The Wrong Star at Closing Time

Aziz made his promise one morning, in a hurry, with a mouth full of toast. His flatmate Zeke stood in the kitchen doorway holding a cardboard tube as long as an umbrella.

Aziz membuat janjinya pada suatu pagi, terburu-buru, dengan mulut penuh roti panggang. Teman serumahnya, Zeke, berdiri di ambang pintu dapur sambil memegang tabung karton sepanjang payung.

"The astronomy club needs a dark place," Zeke said. "Somewhere high, with no street lights and no trees. Your swimming pool has a huge flat roof."

"Klub astronomi butuh tempat gelap," kata Zeke. "Tempat tinggi, tanpa lampu jalan dan tanpa pohon. Kolam renangmu punya atap datar yang luas."

"It's a city pool," Aziz said. "It's next to a car park."

"Itu kolam renang kota," kata Aziz. "Letaknya di samping tempat parkir."

"Exactly. Wide, flat and empty. Please, Aziz. Twelve people have paid for tickets to the star night."

"Justru itu. Luas, datar, dan kosong. Tolonglah, Aziz. Dua belas orang sudah membeli tiket malam bintang itu."

Aziz worked as the evening attendant at the pool. He locked the doors, counted the towels and told teenagers to stop running. He knew the building better than anyone. He also knew that the manager would never allow a crowd on the roof.

Aziz bekerja sebagai petugas malam di kolam renang. Ia mengunci pintu, menghitung handuk, dan menyuruh remaja berhenti berlarian. Ia mengenal bangunan itu lebih baik daripada siapa pun. Ia juga tahu bahwa manajer tidak akan pernah mengizinkan keramaian di atap.

"The roof is out of the question," he said. "But the pool deck closes at ten. After that, the building is mine. I can let you in for one hour."

"Atap tidak mungkin," katanya. "Tapi area kolam tutup pukul sepuluh. Setelah itu, gedungnya jadi milikku. Aku bisa mengizinkan kalian masuk selama satu jam."

Zeke's eyes widened. "You promise?"

Mata Zeke membelalak. "Kamu janji?"

"I promise," Aziz said, and he swallowed his toast. "Twelve people, one hour, no trouble."

"Aku janji," kata Aziz, lalu menelan rotinya. "Dua belas orang, satu jam, tanpa masalah."

It was the kind of promise that sounds small in a kitchen. By the next evening, it had grown teeth.

Itu jenis janji yang terdengar kecil di dapur. Keesokan malamnya, janji itu sudah tumbuh bertaring.

First, the manager left a note on the noticeboard. It said that every light in the building must stay on until the last member left. The note had three exclamation marks. Aziz read it and groaned.

Pertama, manajer meninggalkan catatan di papan pengumuman. Isinya, semua lampu di gedung harus tetap menyala sampai anggota terakhir pergi. Catatan itu memakai tiga tanda seru. Aziz membacanya dan mengerang.

Second, the big floodlights could only be switched off in the manager's office. The office was locked, and the manager had taken the key home.

Kedua, lampu sorot besar hanya bisa dimatikan dari kantor manajer. Kantor itu terkunci, dan manajer membawa pulang kuncinya.

Third, and worst, there was the swimmer in lane one. She swam forty lengths every night at nine thirty, without fail, and she did not like being hurried. She was fifty, strong as a rope, and completely unafraid of attendants.

Ketiga, dan yang terburuk, ada perenang di lintasan satu. Ia berenang empat puluh putaran setiap malam pukul sembilan tiga puluh, tanpa pernah absen, dan ia tidak suka diburu-buru. Usianya lima puluh tahun, sekuat tali, dan sama sekali tidak takut pada petugas.

At nine fifty-five, Zeke arrived with his club. They came through the staff door in twos and threes. They wore coats and carried folding chairs, flasks and notebooks. One man brought a camera the size of a shoebox. Aziz counted twelve and felt slightly sick.

