Two Halves of the Lake

Gaston rented boats at the north end of Lake Orrin. His hut was small and blue. It had a sign, a rack of oars, and six old boats.

Gaston menyewakan perahu di ujung utara Danau Orrin. Pondoknya kecil dan berwarna biru. Ada papan nama, rak dayung, dan enam perahu tua.

Ivo rented boats at the south end. His hut was green. His sign was twice as big as Gaston's.

Ivo menyewakan perahu di ujung selatan. Pondoknya berwarna hijau. Papan namanya dua kali lebih besar daripada milik Gaston.

Every morning, the two men stood on their jetties. They called to the visitors on the path.

Setiap pagi, kedua lelaki itu berdiri di dermaga masing-masing. Mereka memanggil para pengunjung di jalan setapak.

"Cheap boats! Two coins an hour!" shouted Gaston.

"Perahu murah! Dua koin per jam!" teriak Gaston.

"Dry seats! Strong oars! Come south!" shouted Ivo.

"Tempat duduk kering! Dayung kuat! Datanglah ke selatan!" teriak Ivo.

They did this for eleven summers. They never talked about why. Neither man wanted to be the first to stop.

Mereka melakukannya selama sebelas musim panas. Mereka tak pernah membicarakan alasannya. Tak seorang pun mau menjadi yang pertama berhenti.

On a quiet Monday, Gaston turned over his oldest boat. He wanted to clean it. A loose board moved under his hand. Behind it lay a folded piece of paper. He opened it with care.

Pada suatu Senin yang tenang, Gaston membalik perahunya yang paling tua. Ia ingin membersihkannya. Sebuah papan yang longgar bergeser di bawah tangannya. Di baliknya terselip selembar kertas terlipat. Ia membukanya dengan hati-hati.

It was only half a page. The edge was straight, as if someone cut it. The paper was yellow and soft, like old cloth. Brown handwriting covered it, but every line stopped halfway.

Itu hanya separuh halaman. Tepinya lurus, seakan seseorang memotongnya. Kertasnya kuning dan lembut, seperti kain tua. Tulisan tangan cokelat memenuhinya, tetapi setiap baris berhenti di tengah.

Gaston read the first line aloud. "Under the water sleeps…" The line ended there. He read the next. "Tie your boat beside the…" Again, nothing more.

Gaston membaca baris pertama dengan suara keras. "Di bawah air tertidur…" Baris itu berakhir di situ. Ia membaca baris berikutnya. "Tambatkan perahumu di samping…" Lagi-lagi tak ada kelanjutannya.

The paper grew warm in his hand. Then it pulled. It pulled toward the south, like a dog on a lead. Gaston took one step, and the paper pulled harder.

Kertas itu menghangat di tangannya. Lalu kertas itu menarik. Ia menarik ke arah selatan, seperti anjing pada tali kekang. Gaston melangkah satu kali, dan kertas itu menarik lebih keras.

"This is silly," Gaston said to the empty hut. He followed it anyway.

"Ini konyol," kata Gaston kepada pondok yang kosong. Ia tetap mengikutinya.

He walked along the shore path for a long time. The paper led him straight to the green hut. Ivo stood on his jetty. He held a piece of paper with both hands. It pulled toward the north like a kite.

Ia berjalan lama menyusuri jalan setapak di tepi danau. Kertas itu menuntunnya lurus ke pondok hijau. Ivo berdiri di dermaganya. Ia memegang selembar kertas dengan kedua tangan. Kertas itu menarik ke arah utara seperti layang-layang.

"Did you put that in my boat?" Ivo asked.

"Kamu yang menaruh itu di perahuku?" tanya Ivo.

"No," said Gaston. "I found mine under a board. Look at yours."

"Bukan," kata Gaston. "Punyaku kutemukan di bawah sebuah papan. Lihat punyamu."

"I found mine in the roof of my hut," said Ivo.

"Punyaku kutemukan di atap pondokku," kata Ivo.

Ivo held out his piece. Gaston held out his. The two torn edges jumped together with a soft click. The page became whole. It glowed gold for a moment, and then it lay still.

Ivo mengulurkan potongannya. Gaston mengulurkan potongannya. Kedua tepi sobekan itu melompat bersatu dengan bunyi klik lembut. Halaman itu menjadi utuh. Kertas itu berpendar keemasan sejenak, lalu terdiam.

Both men bent over it. Now the lines made sense.

