The Staircase in the Suitcase

At a quarter past eight, the pool was still empty, and Uriel was alone on the lifeguard chair. He liked this hour. The water lay flat and blue.

Pukul delapan lewat seperempat, kolam renang masih kosong, dan Uriel sendirian di kursi penjaga. Ia menyukai jam ini. Airnya terbentang datar dan biru.

Then the glass door banged open. A young man in a yellow delivery jacket was pulling a large suitcase across the tiles. He pulled it the way a man pulls a stubborn horse.

Lalu pintu kaca terbanting terbuka. Seorang pemuda berjaket pengantar kuning menarik koper besar melintasi ubin. Ia menariknya seperti orang menarik kuda yang keras kepala.

"Sorry! Sorry, I know the pool is closed," the man said. He was breathing hard. "My name is Karim. Can I leave this here for ten minutes?"

"Maaf! Maaf, saya tahu kolamnya tutup," kata pemuda itu. Napasnya terengah. "Nama saya Karim. Boleh saya titip ini di sini sepuluh menit?"

"What is in it? A piano?" Uriel asked. He climbed down from the chair.

"Isinya apa? Piano?" tanya Uriel. Ia turun dari kursinya.

"I do not know. I only collect and deliver." Karim wiped his forehead. "I have to find the site manager of the new tower next door and get a signature."

"Saya tidak tahu. Saya cuma menjemput dan mengantar." Karim menyeka dahinya. "Saya harus mencari manajer proyek menara baru di sebelah dan meminta tanda tangan."

Uriel took the handle to help. The suitcase did not move, even when he pulled with both hands. It felt as if somebody had bolted it to the floor.

Uriel memegang pegangannya untuk membantu. Koper itu tidak bergerak, bahkan ketika ia menariknya dengan kedua tangan. Rasanya seperti ada yang memakunya ke lantai.

"Together," said Karim. They lifted one end each and walked it to the foot of the chair. Their arms shook the whole way. When they put it down, a crack ran through a floor tile.

"Bersama-sama," kata Karim. Mereka masing-masing mengangkat satu ujung dan membawanya ke kaki kursi. Lengan mereka gemetar sepanjang jalan. Ketika mereka menurunkannya, sebuah ubin lantai retak.

"That is not a normal suitcase," Uriel said. He bent down to read the paper label. The writing was small and neat. "Keep below ten degrees. Do not open in direct sun. Deliver to the tower by nine."

"Ini bukan koper biasa," kata Uriel. Ia membungkuk untuk membaca label kertasnya. Tulisannya kecil dan rapi. "Jaga di bawah sepuluh derajat. Jangan dibuka di bawah sinar matahari langsung. Antar ke menara pukul sembilan."

"I did not see that," Karim said slowly. "The office gave me a form, not a label."

"Saya tidak melihat itu," kata Karim perlahan. "Kantor memberi saya formulir, bukan label."

Uriel looked up. Through the high windows, the first sunlight was already crossing the roof of the pool hall. It reached the wall, then the floor, then the blue tiles near the chair. A bright stripe of light slid across the suitcase.

Uriel mendongak. Lewat jendela-jendela tinggi, sinar matahari pertama sudah melintasi atap aula kolam. Cahaya itu mencapai dinding, lalu lantai, lalu ubin biru di dekat kursi. Seberkas cahaya terang bergeser melintasi koper itu.

Something inside it creaked.

Sesuatu di dalamnya berderit.

"Did you hear that?" Karim whispered.

"Kamu dengar itu?" bisik Karim.

"I think the case just yawned," said Uriel.

"Kurasa kopernya baru saja menguap," kata Uriel.

The zip opened by itself, one slow tooth at a time. A wooden step slid out of the gap, as smooth as polished oak. It had a brass edge along the front. A second step followed it, and a third, and each one clicked into place beside the last.

Ritsletingnya terbuka sendiri, satu gigi demi satu gigi dengan lambat. Sebuah anak tangga kayu meluncur keluar dari celah, semulus kayu ek yang dipoles. Tepi depannya berlapis kuningan. Anak tangga kedua mengikutinya, lalu ketiga, dan masing-masing berbunyi klik di samping yang sebelumnya.

"No, no, no," said Karim. He grabbed the first step and pushed. It slid back into the case. Then it slid out again, a little longer than before.

"Tidak, tidak, tidak," kata Karim. Ia menyambar anak tangga pertama dan mendorongnya. Anak tangga itu meluncur kembali ke dalam koper. Lalu meluncur keluar lagi, sedikit lebih panjang daripada tadi.

Uriel was thinking fast. "The label says cold. The sun is the problem. Look at it."

Uriel berpikir cepat. "Labelnya bilang dingin. Matahari masalahnya. Lihat itu."

Karim looked. Wherever the light touched the steps, they grew. A railing was already rising from the side. The whole staircase was curling across the tiles like a plant.

Karim melihat. Di mana pun cahaya menyentuh anak tangga, tangga itu tumbuh. Sebuah pegangan sudah naik dari sisinya. Seluruh tangga itu melingkar di atas ubin seperti tanaman.

