The Oranges Over the Fence

Florian had a small garden behind his house. Every autumn, oranges from his neighbor's tree fell over the fence. They landed in his flowers and on his chairs. He picked them up every morning, but there were always more.

Florian punya kebun kecil di belakang rumahnya. Setiap musim gugur, jeruk dari pohon tetangganya jatuh melewati pagar. Jeruk-jeruk itu mendarat di bunga-bunganya dan di kursi-kursinya. Ia memungutinya setiap pagi, tetapi selalu ada lebih banyak lagi.

"She does not care," he thought. "She never picks them. She never says sorry."

"Dia tidak peduli," pikirnya. "Dia tidak pernah memetiknya. Dia tidak pernah minta maaf."

He sometimes saw his neighbor in her window, but they never talked. He was angry for a week.

Kadang-kadang ia melihat tetangganya di jendela, tetapi mereka tidak pernah mengobrol. Ia marah selama seminggu.

One Sunday, he took a big bag and filled it with oranges. Then he walked to her door. He wanted to say, "Please do something about your tree."

Pada suatu hari Minggu, ia mengambil kantong besar dan mengisinya dengan jeruk. Lalu ia berjalan ke pintu tetangganya. Ia ingin berkata, "Tolong lakukan sesuatu soal pohon Ibu."

He knocked. An old woman opened the door slowly. She held a stick in her hand.

Ia mengetuk. Seorang wanita tua membuka pintu dengan pelan. Di tangannya ada sebatang tongkat.

"Yes?" she said.

"Ya?" katanya.

Florian held up the bag. "These are from your tree," he said. "They fall into my garden."

Florian mengangkat kantong itu. "Ini dari pohon Ibu," katanya. "Jeruk-jeruk ini jatuh ke kebun saya."

Her face changed. "Oh, I am sorry," she said. "I cannot reach the high branches now. My knees hurt, and I cannot carry a ladder. So the fruit just falls." She looked at the bag. "Please, take them. Take as many as you like. I am happy that someone wants them."

Wajahnya berubah. "Oh, maafkan saya," katanya. "Sekarang saya tidak bisa menjangkau dahan-dahan yang tinggi. Lutut saya sakit, dan saya tidak bisa membawa tangga. Jadi buahnya jatuh begitu saja." Ia memandang kantong itu. "Silakan, ambil saja. Ambillah sebanyak yang Anda mau. Saya senang ada yang menginginkannya."

Florian looked at the bag in his hands. His anger was gone.

Florian menatap kantong di tangannya. Kemarahannya sudah hilang.

"I am Renske," the woman said.

"Saya Renske," kata wanita itu.

"I am Florian," he said. "Please call me if you need help with the tree."

"Saya Florian," katanya. "Silakan hubungi saya kalau Ibu butuh bantuan dengan pohonnya."

The next week, he made fresh orange juice. He brought a big bottle to her door. They drank it together on her porch.

Minggu berikutnya, ia membuat jus jeruk segar. Ia membawa sebotol besar ke pintu Renske. Mereka meminumnya bersama-sama di teras.