The Missing Queen of the Scrapyard

Tariq arrived at the scrapyard at nine on Saturday morning with a wooden box under his arm.

Tariq tiba di tempat barang rongsokan itu pukul sembilan pagi hari Sabtu dengan sebuah kotak kayu terselip di bawah lengannya.

The gate was open, and a dog was waiting just inside. He was big and shaggy and yellow-brown, with one ear that stood up and one that did not. He looked at Tariq, looked at the box, and walked in a happy circle around his legs.

Gerbangnya terbuka, dan seekor anjing menunggu tepat di dalamnya. Anjing itu besar, berbulu lebat, berwarna cokelat kekuningan, dengan satu telinga yang tegak dan satu lagi yang tidak. Ia memandang Tariq, memandang kotak itu, lalu berjalan memutar dengan gembira di sekitar kakinya.

"He likes you," a voice said from above.

"Dia menyukaimu," kata sebuah suara dari atas.

Tariq looked up. A woman was sitting on top of a washing machine with a mug in one hand. She wore thick gloves and a pair of safety glasses pushed up into her hair. "That's the dog's job," she said. "He decides who gets in. You passed."

Tariq mendongak. Seorang perempuan duduk di atas mesin cuci sambil memegang cangkir di satu tangan. Ia memakai sarung tangan tebal dan sepasang kacamata pengaman yang didorong ke atas rambutnya. "Itu tugas si anjing," katanya. "Dia yang memutuskan siapa boleh masuk. Kamu lulus."

"I'm looking for Thandi," Tariq said.

"Saya mencari Thandi," kata Tariq.

"That's me." She climbed down. "You're the chess teacher who phoned yesterday."

"Itu aku." Ia turun. "Kamu guru catur yang menelepon kemarin."

"That's right." He opened the box and showed her the board. It was an old wooden set, worn smooth at the edges. Thirty-one pieces sat in neat rows on soft green felt. The place for the white queen was empty. "I bought this set from your yard last year. It came in a box with other things. I teach chess to children at the community centre. We have a small tournament tomorrow, and the white queen is missing."

"Benar." Tariq membuka kotak dan menunjukkan papan caturnya. Itu perangkat kayu tua, tepinya halus aus. Tiga puluh satu bidak berbaris rapi di atas beludru hijau yang lembut. Tempat untuk ratu putih kosong. "Saya membeli perangkat ini dari tempat Anda tahun lalu. Dulu ada dalam kotak bersama barang-barang lain. Saya mengajar catur untuk anak-anak di pusat komunitas. Besok kami punya turnamen kecil, dan ratu putihnya hilang."

Thandi frowned. "Is the queen an important piece?"

Thandi mengerutkan kening. "Apakah ratu itu bidak yang penting?"

"She's the strongest piece on the board. Without her, I'd have to use a button. The children would laugh, and then they would play badly."

"Dia bidak terkuat di papan. Tanpa dia, saya harus memakai kancing. Anak-anak akan menertawakan, lalu mereka akan bermain buruk."

Thandi pulled off one glove and scratched her chin. "We don't keep a list of what was in each box. But I remember where that lot came from. A flat clearance. Those boxes went into the shed by the crane."

Thandi melepas satu sarung tangan dan menggaruk dagunya. "Kami tidak punya daftar isi setiap kotak. Tapi aku ingat dari mana borongan itu berasal. Pembersihan sebuah apartemen. Kotak-kotak itu masuk ke gudang dekat derek."

"Then maybe the queen is still in the shed."

"Kalau begitu mungkin ratunya masih di gudang."

"Maybe. It's worth an hour. Come on."

"Mungkin. Layak dicari sejam. Ayo."

The shed was a long tin building at the back of the yard. Inside, it smelled of oil and old paper. Shelves ran from the floor to the roof, and every shelf was full. Tariq saw broken lamps, jars of screws and a row of old radios.

Gudang itu bangunan seng panjang di belakang halaman. Di dalamnya, tercium bau oli dan kertas tua. Rak-rak menjulang dari lantai sampai atap, dan setiap rak penuh. Tariq melihat lampu-lampu rusak, toples-toples berisi sekrup, dan deretan radio tua.

"The flat boxes are in the corner," Thandi said. "Start at the top. I'll take the bottom."

"Kotak-kotak apartemen itu ada di pojok," kata Thandi. "Mulai dari atas. Aku ambil bagian bawah."

They searched for forty minutes. Tariq opened every box and shook out every sock and every coil of wire. He found two forks, a very small violin and a plastic pawn that belonged to no set. The dog lay in the doorway and watched. He had the patient face of an animal who knew how long people usually take.

Mereka mencari selama empat puluh menit. Tariq membuka setiap kotak dan mengguncang keluar setiap kaus kaki dan setiap gulungan kawat. Ia menemukan dua garpu, sebuah biola yang sangat kecil, dan sebuah pion plastik yang bukan milik perangkat mana pun. Si anjing berbaring di ambang pintu dan mengamati. Wajahnya sabar, seperti hewan yang tahu berapa lama biasanya manusia mencari.