Pukul sembilan lewat lima puluh lima, Zeke tiba bersama klubnya. Mereka masuk lewat pintu staf berdua-bertiga. Mereka mengenakan mantel dan membawa kursi lipat, termos, dan buku catatan. Seorang pria membawa kamera sebesar kotak sepatu. Aziz menghitung dua belas orang dan merasa agak mual.

Zeke set up his telescope at the shallow end, between the diving board and the lifeguard chair. It was a beautiful instrument, white and silver, with a tripod like a heron's legs. He had saved for it for two years.

Zeke memasang teleskopnya di sisi dangkal, di antara papan loncat dan kursi penjaga kolam. Teleskop itu indah sekali, putih dan perak, dengan tripod seperti kaki bangau. Ia menabung dua tahun untuk membelinya.

"We can't see anything under these lights," he muttered. "Aziz. The floodlights."

"Kita tidak bisa melihat apa-apa di bawah lampu-lampu ini," gumamnya. "Aziz. Lampu sorotnya."

"The switch is locked in the office."

"Sakelarnya terkunci di kantor."

"Then break the door."

"Kalau begitu dobrak pintunya."

"I'm not breaking the door!"

"Aku tidak mau mendobrak pintu!"

At ten o'clock, the loudspeaker clicked and a recorded voice said that the pool was now closed. The swimmer, still in the lane by the wall, did not even slow down. She finished her thirty-sixth length and turned for the thirty-seventh.

Pukul sepuluh, pengeras suara berklik dan suara rekaman mengumumkan bahwa kolam kini ditutup. Sang perenang, yang masih di lintasan dekat dinding, bahkan tidak memperlambat gerakannya. Ia menyelesaikan putaran ketiga puluh enam dan berbalik untuk putaran ketiga puluh tujuh.

Aziz walked to the edge and crouched. "Madam, I am sorry. We're closing."

Aziz berjalan ke tepi dan berjongkok. "Bu, maaf. Kami mau tutup."

She lifted her head and pushed her goggles up. "I have four lengths left. Give me three minutes."

Perempuan itu mengangkat kepala dan mendorong kacamata renangnya ke atas. "Aku masih punya empat putaran lagi. Beri aku tiga menit."

"There is a, um, private event."

"Ada, eh, acara pribadi."

"Is there?" She looked past him at the twelve strangers, the chairs and the long white telescope. "At my pool?"

"Oh, ya?" Ia melihat melewati Aziz ke arah dua belas orang asing, kursi-kursi, dan teleskop putih yang panjang itu. "Di kolamku?"

"It's the city's pool," Aziz said weakly.

"Ini kolam kota," kata Aziz lemah.

"Then it's partly mine." She put her goggles back on and swam away.

"Berarti sebagian milikku juga." Ia memasang kembali kacamata renangnya dan berenang pergi.

Aziz stood up and wiped his face. Behind him, Zeke was already pulling a folded map from his coat. "Let's look at the sky through the skylight," he said. "There's a glass panel in the ceiling. If we turn off the side lights, we can aim up from here."

Aziz berdiri dan mengusap wajahnya. Di belakangnya, Zeke sudah menarik peta terlipat dari mantelnya. "Mari kita lihat langit lewat jendela atap," katanya. "Ada panel kaca di langit-langit. Kalau kita matikan lampu samping, kita bisa mengarahkannya ke atas dari sini."

He ran to the wall and flipped every switch he could reach. The side lights went out one by one. The ceiling went dark. The water turned black. The sky appeared in the glass panel above them, a small square full of stars.

Ia berlari ke dinding dan menekan setiap sakelar yang terjangkau. Lampu-lampu samping padam satu per satu. Langit-langit menjadi gelap. Air berubah hitam. Langit muncul di panel kaca di atas mereka, sebuah persegi kecil penuh bintang.

The club gasped. For a moment, it felt like the best idea in the world.

