Two Different Shoes, One Inhaler

Marguerite works in the back room of the pharmacy. The room is small and cool. It has shelves of white boxes from the floor to the ceiling. She knows every box.

Marguerite bekerja di ruang belakang apotek. Ruangannya kecil dan sejuk. Rak-rak berisi kotak putih berjejer dari lantai sampai langit-langit. Ia hafal setiap kotak.

At ten to three, Wolfgang runs in through the side door. He is new, and he is always late. Today he carries a big bag and a paper cup.

Pukul tiga kurang sepuluh, Wolfgang berlari masuk lewat pintu samping. Ia pegawai baru, dan ia selalu terlambat. Hari ini ia membawa tas besar dan segelas kopi kertas.

"Sorry, sorry," he says. "The alarm did not ring."

"Maaf, maaf," katanya. "Alarmnya tidak berbunyi."

Marguerite looks at him. Then she looks at his feet. "Wolfgang, what are you wearing?"

Marguerite menatapnya. Lalu ia menatap kaki Wolfgang. "Wolfgang, kamu pakai apa itu?"

He looks down. On his left foot is a black shoe. On his right foot is a brown one. They are not even the same shape.

Wolfgang menunduk. Di kaki kirinya ada sepatu hitam. Di kaki kanannya ada sepatu cokelat. Bentuknya pun tidak sama.

"Oh no," he says. "It was dark in my room."

"Aduh," katanya. "Kamarku gelap tadi."

"You walked here like that?"

"Kamu berjalan ke sini seperti itu?"

"Nobody said anything. I think people are polite."

"Tidak ada yang bilang apa-apa. Kurasa orang-orang sopan."

Marguerite laughs and goes back to her work. She counts tablets into a small tray. The back room is quiet, except for the clock above the door. It ticks loudly.

Marguerite tertawa dan kembali bekerja. Ia menghitung tablet ke dalam nampan kecil. Ruang belakang sunyi, kecuali jam di atas pintu. Jam itu berdetak keras.

At three o'clock the shop phone rings. The pharmacist at the front, a young man, calls through the door. "Marguerite, it is the school! They need you!"

Pukul tiga, telepon toko berdering. Apoteker di depan, seorang pemuda, memanggil lewat pintu. "Marguerite, dari sekolah! Mereka membutuhkanmu!"

She picks up the phone in the back room. A woman's voice is fast and tight. "This is the sports teacher at the school across the field. A girl here has a race at three twenty. She left her inhaler at home. Her mother says you have the same one in the shop."

Ia mengangkat telepon di ruang belakang. Suara seorang perempuan terdengar cepat dan tegang. "Saya guru olahraga di sekolah seberang lapangan. Ada seorang anak di sini yang punya lomba pukul tiga lewat dua puluh. Inhalernya tertinggal di rumah. Ibunya bilang Anda punya yang sama di toko."

Marguerite checks the screen. "Yes. It is ready on the shelf. It has her name on it."

Marguerite memeriksa layar. "Ya. Sudah siap di rak. Ada namanya di situ."

"Can someone bring it? The girl is very scared. Without it, she cannot run."

"Bisakah seseorang mengantarnya? Anak ini sangat ketakutan. Tanpa itu, dia tidak bisa berlari."

"We will send it now," says Marguerite.

"Kami kirim sekarang," kata Marguerite.

She puts down the phone. She takes the small box from the shelf. She checks the time. It is three o'clock. The race starts in twenty minutes.

Ia meletakkan telepon. Ia mengambil kotak kecil dari rak. Ia memeriksa waktu. Pukul tiga. Lomba dimulai dua puluh menit lagi.

"Wolfgang!" she calls. "Take this to the school. Run!"

"Wolfgang!" panggilnya. "Antar ini ke sekolah. Lari!"

"Where is the school?"

"Sekolahnya di mana?"

"Go out the front door and turn left. Follow the road around the park. Then the long road to the gate. It is a fifteen-minute drive. We have no car today."

"Keluar lewat pintu depan lalu belok kiri. Ikuti jalan mengitari taman. Lalu jalan panjang sampai gerbang. Perjalanan lima belas menit dengan mobil. Hari ini kita tidak punya mobil."

"Fifteen minutes by car?" Wolfgang says. "I cannot run that fast. Not in these shoes."

"Lima belas menit dengan mobil?" kata Wolfgang. "Aku tidak bisa berlari secepat itu. Apalagi dengan sepatu begini."

Marguerite thinks hard. She does not want to waste the time. She looks at the box in her hand. She looks at the clock. Then she looks at the back door.

Marguerite berpikir keras. Ia tidak mau membuang waktu. Ia menatap kotak di tangannya. Ia menatap jam. Lalu ia menatap pintu belakang.

It is a plain grey door with a heavy lock. It leads to the small yard where the staff keep the bins. Behind the yard there is a low fence. Behind the fence is a long green field.

Pintu itu polos berwarna abu-abu dengan kunci yang berat. Pintu itu menuju halaman kecil tempat para pegawai menaruh tempat sampah. Di belakang halaman ada pagar rendah. Di balik pagar terbentang lapangan hijau yang panjang.

