The Silver Crown and the Deep End

The craft table at the community pool smelled of glue and chlorine. Elif stood behind it with a box of cardboard strips. Every Saturday, the children made something before their swimming lesson.

Meja kerajinan di kolam renang komunitas itu berbau lem dan klorin. Elif berdiri di belakangnya dengan sekotak potongan karton. Setiap hari Sabtu, anak-anak membuat sesuatu sebelum pelajaran renang mereka.

Today they were making crowns.

Hari ini mereka membuat mahkota.

"Gold or silver?" Elif asked the first child in line.

"Emas atau perak?" tanya Elif kepada anak pertama dalam antrean.

"Gold," the boy said. "And please make the points sharp."

"Emas," kata anak laki-laki itu. "Dan tolong buat ujung-ujungnya yang runcing."

Elif gave him a strip and a pot of paint. Behind him, thirty children pushed and talked.

Elif memberinya sepotong karton dan sepot cat. Di belakangnya, tiga puluh anak saling dorong dan mengobrol.

Her little sister Una stood at the end of the line. Una was seven, and she had not said a word since they left home. She held her towel in front of her like a shield.

Adik perempuannya, Una, berdiri di ujung antrean. Una berumur tujuh tahun, dan ia tidak mengucapkan sepatah kata pun sejak mereka meninggalkan rumah. Ia memegang handuknya di depan tubuhnya seperti perisai.

"You can make a crown too," Elif said. "It is free for the sisters of helpers."

"Kamu juga boleh membuat mahkota," kata Elif. "Gratis untuk adik para pembantu."

"I don't want to swim today," Una said.

"Aku tidak mau berenang hari ini," kata Una.

"I know. Just make the crown first."

"Aku tahu. Buat mahkotanya dulu saja."

Una took a strip and chose the silver paint. She added a blue stone made from folded foil. It was not the best crown in the room, but it was neat and careful. Elif closed the ends with tape and set it on her sister's head.

Una mengambil sepotong karton dan memilih cat perak. Ia menambahkan batu biru yang dibuat dari kertas timah yang dilipat. Itu bukan mahkota terbaik di ruangan itu, tetapi rapi dan dibuat dengan cermat. Elif menutup ujung-ujungnya dengan selotip dan meletakkannya di kepala adiknya.

"You look like a queen," she said.

"Kamu kelihatan seperti ratu," katanya.

"Queens don't put their faces in water," Una said.

"Ratu tidak memasukkan wajahnya ke dalam air," kata Una.

Elif had no answer to that. Una had been afraid of water since last summer. A wave had pushed her under at the beach. Since then, even a bath made her hold her breath.

Elif tidak punya jawaban untuk itu. Una takut air sejak musim panas lalu. Sebuah ombak pernah mendorongnya tenggelam di pantai. Sejak itu, bahkan mandi di bak pun membuatnya menahan napas.

The lesson began at ten. The coach, a tall man with a whistle, lined the children up along the shallow end. He asked them to blow bubbles on the surface. Thirty faces bent down, and thirty little clouds of bubbles rose.

Pelajaran dimulai pukul sepuluh. Pelatih, seorang pria jangkung dengan peluit, membariskan anak-anak di sepanjang sisi dangkal. Ia meminta mereka meniup gelembung di permukaan air. Tiga puluh wajah menunduk, dan tiga puluh gumpalan kecil gelembung naik.

Una sat on the top step with her feet in the water and her crown still on. She watched the others carefully. Elif, who was helping from the side, crouched next to her.

Una duduk di anak tangga paling atas dengan kaki di dalam air dan mahkotanya masih terpasang. Ia mengamati anak-anak lain dengan saksama. Elif, yang membantu dari tepi, berjongkok di sampingnya.

"Only your chin," she whispered. "Try it once."

"Cukup dagumu saja," bisiknya. "Coba sekali saja."

Una shook her head. A tear slid down and dropped into the pool.

Una menggeleng. Setetes air mata meluncur dan jatuh ke dalam kolam.

"That's all right," the coach said, kneeling on her other side. "The water will wait for you. It has waited for everybody."

"Tidak apa-apa," kata sang pelatih sambil berlutut di sisi lainnya. "Airnya akan menunggumu. Air sudah menunggu semua orang."

By eleven, the lesson was over. The children ran for the changing rooms, leaving wet footprints on the tiles. Una stayed on the step, and the crown stayed on her head.

Pukul sebelas, pelajaran selesai. Anak-anak berlari ke ruang ganti, meninggalkan jejak kaki basah di ubin. Una tetap di anak tangga, dan mahkota itu tetap di kepalanya.

Elif remembered a silly story the older helpers told every year. It might help.

Elif teringat sebuah cerita konyol yang diceritakan para pembantu senior setiap tahun. Mungkin cerita itu bisa membantu.

"Do you want to hear something strange?" she asked. "People say a crown made at this table can grant one wish. You must wear it by the water and say the wish in your head."

