The Shoe in the Tuba

Rhoda opened her locker after lunch. Her left shoe was gone. Only the right shoe sat on the floor.

Rhoda membuka lokernya setelah makan siang. Sepatu kirinya hilang. Hanya sepatu kanan yang tergeletak di lantai.

A white note lay on the shelf. She picked it up and read it.

Sehelai catatan putih tergeletak di rak. Ia mengambilnya dan membacanya.

"Your shoe is not lost. It hides. Start where the books sleep."

"Sepatumu tidak hilang. Ia bersembunyi. Mulailah dari tempat buku-buku tidur."

Rhoda looked at the note again. The letters were big and round. She did not know the writer.

Rhoda melihat catatan itu sekali lagi. Hurufnya besar dan bulat. Ia tidak tahu siapa penulisnya.

Her friend Una came along the hall. She saw the single shoe. "Why do you have one shoe?" she asked.

Temannya, Una, datang menyusuri lorong. Ia melihat sepatu yang tinggal sebelah itu. "Kenapa kamu cuma punya satu sepatu?" tanyanya.

"Someone took the other one," Rhoda said. "Look at this note."

"Seseorang mengambil yang satunya," kata Rhoda. "Lihat catatan ini."

Una read it twice. "This is a game," she said. "Come on. We go to the library."

Una membacanya dua kali. "Ini permainan," katanya. "Ayo. Kita ke perpustakaan."

They walked to the library. It was quiet and cool. Rows of books stood along every wall.

Mereka berjalan ke perpustakaan. Tempat itu sunyi dan sejuk. Deretan buku berdiri di sepanjang setiap dinding.

"The books sleep here," Una said. "Now we look for a clue."

"Di sinilah buku-buku tidur," kata Una. "Sekarang kita cari petunjuk."

Rhoda checked the tables. Una checked the chairs. Under the last chair, Rhoda found a small paper.

Rhoda memeriksa meja-meja. Una memeriksa kursi-kursi. Di bawah kursi yang terakhir, Rhoda menemukan secarik kertas kecil.

"Good work," Una said. "What does it say?"

"Kerja bagus," kata Una. "Apa isinya?"

Rhoda held it up. "Now go where we eat. Look under the long table."

Rhoda mengangkatnya. "Sekarang pergilah ke tempat kita makan. Lihat di bawah meja panjang."

"The canteen!" Una said. "Run!"

"Kantin!" kata Una. "Lari!"

They ran down the stairs. A girl at the door said, "No running!" They walked fast until she looked away.

Mereka berlari menuruni tangga. Seorang anak perempuan di pintu berkata, "Dilarang lari!" Mereka berjalan cepat sampai anak itu berpaling.

The canteen was empty. Chairs stood on the tables. The long table was by the window.

Kantin itu kosong. Kursi-kursi diletakkan di atas meja. Meja panjang itu berada di dekat jendela.

Una got down on her knees. She looked under the table for a long time. "I see something," she said.

Una berlutut. Ia melihat ke bawah meja untuk waktu yang lama. "Aku melihat sesuatu," katanya.

She pulled out a third note. It was stuck to the wood with tape. It had a drawing of a small foot on it.

Ia menarik keluar catatan ketiga. Catatan itu menempel pada kayu dengan selotip. Di atasnya ada gambar sebuah kaki kecil.

"Read it," Rhoda said.

"Bacakan," kata Rhoda.

Una coughed once. "Last stop. Go where loud things live. Listen well."

Una berdeham sekali. "Pemberhentian terakhir. Pergilah ke tempat benda-benda yang berisik tinggal. Dengarkan baik-baik."

"Loud things," Rhoda said. "The gym? The bell room?"

"Benda-benda berisik," kata Rhoda. "Gimnasium? Ruang lonceng?"

"No," Una said. "The music room. Drums, horns, and a piano. That is loud."

"Bukan," kata Una. "Ruang musik. Drum, terompet, dan piano. Itu berisik."

They climbed to the top floor. The music room door was shut. Rhoda put her ear on it.

Mereka naik ke lantai paling atas. Pintu ruang musik tertutup. Rhoda menempelkan telinganya di sana.