Seisi klub terkesiap. Sesaat, rasanya itu ide terbaik di dunia.

Then the underwater lamps came on by themselves and lit the whole pool a bright, ghostly green.

Lalu lampu-lampu bawah air menyala sendiri dan menerangi seluruh kolam dengan warna hijau terang yang menyeramkan.

"What is that?" a man asked.

"Itu apa?" tanya seorang pria.

"Safety lights," Aziz said. "They can't be switched off. It's the law."

"Lampu keselamatan," kata Aziz. "Tidak bisa dimatikan. Itu aturan hukum."

Zeke closed his eyes and counted to five. When he opened them, he turned the telescope toward the skylight and began to adjust the tripod. He worked fast, like a man trying to save a ship. At last, he straightened up and pointed.

Zeke memejamkan mata dan menghitung sampai lima. Ketika membukanya, ia mengarahkan teleskop ke jendela atap dan mulai menyetel tripodnya. Ia bekerja cepat, seperti orang yang berusaha menyelamatkan kapal. Akhirnya ia menegakkan badan dan menunjuk.

"There," he said. "That's Vega. The brightest star in this part of the sky. It's blue-white, and it has a disc of dust around it. You'll see it clearly."

"Itu," katanya. "Itu Vega. Bintang paling terang di bagian langit ini. Warnanya putih kebiruan, dan ia punya cakram debu di sekelilingnya. Kalian akan melihatnya dengan jelas."

One by one, the club members climbed the little ladder to look. Each of them gave a small, happy sigh.

Satu per satu, anggota klub menaiki tangga kecil untuk melihat. Masing-masing menghela napas kecil yang bahagia.

"It's beautiful," said the woman with the notebook.

"Indah sekali," kata perempuan yang membawa buku catatan.

"I can see the colour," said a young boy. "It's blue."

"Aku bisa melihat warnanya," kata seorang anak laki-laki. "Biru."

Aziz watched them and felt the knot in his stomach loosen. Zeke caught his eye across the deck and gave him a grateful nod. For the first time all evening, nothing seemed to be going wrong.

Aziz memperhatikan mereka dan merasakan simpul di perutnya mengendur. Zeke menangkap tatapannya dari seberang area kolam dan mengangguk penuh terima kasih. Untuk pertama kalinya malam itu, tak ada yang tampak berjalan salah.

The swimmer finished her fortieth length at a quarter past ten. She climbed the steps, wrapped herself in a towel and walked slowly to the telescope. Nobody stopped her.

Sang perenang menyelesaikan putaran keempat puluhnya pukul sepuluh lewat lima belas. Ia menaiki tangga, membungkus diri dengan handuk, dan berjalan pelan ke teleskop. Tak ada yang menghentikannya.

"What are you all looking at?" she asked.

"Kalian semua sedang melihat apa?" tanyanya.

"Vega," Zeke said proudly. "Please, take a look."

"Vega," kata Zeke bangga. "Silakan, lihatlah."

She bent over the eyepiece. A long silence followed. Then she straightened up and looked at the glass panel. She looked back at the tube, then at the panel again.

Ia membungkuk ke lensa okuler. Keheningan panjang menyusul. Lalu ia menegakkan badan dan menatap panel kaca. Ia menatap tabung teleskop lagi, lalu panel itu lagi.

"That's a nice star," she said carefully. "But it's not Vega."

"Itu bintang yang bagus," katanya hati-hati. "Tapi itu bukan Vega."

Zeke's smile cracked. "I'm sorry?"

Senyum Zeke retak. "Maaf?"

"Vega is higher at this time of year. I teach a night class about the sky, young man. I have taught it for twenty years." She pointed up, a little to the left. "That bright one is Altair. Yours is a different one altogether."

