The Ticket with Two Stamps

On the last day of the apple harvest, the Hollow Farm holds its picking contest. Every picker gets a book of paper tickets. Each full crate earns one ticket. The clerk at the weigh shed stamps it with a blue circle. At sunset, the person with the most stamps wins the Golden Ladder and a bonus for the week.

Pada hari terakhir panen apel, Peternakan Hollow mengadakan kontes memetik. Setiap pemetik mendapat buku karcis kertas. Setiap peti penuh mendapat satu karcis. Petugas di gudang timbangan menstempelnya dengan lingkaran biru. Saat matahari terbenam, orang dengan stempel terbanyak memenangkan Tangga Emas dan bonus untuk minggu itu.

For three years, the winner has been either Zuri or Yaw. They work in neighbouring rows, and they hate to lose.

Selama tiga tahun, pemenangnya selalu Zuri atau Yaw. Mereka bekerja di barisan bersebelahan, dan mereka benci kalah.

This morning, they stand side by side at the gate, looking at the trees. The orchard stretches up the hill in neat green lines. The air smells of cut grass and sweet fruit.

Pagi ini, mereka berdiri berdampingan di gerbang, memandang pepohonan. Kebun itu terbentang menaiki bukit dalam garis-garis hijau yang rapi. Udara beraroma rumput terpotong dan buah manis.

"You have been practising," Zuri says.

"Kamu sudah berlatih," kata Zuri.

"I have been resting," Yaw says. "It is a different thing. You should try it."

"Aku sudah beristirahat," kata Yaw. "Itu hal yang berbeda. Kamu harus mencobanya."

"I rested last year. It cost me the ladder."

"Aku beristirahat tahun lalu. Itu membuatku kehilangan tangganya."

"I know." Yaw smiles. "It was a beautiful ladder."

"Aku tahu." Yaw tersenyum. "Itu tangga yang indah."

Then the horn sounds, and the contest begins.

Lalu klakson berbunyi, dan kontes dimulai.

By ten o'clock, both of them are moving like machines. Zuri works with long, smooth reaches. She twists each apple off the branch and lays it in the basket without a bruise. Yaw is quicker but rougher. He climbs his ladder four times for every one of hers. His basket is always full before hers.

Pukul sepuluh, keduanya sudah bergerak seperti mesin. Zuri bekerja dengan jangkauan panjang yang mulus. Ia memutar setiap apel dari dahan dan meletakkannya di keranjang tanpa memar. Yaw lebih cepat tetapi lebih kasar. Ia memanjat tangganya empat kali untuk setiap satu kali milik Zuri. Keranjangnya selalu penuh sebelum keranjang Zuri.

But the clerk checks every apple, and Yaw loses points for the bruised ones. The two of them trade the lead all morning. At noon, they sit under a tree and eat sandwiches without speaking. Each of them counts a small number in their head. Neither of them says it aloud.

Tetapi petugas memeriksa setiap apel, dan Yaw kehilangan poin untuk yang memar. Keduanya bergantian memimpin sepanjang pagi. Pada tengah hari, mereka duduk di bawah pohon dan makan roti lapis tanpa berbicara. Masing-masing menghitung angka kecil dalam kepala. Tak seorang pun mengucapkannya keras-keras.

In the afternoon, the pace grows even faster. The sun slides lower, and the shadows of the trees stretch down the hill like long fingers. People call out their numbers from row to row. A boy cheers for Yaw. A group of older pickers cheers for Zuri. Neither of them hears a word.

Pada sore hari, lajunya makin cepat. Matahari meluncur lebih rendah, dan bayangan pepohonan memanjang menuruni bukit seperti jari-jari panjang. Orang-orang meneriakkan angka mereka dari barisan ke barisan. Seorang anak laki-laki menyoraki Yaw. Sekelompok pemetik yang lebih tua menyoraki Zuri. Keduanya tak mendengar sepatah kata pun.

At half past five, with one hour left, Zuri brings her next crate to the weigh shed. The clerk is a quiet man with a rubber stamp and a very tired wrist. He weighs the crate and takes her ticket.

Pukul setengah enam, dengan sisa satu jam, Zuri membawa peti berikutnya ke gudang timbangan. Petugasnya pria pendiam dengan stempel karet dan pergelangan tangan yang sangat lelah. Ia menimbang peti itu dan mengambil karcis Zuri.

Thunk, goes the stamp. Then, without thinking, he does it again.

Tuk, bunyi stempel. Lalu, tanpa berpikir, ia melakukannya lagi.

A second blue circle lands on the first.

Lingkaran biru kedua mendarat di atas yang pertama.

Zuri looks at the ticket. The two circles sit almost on top of each other.

Zuri memandang karcis itu. Kedua lingkaran itu hampir bertumpuk.

"You stamped it twice," she says.

"Anda menstempelnya dua kali," katanya.

"Did I?" The clerk looks at the paper. "Oh no. I am so sorry. My hand is on automatic."

"Benarkah?" Petugas itu memandang kertasnya. "Oh tidak. Saya minta maaf sekali. Tangan saya bergerak otomatis."

"So, does it count as two crates?"