"Mau dengar sesuatu yang aneh?" tanyanya. "Orang bilang mahkota yang dibuat di meja ini bisa mengabulkan satu permintaan. Kamu harus memakainya di dekat air dan mengucapkan permintaannya dalam hati."

Una looked up. "Is that true?"

Una mendongak. "Apa itu benar?"

"I have never tried it," Elif said, which was honest.

"Aku belum pernah mencobanya," kata Elif, dan itu jujur.

Una said nothing. She only touched the blue foil stone with one finger.

Una tidak berkata apa-apa. Ia hanya menyentuh batu kertas timah biru itu dengan satu jari.

At noon, their mother called the front desk. Her bus was stuck, and she would be an hour late. Elif's boss agreed that the girls could wait inside. The pool closed at twelve, so the building soon fell silent.

Tengah hari, ibu mereka menelepon meja depan. Busnya terjebak, dan ia akan terlambat satu jam. Atasan Elif setuju bahwa kedua gadis itu boleh menunggu di dalam. Kolam tutup pukul dua belas, sehingga gedung itu segera menjadi sunyi.

Elif mopped the tiles near the changing rooms. When she came back, Una was sitting at the pool edge again. The lights above the water hummed softly. The surface was perfectly flat, like a sheet of glass.

Elif mengepel ubin di dekat ruang ganti. Ketika ia kembali, Una sedang duduk lagi di tepi kolam. Lampu-lampu di atas air berdengung pelan. Permukaan air sangat datar, seperti lembaran kaca.

Una's lips were moving. She was not talking to Elif. She had her eyes closed, and her hands were tight around her knees.

Bibir Una bergerak. Ia tidak berbicara kepada Elif. Matanya terpejam, dan tangannya mencengkeram lututnya erat-erat.

Elif stopped where she was. She did not hear the words, and she did not want to. Some wishes belong to one person only.

Elif berhenti di tempatnya. Ia tidak mendengar kata-katanya, dan ia tidak ingin mendengarnya. Ada permintaan yang hanya milik satu orang.

Then the water moved.

Lalu air bergerak.

It was not a wave. It was one slow ripple, and it travelled the wrong way, from the deep end to the steps. Elif watched it cross the whole pool. It reached Una's crown and lifted it gently from her head.

Itu bukan ombak. Itu satu riak yang lambat, dan merambat ke arah yang salah, dari sisi dalam ke arah tangga. Elif melihatnya menyeberangi seluruh kolam. Riak itu mencapai mahkota Una dan mengangkatnya dengan lembut dari kepalanya.

The crown landed on the water without a sound. It did not sink. It turned once and floated away across the pool.

Mahkota itu mendarat di atas air tanpa suara. Ia tidak tenggelam. Ia berputar sekali dan hanyut melintasi kolam.

"My crown!" Una cried.

"Mahkotaku!" teriak Una.

"Leave it," Elif said. "I will get a net."

"Biarkan saja," kata Elif. "Aku ambil jaring."

But the crown moved faster than a net could reach. It glided past the ropes and into the middle. The blue stone caught the light and flashed. Una jumped up and ran along the edge, following it.

Tetapi mahkota itu bergerak lebih cepat daripada jangkauan jaring. Ia meluncur melewati tali pembatas dan menuju tengah kolam. Batu biru itu menangkap cahaya dan berkilat. Una melompat berdiri dan berlari di sepanjang tepi, mengikutinya.

"Una, stop!" Elif called. "It is too deep over there!"

"Una, berhenti!" seru Elif. "Di sana terlalu dalam!"

"I know!" Una answered. "But it is mine!"

"Aku tahu!" jawab Una. "Tapi itu milikku!"

She was already on the steps again, going down one at a time. The water reached her knees, then her waist. Elif kicked off her shoes and followed, her heart beating hard. She had been trained for many things, but not for a floating crown.

Ia sudah berada di anak tangga lagi, turun satu per satu. Air mencapai lututnya, lalu pinggangnya. Elif menendang lepas sepatunya dan mengikutinya, jantungnya berdegup keras. Ia telah dilatih untuk banyak hal, tetapi bukan untuk sebuah mahkota yang mengapung.

The crown stopped in the middle of the pool and waited. Una stood on her toes and stretched out her arm. She could not reach it.

Mahkota itu berhenti di tengah kolam dan menunggu. Una berjinjit dan mengulurkan lengannya. Ia tidak bisa menjangkaunya.

"Elif," she said in a small voice. "I have to go under to get closer."

"Elif," katanya dengan suara kecil. "Aku harus masuk ke dalam air supaya bisa lebih dekat."

"No, you don't. I can swim out and bring it back."

"Tidak perlu. Aku bisa berenang dan membawanya kembali."

"It's my wish," Una said. "I think I have to do it."

"Itu permintaanku," kata Una. "Kurasa aku yang harus melakukannya."

Elif hesitated. Then she moved next to her sister and held out one hand. "Take it, then. I am right here. If you feel afraid, stand up."

Elif ragu. Lalu ia bergerak ke samping adiknya dan mengulurkan satu tangan. "Kalau begitu, pegang. Aku di sini. Kalau kamu takut, berdirilah."

