The Last Answer in the Depot

Niall locked the front gate of the tram depot at seven. The old trams stood in two long rows. Their green paint shone under the dusty lamps. He loved the depot best at this hour.

Niall mengunci gerbang depan depo trem pukul tujuh. Trem-trem tua berdiri dalam dua barisan panjang. Cat hijaunya berkilau di bawah lampu-lampu berdebu. Ia paling menyukai depo ini pada jam seperti itu.

"Wait," called Dalma. "I am not done yet."

"Tunggu," panggil Dalma. "Aku belum selesai."

Dalma was new. She worked on Tram 12 with a tiny pot of gold paint. That evening she painted the number on the front.

Dalma orang baru. Ia mengerjakan Trem 12 dengan sepot kecil cat emas. Malam itu ia mengecat nomor di bagian depan.

"The lights go off at eight," said Niall. "They are on a timer."

"Lampu mati pukul delapan," kata Niall. "Pakai pengatur waktu."

"Then I will be quick."

"Kalau begitu aku akan cepat."

Niall sighed and sat on a box. He did not like paint. He liked puzzles. He took a folded crossword from his pocket. He read the first clue.

Niall menghela napas dan duduk di atas sebuah kotak. Ia tidak suka cat. Ia suka teka-teki. Ia mengeluarkan teka-teki silang yang terlipat dari sakunya. Ia membaca petunjuk pertama.

Suddenly Dalma gave a small cry. Her brush fell from her hand. It rolled under the tram. It dropped into the pit between the rails.

Tiba-tiba Dalma memekik kecil. Kuasnya terlepas dari tangannya. Kuas itu menggelinding ke bawah trem. Jatuh ke lubang perawatan di antara rel.

"I will get it," she said.

"Aku ambil," katanya.

"Be careful. It is dark down there."

"Hati-hati. Di bawah sana gelap."

Dalma climbed down with her phone light. Niall heard her steps on the stone floor. Then he heard nothing for a long minute.

Dalma turun dengan senter ponselnya. Niall mendengar langkahnya di lantai batu. Lalu ia tak mendengar apa-apa selama semenit yang panjang.

"Niall," she said. Her voice was low and strange. "Come down here."

"Niall," kata Dalma. Suaranya rendah dan aneh. "Turun ke sini."

He went down the steps. The pit was narrow and cold. It smelled of oil and old dust. Dalma pointed her light at the bottom of the tram.

Ia menuruni tangga. Lubang itu sempit dan dingin. Baunya seperti minyak dan debu lama. Dalma mengarahkan cahayanya ke bagian bawah trem.

A small metal box hung under the driver's platform. Two thick straps held it in place. On the front was a lock with four letter wheels. A yellow card hung from the handle on a piece of string.

Sebuah kotak logam kecil tergantung di bawah peron masinis. Dua tali tebal menahannya. Di bagian depannya ada gembok dengan empat roda huruf. Sebuah kartu kuning tergantung pada gagangnya dengan seutas tali.

"Someone hid this," said Dalma.

"Seseorang menyembunyikan ini," kata Dalma.

"Someone hid it a long time ago." Niall took the card. "Look. It is a crossword."

"Seseorang menyembunyikannya lama sekali." Niall mengambil kartu itu. "Lihat. Ini teka-teki silang."

The card was old, and the ink was pale. Someone cut the crossword from a newspaper. Then they filled it in by hand. Every word was filled in except one. On the back were ten words in neat writing.

Kartu itu sudah tua, dan tintanya pucat. Seseorang menggunting teka-teki silang itu dari koran. Lalu mengisinya dengan tangan. Setiap kata sudah terisi kecuali satu. Di baliknya ada sepuluh kata dengan tulisan rapi.

"Finish me. The answer opens the box. You have one try."

"Selesaikan aku. Jawabannya membuka kotak ini. Kamu hanya punya satu kesempatan."

"It is a treasure hunt," whispered Dalma.

"Ini perburuan harta karun," bisik Dalma.

"It is a puzzle," said Niall. But his heart beat fast.

"Ini teka-teki," kata Niall. Tetapi jantungnya berdetak cepat.

They carried the box up to the platform of Tram 12. The cab lamp was still on. Niall sat on the driver's stool with the card on his knee. Dalma held the light.

Mereka membawa kotak itu naik ke peron Trem 12. Lampu kabin masih menyala. Niall duduk di bangku masinis dengan kartu di lututnya. Dalma memegang senter.

"The old clues are easy," he said. "Tram things. Rail, wheel, pole, ticket."

"Petunjuk-petunjuk yang lama gampang," katanya. "Hal-hal tentang trem. Rail, wheel, pole, ticket."

"What is the empty one?"

"Yang kosong itu apa?"

"Fourteen across." He read it out loud. "Ring in the cab. Four letters."

"Mendatar empat belas." Ia membacanya keras-keras. "Ring in the cab. Empat huruf."

"Bell," said Dalma at once.

"Bell," kata Dalma segera.

"No. Call."

"Bukan. Call."

Dalma looked at him. "Call?"

Dalma menatapnya. "Call?"

"A ring is a call on the phone. It is four letters."

"Ring juga berarti menelepon. Empat huruf."

"Niall, this is a tram. There was no phone in the cab."

"Niall, ini trem. Di kabin tidak ada telepon."

"The driver could call the depot."

