On the Step

“He’s asleep,” Ana said quickly. “He’s upstairs, asleep. He’s all right.” Then she saw that this was not true, and that Michael could see it in her face. She took a breath. “No. He isn’t all right. We went to the hospital yesterday. He has Parkinson’s disease, Michael.”

“Dia sedang tidur,” kata Ana cepat-cepat. “Dia ada di lantai atas, sedang tidur. Dia baik-baik saja.” Kemudian dia melihat bahwa ini tidak benar, dan bahwa Michael bisa melihatnya di wajahnya. Dia menarik napas. “Tidak. Dia tidak baik-baik saja. Kami pergi ke rumah sakit kemarin. Dia menderita penyakit Parkinson, Michael.”

For a moment Michael did not move at all. Then he walked the last few steps to the bakery, very slowly, like a much older man. He looked at the open door and the bright kitchen. Then he sat down on the step, next to the paper bag, with his long coat folded under him.

Untuk sesaat Michael sama sekali tidak bergerak. Kemudian dia berjalan beberapa langkah terakhir menuju toko roti, sangat lambat, seperti orang yang jauh lebih tua. Dia menatap pintu yang terbuka dan dapur yang terang. Kemudian dia duduk di undakan, di sebelah kantong kertas, dengan mantel panjangnya terlipat di bawahnya.

Ana understood that he had not sat on this step for fifteen years. She did not say anything. She sat down next to him. Behind them, Crumb came to the door, smelled Michael’s coat carefully and lay down across the doorway with a heavy sigh.

Ana paham bahwa dia belum pernah duduk di undakan ini selama lima belas tahun. Dia tidak berkata apa-apa. Dia duduk di sebelahnya. Di belakang mereka, Crumb datang ke pintu, mencium mantel Michael dengan hati-hati dan berbaring melintang di ambang pintu sambil menghela napas berat.