The Quiet New Neighbor

Mira moved into apartment 4B last month. Her new neighbor was a quiet man named Osric. Every morning, she waved at him in the hallway. He never waved back.

Mira pindah ke apartemen 4B bulan lalu. Tetangga barunya adalah seorang pria pendiam bernama Osric. Setiap pagi, ia melambai kepadanya di lorong. Pria itu tidak pernah membalas lambaian.

Mira felt sure he did not like her. She stopped saying hello. She just walked past his door in silence.

Mira yakin pria itu tidak menyukainya. Ia berhenti menyapa. Ia hanya berjalan melewati pintu pria itu dalam diam.

One Saturday, the building held a small courtyard breakfast. Mira went with a plate of muffins. Osric sat alone at a table.

Pada suatu hari Sabtu, gedung itu mengadakan sarapan kecil di halaman. Mira datang membawa sepiring muffin. Osric duduk sendirian di sebuah meja.

She almost turned around. Instead, she sat down next to him. "Good morning," she said, a little loud.

Ia hampir berbalik pergi. Namun ia duduk di sebelah pria itu. "Selamat pagi," katanya, dengan suara agak keras.

Osric smiled and pointed to his ear. "I have trouble hearing," he said. "I never saw you wave. I am sorry."

Osric tersenyum dan menunjuk telinganya. "Pendengaran saya kurang baik," katanya. "Saya tidak pernah melihat Anda melambai. Maafkan saya."

Mira understood everything now. She was wrong about him. She was not angry. She was glad to know the truth.

Sekarang Mira mengerti semuanya. Ia salah menilai pria itu. Ia tidak marah. Ia lega karena tahu kebenarannya.

"Do you want a muffin?" she asked. Osric nodded and took one. They talked about the building and the noisy elevator. They both liked the same morning coffee.

"Mau muffin?" tanyanya. Osric mengangguk dan mengambil satu. Mereka mengobrol tentang gedung itu dan lift yang berisik. Mereka sama-sama menyukai kopi pagi yang sama.

After breakfast, Mira waved at Osric again. This time, she stood right in front of him. He waved back with a big smile.

Setelah sarapan, Mira melambai lagi kepada Osric. Kali ini, ia berdiri tepat di depannya. Osric membalas lambaian itu dengan senyum lebar.

After that day, they waved at the mailboxes every day. Osric even left his door open. He listened for her steps. Mira tapped twice before she knocked.

Sejak hari itu, mereka saling melambai di dekat kotak surat setiap hari. Osric bahkan membiarkan pintunya terbuka. Ia mendengarkan langkah kaki Mira. Mira mengetuk dua kali sebelum menggedor pintunya.

A month later, Osric taught Mira a few signs. She learned the sign for "hello" and for "friend." She used them every morning in the hallway.

Sebulan kemudian, Osric mengajari Mira beberapa isyarat. Ia belajar isyarat untuk "halo" dan "teman". Ia memakainya setiap pagi di lorong.

Other neighbors noticed the change. They started to wave at each other too. The whole floor felt friendly now.

Tetangga lain memperhatikan perubahan itu. Mereka juga mulai saling melambai. Seluruh lantai itu kini terasa ramah.