At ten o'clock, Thandi sat back on her heels. "I'm sorry," she said. "It isn't here. I looked in every box."

Pukul sepuluh, Thandi duduk bersandar pada tumitnya. "Maaf," katanya. "Tidak ada di sini. Aku sudah memeriksa semua kotak."

Tariq sat down on an upturned bucket. His shoulders dropped. "The tournament is tomorrow at two. I can't buy a new set in a day. The shop in town only sells plastic ones."

Tariq duduk di atas ember terbalik. Bahunya merosot. "Turnamennya besok pukul dua. Saya tidak bisa membeli perangkat baru dalam sehari. Toko di kota hanya menjual yang plastik."

"What size is the queen?"

"Berapa ukuran ratunya?"

"About nine centimetres tall. She has a wide round base and a narrow neck. On top, there's a little crown with five points."

"Tingginya sekitar sembilan sentimeter. Dasarnya lebar dan bulat dengan leher yang sempit. Di atasnya ada mahkota kecil dengan lima ujung."

Thandi stared at him for a moment. Then she stood up, brushed the dust from her knees and said, "Wait here."

Thandi menatapnya sesaat. Lalu ia berdiri, menepis debu dari lututnya dan berkata, "Tunggu di sini."

She walked out of the shed. Tariq heard her moving things around outside. A few minutes later, she came back with her hands full. She had a brass curtain finial, a heavy washer, a short rod and a tin of cream paint.

Ia berjalan keluar dari gudang. Tariq mendengarnya memindahkan barang-barang di luar. Beberapa menit kemudian, ia kembali dengan tangan penuh. Ia membawa penutup ujung tiang gorden dari kuningan, sebuah ring logam yang berat, sebatang besi pendek, dan sekaleng cat krem.

"What are those for?" he asked.

"Untuk apa itu?" tanyanya.

"For a queen." She placed everything on a workbench. "I can't find the old one, so I'll make you a new one. It won't be perfect, but it will be a queen."

"Untuk seorang ratu." Ia meletakkan semuanya di meja kerja. "Aku tidak bisa menemukan yang lama, jadi aku akan membuatkan yang baru. Tidak akan sempurna, tapi tetap seorang ratu."

Tariq blinked. "You can do that?"

Tariq berkedip. "Anda bisa melakukan itu?"

"I've welded a bicycle into a chair. I've made a clock from a bicycle wheel. A chess queen is not harder than a clock." She put on her safety glasses and took a small file from a drawer. "Hold the base steady, please."

"Aku pernah mengelas sepeda menjadi kursi. Aku pernah membuat jam dari roda sepeda. Ratu catur tidak lebih sulit daripada jam." Ia memakai kacamata pengamannya dan mengambil kikir kecil dari laci. "Tolong pegang dasarnya agar tetap stabil."

They worked together. Thandi cut the rod to the right height and filed the end until it fit inside the finial. She rubbed the washer on a stone until it was smooth. Then she cut five tiny points around its edge. Tariq held each part while she worked.

Mereka bekerja bersama. Thandi memotong batang besi sampai tinggi yang tepat dan mengikir ujungnya hingga muat di dalam penutup tiang itu. Ia menggosok ring di atas batu sampai halus. Lalu ia memotong lima ujung mungil di sekeliling tepinya. Tariq memegangi setiap bagian selagi ia bekerja.

"This is your crown," Thandi said. She fixed the washer on top with a drop of strong glue. "She looks like a queen who has seen a few things."

"Ini mahkotamu," kata Thandi. Ia memasang ring itu di atas dengan setetes lem kuat. "Dia kelihatan seperti ratu yang sudah melihat banyak hal."

"She looks perfect," Tariq said, and he meant it. "But she is metal. All my other white pieces are wood. The children will notice at once."

"Dia kelihatan sempurna," kata Tariq, dan ia bersungguh-sungguh. "Tapi dia logam. Semua bidak putih saya yang lain kayu. Anak-anak akan langsung menyadarinya."

"Then we make her look the same." She picked up the paint. "The tin says cream. Your pieces look cream too, only more tired."

"Kalau begitu kita buat dia kelihatan sama." Ia mengambil kaleng cat. "Di kaleng tertulis krem. Bidak-bidakmu juga kelihatan krem, hanya lebih lelah."

She mixed a little brown paint into the cream, one drop at a time. After each drop, she tried it on a scrap of wood. Tariq held the scrap next to his white king. The colours were almost the same. Thandi added one last drop, and now the two shades matched.

Ia mencampurkan sedikit cat cokelat ke dalam cat krem, setetes demi setetes. Setelah tiap tetes, ia mencobanya pada potongan kayu sisa. Tariq memegang potongan itu di samping raja putihnya. Warnanya hampir sama. Thandi menambahkan satu tetes terakhir, dan kini kedua warna itu cocok.

She painted the queen in thin, careful layers. Between layers, she carried the piece into the sun to dry. Tariq stood beside her and told her stories about the children in his club. There was a girl who had never lost a game. There was a very small boy who hid his captured pieces in his pockets.