"It is a staircase," Karim said. "It is a whole staircase, packed small for travel. That is why it is so heavy. And it is waking up."

"Ini tangga," kata Karim. "Satu tangga utuh, dikemas kecil untuk perjalanan. Itu sebabnya begitu berat. Dan ia sedang bangun."

"Then we must put it to sleep," Uriel said. "Help me close the case."

"Kalau begitu kita harus menidurkannya," kata Uriel. "Bantu aku menutup koper ini."

They pushed the steps back with all their strength, and Uriel sat on the lid. The zip would not close. Wood pressed against the cloth from the inside. The stripe of sunlight crept further across the floor.

Mereka mendorong anak tangga kembali dengan seluruh tenaga mereka, dan Uriel duduk di atas tutupnya. Ritsletingnya tidak mau menutup. Kayu menekan kain dari dalam. Berkas sinar matahari merayap makin jauh melintasi lantai.

"Ten degrees," Uriel muttered. "Where is it ever that cold?" He stood up. "The first-aid room has a freezer. And the kiosk has an ice machine."

"Sepuluh derajat," gumam Uriel. "Di mana ada tempat sedingin itu?" Ia berdiri. "Ruang pertolongan pertama punya freezer. Dan kios punya mesin es."

"I will take the kiosk," said Karim, and he ran.

"Saya ambil di kios," kata Karim, dan ia berlari.

Uriel ran the other way. In the first-aid room he found a basket of hard cold packs. He also found a roll of silver blankets. He also grabbed the big wheeled cart they used for kickboards. When he came back, Karim was dragging two buckets of ice across the tiles. His jacket was wet to the elbows.

Uriel berlari ke arah sebaliknya. Di ruang pertolongan pertama ia menemukan sekeranjang kantong dingin yang keras. Ia juga menemukan segulung selimut perak. Ia juga menyambar kereta dorong beroda besar yang dipakai untuk papan pelampung. Ketika ia kembali, Karim sedang menyeret dua ember es melintasi ubin. Jaketnya basah sampai ke siku.

"Cold packs first," Uriel said. "Put them between the steps, not on top."

"Kantong dingin dulu," kata Uriel. "Taruh di antara anak-anak tangga, bukan di atasnya."

They worked quickly. Each time they pushed one step in and laid a cold pack against it, the wood stayed put. The railing sank back like a tired snake. The ice sat around the edges in a thick, shining layer. At last Uriel pulled the zip shut, and the suitcase stopped moving.

Mereka bekerja cepat. Setiap kali mereka mendorong satu anak tangga masuk dan menaruh kantong dingin di sampingnya, kayu itu tetap di tempatnya. Pegangan itu merosot kembali seperti ular yang lelah. Es duduk di sekeliling tepinya dalam lapisan tebal yang berkilau. Akhirnya Uriel menarik ritsleting hingga menutup, dan koper itu berhenti bergerak.

"It is quiet," said Karim. He sat on the floor. "I once delivered a clock that ran backwards. But this is the first time a parcel tried to take over a swimming pool."

"Sudah tenang," kata Karim. Ia duduk di lantai. "Saya pernah mengantar jam yang berjalan mundur. Tapi ini pertama kalinya sebuah paket mencoba menguasai kolam renang."

"It's eight forty," Uriel said. "How far is the tower?"

"Sudah pukul delapan empat puluh," kata Uriel. "Seberapa jauh menaranya?"

"Two hundred metres. Across the car park, in full sun."

"Dua ratus meter. Melewati tempat parkir, di bawah matahari penuh."

"Then ice will not be enough." Uriel pointed up at the chair. "I can see the whole car park from there. Wait."

"Kalau begitu es tidak akan cukup." Uriel menunjuk ke kursi penjaga. "Dari sana aku bisa melihat seluruh tempat parkir. Tunggu."

He climbed up two rungs at a time and looked out of the high window. The car park was shining. But the half-built tower threw a long black shadow across the far side. Shade ran almost the whole way, along the pool wall and under a line of tall hedges.

Ia memanjat dua anak tangga sekaligus dan melihat ke luar jendela tinggi. Tempat parkir itu berkilau. Tetapi menara yang setengah jadi itu melemparkan bayangan hitam panjang ke sisi seberang. Keteduhan membentang hampir sepanjang jalan, menyusuri dinding kolam dan di bawah barisan pagar tanaman yang tinggi.

"Karim! There is shade nearly all the way," he called down. "We only need to cross the open part, and that is twenty metres. We cover it with the silver blankets."

"Karim! Ada tempat teduh hampir sepanjang jalan," serunya ke bawah. "Kita hanya perlu menyeberangi bagian terbuka, dan itu dua puluh meter. Kita tutup dengan selimut perak."

"Good eyes," said Karim.

"Matamu tajam," kata Karim.

They lifted the suitcase onto the cart together. The cart groaned, but the wheels turned. Uriel wrapped the silver blankets around the case and tucked a cold pack into every fold. Then he stopped.