"The field!" she says.

"Lapangan!" katanya.

"What about the field?"

"Ada apa dengan lapangan?"

"It is the school field. Their sports day is on it right now. If you cross the field, it is three minutes. Five, in your shoes."

"Itu lapangan sekolah. Hari olahraga mereka sedang berlangsung di sana sekarang. Kalau kamu menyeberangi lapangan, hanya tiga menit. Lima menit, dengan sepatumu."

Wolfgang stares at the door. "Nobody uses that door."

Wolfgang menatap pintu itu. "Tidak ada yang memakai pintu itu."

"Everybody uses it for the bins," says Marguerite. "Come on."

"Semua orang memakainya untuk sampah," kata Marguerite. "Ayo."

She opens the lock with a big key. The door sticks, so she pushes it with her shoulder. A bright light comes into the dark room.

Ia membuka kunci dengan kunci besar. Pintunya macet, jadi ia mendorongnya dengan bahu. Cahaya terang masuk ke ruangan yang gelap itu.

They step into the yard. The fence is low and old. Wolfgang climbs it first. His brown shoe slips on the top bar.

Mereka melangkah ke halaman. Pagarnya rendah dan tua. Wolfgang memanjatnya lebih dulu. Sepatu cokelatnya tergelincir di palang atas.

"Be careful!" says Marguerite.

"Hati-hati!" kata Marguerite.

"I am careful!" says Wolfgang. "These shoes are not!"

"Aku hati-hati!" kata Wolfgang. "Sepatu ini yang tidak!"

He jumps down on the other side. Marguerite passes him the box. Then she pulls a stool from the yard and climbs after him. She is not young, but she moves fast.

Ia melompat turun di sisi seberang. Marguerite menyerahkan kotak itu kepadanya. Lalu ia menarik sebuah bangku kecil dari halaman dan memanjat menyusulnya. Ia sudah tidak muda, tetapi ia bergerak cepat.

The field is wide and green. Far away, children in blue shirts stand by a white line. A referee with a loud whistle waves his arm. Everyone is ready to start.

Lapangan itu luas dan hijau. Jauh di sana, anak-anak berkaus biru berdiri di dekat garis putih. Seorang wasit dengan peluit nyaring melambaikan tangan. Semua orang siap memulai.

"Go!" says Marguerite. "I will follow."

"Pergi!" kata Marguerite. "Aku menyusul."

Wolfgang runs. His left shoe is smooth and quick. His right shoe is heavy and slow. He looks like a man who runs in two different races.

Wolfgang berlari. Sepatu kirinya licin dan ringan. Sepatu kanannya berat dan lambat. Ia tampak seperti orang yang mengikuti dua lomba yang berbeda.

Marguerite watches him go. She holds her side and walks quickly behind him.

Marguerite melihatnya pergi. Ia memegangi pinggangnya dan berjalan cepat di belakangnya.

At the line, the children see him first. They laugh and point at his feet. Some of them cheer. A small girl in a blue shirt stands alone. Her hands press against her chest. Her breath is short and shaky.

Di garis start, anak-anak melihatnya lebih dulu. Mereka tertawa dan menunjuk kakinya. Beberapa bersorak. Seorang gadis kecil berkaus biru berdiri sendirian. Kedua tangannya menekan dadanya. Napasnya pendek dan gemetar.

Wolfgang stops in front of her. He bends over, out of breath, and holds out the box.

Wolfgang berhenti di depannya. Ia membungkuk, terengah-engah, dan mengulurkan kotak itu.

"Delivery," he says. "From the pharmacy. Special, for you."

"Kiriman," katanya. "Dari apotek. Spesial, untukmu."

The girl takes the inhaler and puts it to her mouth. She breathes in slowly. She holds it. She breathes out. Her shoulders drop, and her eyes get wide again.

Gadis itu menerima inhaler dan mendekatkannya ke mulut. Ia menarik napas pelan-pelan. Ia menahannya. Ia mengembuskannya. Bahunya turun, dan matanya kembali terbuka lebar.

"Thank you," she says.

"Terima kasih," katanya.

"Good," says the sports teacher. She is still holding her whistle. "You are two minutes early."

"Bagus," kata guru olahraga itu. Ia masih memegang peluitnya. "Anda dua menit lebih awal."

Marguerite arrives a moment later, with her hair flying. She sees the girl standing straight and smiling. She puts a hand on her heart.

Marguerite tiba sesaat kemudian dengan rambut berantakan tertiup angin. Ia melihat gadis itu berdiri tegak dan tersenyum. Ia meletakkan tangan di dadanya.

The referee looks at Wolfgang's shoes. "Excuse me, sir," he says. "Did you run here with those?"

Wasit itu memandang sepatu Wolfgang. "Permisi, Pak," katanya. "Apakah Anda berlari ke sini dengan sepatu itu?"

Wolfgang looks down. Then he looks up and smiles.

Wolfgang menunduk. Lalu ia mendongak dan tersenyum.

"They are a pair," he says. "Just not the same pair."

"Itu sepasang," katanya. "Hanya saja bukan sepasang yang sama."