"Masinisnya bisa menelepon depo."

"The driver rang a bell. Everybody knows that."

"Masinisnya membunyikan lonceng. Semua orang tahu itu."

"Not everybody," said Niall. His voice was tight. "A ring can be a call. I know words. It is my hobby."

"Tidak semua orang," kata Niall. Suaranya tegang. "Ring bisa berarti panggilan telepon. Aku tahu kata-kata. Itu hobiku."

Dalma folded her arms. "And I know trams. It is my job."

Dalma melipat tangan. "Dan aku tahu trem. Itu pekerjaanku."

For a minute neither of them spoke. The depot was very quiet. A clock on the wall ticked. It was five to eight.

Selama semenit tak ada yang bicara. Depo itu sangat sunyi. Sebuah jam di dinding berdetak. Sekarang pukul delapan kurang lima.

"We should stop," said Dalma at last. "We are both tired."

"Kita sebaiknya berhenti," kata Dalma akhirnya. "Kita berdua lelah."

"We should finish." Niall held the card closer to the lamp. His eyes ran along the row of boxes. "Wait. Wait a moment."

"Kita sebaiknya menyelesaikannya." Niall mendekatkan kartu ke lampu. Matanya menyusuri deretan kotak. "Tunggu. Tunggu sebentar."

"What?"

"Apa?"

"I did not look at the crossing word." He put his finger on a clue. "Nine down. Fruit like an apple. Four letters. Somebody wrote it in already."

"Aku belum melihat kata yang bersilangan." Ia menaruh jarinya pada sebuah petunjuk. "Menurun sembilan. Fruit like an apple. Empat huruf. Seseorang sudah menuliskannya."

"Pear," said Dalma.

"Pear," kata Dalma.

"P, E, A, R. And fourteen across crosses it at the second letter." He looked up. "The second letter is E."

"P, E, A, R. Dan mendatar empat belas bersilangan dengannya di huruf kedua." Ia mendongak. "Huruf kedua adalah E."

Dalma waited. Then her mouth opened.

Dalma menunggu. Lalu mulutnya terbuka.

"Call has an A," said Niall slowly. "Bell has an E."

"Call punya huruf A," kata Niall perlahan. "Bell punya huruf E."

"So it is bell."

"Jadi jawabannya bell."

"It is bell." Niall started to laugh. "I thought about phones all day. I forgot the whole tram."

"Jawabannya bell." Niall mulai tertawa. "Seharian aku memikirkan telepon. Aku melupakan seluruh trem ini."

"A good driver rings a bell," said Dalma. She smiled now. "I am sorry I was rude."

"Masinis yang baik membunyikan lonceng," kata Dalma. Sekarang ia tersenyum. "Maaf, tadi aku kasar."

"I am sorry I did not listen."

"Maaf, aku tidak mau mendengarkan."

At that moment, the clock struck eight. The depot lights clicked off one by one. The long rows of trams were lost in the dark. Only the cab lamp and Dalma's phone still glowed.

Pada saat itu, jam berdentang delapan kali. Lampu-lampu depo padam satu per satu. Barisan panjang trem lenyap dalam gelap. Hanya lampu kabin dan ponsel Dalma yang masih menyala.

"Quickly," said Niall.

"Cepat," kata Niall.

He turned the four wheels of the lock. B. E. L. L. Dalma held her breath. The lock gave a soft click, and the lid came up.

Ia memutar keempat roda gembok itu. B. E. L. L. Dalma menahan napas. Gembok itu mengeluarkan bunyi klik lembut, dan tutupnya terangkat.

Inside lay an old key, a photograph and a folded note. The photograph showed a young woman in a driver's coat. She stood in front of Tram 12 and laughed. Her hand held the bell rope.

Di dalamnya ada sebuah kunci tua, sebuah foto, dan sehelai catatan terlipat. Foto itu memperlihatkan seorang perempuan muda dalam mantel masinis. Ia berdiri di depan Trem 12 dan tertawa. Tangannya memegang tali lonceng.

Dalma unfolded the note. The writing was neat and blue.

Dalma membuka lipatan catatan itu. Tulisannya rapi dan berwarna biru.

"To the person who finishes my puzzle. Thank you for caring about my old tram. Keep the key. It opens this tram's cab. Ring the bell once for luck. It likes to be heard."

"Untuk orang yang menyelesaikan teka-tekiku. Terima kasih sudah peduli pada trem tuaku. Simpan kuncinya. Kunci ini membuka kabin trem ini. Bunyikan lonceng sekali untuk keberuntungan. Ia suka didengar."

Niall looked at Dalma. Dalma looked at the little bell above the driver's window. The rope hung down in the cab lamp's light. It was thin and old, and it did not move.

Niall menatap Dalma. Dalma menatap lonceng kecil di atas jendela masinis. Talinya menjuntai di cahaya lampu kabin. Tali itu tipis dan tua, dan tidak bergerak.

"You do it," said Niall.

"Kamu saja," kata Niall.

"No. You found the answer."

"Tidak. Kamu yang menemukan jawabannya."

"We found it together."

"Kita menemukannya bersama."

Dalma took the rope in her fingers. She pulled it down, gently, once.

Dalma memegang tali itu dengan jari-jarinya. Ia menariknya turun, dengan lembut, sekali.

"Ding."

"Ting."