The Brake at San Rafael

The Letter in the Drawer

Surat di Dalam Laci

The funicular of San Rafael was a hundred and twelve years old, thirty-one metres high, and the shortest link between the harbour of Valparaíso and the neighbourhood on the hill. Two wooden cabins hung from a single cable; one went up while the other slid down, and halfway along the track, at the passing place, they greeted each other with a squeak that every child in the neighbourhood could imitate.

Kereta kabel San Rafael berusia seratus dua belas tahun, tingginya tiga puluh satu meter, dan menjadi jalur penghubung terpendek antara pelabuhan Valparaíso dan permukiman di atas bukit. Dua kabin kayu tergantung pada seutas kabel tunggal; yang satu bergerak naik saat yang lain meluncur turun, dan di tengah jalur, di titik persimpangan, keduanya saling menyapa dengan suara derit yang bisa ditirukan oleh setiap anak di lingkungan itu.

It had been built by a Swiss engineer who had never been to Chile and had sent his plans on paper with the remark that Valparaíso was “a city for goats and optimists”. Since then the railway had survived two earthquakes, a fire and, as people in the neighbourhood said, seven mayors, which had been far more difficult.

Kereta itu dibangun oleh seorang insinyur Swiss yang belum pernah menginjakkan kaki di Cile dan mengirimkan rancangannya di atas kertas, disertai catatan bahwa Valparaíso adalah “kota bagi kambing dan kaum optimis”. Sejak saat itu, kereta tersebut telah bertahan melewati dua kali gempa bumi, sebuah kebakaran besar, dan, seperti kata orang-orang di lingkungan itu, tujuh wali kota—yang konon jauh lebih sulit dihadapi.