"Vega lebih tinggi pada waktu seperti ini di sepanjang tahun. Aku mengajar kelas malam tentang langit, anak muda. Sudah dua puluh tahun." Ia menunjuk ke atas, agak ke kiri. "Yang terang itu Altair. Punyamu bintang yang sama sekali berbeda."

The pool went completely silent.

Kolam itu menjadi hening sepenuhnya.

Aziz looked at Zeke. Zeke looked at the telescope. A very small, very sad sound came out of him, like air leaving a balloon.

Aziz menatap Zeke. Zeke menatap teleskop. Suara yang sangat kecil dan sangat sedih keluar dari mulutnya, seperti udara keluar dari balon.

"I aimed it at the wrong star," he whispered. "Twelve people. Two years of saving. And I aimed it at the wrong star."

"Aku mengarahkannya ke bintang yang salah," bisiknya. "Dua belas orang. Dua tahun menabung. Dan aku mengarahkannya ke bintang yang salah."

"Which star is it, then?" asked the boy with the sharp eyes.

"Jadi itu bintang apa?" tanya anak laki-laki bermata tajam itu.

The swimmer checked the sky again. "I think it's Deneb. It's very bright, and very far away. Some people say it is one of the most distant stars you can see without help."

Sang perenang memeriksa langit lagi. "Kurasa itu Deneb. Sangat terang, dan sangat jauh. Ada yang bilang itu salah satu bintang terjauh yang bisa kita lihat tanpa alat bantu."

"Is it any good?" the boy asked.

"Bagus tidak?" tanya anak itu.

"It's magnificent," she said. "Most people never look at it."

"Luar biasa," katanya. "Kebanyakan orang tidak pernah melihatnya."

Nobody spoke. Then the woman with the notebook began to laugh. The laughter was soft at first, then louder. In a few seconds, every member of the club was laughing. Zeke put his face into his hands, and his shoulders shook.

Tak ada yang bicara. Lalu perempuan dengan buku catatan itu mulai tertawa. Awalnya pelan, lalu makin keras. Dalam beberapa detik, semua anggota klub tertawa. Zeke membenamkan wajahnya di tangan, dan bahunya berguncang.

"I promised you a star," Aziz said to him, gently. "I never promised which one."

"Aku berjanji padamu satu bintang," kata Aziz kepadanya, dengan lembut. "Aku tidak pernah berjanji bintang yang mana."

"That's a terrible excuse."

"Alasan yang buruk sekali."

"It's the only one I have."

"Cuma itu yang kupunya."

They stayed for the full hour, and then for a little longer. The swimmer took a folding chair and sat at the head of the group. She named every star in the glass panel. She told them where each one would be in three months. The underwater lamps painted her face green, and nobody cared.

Mereka tinggal selama satu jam penuh, lalu sedikit lebih lama lagi. Sang perenang mengambil kursi lipat dan duduk di depan kelompok itu. Ia menyebutkan nama setiap bintang di panel kaca. Ia memberi tahu di mana masing-masing akan berada tiga bulan lagi. Lampu-lampu bawah air mewarnai wajahnya dengan hijau, dan tak ada yang peduli.

At eleven, the club packed up and went out into the night, whispering. Zeke carried the telescope on his shoulder. The swimmer walked beside him, still talking about Deneb.

Pukul sebelas, klub berkemas dan keluar ke dalam malam sambil berbisik-bisik. Zeke memanggul teleskop di bahunya. Sang perenang berjalan di sampingnya, masih membicarakan Deneb.

Aziz switched off the last lamp he was allowed to touch and locked the staff door. He stood alone beside the pool for a minute. The water lay flat and quiet, with one small square of sky floating on its surface. A single bright star moved gently in it.

Aziz mematikan lampu terakhir yang boleh ia sentuh dan mengunci pintu staf. Ia berdiri sendirian di samping kolam selama semenit. Air terbentang datar dan tenang, dengan sebuah persegi kecil langit mengapung di permukaannya. Sebuah bintang terang bergerak pelan di dalamnya.