The Silent Weekend

Leif had signed up for the silent weekend because his friends said he talked too much. "Try being quiet for two days," one of them had told him. He had laughed, but the idea stayed in his head. So he booked a room at a retreat house in the hills.

Leif mendaftar untuk akhir pekan hening karena teman-temannya bilang ia terlalu banyak bicara. "Coba diam selama dua hari," kata salah seorang dari mereka. Ia tertawa, tetapi gagasan itu menetap di kepalanya. Maka ia memesan kamar di sebuah rumah retret di perbukitan.

On Friday evening, a woman called Anja explained the rules. Nobody could speak after the first meeting until Sunday at noon. Phones were not allowed, and notes were not allowed either. "Use your face and your hands," she said, and then she smiled and said nothing more.

Pada Jumat malam, seorang perempuan bernama Anja menjelaskan aturannya. Tidak ada yang boleh berbicara setelah pertemuan pertama sampai Minggu siang. Ponsel tidak diperbolehkan, dan catatan pun tidak. "Gunakan wajah dan tangan kalian," katanya, lalu ia tersenyum dan tidak berkata apa-apa lagi.

On Saturday morning, a man in the hallway pointed at Leif. He made a walking motion with two fingers and rubbed his hands together. Then he pointed at the kitchen door. Leif understood at once. Rubbing hands meant cold weather, so they were going for a hike.

Pada Sabtu pagi, seorang pria di lorong menunjuk Leif. Ia membuat gerakan berjalan dengan dua jari dan menggosok-gosokkan kedua tangannya. Lalu ia menunjuk pintu dapur. Leif langsung mengerti. Menggosok tangan berarti cuaca dingin, jadi mereka akan mendaki.

He was delighted. He put on his boots, his warm jacket and his hat, and he waited by the front door. Everyone else walked past him towards the kitchen. Nobody seemed to be in a hurry, which Leif thought was very peaceful of them.

Ia senang sekali. Ia mengenakan sepatu botnya, jaket hangatnya, dan topinya, lalu menunggu di dekat pintu depan. Semua orang lain berjalan melewatinya menuju dapur. Tidak ada yang tampak terburu-buru, yang menurut Leif sangat tenteram.

At last a woman took his arm and led him to the kitchen. A pile of dirty plates stood next to the sink, tall enough to fall over. Leif decided that the hike must start after breakfast, so he took an apron and helped.

Akhirnya seorang perempuan menggandeng lengannya dan menuntunnya ke dapur. Tumpukan piring kotor berdiri di samping bak cuci, cukup tinggi untuk roboh. Leif memutuskan bahwa pendakian pasti dimulai setelah sarapan, jadi ia mengambil celemek dan ikut membantu.

He washed for an hour, still wearing his boots. Then he washed for another hour. Whenever he pointed at the window and walked his fingers, the others nodded and passed him another pot.

Ia mencuci selama satu jam, masih mengenakan sepatu botnya. Lalu ia mencuci satu jam lagi. Setiap kali ia menunjuk jendela dan menggerakkan jari-jarinya seperti berjalan, orang-orang lain mengangguk dan menyodorkan satu panci lagi.

By lunch, his hat was soaking wet, and he began to wonder whether the hike had been cancelled. He did not dare to ask. On a silent weekend, it is surprisingly hard to complain about the weather.

Menjelang makan siang, topinya sudah basah kuyup, dan ia mulai bertanya-tanya apakah pendakian itu dibatalkan. Ia tidak berani bertanya. Pada akhir pekan hening, ternyata sangat sulit untuk mengeluhkan cuaca.

On Sunday at noon, Anja rang a small bell. "You may speak now," she said.

Pada Minggu siang, Anja membunyikan lonceng kecil. "Sekarang kalian boleh berbicara," katanya.

"At last!" Leif said, much too loudly. "So when are we going hiking?"

"Akhirnya!" kata Leif, terlalu keras. "Jadi kapan kita mendaki?"

The room was quiet for a second. Then the man from the hallway began to laugh so hard that he had to hold the table. "Hiking?" he said. "I asked if you would wash the dishes!"

Ruangan itu hening sesaat. Lalu pria dari lorong itu mulai tertawa begitu keras sampai harus berpegangan pada meja. "Mendaki?" katanya. "Aku bertanya apakah kamu mau mencuci piring!"

Leif looked down at his boots, his hat and his wrinkled fingers, and he laughed louder than anyone. "Well," he said, "I talk too much, but I'm a very good dishwasher."

Leif menunduk menatap sepatu botnya, topinya, dan jari-jarinya yang keriput, lalu ia tertawa lebih keras daripada siapa pun. "Yah," katanya, "aku memang terlalu banyak bicara, tapi aku tukang cuci piring yang sangat andal."