The Tuesday Chair

Odette is the receptionist at a small clinic. She sits at the front desk. She answers the phone. She gives people forms and a smile.

Odette adalah resepsionis di sebuah klinik kecil. Ia duduk di meja depan. Ia menjawab telepon. Ia memberi orang-orang formulir dan senyuman.

Every Tuesday at ten, an old man comes in. Odette sees him through the glass door. She always says hello. He wears a grey coat and a brown hat. He does not go to the desk. He goes to the green chair by the window. He sits down. He opens a newspaper.

Setiap hari Selasa pukul sepuluh, seorang pria tua datang. Odette melihatnya lewat pintu kaca. Ia selalu menyapa. Pria itu memakai mantel abu-abu dan topi cokelat. Ia tidak menuju meja resepsionis. Ia menuju kursi hijau di dekat jendela. Ia duduk. Ia membuka koran.

He stays until noon. Then he folds the paper. He puts on his hat and goes home.

Ia tinggal sampai tengah hari. Lalu ia melipat korannya. Ia memakai topinya dan pulang.

He has no appointment. He does not see a doctor. He does not ask for tea or water. Odette checks the list every week. His name is never on it.

Ia tidak punya janji temu. Ia tidak menemui dokter. Ia tidak meminta teh atau air. Odette memeriksa daftar setiap minggu. Namanya tidak pernah ada di sana.

On the fourth Tuesday, Odette asks the nurse. The nurse is a kind woman called Pearl. She knows every patient in town.

Pada hari Selasa keempat, Odette bertanya kepada perawat. Perawat itu perempuan baik hati bernama Pearl. Ia kenal setiap pasien di kota itu.

"Do you know the old man in the green chair?" Odette asks.

"Apakah Anda kenal bapak tua di kursi hijau itu?" tanya Odette.

"I know him," says Pearl. "He comes every week. I think he waits for someone."

"Saya kenal," kata Pearl. "Ia datang setiap minggu. Kurasa ia menunggu seseorang."

"Who?"

"Siapa?"

"I do not know," says Pearl.

"Aku tidak tahu," kata Pearl.

Odette thinks about it all morning. At eleven she fills a cup with tea. She walks to the window.

Odette memikirkannya sepanjang pagi. Pukul sebelas ia mengisi secangkir teh. Ia berjalan ke jendela.

"Good morning," she says. "Would you like some tea?"

"Selamat pagi," katanya. "Maukah Bapak minum teh?"

The old man looks up. His eyes are pale and kind. "That is very nice," he says. "Thank you."

Pria tua itu menengadah. Matanya pucat dan lembut. "Itu baik sekali," katanya. "Terima kasih."

Odette sits on the next chair. "Are you waiting for a doctor?"

Odette duduk di kursi sebelahnya. "Apakah Bapak menunggu dokter?"

"No," he says. He looks at his hands. "I am not here for the doctor."

"Tidak," katanya. Ia menatap kedua tangannya. "Saya tidak datang untuk dokter."

Odette waits.

Odette menunggu.

"My wife had a test every Tuesday," he says. "For two years. We came here together. I sat in this chair and read the paper. She went in. Then she came out and we had lunch."

"Istri saya menjalani pemeriksaan setiap hari Selasa," katanya. "Selama dua tahun. Kami datang ke sini bersama-sama. Saya duduk di kursi ini dan membaca koran. Ia masuk ke dalam. Lalu ia keluar dan kami makan siang."

"I see," Odette says softly.

"Begitu ya," kata Odette pelan.

"She died in the spring," he says. "On Tuesday I woke up. I did not know what to do. So I came here. I sat in the chair. It felt right."

"Ia meninggal pada musim semi," katanya. "Pada hari Selasa saya terbangun. Saya tidak tahu harus berbuat apa. Jadi saya datang ke sini. Saya duduk di kursi itu. Rasanya tepat."

Odette puts her hand on his arm. She does not speak. There are no words.

Odette meletakkan tangannya di lengan pria itu. Ia tidak berkata apa-apa. Tidak ada kata-kata yang pas.

"I am sorry to bother you," says the old man. "I know I have no reason to be here."

"Maaf kalau saya mengganggu," kata pria tua itu. "Saya tahu saya tidak punya alasan untuk berada di sini."

"You are not a bother," Odette says. "Please. Stay as long as you like."

"Bapak tidak mengganggu," kata Odette. "Silakan. Tinggallah selama Bapak mau."

At noon he folds the paper. He puts on his hat. He stops at the door.

Pada tengah hari ia melipat korannya. Ia memakai topinya. Ia berhenti di pintu.

"The tea was good," he says. "Thank you."

"Tehnya enak," katanya. "Terima kasih."

That night Odette cannot stop thinking about the green chair. She thinks about the empty hours. She thinks about other people in town. Some of them sit alone.

Malam itu Odette tidak bisa berhenti memikirkan kursi hijau itu. Ia memikirkan jam-jam yang kosong. Ia memikirkan orang-orang lain di kota itu. Sebagian dari mereka duduk sendirian.

The next morning she talks to Pearl and the doctor. They listen. Then they smile.

Keesokan paginya ia berbicara dengan Pearl dan dokter. Mereka mendengarkan. Lalu mereka tersenyum.

On Tuesday at nine, Odette moves a small table. She puts it by the green chair. She puts a plate of biscuits on it. She writes a sign with a blue pen. It says, "Tuesday Tea. Everyone is welcome."

Pada hari Selasa pukul sembilan, Odette memindahkan sebuah meja kecil. Ia meletakkannya di dekat kursi hijau. Ia menaruh sepiring biskuit di atasnya. Ia menulis sebuah tanda dengan pena biru. Bunyinya, "Teh Hari Selasa. Semua orang diterima."

At ten the old man comes in. He stops at the door and reads the sign. Then he looks at the table. His mouth moves, but no words come.

Pukul sepuluh pria tua itu masuk. Ia berhenti di pintu dan membaca tanda itu. Lalu ia menatap meja itu. Bibirnya bergerak, tetapi tidak ada kata yang keluar.

Odette is already pouring his tea.

Odette sudah menuangkan tehnya.