"I hear something," she said. "It is a low, strange sound."

"Aku mendengar sesuatu," katanya. "Bunyinya rendah dan aneh."

"Is it a monster?" Una asked.

"Apakah itu monster?" tanya Una.

"Monsters do not play music," Rhoda said. She pushed the door open.

"Monster tidak main musik," kata Rhoda. Ia mendorong pintu hingga terbuka.

Valerio sat in the middle of the room. He was a quiet boy from their class. He held a big, shiny tuba on his knees.

Valerio duduk di tengah ruangan. Ia anak laki-laki pendiam dari kelas mereka. Ia memangku sebuah tuba besar yang mengilap.

The tuba made a low, soft sound. It sounded like a sleepy cow.

Tuba itu mengeluarkan bunyi yang rendah dan lembut. Bunyinya seperti sapi yang mengantuk.

"Hello," Valerio said. His voice was very small.

"Halo," kata Valerio. Suaranya sangat kecil.

"Valerio!" Rhoda said. "Did you write the notes?"

"Valerio!" kata Rhoda. "Kamu yang menulis catatan-catatan itu?"

Valerio nodded. He did not look at them. "I am sorry. I did not know how to ask."

Valerio mengangguk. Ia tidak menatap mereka. "Maaf. Aku tidak tahu bagaimana cara memintanya."

"Ask what?" Una said.

"Meminta apa?" tanya Una.

He pointed at the tuba. "My tuba is too loud. The band leader says I must play softer. I need a mute."

Ia menunjuk tubanya. "Tubaku terlalu keras. Pemimpin band bilang aku harus bermain lebih pelan. Aku butuh peredam."

Rhoda looked into the big round end. Something white and blue sat inside. It was her shoe.

Rhoda melihat ke dalam ujung yang bulat dan besar itu. Ada sesuatu yang putih dan biru di dalamnya. Itu sepatunya.

"My shoe is your mute?" she said.

"Sepatuku jadi peredammu?" katanya.

"It was the right size," Valerio said. "I looked in the lost box. I found nothing. Then I saw your shoe in your locker."

"Ukurannya pas," kata Valerio. "Aku mencari di kotak barang hilang. Tidak ada apa-apa. Lalu aku melihat sepatumu di lokermu."

Una began to laugh. She laughed so hard that she sat on the floor.

Una mulai tertawa. Ia tertawa begitu keras sampai terduduk di lantai.

"I wanted to give it back today," Valerio said. "So I made a game. It was a bad idea."

"Aku ingin mengembalikannya hari ini," kata Valerio. "Jadi aku membuat permainan. Itu ide yang buruk."

"It was a good game," Rhoda said. "But you can just ask next time."

"Itu permainan yang bagus," kata Rhoda. "Tapi lain kali kamu bisa langsung minta saja."

Valerio pulled out the shoe. It smelled a little like metal. He gave it to her with both hands.

Valerio menarik keluar sepatu itu. Baunya agak seperti logam. Ia memberikannya kepada Rhoda dengan kedua tangan.

Rhoda looked at it and shook her head. Then she began to laugh too.

Rhoda menatapnya dan menggelengkan kepala. Lalu ia ikut tertawa.

"Can you play a song?" Una asked. "With no shoe?"

"Bisa mainkan sebuah lagu?" tanya Una. "Tanpa sepatu?"

Valerio took a deep breath and played. The sound was huge. The windows shook, and a bird flew off the roof.

Valerio menarik napas dalam-dalam dan bermain. Suaranya sangat besar. Jendela-jendela bergetar, dan seekor burung terbang dari atap.

"Maybe the shoe was better," Rhoda said.

"Mungkin sepatu itu lebih baik," kata Rhoda.

Valerio smiled. He pushed the shoe back into the tuba.

Valerio tersenyum. Ia mendorong sepatu itu kembali ke dalam tuba.

"Only for today," Rhoda said. "I need it for gym on Friday."

"Hanya untuk hari ini," kata Rhoda. "Aku butuh sepatu itu untuk olahraga hari Jumat."