yang datang berikutnya. Tanyakan apa saja kepada siapa saja. Di sini tidak ada yang keberatan."

Oded read the note twice. Then he handed it to Ozan, who read it once and smiled.

Oded membaca catatan itu dua kali. Lalu ia menyerahkannya kepada Ozan, yang membacanya sekali dan tersenyum.

"Your friend knew you were coming," Ozan said.

"Temanmu tahu kamu akan datang," kata Ozan.

"He knew somebody was coming," Oded said. "I wish he had put a tag on the key."

"Dia tahu seseorang akan datang," kata Oded. "Seandainya dia memasang label di kunci itu."

They spent the next two hours carrying the new goal across the field. It was lighter than it looked. Ozan lowered the posts into the sleeves, and Oded tightened the bolts one by one. When the last bolt was tight, the goal stood straight and white at the far end.

Mereka menghabiskan dua jam berikutnya membawa gawang baru itu melintasi lapangan. Gawang itu lebih ringan daripada kelihatannya. Ozan menurunkan tiang-tiangnya ke dalam selongsong, dan Oded mengencangkan baut satu per satu. Ketika baut terakhir sudah kencang, gawang itu berdiri lurus dan putih di ujung yang jauh.

Just after four, the children arrived from school. They stopped at the gate and stared. Nobody spoke for a long moment.

Tepat setelah pukul empat, anak-anak tiba dari sekolah. Mereka berhenti di gerbang dan menatap. Tak ada yang bicara untuk beberapa saat.

Then the girl with the muddy knees began to run. The others followed, shouting and tripping over their bags. Within five minutes there were two teams and two goalkeepers. There was also a loud argument about who would kick off.

Lalu gadis berlutut berlumpur itu mulai berlari. Yang lain mengikutinya, berteriak dan tersandung tas mereka sendiri. Dalam lima menit sudah ada dua tim dan dua penjaga gawang. Ada pula pertengkaran keras tentang siapa yang akan melakukan tendangan pertama.

"That is the best noise I have heard all year," Ozan said. He leaned against his van and drank water from a bottle.

"Itu suara terbaik yang kudengar sepanjang tahun ini," kata Ozan. Ia bersandar pada vannya dan minum air dari botol.

"Thank you for coming," Oded said. "And for not laughing at me."

"Terima kasih sudah datang," kata Oded. "Dan karena tidak menertawakanku."

"Thank you for the key," Ozan said. "Now I have one mystery fewer."

"Terima kasih untuk kuncinya," kata Ozan. "Sekarang misteriku berkurang satu."

When the van had gone, Oded stayed by the shed. The sun was low, and the children's shadows stretched long over the grass. Someone scored at the far end, and a cheer rose from both sides.

Setelah van itu pergi, Oded tetap berada di dekat gudang. Matahari sudah rendah, dan bayangan anak-anak memanjang di atas rumput. Seseorang mencetak gol di ujung yang jauh, dan sorak-sorai naik dari kedua sisi.

He took the ring from his pocket. Then he went into the shed and found a pen and a clean paper tag. He wrote on it in careful capital letters: SECOND GOAL. He punched a hole in the tag and threaded it through the long dark key. Then he tied it on with a double knot.

Ia mengeluarkan ikatan kunci dari sakunya. Lalu ia masuk ke gudang dan menemukan pulpen dan label kertas yang bersih. Ia menulis di atasnya dengan huruf kapital yang rapi: GAWANG KEDUA. Ia melubangi label itu dan memasukkannya ke kunci panjang yang gelap itu. Lalu ia mengikatnya dengan simpul ganda.