The Painted Stones of Route Nine

Aunt Eliza stopped the car at a desert gas station. Nico got out and stretched. The air was hot and dry. There was nothing around but sand and sky.

Bibi Eliza menghentikan mobil di sebuah pom bensin di gurun. Nico turun dan meregangkan badan. Udaranya panas dan kering. Tidak ada apa-apa di sekitar mereka selain pasir dan langit.

"We have two hours of road left," Eliza said. "Go and buy some water."

"Perjalanan kita masih dua jam lagi," kata Eliza. "Pergilah beli air."

Nico walked to the shop. A small stone sat on the step. Someone painted it blue. It had a white star. He picked it up.

Nico berjalan ke toko. Sebuah batu kecil tergeletak di anak tangga. Seseorang telah mengecatnya biru. Ada bintang putih di atasnya. Ia memungutnya.

"Whose stone is this?" he asked the man at the desk.

"Ini batu siapa?" tanyanya pada pria di meja kasir.

The man smiled. "It is a trail stone. Follow the stones, and you find something nice."

Pria itu tersenyum. "Ini batu penunjuk jalan. Ikuti batu-batunya, dan kamu akan menemukan sesuatu yang menyenangkan."

"What do I find?"

"Apa yang akan kutemukan?"

"I cannot tell you. You must go and see." He gave Nico two bottles of water.

"Saya tidak bisa bilang. Kamu harus pergi dan melihatnya sendiri." Ia memberi Nico dua botol air.

Nico showed the stone to his aunt. She laughed. "We have time," she said. "Let us look."

Nico menunjukkan batu itu kepada bibinya. Bibinya tertawa. "Kita punya waktu," katanya. "Ayo kita lihat."

Behind the shop, a red stone sat on a rock. It had a yellow sun on it. Nico saw a third stone by a dry bush. They walked to it. The ground was hot under their shoes.

Di belakang toko, sebuah batu merah tergeletak di atas bongkahan batu besar. Ada matahari kuning di atasnya. Nico melihat batu ketiga di dekat semak kering. Mereka berjalan ke sana. Tanahnya panas di bawah sepatu mereka.

The stones led them along a dusty path. Every stone had a different picture. One had a fish. One had a moon. One had a tiny house.

Batu-batu itu menuntun mereka menyusuri jalan setapak berdebu. Setiap batu punya gambar yang berbeda. Satu bergambar ikan. Satu bergambar bulan. Satu bergambar rumah mungil.

"Can I keep this one?" Nico asked. He held up the fish.

"Boleh aku simpan yang ini?" tanya Nico. Ia mengangkat batu bergambar ikan.

"No," said Eliza. "Other people want to find it too. Take a photo."

"Tidak," kata Eliza. "Orang lain juga ingin menemukannya. Foto saja."

Nico took a photo of every stone. Then he put each one back in its place.

Nico memotret setiap batu. Lalu ia mengembalikan semuanya ke tempat semula.

After twenty minutes, the path went down between big rocks. It was cool and dark there. Nico stopped. He heard a sound.

Dua puluh menit kemudian, jalan setapak itu menurun di antara bongkahan-bongkahan batu besar. Di sana sejuk dan gelap. Nico berhenti. Ia mendengar sesuatu.

"Is that water?" he asked.

"Itu suara air?" tanyanya.

"In the desert? No," said Eliza. But she listened too. "Yes. It is water!"

"Di gurun? Tidak mungkin," kata Eliza. Tetapi ia ikut mendengarkan. "Ya. Itu air!"

They walked on. Below the rocks, a small pool shone green and clear. Palm trees stood around it. An old woman sat in a chair. She wore a big hat. Next to her was a table. It had pots of paint and empty stones.

Mereka melangkah terus. Di bawah bebatuan, sebuah kolam kecil berkilau hijau dan jernih. Pohon-pohon palem berdiri mengelilinginya. Seorang perempuan tua duduk di kursi. Ia memakai topi besar. Di sampingnya ada sebuah meja. Di atasnya ada pot-pot cat dan batu-batu kosong.

"Hello," she said. "You found my pool."

"Halo," katanya. "Kalian menemukan kolamku."

"Are these your stones?" Nico asked.

"Ini batu-batu Ibu?" tanya Nico.

"Yes. Every week I paint new ones. I put them on the road. Most people drive past. They never look down."

"Ya. Setiap minggu saya melukis yang baru. Saya letakkan di jalan. Kebanyakan orang hanya melaju lewat. Mereka tidak pernah melihat ke bawah."

"Why do you do it?" said Eliza.

"Kenapa Ibu melakukannya?" tanya Eliza.

"The road is long," said the woman.

"Jalannya panjang," kata perempuan itu.

"People get tired."

"Orang-orang jadi lelah."

"A cool pool is a good surprise."

"Kolam yang sejuk adalah kejutan yang menyenangkan."

Nico took off his shoes. He put his feet in the water. It was so cold that he shouted. The old woman laughed. Eliza sat down next to him and closed her eyes.

Nico melepas sepatunya. Ia memasukkan kakinya ke air. Airnya begitu dingin sampai ia berteriak. Perempuan tua itu tertawa. Eliza duduk di sampingnya dan memejamkan mata.

They stayed for an hour. The woman gave them orange slices. She told them about the birds at the pool. She showed them small fox footprints in the sand.

Mereka tinggal selama satu jam. Perempuan itu memberi mereka irisan jeruk. Ia bercerita tentang burung-burung di kolam itu. Ia menunjukkan jejak rubah kecil di pasir.

Then she gave Nico a white stone and a brush.

Lalu ia memberi Nico sebuah batu putih dan kuas.

"Paint one," she said. "Then put it on the path for the next person."

"Lukislah satu," katanya. "Lalu letakkan di jalan setapak untuk orang berikutnya."

Nico thought for a long time. He painted a small red car. Inside the car, he drew two people. One of them wore a big hat. Eliza looked at it and laughed.

Nico berpikir lama. Ia melukis sebuah mobil merah kecil. Di dalam mobil itu, ia menggambar dua orang. Salah satunya memakai topi besar. Eliza melihatnya dan tertawa.

"I do not wear a hat like that," she said.

"Aku tidak memakai topi seperti itu," katanya.

"You do now," said Nico.

"Sekarang iya," kata Nico.

At last, Eliza looked at her watch. "We must go. Our hotel is far."

Akhirnya, Eliza melihat jam tangannya. "Kita harus pergi. Hotel kita jauh."

They said goodbye to the old woman. She waved her hat. Nico and Eliza walked back along the dusty path. The sun was lower now, and the sand was orange.

Mereka berpamitan kepada perempuan tua itu. Ia melambaikan topinya. Nico dan Eliza berjalan kembali menyusuri jalan setapak berdebu. Matahari sudah lebih rendah, dan pasirnya berwarna jingga.

Nico put his painted car on the red rock. Then he took the blue stone with the star. He put it back on the step.

Nico meletakkan mobil lukisannya di atas batu merah. Lalu ia mengambil batu biru bergambar bintang. Ia mengembalikannya ke anak tangga.

"Now it is someone else's turn," he said.

"Sekarang giliran orang lain," katanya.

Eliza started the car. Nico looked back one more time. Far away, a small truck stopped at the gas station.

Eliza menyalakan mobil. Nico menoleh ke belakang sekali lagi. Jauh di sana, sebuah truk kecil berhenti di pom bensin.