The Words in the Fog

The changing hut by the lake is small. It is made of grey wood. It has one bench, six hooks and a round mirror. The mirror is very old. When anyone breathes near it, it fogs up in a second.

Bilik ganti di tepi danau itu kecil. Terbuat dari kayu abu-abu. Isinya satu bangku, enam kait, dan sebuah cermin bundar. Cermin itu sangat tua. Kalau ada yang bernapas di dekatnya, cermin itu berembun dalam sekejap.

Every morning at six, Brina and Ife are alone in the hut. They change fast and run to the water. They swim to the yellow float and back. Then they sit on the bench and dry their hair.

Setiap pagi pukul enam, Brina dan Ife berduaan di bilik itu. Mereka berganti pakaian dengan cepat dan berlari ke air. Mereka berenang ke pelampung kuning dan kembali. Lalu mereka duduk di bangku dan mengeringkan rambut.

Brina talks a lot. Ife listens. That is how it works. She tells him about her sister, her bike and her boss. He tells her small things. The water is cold. The ducks are loud. His left shoe has a hole.

Brina banyak bicara. Ife mendengarkan. Begitulah cara kerjanya. Brina bercerita tentang kakaknya, sepedanya, dan atasannya. Ife menceritakan hal-hal kecil. Airnya dingin. Bebek-bebeknya berisik. Sepatu kirinya berlubang.

On Monday, Brina does not talk. She sits on the bench and looks at her feet.

Pada hari Senin, Brina tidak bicara. Ia duduk di bangku dan menatap kakinya.

"I have news," she says at last. "I have a new job. It is in the city, four hours away. I start on Monday."

"Aku punya kabar," katanya akhirnya. "Aku dapat pekerjaan baru. Di kota, empat jam dari sini. Aku mulai hari Senin."

Ife looks at the floor. "That is great," he says. His voice sounds strange.

Ife menatap lantai. "Itu bagus sekali," katanya. Suaranya terdengar aneh.

"Is it?" she asks. "Tell me one true thing before I go. Something you never say to anyone."

"Benarkah?" tanya Brina. "Katakan satu hal yang jujur sebelum aku pergi. Sesuatu yang tidak pernah kamu katakan kepada siapa pun."

"One true thing," he says.

"Satu hal yang jujur," kata Ife.

"Yes. Not a text message. Not a note on paper. Say it to me with your own face."

"Ya. Bukan pesan teks. Bukan catatan di kertas. Katakan langsung kepadaku, dengan wajahmu sendiri."

Ife thinks about it for a long time. His hands feel cold, and not from the lake. "I promise," he says.

Ife berpikir lama sekali. Tangannya terasa dingin, dan bukan karena danau. "Aku janji," katanya.

"Good," says Brina. She smiles, takes his towel and puts it in her bag. This is a game they play. She always gives it back at the end.

"Bagus," kata Brina. Ia tersenyum, mengambil handuk Ife, dan memasukkannya ke tasnya. Ini permainan yang biasa mereka lakukan. Ia selalu mengembalikannya di akhir.

On Tuesday, Ife tries to keep his promise. He waits on the wooden pier. Brina comes out of the water. Her hair is flat on her head. He opens his mouth.

Pada hari Selasa, Ife mencoba menepati janjinya. Ia menunggu di dermaga kayu. Brina keluar dari air. Rambutnya menempel rata di kepala. Ife membuka mulutnya.

"Brina, I need to say…"

"Brina, aku harus bilang…"

A duck jumps onto the pier and takes her sandwich. Brina shouts. The duck runs. She chases it down the whole pier. When she comes back, the moment is gone.

Seekor bebek melompat ke dermaga dan menyambar roti lapis Brina. Brina berteriak. Bebek itu lari. Brina mengejarnya sepanjang dermaga. Ketika ia kembali, saat itu sudah lewat.

On Wednesday, he tries in the water. They swim side by side to the float. He stops and holds the rope. "Brina," he says. Then a wave from a passing boat hits his face. He swallows half the lake. He coughs for five minutes. Brina hits his back and laughs until she cries.

Pada hari Rabu, ia mencoba di dalam air. Mereka berenang berdampingan ke pelampung. Ife berhenti dan berpegangan pada tali. "Brina," katanya. Lalu ombak dari perahu yang lewat menghantam wajahnya. Ia menelan separuh danau. Ia terbatuk selama lima menit. Brina menepuk punggungnya dan tertawa sampai menangis.

"What did you want to say?" she asks.

"Tadi kamu mau bilang apa?" tanyanya.

"Nothing," he says. "Only that the lake is wet."

"Tidak ada," kata Ife. "Cuma bahwa danau itu basah."

On Thursday, he practises alone in the hut. He looks at the mirror. He says the words to his own face. "Brina, I like you." It sounds fine. Then he says it again and thinks of her eyes. His voice goes small and silly. He puts his hands over his face and makes a sad sound.

Pada hari Kamis, ia berlatih sendirian di bilik. Ia menatap cermin. Ia mengucapkan kata-kata itu kepada wajahnya sendiri. "Brina, aku suka kamu." Terdengar baik-baik saja. Lalu ia mengucapkannya lagi sambil memikirkan mata Brina. Suaranya jadi kecil dan konyol. Ia menutup wajahnya dengan kedua tangan dan mengeluarkan suara sedih.

