The Question on the Roof

The kite string snaps with a small, sharp sound. Kira feels the pull in her hand go slack. Above her, the yellow kite wobbles once and drifts away.

Tali layang-layang putus dengan bunyi kecil yang tajam. Kira merasakan tarikan di tangannya mengendur. Di atasnya, layang-layang kuning itu bergoyang sekali lalu hanyut menjauh.

"No," she whispers.

"Tidak," bisiknya.

Willa sees it from the other end of the court. She drops the ball. The kite sails over the edge of the roof. It crosses the street.

Willa melihatnya dari ujung lapangan. Ia menjatuhkan bolanya. Layang-layang itu melayang melewati tepi atap. Layang-layang itu menyeberangi jalan.

"Stay there!" she shouts. She does not know if she means Kira or the kite.

"Tunggu di sana!" teriaknya. Ia tidak tahu apakah yang ia maksud Kira atau layang-layang itu.

The basketball court sits on top of an old parking building. A high fence runs around it. Every afternoon, a dozen teenagers come up the stairs to play. They play until the lights in the street come on.

Lapangan basket itu terletak di atas sebuah gedung parkir tua. Pagar tinggi mengelilinginya. Setiap sore, selusin remaja datang menaiki tangga untuk bermain. Mereka bermain sampai lampu jalan menyala.

Kira comes too, but she never plays. She sits on a crate by the fence and flies her kite. It is a big yellow kite with a long blue tail. She holds the string with both hands. She watches the kite over the roofs.

Kira juga datang, tetapi ia tidak pernah bermain. Ia duduk di atas peti dekat pagar dan menerbangkan layang-layangnya. Layang-layang kuning besar dengan ekor biru panjang. Ia memegang talinya dengan kedua tangan. Ia menatap layang-layang itu di atas atap-atap rumah.

Nobody asks her why. Everybody knows her name. Everybody knows she is Willa's neighbor. But when the boys choose sides, nobody says her name. She never asks to join.

Tak ada yang bertanya kenapa. Semua orang tahu namanya. Semua orang tahu ia tetangga Willa. Tetapi saat anak-anak lelaki memilih tim, tak seorang pun menyebut namanya. Ia sendiri tidak pernah minta ikut.

For a month, Willa sees this and says nothing. It never seems the right time.

Selama sebulan, Willa melihat ini dan tidak berkata apa-apa. Rasanya tak pernah ada waktu yang tepat.

Now the kite is gone, and the right time is here.

Sekarang layang-layang itu hilang, dan waktu yang tepat sudah tiba.

Willa runs to the stairs. She takes them two at a time. At the bottom, she turns left and sprints along the street. The kite floats ahead of her, small and bright against the sky. It dips over a row of flat roofs.

Willa berlari ke tangga. Ia menuruninya dua anak tangga sekaligus. Di bawah, ia berbelok ke kiri dan berlari kencang menyusuri jalan. Layang-layang itu melayang di depannya, kecil dan terang di langit. Layang-layang itu menukik di atas deretan atap datar.

"It lands on the shoe shop roof!" shouts a boy from the fence. He climbs up to watch.

"Layang-layangnya mendarat di atap toko sepatu!" teriak seorang anak laki-laki dari pagar. Ia memanjat untuk menonton.

Willa does not answer. She knows the shoe shop roof. It is flat and wide. A low wall joins it to the old school. She cuts through a side door. She climbs a metal ladder. She comes out onto the roof, and her lungs burn.

Willa tidak menjawab. Ia tahu atap toko sepatu itu. Atapnya datar dan lebar. Sebuah tembok rendah menghubungkannya dengan sekolah tua. Ia menerobos sebuah pintu samping. Ia memanjat tangga logam. Ia sampai di atap, dan paru-parunya terasa terbakar.

The kite lies on the tar. Its tail lies in the dust. One wing is bent, but it is whole.

Layang-layang itu tergeletak di atas aspal. Ekornya terhampar di debu. Satu sayapnya bengkok, tetapi masih utuh.

Willa picks it up. She hears steps behind her. Kira climbs over the top of the ladder, out of breath.

Willa memungutnya. Ia mendengar langkah di belakangnya. Kira memanjat melewati puncak tangga, terengah-engah.

"You ran," says Kira.

"Kamu berlari," kata Kira.

"You looked sad," says Willa.

"Kamu kelihatan sedih," kata Willa.

"I was not sad," says Kira. Then she looks at the kite. "I was a little sad."

"Aku tidak sedih," kata Kira. Lalu ia memandang layang-layang itu. "Aku agak sedih."

Willa holds it out. Kira takes it and runs her thumb along the bent stick. She bends it back with a soft click.

Willa mengulurkannya. Kira menerimanya dan menggosokkan ibu jarinya di sepanjang batang yang bengkok. Ia membengkokkannya kembali dengan bunyi klik yang lembut.

"My brother made it," she says. "He lives far away now. He sends me a new kite every year. This is the one from last year."

"Kakakku yang membuatnya," katanya. "Sekarang ia tinggal jauh. Ia mengirimiku layang-layang baru setiap tahun. Ini yang dari tahun lalu."

"I am sorry," says Willa.

"Aku turut menyesal," kata Willa.

"It is okay. I can fix the string." Kira sits on a low wall in the middle of the roof. Willa sits next to her. Far below, the street is full of cars and people. The sun is low and golden.

"Tidak apa-apa. Aku bisa memperbaiki talinya." Kira duduk di tembok rendah di tengah atap. Willa duduk di sampingnya. Jauh di bawah, jalan penuh mobil dan orang. Matahari rendah dan keemasan.

Willa watches Kira tie a knot in the string. Her fingers are quick and sure. She makes the knot in three seconds.

