The Shade Clock

Vasco worked at a tailor shop on Lantern Street. The shop had three sewing machines. They stood in a row under the big window. The tailor called them Left, Middle and Right.

Vasco bekerja di sebuah toko penjahit di Jalan Lantern. Toko itu punya tiga mesin jahit. Ketiganya berdiri berjajar di bawah jendela besar. Sang penjahit menyebutnya Kiri, Tengah, dan Kanan.

Vasco was new. He started last Friday. The tailor worked in the back office. The door was closed, and he never saw her sew.

Vasco masih baru. Ia mulai bekerja Jumat lalu. Sang penjahit bekerja di kantor belakang. Pintunya tertutup, dan ia tidak pernah melihat wanita itu menjahit.

Behind the shop was a small yard. A fig tree grew there, and its leaves made thick shade. In the shade stood a stone sundial. It never showed the time, because the sun never touched it.

Di belakang toko ada halaman kecil. Sebatang pohon ara tumbuh di sana, dan daun-daunnya membuat keteduhan yang pekat. Di tempat teduh itu berdiri sebuah jam matahari dari batu. Jam itu tidak pernah menunjukkan waktu, karena matahari tidak pernah menyentuhnya.

On Monday morning Vasco came in at half past seven. A coat lay on the Middle machine. The night before, it was not there. Its torn sleeve was now mended with tiny stitches.

Pada Senin pagi, Vasco masuk pukul setengah delapan. Sebuah mantel tergeletak di atas mesin Tengah. Malam sebelumnya, mantel itu tidak ada di sana. Lengannya yang robek kini sudah ditambal dengan jahitan-jahitan kecil.

"Somebody sewed this," Vasco said to the empty room.

"Ada yang menjahit ini," kata Vasco kepada ruangan yang kosong.

The stitches were gold. Vasco looked at the shelf of thread. There was blue, black, grey and white. There was no gold at all.

Jahitannya berwarna emas. Vasco memandang rak benang. Ada biru, hitam, abu-abu, dan putih. Sama sekali tidak ada yang emas.

Bo came in with a bag of buttons. Bo rode a bike and brought cloth to the shop every morning. Bo looked at the coat and smiled.

Bo masuk membawa sekantong kancing. Bo naik sepeda dan mengantar kain ke toko setiap pagi. Bo memandang mantel itu dan tersenyum.

"The night fairy did it," Bo said. "Everyone on this street knows that."

"Peri malam yang melakukannya," kata Bo. "Semua orang di jalan ini tahu itu."

"There is no fairy," said Vasco.

"Tidak ada peri," kata Vasco.

"Then who mended the coat?"

"Lalu siapa yang menambal mantel itu?"

Vasco did not know. That was the problem. This was the fourth coat in two weeks. Each time, the work was perfect.

Vasco tidak tahu. Itulah masalahnya. Ini mantel keempat dalam dua minggu. Setiap kali, hasil kerjanya sempurna.

"People leave their torn clothes by the door," Bo said. "In the morning, they are mended. Nobody pays. Nobody sees anything."

"Orang-orang meninggalkan pakaian robek mereka di dekat pintu," kata Bo. "Paginya, pakaian itu sudah ditambal. Tidak ada yang membayar. Tidak ada yang melihat apa-apa."

"Somebody sees something," said Vasco. "I want to find the answer."

"Pasti ada yang melihat sesuatu," kata Vasco. "Aku ingin mencari jawabannya."

Bo laughed. "You are a tailor, not a detective."

Bo tertawa. "Kamu penjahit, bukan detektif."

"A tailor looks at small things," Vasco said. "Let us look."

"Penjahit memperhatikan hal-hal kecil," kata Vasco. "Ayo kita lihat."

They started with the coat. Vasco held the sleeve up to the window. The stitches leaned to the left, every one of them. They were neat and quick, like handwriting.

Mereka mulai dari mantel itu. Vasco mengangkat lengan baju itu ke arah jendela. Jahitannya condong ke kiri, semuanya. Rapi dan cepat, seperti tulisan tangan.

"Clue one," said Vasco. "Whoever sewed this is left-handed."

"Petunjuk pertama," kata Vasco. "Siapa pun yang menjahit ini kidal."

"Fairies can be left-handed," Bo said.

"Peri bisa saja kidal," kata Bo.

Vasco ignored that. He went to the back door and walked out into the yard. The air was cool under the fig tree. The sundial sat in its usual place. Its brass pointer was bent a little.