On Friday, the hut is full. The swimming club comes, with thirty children and loud whistles. Brina has boxes in her car. She has no time. She waves at him through the crowd, and the whistles blow.

Pada hari Jumat, bilik itu penuh. Klub renang datang, membawa tiga puluh anak dan peluit-peluit nyaring. Brina punya kardus-kardus di mobilnya. Ia tidak punya waktu. Ia melambai kepada Ife dari tengah keramaian, dan peluit-peluit pun berbunyi.

Ife goes home and cannot sleep. He lies on his bed and looks at the ceiling. He made a promise with his mouth. His mouth does not work.

Ife pulang dan tidak bisa tidur. Ia berbaring di tempat tidur dan menatap langit-langit. Ia sudah berjanji dengan mulutnya. Mulutnya tidak bisa diandalkan.

Then he has an idea.

Lalu ia mendapat ide.

On Saturday, he comes to the hut at half past five. The lake is empty and grey. The hut is quiet. He stands in front of the mirror. It is clean and dry and shows only his tired face.

Pada hari Sabtu, ia datang ke bilik pukul setengah enam. Danau kosong dan kelabu. Bilik itu sunyi. Ia berdiri di depan cermin. Cermin itu bersih dan kering dan hanya memperlihatkan wajahnya yang lelah.

He puts one finger on the glass. Slowly, he writes. His letters are small and careful. When he finishes, the glass looks the same. Nothing is there to see. He smiles and puts his finger in his pocket. He leaves his towel on the bench. Brina always takes it.

Ia menaruh satu jari di kaca. Perlahan, ia menulis. Hurufnya kecil dan hati-hati. Ketika selesai, kaca itu tampak sama seperti sebelumnya. Tidak ada yang bisa dilihat. Ia tersenyum dan memasukkan jarinya ke saku. Ia meninggalkan handuknya di bangku. Brina selalu mengambilnya.

At six, he goes to the water. He waits at the end of the pier.

Pukul enam, ia pergi ke air. Ia menunggu di ujung dermaga.

Brina comes into the hut a few minutes later. She is the last one today. This is her final morning at the lake. She puts her bag on the bench and takes off her coat. She puts Ife's towel in her bag, as always. Then she sees her face in the mirror. She does not like it.

Beberapa menit kemudian, Brina masuk ke bilik. Ia yang terakhir hari ini. Ini pagi terakhirnya di danau. Ia menaruh tasnya di bangku dan melepas mantelnya. Seperti biasa, ia memasukkan handuk Ife ke tasnya. Lalu ia melihat wajahnya di cermin. Ia tidak menyukainya.

"I look awful," she says to the empty hut. "I look like a person who does not sleep."

"Aku kelihatan mengerikan," katanya kepada bilik yang kosong. "Aku seperti orang yang tidak tidur."

She breathes on the glass and makes a face. The mirror fogs up. Then something very strange happens. Words come out of the fog, one by one.

Ia mengembuskan napas ke kaca dan membuat wajah masam. Cermin itu berembun. Lalu sesuatu yang sangat aneh terjadi. Kata-kata muncul dari embun itu, satu per satu.

Brina stops. She reads.

Brina berhenti. Ia membaca.

"Brina. This is the one true thing. I like you more than the lake. I do not want you to go. I am sorry I am bad at talking."

"Brina. Ini satu hal yang jujur. Aku lebih suka kamu daripada danau ini. Aku tidak ingin kamu pergi. Maaf, aku tidak pandai bicara."

She reads it twice. Then she reads it again. Her eyes are wet, and she laughs. She does not know which comes first. The fog goes away slowly, and the words go with it. She breathes on the glass one more time to keep them.

Ia membacanya dua kali. Lalu membacanya lagi. Matanya basah, dan ia tertawa. Ia tidak tahu mana yang datang lebih dulu. Embun itu perlahan menghilang, dan kata-kata itu ikut hilang. Ia mengembuskan napas ke kaca sekali lagi untuk menahannya.

Then she takes Ife's towel from her bag. She walks out to the pier.

Lalu ia mengambil handuk Ife dari tasnya. Ia berjalan ke dermaga.

He stands at the end, wet and cold. His arms are around himself. He cannot look at her.

Ife berdiri di ujungnya, basah dan kedinginan. Lengannya memeluk tubuhnya sendiri. Ia tidak sanggup menatap Brina.

"You said no notes," she says. "You said no paper."

"Katamu tidak boleh ada catatan," kata Brina. "Katamu tidak boleh kertas."

"A mirror is not paper," says Ife.

"Cermin bukan kertas," kata Ife.

"And you said with your face."

"Dan katamu dengan wajahmu."

"My face is in the mirror," he says. "It was there the whole time."

"Wajahku ada di cermin," katanya. "Dari tadi ada di sana."

Brina shakes her head. She is still smiling. "One true thing, you said. That was four true things."

Brina menggeleng. Ia masih tersenyum. "Katamu satu hal yang jujur. Itu empat hal yang jujur."

"I am a generous man," says Ife. His teeth start to shake. "Now can I please have my towel?"

"Aku orang yang murah hati," kata Ife. Giginya mulai bergemeletuk. "Sekarang boleh aku minta handukku?"