Willa melihat Kira mengikat simpul pada tali itu. Jari-jarinya cekatan dan mantap. Ia membuat simpul itu dalam tiga detik.

"Can I ask you something?" says Willa.

"Boleh aku tanya sesuatu?" kata Willa.

"You just did," says Kira.

"Kamu baru saja bertanya," kata Kira.

"A real question."

"Pertanyaan yang sungguhan."

Kira shrugs. "Okay."

Kira mengangkat bahu. "Oke."

Willa takes a deep breath. She practices this in her head every night. The words feel heavier now.

Willa menarik napas dalam-dalam. Ia melatih ini di kepalanya setiap malam. Kata-katanya terasa lebih berat sekarang.

"Why do you never play?" she asks.

"Kenapa kamu tidak pernah bermain?" tanyanya.

Kira's hands stop. For a moment, she says nothing. A pigeon walks along the wall and looks at them.

Tangan Kira terhenti. Sesaat ia tidak berkata apa-apa. Seekor merpati berjalan di sepanjang tembok dan memandang mereka.

"The boys never choose me," says Kira at last.

"Anak-anak lelaki itu tidak pernah memilihku," kata Kira akhirnya.

"You never ask."

"Kamu tidak pernah minta."

"I know." Kira looks at her shoes. "I am not good. I played once at school. I lost the ball three times. I think they will say no. So I do not ask."

"Aku tahu." Kira memandang sepatunya. "Aku tidak jago. Aku pernah bermain sekali di sekolah. Tiga kali bolanya lepas dariku. Kupikir mereka akan bilang tidak. Jadi aku tidak minta."

Willa thinks about this. It makes sense, and it makes her a little angry.

Willa memikirkannya. Itu masuk akal, dan itu membuatnya sedikit marah.

"That is a silly plan," she says.

"Itu rencana yang konyol," katanya.

"It is a safe plan."

"Itu rencana yang aman."

"It is a lonely plan. You sit by the fence every day. And I never say anything either." Willa pulls her knees up. "For a month, I wanted to ask. I was afraid of your no."

"Itu rencana yang sepi. Kamu duduk di dekat pagar setiap hari. Dan aku juga tidak pernah mengatakan apa-apa." Willa menarik lututnya ke dada. "Selama sebulan, aku ingin bertanya. Aku takut pada jawaban tidak darimu."

Kira looks at her, surprised. "You were afraid of me?"

Kira memandangnya, terkejut. "Kamu takut padaku?"

"A little," says Willa. "You are very good at looking like you do not need anyone."

"Sedikit," kata Willa. "Kamu sangat pandai terlihat seperti tidak butuh siapa pun."

Kira laughs. It is a short, quiet laugh, but it is real. The pigeon flies off.

Kira tertawa. Tawanya pendek dan pelan, tetapi sungguhan. Merpati itu terbang pergi.

"I am not good at basketball," says Kira. "Really."

"Aku tidak jago basket," kata Kira. "Sungguh."

"Nobody is good at the start," says Willa. "I could not make a basket for a year. Ask anyone."

"Tak ada yang jago di awal," kata Willa. "Aku tidak bisa memasukkan bola selama setahun. Tanya saja siapa pun."

"A year?"

"Setahun?"

"Eleven months. But I counted the days."

"Sebelas bulan. Tapi aku menghitung harinya."

They both laugh now. The sun slides lower. Somewhere down the street, a bell rings. The lights come on one by one.

Sekarang mereka berdua tertawa. Matahari tergelincir makin rendah. Di suatu tempat di ujung jalan, sebuah lonceng berbunyi. Lampu-lampu menyala satu per satu.

Kira ties the last knot. She holds up the kite, and the string is whole again. She looks at it for a long time.

Kira mengikat simpul terakhir. Ia mengangkat layang-layang itu, dan talinya utuh kembali. Ia memandangnya lama sekali.

"I can fly this later," she says. "It will wait."

"Aku bisa menerbangkannya nanti," katanya. "Ia akan menunggu."

She stands up. She puts the kite under a stone.

Ia berdiri. Ia menaruh layang-layang itu di bawah sebuah batu.

"I will keep it safe," says Willa.

"Aku akan menjaganya," kata Willa.

Then Kira holds out a hand to help Willa up.

Lalu Kira mengulurkan tangan untuk membantu Willa berdiri.

They climb down the ladder and walk back to the court. The boys stand in the middle with the ball. They look up when the two girls come through the gate.

Mereka menuruni tangga dan berjalan kembali ke lapangan. Anak-anak lelaki itu berdiri di tengah dengan bola. Mereka mendongak saat kedua gadis itu masuk lewat gerbang.

Willa stops in front of them. She waits for Kira to stand beside her.

Willa berhenti di depan mereka. Ia menunggu Kira berdiri di sampingnya.

"Did you get the kite?" asks one of the boys.

"Kalian dapat layang-layangnya?" tanya salah satu anak lelaki.

"We got it," says Willa. "Kira wants to play. Who is on my side?"

"Dapat," kata Willa. "Kira mau main. Siapa yang satu tim denganku?"

Nobody speaks. Kira's shoulders go stiff. Then a tall boy shrugs and throws her the ball.

Tak ada yang bicara. Bahu Kira menegang. Lalu seorang anak lelaki jangkung mengangkat bahu dan melemparkan bola kepadanya.

Kira catches it. She looks at it in her hands.

Kira menangkapnya. Ia memandang bola itu di tangannya.

"I am really bad at this," she says.

"Aku benar-benar payah dalam hal ini," katanya.

"So was I," says Willa. "Throw it to me."

"Aku juga dulu begitu," kata Willa. "Lempar ke aku."