Vasco mengabaikannya. Ia pergi ke pintu belakang dan melangkah keluar ke halaman. Udara sejuk di bawah pohon ara. Jam matahari itu berada di tempat biasanya. Jarum kuningannya sedikit bengkok.

"This is odd," said Vasco. "Yesterday the pointer was straight."

"Aneh," kata Vasco. "Kemarin jarumnya lurus."

"Maybe a bird sat on it."

"Mungkin ada burung yang hinggap."

"A bird did not turn it to the number seven."

"Burung tidak akan memutarnya ke angka tujuh."

Bo came closer. The pointer really did aim at the mark for seven. Under the pointer lay a small fig, soft and purple.

Bo mendekat. Jarum itu memang menunjuk tanda angka tujuh. Di bawah jarum itu tergeletak sebuah buah ara kecil, lunak dan keunguan.

"Clue two," said Vasco. "Someone moves the pointer. And someone leaves figs."

"Petunjuk kedua," kata Vasco. "Seseorang menggerakkan jarumnya. Dan seseorang meninggalkan buah ara."

"Or takes them," Bo said. "People put figs here for the fairy. My mother does it every week."

"Atau mengambilnya," kata Bo. "Orang-orang menaruh buah ara di sini untuk si peri. Ibuku melakukannya setiap minggu."

Vasco picked up the fig. He put it back. Then he saw something on the ground. A few fig leaves lay near the back door, flat and wet. One of them was stuck to the stone step.

Vasco mengambil buah ara itu. Ia mengembalikannya. Lalu ia melihat sesuatu di tanah. Beberapa daun ara tergeletak dekat pintu belakang, pipih dan basah. Salah satunya menempel pada anak tangga batu.

"Why are leaves on the step?" he said.

"Kenapa ada daun di tangga?" katanya.

"Wind?"

"Angin?"

"There is no wind."

"Tidak ada angin."

Bo sighed and looked at the sky. "You really want to ruin the fairy."

Bo menghela napas dan memandang langit. "Kamu benar-benar ingin merusak cerita si peri."

"I want to know," Vasco said. "That is different."

"Aku ingin tahu," kata Vasco. "Itu berbeda."

They went back inside. The shop was quiet. The three machines sat in their row. Vasco touched the seat of the Right machine. It was cold. He touched the Middle one. It was warm.

Mereka kembali ke dalam. Toko itu sunyi. Ketiga mesin duduk berjajar. Vasco menyentuh kursi mesin Kanan. Dingin. Ia menyentuh yang Tengah. Hangat.

"Clue three," he said. "Somebody sat here this morning. Very early."

"Petunjuk ketiga," katanya. "Seseorang duduk di sini pagi ini. Pagi sekali."

"Maybe the fairy is warm."

"Mungkin peri itu hangat."

"Fairies do not sit that long," Vasco said. He looked at the chair. The seat was pressed flat. "And it is set very high. Look at it."

"Peri tidak duduk selama itu," kata Vasco. Ia memandang kursinya. Dudukannya tertekan rata. "Dan kursinya diatur sangat tinggi. Lihat saja."

Bo looked. Yes, the seat was high. Vasco knew only one person in the shop who was tall enough.

Bo melihat. Ya, kursinya tinggi. Vasco hanya mengenal satu orang di toko ini yang cukup tinggi.

Both of them turned their heads at the same time. The tailor stood in the doorway. She wore her soft slippers. She held a lunch box in one hand. A fig leaf was stuck to her shoe.

Keduanya menoleh pada saat yang sama. Sang penjahit berdiri di ambang pintu. Ia mengenakan sandal rumah yang lembut. Ia membawa kotak bekal di satu tangan. Sehelai daun ara menempel di sepatunya.

Nobody spoke for a moment.

Sesaat tidak ada yang berbicara.

"Good morning," she said, in a small voice.

"Selamat pagi," katanya dengan suara kecil.

"You are left-handed," said Vasco.

"Anda kidal," kata Vasco.

"Yes."

"Ya."

"And you are very tall."

"Dan Anda sangat tinggi."

"Also yes."

"Itu juga ya."

"And you have a leaf on your shoe," said Bo.

"Dan ada daun di sepatu Anda," kata Bo.

The tailor looked down. She pulled the leaf off. She looked at it for a long time.

Sang penjahit menunduk. Ia mencabut daun itu. Ia memandanginya lama sekali.

"I come at six," she said at last. "I sit at the Middle machine. I mend the coats that people leave. Then I turn the sundial to seven. After that, I go out to buy my lunch."