Kedua lelaki itu membungkuk di atasnya. Kini baris-baris itu masuk akal.

Ivo read slowly. "Under the water sleeps a bell. Tie your boat beside the boat of your neighbour at sunset. Row in step. Speak kindly. Then the bell will rise, and it will belong to both."

Ivo membaca pelan-pelan. "Di bawah air tertidur sebuah lonceng. Tambatkan perahumu di samping perahu tetanggamu saat matahari terbenam. Dayunglah seirama. Bicaralah dengan baik. Maka lonceng itu akan naik, dan akan menjadi milik keduanya."

"Both what?" asked Gaston.

"Keduanya apa?" tanya Gaston.

"Both boatmen," said Ivo. "Both huts, I think."

"Kedua pemilik perahu," kata Ivo. "Kedua pondok, kurasa."

Gaston tried to take his half back. The paper did not come apart. It held together like glue. He pulled harder, and Ivo pulled the other way. The page did not tear. It only got warmer.

Gaston mencoba mengambil kembali separuhnya. Kertas itu tidak terpisah. Kertas itu menyatu seperti lem. Ia menarik lebih keras, dan Ivo menarik ke arah sebaliknya. Halaman itu tidak sobek. Ia hanya makin hangat.

"It wants us together," Ivo said. "That is clear."

"Kertas ini ingin kita bersama," kata Ivo. "Itu jelas."

"I do not need a bell," said Gaston. "But I will not let you have it alone."

"Aku tidak butuh lonceng," kata Gaston. "Tapi aku tidak akan membiarkanmu memilikinya sendirian."

"Same to you," said Ivo.

"Aku juga begitu," kata Ivo.

They agreed to try at sunset. Each man was sure the bell was for him. Each man planned to do it his own way.

Mereka sepakat mencoba saat matahari terbenam. Masing-masing yakin lonceng itu untuk dirinya. Masing-masing berencana melakukannya dengan caranya sendiri.

At sunset, the lake was flat and gold. The two men met in the middle of the water. Gaston brought his best boat. Ivo brought his best boat. They tied them side by side with a short rope.

Saat matahari terbenam, danau itu rata dan keemasan. Kedua lelaki itu bertemu di tengah air. Gaston membawa perahu terbaiknya. Ivo membawa perahu terbaiknya. Mereka mengikatnya berdampingan dengan seutas tali pendek.

"We use my oars," said Gaston. "They are newer."

"Kita pakai dayungku," kata Gaston. "Lebih baru."

"We use mine," said Ivo. "They are longer."

"Kita pakai punyaku," kata Ivo. "Lebih panjang."

"Mine!"

"Punyaku!"

"Mine!"

"Punyaku!"

In the end, each man took his own oars. Gaston rowed toward the north. Ivo rowed toward the south. The rope pulled tight, and the boats began to spin.

Pada akhirnya, masing-masing memakai dayungnya sendiri. Gaston mendayung ke utara. Ivo mendayung ke selatan. Tali itu menegang, dan perahu-perahu mulai berputar.

They turned in a slow circle. The water under them went dark and still. No bell rang, and no light shone. The lake stayed silent.

Mereka berputar dalam lingkaran lambat. Air di bawahnya menjadi gelap dan tenang. Tak ada lonceng berbunyi, tak ada cahaya bersinar. Danau tetap sunyi.

"Stop!" cried Ivo. "You are making us spin!"

"Berhenti!" seru Ivo. "Kamu membuat kita berputar!"

"You are the one making us spin," said Gaston.

"Kamu yang membuat kita berputar," kata Gaston.

They stopped rowing at the same moment. The boats turned a little more and then lay quiet. The sky above them went pink. The page, in Gaston's pocket, felt cool.

Mereka berhenti mendayung pada saat yang sama. Perahu-perahu itu berputar sedikit lagi lalu diam. Langit di atas mereka menjadi merah muda. Halaman kertas di saku Gaston terasa dingin.

For a while, neither man spoke. Gaston looked at his hands. Ivo looked at the water.

Beberapa saat, tak seorang pun bicara. Gaston memandangi tangannya. Ivo memandangi air.

"I made my sign bigger on purpose," Ivo said at last. "In the first summer, you had more visitors. I was afraid of losing my hut."

"Aku sengaja membuat papan namaku lebih besar," kata Ivo akhirnya. "Di musim panas pertama, kamu punya lebih banyak pengunjung. Aku takut kehilangan pondokku."

