The Overbooked Hostel

Janek arrived at the hostel at ten at night. He was tired from a long train ride and hungry for a shower. The woman at the desk looked at her screen, then at him, and frowned.

Janek tiba di hostel itu pukul sepuluh malam. Ia lelah setelah perjalanan kereta yang panjang dan sangat ingin mandi. Perempuan di meja resepsionis menatap layarnya, lalu menatap Janek, dan mengernyit.

"I'm sorry," she said. "We have a problem. You and another guest have the same bed. Our system made a mistake."

"Maaf," katanya. "Ada masalah. Anda dan seorang tamu lain mendapat tempat tidur yang sama. Sistem kami membuat kesalahan."

Behind him, a woman with a large green backpack was already holding up her phone. "My booking says bed fourteen, top bunk," she said. "I have the confirmation right here."

Di belakangnya, seorang perempuan dengan ransel hijau besar sudah mengangkat ponselnya. "Pesanan saya tertulis tempat tidur nomor empat belas, ranjang atas," katanya. "Konfirmasinya ada di sini."

"So does mine," Janek said, showing his own screen. They looked at each other, and for a moment, neither knew whether to laugh or to complain.

"Punya saya juga," kata Janek sambil menunjukkan layarnya sendiri. Mereka saling menatap, dan sesaat keduanya tidak tahu harus tertawa atau mengeluh.

The receptionist lowered her voice. "The hostel is completely full tonight. The only free places are the two sofas in the lounge. They are comfortable, and I can offer you both a free breakfast tomorrow."

Sang resepsionis merendahkan suaranya. "Malam ini hostel kami penuh sekali. Satu-satunya tempat kosong adalah dua sofa di ruang santai. Sofanya nyaman, dan saya bisa memberi kalian berdua sarapan gratis besok."

"That's fair," the woman said. "I'm Valeria, by the way."

"Itu adil," kata perempuan itu. "Omong-omong, aku Valeria."

"Janek. I'll take the sofa by the window, if you don't mind."

"Janek. Aku ambil sofa di dekat jendela, kalau kamu tidak keberatan."

The lounge was warm, with a tall bookshelf and a rug that had seen better days. They dropped their bags, and Valeria spread a paper map across the coffee table. It was covered in her pencil marks. "I only have two days here," she said. "I have been trying to decide between the old market and the hills."

Ruang santai itu hangat, dengan rak buku yang tinggi dan karpet yang sudah tampak lusuh. Mereka menaruh tas, lalu Valeria membentangkan peta kertas di atas meja kopi. Peta itu penuh dengan coretan pensilnya. "Aku cuma punya dua hari di sini," katanya. "Aku sudah berusaha memutuskan antara pasar lama dan perbukitan."

"I had the same problem," Janek said. "And I have a feeling that neither of us wants to walk alone in a new city."

"Aku punya masalah yang sama," kata Janek. "Dan kurasa kita berdua tidak ingin berjalan sendirian di kota baru."

In the morning, they ate breakfast together: a bowl of porridge and two cups of bad coffee. Then they marked a route on the map with a red pen. The market first, because it closed early. The hills in the afternoon, when the light was better.

Paginya, mereka sarapan bersama: semangkuk bubur dan dua cangkir kopi yang rasanya buruk. Lalu mereka menandai rute di peta dengan pulpen merah. Pasar dulu, karena tutupnya lebih awal. Perbukitan sore harinya, saat cahayanya lebih bagus.

They spent the day walking, trading small stories about the places they had been. Valeria knew how to bargain for a scarf, and Janek had a good sense of direction. By evening, they had climbed to the top of the hill. The whole city lay below them in orange light.

Mereka menghabiskan hari dengan berjalan kaki, saling bertukar cerita kecil tentang tempat-tempat yang pernah mereka datangi. Valeria pandai menawar syal, dan Janek punya rasa arah yang baik. Menjelang malam, mereka sudah mendaki sampai puncak bukit. Seluruh kota terbentang di bawah mereka dalam cahaya jingga.

Back at the hostel, the receptionist smiled and said that a bed was free tonight. Janek and Valeria looked at each other, shrugged, and carried their bags back to the sofas.

Kembali di hostel, sang resepsionis tersenyum dan berkata bahwa malam ini ada satu tempat tidur kosong. Janek dan Valeria saling menatap, mengangkat bahu, lalu membawa tas mereka kembali ke sofa.