"Aku datang jam enam," katanya akhirnya. "Aku duduk di mesin Tengah. Aku menambal mantel-mantel yang ditinggalkan orang. Lalu aku memutar jam matahari ke angka tujuh. Setelah itu, aku keluar membeli makan siang."

"Why seven?" asked Vasco.

"Kenapa tujuh?" tanya Vasco.

"Seven is when I finish. It is my own little joke. The shop opens at eight. I like to be early."

"Tujuh itu saat aku selesai. Itu lelucon kecilku sendiri. Toko buka jam delapan. Aku suka datang lebih awal."

"But why the fairy?" said Bo. "Why not just say it was you?"

"Tapi kenapa peri?" kata Bo. "Kenapa tidak bilang saja itu Anda?"

The tailor put her lunch box on the table. She looked a little shy.

Sang penjahit meletakkan kotak bekalnya di atas meja. Ia tampak sedikit malu.

"When I mend a coat, people thank me too much," she said. "They give me flowers and speeches. One man cried. I do not like it. But a fairy? Nobody makes a speech to a fairy."

"Kalau aku menambal mantel, orang-orang berterima kasih terlalu berlebihan," katanya. "Mereka memberiku bunga dan pidato. Seorang pria sampai menangis. Aku tidak suka itu. Tapi kalau peri? Tidak ada yang berpidato kepada peri."

"And the gold thread?" Vasco asked.

"Dan benang emasnya?" tanya Vasco.

"I make it myself. I twist a yellow thread with a little wax." She almost smiled. "It looks nice, does it not?"

"Aku membuatnya sendiri. Aku memintal benang kuning dengan sedikit lilin." Ia nyaris tersenyum. "Kelihatannya bagus, bukan?"

Vasco looked at the coat. It did look nice. The gold stitches caught the light from the window.

Vasco memandang mantel itu. Memang kelihatan bagus. Jahitan emas itu menangkap cahaya dari jendela.

"And the figs?" said Bo.

"Dan buah-buah ara itu?" kata Bo.

The tailor opened her lunch box. Inside were six soft purple figs. A few more waited in her coat pocket.

Sang penjahit membuka kotak bekalnya. Di dalamnya ada enam buah ara ungu yang lunak. Beberapa lagi menunggu di saku mantelnya.

"People leave them for the fairy," she said. "It is rude to waste them."

"Orang-orang meninggalkannya untuk si peri," katanya. "Tidak sopan kalau disia-siakan."

Vasco began to laugh. Bo laughed too. Soon the tailor laughed as well. The three machines seemed to shake in their row.

Vasco mulai tertawa. Bo juga tertawa. Tak lama sang penjahit pun ikut tertawa. Ketiga mesin itu seakan bergetar dalam barisannya.

"The whole street believes in a fairy," said Vasco. "And the fairy is you."

"Seluruh jalan ini percaya pada peri," kata Vasco. "Dan peri itu adalah Anda."

"A fairy is not so tired," the tailor said. "I only sleep five hours."

"Peri tidak selelah ini," kata sang penjahit. "Aku hanya tidur lima jam."

"What do we tell people?" asked Bo.

"Apa yang harus kami katakan kepada orang-orang?" tanya Bo.

"Nothing. Please." The tailor held out the box. "If anyone asks, say the fairy is very busy."

"Tidak usah apa-apa. Tolong." Sang penjahit mengulurkan kotak itu. "Kalau ada yang bertanya, katakan saja peri itu sangat sibuk."

Vasco took a fig. It was sweet and cool. He thought about the left-handed stitches. He thought about the bent pointer and the warm chair. They were there all along. He only needed to look.

Vasco mengambil sebuah buah ara. Rasanya manis dan sejuk. Ia memikirkan jahitan-jahitan kidal itu. Ia memikirkan jarum yang bengkok dan kursi yang hangat. Semuanya sudah ada di sana sejak awal. Ia hanya perlu memperhatikan.

Bo took a fig too and bit into it. Then Bo looked at the tailor with a serious face.

Bo juga mengambil sebuah buah ara dan menggigitnya. Lalu Bo menatap sang penjahit dengan wajah serius.

"So the fairy is just hungry?"

"Jadi peri itu cuma lapar?"

"The fairy is always hungry, Bo," said the tailor. "Now pass me the buttons."

"Peri itu selalu lapar, Bo," kata sang penjahit. "Sekarang berikan kancing-kancing itu padaku."