The Trail of Seeds

Luka walked to school on Monday morning. The sky was grey, and the street was wet. He looked down at his shoes. Then he stopped.

Luka berjalan ke sekolah pada Senin pagi. Langit kelabu, dan jalanan basah. Dia menunduk menatap sepatunya. Lalu dia berhenti.

There were seeds on the ground. They were small, black, and shiny. They lay in a long line along the pavement.

Ada biji-biji di tanah. Kecil, hitam, dan mengilap. Biji-biji itu membentuk garis panjang di sepanjang trotoar.

"Sunflower seeds," said Luka. "Who dropped them here?"

"Biji bunga matahari," kata Luka. "Siapa yang menjatuhkannya di sini?"

He looked left. He looked right. The street was empty. Only the seeds were there, one after another.

Dia menoleh ke kiri. Dia menoleh ke kanan. Jalanan kosong. Hanya ada biji-biji itu, satu demi satu.

Luka was ten minutes early. He had time. "I will follow them," he said. "Just for a little while."

Luka datang sepuluh menit lebih awal. Dia punya waktu. "Aku akan mengikutinya," katanya. "Sebentar saja."

The seeds went past the bakery. A pigeon walked next to them. It ate one seed and looked at Luka. Then it walked on.

Biji-biji itu melewati toko roti. Seekor merpati berjalan di sampingnya. Burung itu memakan satu biji dan menatap Luka. Lalu dia berjalan terus.

"You like this trail too," said Luka.

"Kamu juga suka jejak ini," kata Luka.

The seeds turned left at the post office. Two more pigeons came. Then three. Luka walked behind them. They all walked in a line, like a small parade.

Biji-biji itu berbelok ke kiri di kantor pos. Dua merpati lagi datang. Lalu tiga. Luka berjalan di belakang mereka. Semuanya berjalan berbaris, seperti parade kecil.

At the corner, an old woman stood with her dog. "Why are you walking so slowly?" she asked.

Di sudut jalan, seorang perempuan tua berdiri bersama anjingnya. "Kenapa kamu berjalan lambat sekali?" tanyanya.

"I follow the seeds," said Luka. "I want to know where they go."

"Saya mengikuti biji-biji ini," kata Luka. "Saya ingin tahu ke mana perginya."

"Ah," she said. "That is a good puzzle. I hope you find the answer."

"Ah," katanya. "Itu teka-teki yang bagus. Semoga kamu menemukan jawabannya."

The seeds went across the old stone bridge. Under the bridge, the river was brown and fast. Luka stopped for a moment. A duck looked up from the water.

Biji-biji itu menyeberangi jembatan batu tua. Di bawah jembatan, sungainya cokelat dan deras. Luka berhenti sejenak. Seekor bebek menengadah dari air.

"I cannot find a person," said Luka. "I only see birds."

"Aku tidak menemukan seorang pun," kata Luka. "Aku hanya melihat burung."

He walked up Mill Road. It was a steep road. His bag felt heavy. The seeds were fewer now, but they did not stop. He saw one by the yellow gate. He saw one by the blue bicycle.

Dia berjalan menanjak di Jalan Mill. Jalannya curam. Tasnya terasa berat. Biji-bijinya makin sedikit, tapi tidak berhenti. Dia melihat satu di dekat gerbang kuning. Dia melihat satu di dekat sepeda biru.

Then the seeds ended. Luka stood in front of a small house. It had a red door. The door was open. On the step, a man sat on a chair. He wore a green hat. In his hands he held a paper bag.

Lalu biji-biji itu berakhir. Luka berdiri di depan sebuah rumah kecil. Pintunya merah. Pintu itu terbuka. Di anak tangga, seorang pria duduk di kursi. Dia memakai topi hijau. Di tangannya dia memegang kantong kertas.

Luka looked at the bag. It was old. The bag had a little hole in the bottom. A black seed fell out. Then another one. They dropped onto the step.

Luka memandangi kantong itu. Kantongnya sudah tua. Di dasarnya ada lubang kecil. Sebutir biji hitam jatuh. Lalu satu lagi. Biji-biji itu jatuh ke anak tangga.

"Excuse me," said Luka. "Your bag has a hole."

"Permisi," kata Luka. "Kantong Bapak berlubang."

The man looked down. "Oh no," he said. "Not again!"

Pria itu menunduk. "Astaga," katanya. "Lagi!"

"Not again?" asked Luka.

"Lagi?" tanya Luka.

"Every morning I walk to the park," said the man. "I feed the birds. Every morning my bag is lighter than before. I never know why."

"Setiap pagi saya berjalan ke taman," kata pria itu. "Saya memberi makan burung-burung. Setiap pagi kantong saya lebih ringan dari sebelumnya. Saya tidak pernah tahu kenapa."

"Because of the hole," said Luka. "The seeds fall out on the way. They make a trail from the park to your door."

"Karena lubangnya," kata Luka. "Biji-bijinya jatuh di jalan. Jadi terbentuk jejak dari taman sampai pintu rumah Bapak."

The man laughed. It was a big, happy laugh. "So that is why the birds follow me home!" he said. "Last week, five pigeons waited at my gate. I thought they liked me."

Pria itu tertawa. Tawanya besar dan riang. "Jadi itu sebabnya burung-burung mengikuti saya pulang!" katanya. "Minggu lalu, lima merpati menunggu di gerbang saya. Saya kira mereka menyukai saya."

"They do like you," said Luka. "You are their best friend. You also feed them all day."

"Mereka memang menyukai Bapak," kata Luka. "Bapak sahabat terbaik mereka. Bapak juga memberi mereka makan seharian."

"You are a smart boy," said the man. "How did you find me?"

"Kamu anak yang pintar," kata pria itu. "Bagaimana kamu menemukan saya?"

"I followed the seeds," said Luka. "It was a puzzle."

"Saya mengikuti biji-biji itu," kata Luka. "Itu teka-teki."

Luka took some tape out of his school bag. He put it on the hole. It was a bit crooked, but it held.

Luka mengeluarkan selotip dari tas sekolahnya. Dia menempelkannya di lubang itu. Tempelannya agak miring, tapi kuat.

"There," he said. "Now the bag is good."

"Nah," katanya. "Sekarang kantongnya bagus."

The man took a handful of seeds from the bag. He put it into Luka's hand.

Pria itu mengambil segenggam biji dari kantong. Dia menaruhnya di tangan Luka.

"Now you throw," he said. "The birds want their breakfast."

"Sekarang kamu yang melempar," katanya. "Burung-burung menginginkan sarapan mereka."

Luka threw the seeds high in the air. The pigeons came down from the roof.

Luka melempar biji-biji itu tinggi ke udara. Para merpati turun dari atap.