"Jadi, apakah ini dihitung sebagai dua peti?"

"No." The clerk shakes his head firmly. "Absolutely not. The rule says a double stamp makes the ticket void. It is nothing. It does not count at all."

"Tidak." Petugas itu menggeleng tegas. "Sama sekali tidak. Aturannya bilang stempel ganda membuat karcis batal. Itu tidak ada artinya. Sama sekali tidak dihitung."

"That is not fair," says a voice behind her.

"Itu tidak adil," kata sebuah suara di belakangnya.

It is Yaw. He has just arrived with his own crate, and he heard everything. He takes the ticket from the clerk's hand and holds it up to the light.

Itu Yaw. Ia baru tiba dengan petinya sendiri, dan ia mendengar semuanya. Ia mengambil karcis dari tangan petugas dan mengangkatnya ke cahaya.

"She picked that crate fairly," he says. "I watched her pick it. Look at the weight on the card. It is the biggest crate of the day."

"Dia memetik peti itu dengan jujur," katanya. "Aku melihatnya memetik. Lihat bobot di kartu. Itu peti terbesar hari ini."

Zuri stares at him. She does not expect this from her biggest rival.

Zuri menatapnya. Ia tidak menduga ini dari saingan terbesarnya.

"I know it does not help me," Yaw says. "But the clerk made the mistake. She should not lose for it."

"Aku tahu ini tidak membantuku," kata Yaw. "Tapi petugas itu yang membuat kesalahan. Dia tidak boleh rugi karenanya."

"Thank you," Zuri says slowly. "That is very decent of you."

"Terima kasih," kata Zuri pelan. "Itu sangat baik darimu."

"Do not get used to it," says Yaw.

"Jangan terbiasa," kata Yaw.

They both look at the clerk. He looks at his stamp, and then at the two pickers, and he sighs.

Keduanya memandang petugas itu. Ia memandang stempelnya, lalu kedua pemetik itu, dan ia menghela napas.

"I cannot change the rules," he says. "But I can ask the owner."

"Saya tidak bisa mengubah aturan," katanya. "Tapi saya bisa bertanya kepada pemilik."

The owner of Hollow Farm arrives five minutes later. She is a big woman in muddy boots, with a pencil behind her ear. She looks at the ticket for a long time. Then she looks at the tally board, where the two names stand side by side.

Pemilik Peternakan Hollow tiba lima menit kemudian. Ia perempuan bertubuh besar dengan sepatu bot berlumpur dan pensil terselip di telinga. Ia memandang karcis itu lama sekali. Lalu ia memandang papan skor, tempat kedua nama itu berdiri berdampingan.

"Forty for Zuri and forty-one for Yaw," she says. "Interesting."

"Empat puluh untuk Zuri dan empat puluh satu untuk Yaw," katanya. "Menarik."

"With the double ticket, I would have forty-one," Zuri says.

"Dengan karcis ganda itu, aku akan punya empat puluh satu," kata Zuri.

"Then it is a tie. Without it, Yaw wins by one." The owner scratches her chin. "A tie is boring, and a void is unfair. I have an idea."

"Kalau begitu seri. Tanpa itu, Yaw menang selisih satu." Pemilik itu menggaruk dagunya. "Seri itu membosankan, dan batal itu tidak adil. Aku punya ide."

She points up the hill with her pencil. At the very top of the orchard, a single row of old, tall trees stands against the sky. They are the Winter Queens, the oldest trees on the farm. Their apples are the best of the harvest, pale and golden and heavy with juice. But the branches grow almost eight metres above the ground.

Ia menunjuk ke atas bukit dengan pensilnya. Di puncak kebun, satu barisan pohon tua yang tinggi berdiri menentang langit. Itu pohon-pohon Ratu Musim Dingin, pohon tertua di peternakan. Apelnya yang terbaik dari seluruh panen, pucat, keemasan, dan berat oleh sari buah. Tetapi dahan-dahannya tumbuh hampir delapan meter di atas tanah.

"Nobody picks the Winter Queens," the owner says. "My best ladder is too short, and the ground up there is stony. The apples are going to waste. Pick one full crate from those trees before the horn, and I will honour this ticket."

"Tak ada yang memetik Ratu Musim Dingin," kata pemilik. "Tangga terbaikku terlalu pendek, dan tanah di sana berbatu. Apel-apelnya terbuang sia-sia. Petik satu peti penuh dari pohon-pohon itu sebelum klakson, dan aku akan menghormati karcis ini."

"By myself?" Zuri asks.

"Sendirian?" tanya Zuri.

"One of you on the ladder, and one of you holding it steady," the owner says. "Because nobody climbs those trees alone. If the ladder moves, the person on top falls."

"Satu dari kalian di tangga, dan satu lagi memeganginya," kata pemilik. "Karena tak ada yang memanjat pohon-pohon itu sendirian. Kalau tangganya bergeser, orang di atas akan jatuh."

Zuri and Yaw look at each other. Neither of them speaks.

Zuri dan Yaw saling memandang. Tak seorang pun berbicara.

"We have fifty minutes," Yaw says at last.

"Kita punya lima puluh menit," kata Yaw akhirnya.