Gaston laughed, but not in an unkind way. "I shouted first on purpose, too," he said. "I was afraid of the same thing."

Gaston tertawa, tetapi tidak dengan nada jahat. "Aku juga sengaja berteriak lebih dulu," katanya. "Aku takut akan hal yang sama."

"Eleven summers," said Ivo. "For nothing."

"Sebelas musim panas," kata Ivo. "Sia-sia."

"Not for nothing," said Gaston. "We both learned to shout very well."

"Tidak sia-sia," kata Gaston. "Kita berdua belajar berteriak dengan sangat baik."

Ivo smiled. He took one oar from his own boat and held it out. "Take this one," he said. "Give me one of yours." Gaston took it. He gave Ivo one of his own oars.

Ivo tersenyum. Ia mengambil satu dayung dari perahunya sendiri dan mengulurkannya. "Ambil yang ini," katanya. "Berikan aku satu dayungmu." Gaston menerimanya. Ia memberi Ivo satu dayungnya sendiri.

"One stroke on the left, one on the right," said Ivo. "Together?"

"Satu kayuhan di kiri, satu di kanan," kata Ivo. "Bersama?"

"Together," said Gaston. "I will count."

"Bersama," kata Gaston. "Aku yang menghitung."

"Count slowly," said Ivo. "My arms are not young."

"Hitung pelan-pelan," kata Ivo. "Lenganku sudah tidak muda."

Gaston counted. "One. Two. One. Two."

Gaston menghitung. "Satu. Dua. Satu. Dua."

They pulled in step. The boats moved forward in a straight line. The rope hung loose between them. The water began to shine. First there was one small light under the surface. Then there were ten. Then there were hundreds, like a town of lanterns far below.

Mereka mengayuh seirama. Perahu-perahu itu maju dalam garis lurus. Tali menggantung longgar di antara mereka. Air mulai berkilau. Mula-mula ada satu cahaya kecil di bawah permukaan. Lalu ada sepuluh. Lalu ada ratusan, seperti kota lentera jauh di bawah sana.

"Keep rowing," Ivo whispered.

"Teruslah mendayung," bisik Ivo.

"I am," Gaston whispered back. "Do not stop."

"Aku mendayung," Gaston balas berbisik. "Jangan berhenti."

The lights gathered in one place, right between the two boats. The water rose, and something broke the surface. It was a small bell made of green and gold metal. A chain of water-weed hung from it. It floated on the lake as if it weighed nothing.

Cahaya-cahaya itu berkumpul di satu tempat, tepat di antara kedua perahu. Air naik, dan sesuatu menembus permukaan. Sebuah lonceng kecil dari logam hijau dan keemasan. Seuntai rantai tumbuhan air menggantung darinya. Lonceng itu mengapung di danau seolah tak berbobot.

Gaston lifted it into his boat. Ivo leaned across the rope to look. Four short words ran along the side of the bell. They said, "For those who share."

Gaston mengangkatnya ke perahunya. Ivo mencondongkan badan melewati tali untuk melihat. Empat kata pendek terukir di sisi lonceng itu. Bunyinya, "Bagi yang berbagi."

"It is not very big," Ivo said.

"Tidak terlalu besar," kata Ivo.

"It is exactly big enough," said Gaston.

"Ukurannya pas," kata Gaston.

They rowed back together in the evening. The bell sat between the boats. On the jetty, they argued a little about where to hang it. At last they chose a post on the shore path. It stood just as near to one hut as to the other.

Mereka mendayung pulang bersama di senja hari. Lonceng itu berada di antara kedua perahu. Di dermaga, mereka berdebat sedikit tentang tempat menggantungnya. Akhirnya mereka memilih sebuah tiang di jalan setapak tepi danau. Tiang itu sama dekatnya dengan kedua pondok.

The next morning, no one shouted from either jetty. Visitors came down the path and stopped, puzzled. They looked at the two men, who stood side by side.

Keesokan paginya, tak ada yang berteriak dari kedua dermaga. Para pengunjung datang menyusuri jalan setapak dan berhenti, bingung. Mereka memandang kedua lelaki yang berdiri berdampingan itu.

Gaston reached out and touched the bell with one finger.

Gaston mengulurkan tangan dan menyentuh lonceng itu dengan satu jari.

The bell rang once across the water, and both huts heard it.

Lonceng itu berbunyi sekali melintasi air, dan kedua pondok mendengarnya.