Mereka mengangkat koper itu ke atas kereta dorong bersama-sama. Kereta itu mengerang, tetapi rodanya berputar. Uriel membungkus koper dengan selimut perak dan menyelipkan kantong dingin di setiap lipatan. Lalu ia berhenti.

"I cannot leave the pool," he said. "The doors must stay locked until the morning team arrives. If I go, who will watch the building?"

"Aku tidak boleh meninggalkan kolam," katanya. "Pintu-pintu harus tetap terkunci sampai tim pagi tiba. Kalau aku pergi, siapa yang akan menjaga gedung?"

Karim thought about that. He took a marker from his pocket and wrote on a large piece of card. "Back in fifteen minutes. Please wait outside." He pressed it against the glass door. Then they went out through the side exit and locked it behind them.

Karim memikirkannya. Ia mengambil spidol dari sakunya dan menulis di selembar kartu besar. "Kembali dalam lima belas menit. Mohon tunggu di luar." Ia menempelkannya pada pintu kaca. Lalu mereka keluar lewat pintu samping dan menguncinya di belakang mereka.

The shade lasted for the first hundred metres. Karim steered and Uriel pushed. A drop of water fell from a blanket. A thin curl of wood pushed out through the zip. Uriel slapped another cold pack against it, and it went back inside.

Keteduhan bertahan selama seratus meter pertama. Karim mengemudikan dan Uriel mendorong. Setetes air jatuh dari selimut. Segulung tipis kayu menyembul keluar lewat ritsleting. Uriel menampar kantong dingin lain ke atasnya, dan kayu itu kembali ke dalam.

The open stretch came next. It was bright and hot, and the ground already shone.

Bagian terbuka datang berikutnya. Terang dan panas, dan tanahnya sudah berkilau.

"On three," said Uriel. "One, two, three."

"Hitungan ketiga," kata Uriel. "Satu, dua, tiga."

They ran. The cart rattled, the ice crackled, and the silver blankets flashed like a mirror. Halfway across, a railing broke out of the suitcase and started to wave. Karim threw his yellow jacket over it and held it down with his chin. They passed the last row of cars and plunged into the cool shadow of the tower. Both of them fell against the wall, laughing and out of breath.

Mereka berlari. Kereta berderak, es berkeretak, dan selimut perak berkilat seperti cermin. Di tengah jalan, sebuah pegangan menerobos keluar dari koper dan mulai melambai. Karim melemparkan jaket kuningnya menutupinya dan menahannya dengan dagunya. Mereka melewati baris mobil terakhir dan terjun ke bayangan sejuk menara. Keduanya jatuh bersandar ke dinding, tertawa dan kehabisan napas.

A woman in a white helmet was standing at the gate with a clipboard. She looked at the cart, the blankets, and Karim's wet shirt. "You are late," she said. "It is two minutes to nine."

Seorang perempuan berhelm putih berdiri di gerbang dengan papan jepit. Ia memandang kereta dorong, selimut-selimut, dan kemeja basah Karim. "Kalian terlambat," katanya. "Dua menit lagi pukul sembilan."

"We came as fast as a staircase can travel," said Karim. He handed her the form.

"Kami datang secepat yang bisa ditempuh sebuah tangga," kata Karim. Ia menyerahkan formulirnya.

She did not ask any questions. She led them inside the tower, to a tall, cold concrete shaft with no stairs at all. Far above them, a square of sky showed at the top.

Perempuan itu tidak mengajukan pertanyaan apa pun. Ia membawa mereka masuk ke dalam menara, ke sebuah poros beton yang tinggi dan dingin tanpa tangga sama sekali. Jauh di atas mereka, sepetak langit tampak di puncaknya.

"Open it here," she said.

"Buka di sini," katanya.

Uriel pulled the zip. The steps slid out, one after another, and this time nobody pushed them back. They rose into the shaft with a happy clicking sound, climbing until the staircase reached the top. The brass edges flashed in the dim light.

Uriel menarik ritsleting. Anak-anak tangga meluncur keluar, satu demi satu, dan kali ini tidak ada yang mendorongnya kembali. Mereka naik ke dalam poros dengan bunyi klik yang riang, memanjat sampai tangga itu mencapai puncak. Tepi-tepi kuningannya berkilat dalam cahaya redup.

The woman signed the form with a firm line. "Thank you both," she said, and she walked up the first twenty steps without once looking down.

Perempuan itu menandatangani formulir dengan satu garis tegas. "Terima kasih kepada kalian berdua," katanya, dan ia menaiki dua puluh anak tangga pertama tanpa sekali pun menunduk.

Karim looked at Uriel. "I think I owe you a very long morning."

Karim menatap Uriel. "Rasanya saya berutang satu pagi yang sangat panjang kepadamu."

Uriel did not answer. He picked up the empty suitcase, which now weighed no more than a folded towel. He tucked it under his arm and walked back across the car park to his pool.

Uriel tidak menjawab. Ia mengambil koper kosong itu, yang kini beratnya tidak lebih dari handuk terlipat. Ia menyelipkannya di bawah lengan dan berjalan kembali melintasi tempat parkir menuju kolamnya.