"I am lighter," Zuri says. "I should climb."

"Aku lebih ringan," kata Zuri. "Aku yang harus memanjat."

"I am stronger," says Yaw. "I should hold."

"Aku lebih kuat," kata Yaw. "Aku yang harus memegang."

"If you let go, I will never forgive you."

"Kalau kamu melepaskannya, aku tidak akan pernah memaafkanmu."

"If you drop the apples, I will never forgive you," Yaw says.

"Kalau kamu menjatuhkan apelnya, aku tidak akan pernah memaafkanmu," kata Yaw.

They race up the hill together, carrying the empty crate between them. It is the first time all day that they have walked side by side.

Mereka berlomba menaiki bukit bersama-sama, membawa peti kosong di antara mereka. Itu pertama kalinya sepanjang hari mereka berjalan berdampingan.

The ground under the Winter Queens is stony and uneven, just as the owner said. Yaw plants the ladder carefully and pushes the legs into the earth. He puts his shoulder against it and plants his feet.

Tanah di bawah Ratu Musim Dingin berbatu dan tidak rata, persis seperti kata pemilik. Yaw memasang tangga dengan hati-hati dan menekan kaki-kakinya ke tanah. Ia menyandarkan bahunya pada tangga dan menancapkan kakinya.

"Ready," he says.

"Siap," katanya.

Zuri climbs. Each step makes the ladder shiver, and Yaw leans in harder. Higher and higher she goes, until she is among the branches. The fruit hangs round her like lamps.

Zuri memanjat. Setiap anak tangga membuat tangga bergetar, dan Yaw bersandar lebih keras. Makin tinggi ia naik, sampai ia berada di antara dahan-dahan. Buah-buahan menggantung di sekelilingnya seperti lampu.

"Left a little," she calls down. "No, your left. Good. Hold it there."

"Geser sedikit ke kiri," serunya ke bawah. "Bukan, kirimu. Bagus. Tahan di situ."

"I am holding it. I am holding it. Are you picking or talking?"

"Aku sedang memegangnya. Aku sedang memegangnya. Kamu memetik atau mengobrol?"

"Both. Catch."

"Dua-duanya. Tangkap."

She drops the first apple. He catches it neatly in the crate. Then comes the second, and the third. They find a rhythm that neither of them has used before. She picks, he catches, and the crate fills.

Ia menjatuhkan apel pertama. Yaw menangkapnya dengan rapi ke dalam peti. Lalu datang yang kedua, dan yang ketiga. Mereka menemukan irama yang belum pernah dipakai keduanya. Zuri memetik, Yaw menangkap, dan peti terisi.

Every few minutes, Yaw moves the ladder to a new branch. Each time, Zuri waits patiently, her feet steady, and each time he says, "Ready." The word starts to sound like a friend's name.

Setiap beberapa menit, Yaw memindahkan tangga ke dahan baru. Setiap kali, Zuri menunggu dengan sabar, kakinya mantap, dan setiap kali Yaw berkata, "Siap." Kata itu mulai terdengar seperti nama seorang teman.

When the light turns orange, they have one crate. When the horn sounds in the valley, they have three.

Ketika cahaya berubah oranye, mereka punya satu peti. Ketika klakson berbunyi di lembah, mereka punya tiga.

They carry the crates down the hill, one handle each, in two trips. The clerk is waiting at the door of the weigh shed. When he sees the pale golden fruit, he lets out a low whistle. He takes the old ticket and presses the stamp down once, with great care.

Mereka membawa peti-peti itu menuruni bukit, satu gagang masing-masing, dalam dua perjalanan. Petugas menunggu di pintu gudang timbangan. Ketika melihat buah keemasan yang pucat itu, ia bersiul rendah. Ia mengambil karcis lama dan menekankan stempel sekali, dengan sangat hati-hati.

A last, careful stamp falls.

Sebuah stempel terakhir yang hati-hati pun jatuh.

"Forty-one for Zuri," he says. Then he stamps two new tickets, one for each of them. "Forty-two for Zuri. Forty-two for Yaw."

"Empat puluh satu untuk Zuri," katanya. Lalu ia menstempel dua karcis baru, satu untuk masing-masing. "Empat puluh dua untuk Zuri. Empat puluh dua untuk Yaw."

The owner steps out of the shed with the Golden Ladder under one arm. It is smaller than Zuri remembers. It has a tiny silver ladder on top. Below it is a plate with room for exactly one name.

Pemilik melangkah keluar dari gudang dengan Tangga Emas terapit di bawah satu lengan. Ukurannya lebih kecil daripada yang diingat Zuri. Di atasnya ada tangga perak mungil. Di bawahnya ada plat dengan ruang untuk tepat satu nama.

"The farm has a problem," she says. "I only have one trophy."

"Peternakan ini punya masalah," katanya. "Aku hanya punya satu trofi."

Yaw looks at Zuri. Zuri looks at Yaw. A slow smile spreads across her face.

Yaw memandang Zuri. Zuri memandang Yaw. Senyum perlahan merekah di wajahnya.

"So," she says, "who gets to carry it home?"

"Jadi," katanya, "siapa yang membawanya pulang?"