Ia mengecat sang ratu dengan lapisan-lapisan tipis yang cermat. Di antara lapisan, ia membawa bidak itu ke bawah matahari agar kering. Tariq berdiri di sampingnya dan menceritakan kisah anak-anak di klubnya. Ada seorang anak perempuan yang belum pernah kalah satu pertandingan pun. Ada seorang anak laki-laki yang sangat kecil yang menyembunyikan bidak tangkapannya di dalam saku.

"Do they ever give them back?" Thandi asked.

"Apa mereka pernah mengembalikannya?" tanya Thandi.

"Always. Eventually."

"Selalu. Akhirnya."

The last layer dried at noon. Thandi turned the queen in the light and checked every side. She smoothed a small bubble of paint with her thumbnail. Then she handed the piece to Tariq.

Lapisan terakhir kering saat tengah hari. Thandi memutar sang ratu di bawah cahaya dan memeriksa setiap sisinya. Ia meratakan gelembung kecil cat dengan kuku ibu jarinya. Lalu ia menyerahkan bidak itu kepada Tariq.

He set it on the empty square. It stood a little taller than the other pieces, and its neck was thicker. But the cream colour matched, and the crown caught the light. Beside the white king, it looked as if it had always been there.

Tariq menaruhnya di petak yang kosong. Bidak itu berdiri sedikit lebih tinggi daripada bidak-bidak lain, dan lehernya lebih tebal. Tetapi warna krem itu cocok, dan mahkotanya menangkap cahaya. Di samping raja putih, ia tampak seperti selalu ada di sana.

"Well?" Thandi said.

"Bagaimana?" kata Thandi.

Tariq weighed the piece in his hand. It was heavier than the others. "She will knock over the board if a child grabs her too fast," he said.

Tariq menimbang bidak itu di tangannya. Bidak itu lebih berat daripada yang lain. "Dia akan menjatuhkan papan kalau anak-anak menyambarnya terlalu cepat," katanya.

"Good. A queen should be dangerous."

"Bagus. Seorang ratu harus berbahaya."

He laughed, and the sound surprised him. He had not laughed since Friday night. "How much do I owe you?"

Ia tertawa, dan suaranya sendiri mengejutkannya. Ia belum tertawa sejak Jumat malam. "Berapa yang harus saya bayar?"

"Nothing. The parts were all scrap." She wiped her hands on a rag. "But I have one condition. I want to see her in a real game."

"Tidak usah. Semua bahannya barang bekas." Ia mengelap tangannya pada kain perca. "Tapi aku punya satu syarat. Aku ingin melihatnya dalam permainan sungguhan."

"You could come tomorrow. The tournament starts at two."

"Anda bisa datang besok. Turnamen dimulai pukul dua."

"I can't. The yard is open on Sundays, and the dog gets lonely." She looked down. The dog lifted his head and gave her a look of great innocence. "But you could teach me a little now. I only know how the horse moves."

"Aku tidak bisa. Tempat ini buka pada hari Minggu, dan si anjing kesepian." Ia menunduk. Si anjing mengangkat kepalanya dan menatapnya dengan tampang sangat polos. "Tapi kamu bisa mengajariku sedikit sekarang. Aku hanya tahu cara jalannya kuda."

"The knight," Tariq said.

"Ksatria," kata Tariq.

"The horse," Thandi repeated firmly.

"Kuda," ulang Thandi dengan tegas.

They carried a flat crate out into the sun and set the board on top. Tariq arranged the pieces and put the new queen on her square. He showed Thandi how the pawns advance one step at a time. He showed her how the rooks guard the corners. She listened with her chin in her hand and asked sharp questions.

Mereka membawa sebuah peti pipih keluar ke bawah matahari dan meletakkan papan di atasnya. Tariq menata bidak-bidak dan menaruh ratu baru di petaknya. Ia menunjukkan kepada Thandi bagaimana pion maju selangkah demi selangkah. Ia menunjukkan bagaimana benteng menjaga sudut-sudut. Thandi mendengarkan dengan dagu bertumpu di tangan dan mengajukan pertanyaan-pertanyaan tajam.

After twenty minutes, they played a short game. Thandi lost her queen on the ninth move, and she did not seem to mind. The dog walked once around the crate. Then he lay down again with his chin on her boot.

Setelah dua puluh menit, mereka memainkan permainan singkat. Thandi kehilangan ratunya pada langkah kesembilan, dan ia tampak tidak keberatan. Si anjing berjalan sekali mengitari peti. Lalu ia berbaring lagi dengan dagu di atas sepatu bot Thandi.

Tariq looked at the board for a long moment. Then he looked at the new queen, standing proud and slightly too tall among the white pieces.

Tariq memandang papan itu lama sekali. Lalu ia memandang ratu baru itu, berdiri angkuh dan sedikit terlalu tinggi di antara bidak-bidak putih.

"Thandi," he said, "when the children ask where she came from, should I tell them the truth?"

"Thandi," katanya, "kalau anak-anak bertanya dari mana dia berasal, apakah saya harus menceritakan yang sebenarnya?"