Una took a very big breath, so big that her shoulders rose. She closed her eyes and put her face into the water.

Una menarik napas yang sangat besar, begitu besar sampai bahunya terangkat. Ia memejamkan mata dan memasukkan wajahnya ke dalam air.

Elif held her hand and counted in her head. One second passed, then two, then three. She got ready to pull her sister up.

Elif memegang tangannya dan menghitung dalam hati. Satu detik berlalu, lalu dua, lalu tiga. Ia bersiap menarik adiknya naik.

At five, Una opened her eyes under the water. Elif bent down and saw what Una was seeing.

Pada hitungan kelima, Una membuka matanya di bawah air. Elif membungkuk dan melihat apa yang dilihat Una.

A fish was swimming in front of her sister. It was not a real fish. It was small and silver, and it seemed to be made of the lights from the ceiling. Its tail moved in a slow, easy wave. Every time it moved, a thin line of light followed behind it.

Seekor ikan berenang di depan adiknya. Itu bukan ikan sungguhan. Ikan itu kecil dan keperakan, dan seolah terbuat dari cahaya lampu di langit-langit. Ekornya bergerak dalam gelombang yang lambat dan santai. Setiap kali bergerak, garis tipis cahaya mengikuti di belakangnya.

Una lifted her head for air and laughed in surprise. Then she went back under.

Una mengangkat kepala untuk mengambil udara dan tertawa terkejut. Lalu ia kembali masuk ke bawah air.

The little fish turned in a circle. Una kicked her feet, one then the other, exactly as the fish moved its tail. Una floated forward, first with her chin on the water, then with her whole face in it. She was swimming. It was an awkward, splashing kind of swimming, but she was moving.

Ikan kecil itu berputar membentuk lingkaran. Una menendangkan kakinya, satu lalu yang lain, persis seperti ikan itu menggerakkan ekornya. Una meluncur maju, mula-mula dengan dagu di atas air, lalu dengan seluruh wajahnya di dalamnya. Ia sedang berenang. Cara berenangnya canggung dan penuh cipratan, tetapi ia bergerak.

She reached the crown in six kicks. She grabbed it, turned around and came back with her head up and her mouth wide open.

Ia mencapai mahkota itu dalam enam tendangan. Ia menyambarnya, berbalik, dan kembali dengan kepala di atas air dan mulut terbuka lebar.

"Did you see the fish?" she shouted.

"Kamu lihat ikannya?" teriaknya.

"I saw it," Elif said. Her voice shook. "I saw everything."

"Aku lihat," kata Elif. Suaranya bergetar. "Aku melihat semuanya."

Una stood in the shallow water, dripping, holding the soaked crown against her chest. The silver paint had run, and the blue stone had come loose.

Una berdiri di air dangkal, menetes-netes, memeluk mahkota yang basah kuyup itu ke dadanya. Cat peraknya sudah luntur, dan batu birunya sudah lepas.

"I wished to swim like a fish," she said slowly. "But I did not turn into one."

"Aku berharap bisa berenang seperti ikan," katanya perlahan. "Tapi aku tidak berubah menjadi ikan."

"No," Elif said. "You got something better. A fish came to teach you."

"Tidak," kata Elif. "Kamu mendapat sesuatu yang lebih baik. Seekor ikan datang untuk mengajarimu."

"Will it come back?"

"Apakah dia akan datang lagi?"

"I do not know," Elif said. "But you know how to kick now."

"Aku tidak tahu," kata Elif. "Tapi sekarang kamu tahu cara menendang."

Their mother arrived half an hour later, still out of breath from running. Una told her everything at once, with both arms in the air. Their mother listened to every word. She did not say that fish are not made of light. She only held Una tight and said, "Next Saturday, you can show me."

Ibu mereka tiba setengah jam kemudian, masih terengah-engah karena berlari. Una menceritakan semuanya sekaligus, dengan kedua lengan terangkat ke udara. Ibu mereka mendengarkan setiap kata. Ia tidak mengatakan bahwa ikan tidak terbuat dari cahaya. Ia hanya memeluk Una erat dan berkata, "Sabtu depan, kamu bisa menunjukkannya padaku."

When they were gone, Elif stayed behind to switch off the lamps. She picked up the crown from the bench where Una had left it. The cardboard had softened, and the foil stone was gone. She hung it on the back of the lifeguard chair to dry.

Setelah mereka pergi, Elif tinggal untuk mematikan lampu-lampu. Ia mengambil mahkota itu dari bangku tempat Una meninggalkannya. Kartonnya sudah melunak, dan batu kertas timahnya hilang. Ia menggantungnya di sandaran kursi penjaga kolam agar kering.

The water lay still again. Near the deep end, one last silver ring spread across the surface. It touched the wall and disappeared.

Air kembali tenang. Di dekat sisi dalam, satu lingkaran perak terakhir menyebar di permukaan. Lingkaran itu menyentuh dinding dan menghilang.