The Unexpected Guest

Mateo gets home from work at six o'clock every evening. He cooks a simple dinner and watches the news. Tonight, he puts a pot of rice on the stove. He turns on the television and sits down on the sofa.

Mateo pulang kerja pukul enam sore setiap hari. Ia memasak makan malam sederhana dan menonton berita. Malam ini, ia menaruh panci nasi di atas kompor. Ia menyalakan televisi dan duduk di sofa.

The rice starts to boil, and the kitchen smells warm and good. Mateo checks his phone for messages. There are none, so he puts it down again. He thinks about a quiet night alone.

Nasinya mulai mendidih, dan dapur berbau hangat dan sedap. Mateo memeriksa ponselnya kalau-kalau ada pesan. Tidak ada, jadi ia meletakkannya lagi. Ia membayangkan malam yang tenang seorang diri.

Then somebody knocks on the door. Mateo doesn't expect anyone tonight. He walks to the door and opens it slowly.

Lalu seseorang mengetuk pintu. Mateo tidak menduga ada orang yang datang malam ini. Ia berjalan ke pintu dan membukanya pelan-pelan.

"Quinn? Is that really you?" Mateo says, surprised.

"Quinn? Benarkah ini kamu?" kata Mateo, terkejut.

"Hi, Mateo! I was in town, so I decided to visit," Quinn says, smiling.

"Hai, Mateo! Aku sedang di kota ini, jadi aku memutuskan untuk mampir," kata Quinn sambil tersenyum.

Mateo didn't see Quinn for almost three years. They shared an apartment in college. Now Quinn lives in another city and works as a nurse.

Sudah hampir tiga tahun Mateo tidak bertemu Quinn. Dulu mereka tinggal satu apartemen saat kuliah. Sekarang Quinn tinggal di kota lain dan bekerja sebagai perawat.

"Come in, come in! I can't believe you're here," Mateo says.

"Masuk, masuk! Aku tidak percaya kamu ada di sini," kata Mateo.

Quinn steps inside and looks around the small kitchen. "Something smells amazing. Is that rice?"

Quinn melangkah masuk dan memandang berkeliling dapur kecil itu. "Wanginya enak sekali. Itu nasi, ya?"

"Yes, but there's plenty for two," Mateo says. "Sit down. Tell me everything."

"Ya, tapi cukup untuk berdua," kata Mateo. "Duduklah. Ceritakan semuanya padaku."

They sit at the kitchen table, and Mateo brings out two bowls. Quinn talks about the new job and the new city. Mateo turns off the television. He doesn't need it anymore.

Mereka duduk di meja dapur, dan Mateo membawa dua mangkuk. Quinn bercerita tentang pekerjaan barunya dan kota barunya. Mateo mematikan televisi. Ia tidak membutuhkannya lagi.

For an hour, they talk and laugh like old friends. The rice gets cold, but neither of them minds.

Selama satu jam, mereka mengobrol dan tertawa seperti sahabat lama. Nasinya menjadi dingin, tetapi tak ada yang peduli.

"We should do this more often," Quinn says. She stands up to help with the dishes.

"Kita harus lebih sering begini," kata Quinn. Ia berdiri untuk membantu mencuci piring.

"Next time, call me first," Mateo says, laughing. "But you can always visit without calling."

"Lain kali, telepon aku dulu," kata Mateo sambil tertawa. "Tapi kamu boleh datang kapan saja tanpa menelepon."