Packing

All the way along the river, Ana tried to put Helen’s words in order, the way she put loaves on a tray. Half the bakery belonged to Michael. The sale needed his signature. Walter was going to Leeds on Friday. And Michael, who had just been told by his own father to stay away, probably had no idea that the whole future of Bridge Street was waiting for him to pick up a pen. She walked faster.

Sepanjang jalan di tepi sungai, Ana berusaha menyusun kata-kata Helen dalam pikirannya, seperti saat ia menyusun roti di atas loyang. Separuh toko roti itu milik Michael. Penjualan itu membutuhkan tanda tangannya. Walter akan pergi ke Leeds pada hari Jumat. Dan Michael, yang baru saja disuruh ayahnya sendiri untuk menjauh, mungkin sama sekali tidak tahu bahwa seluruh masa depan Bridge Street sedang menunggu ia mengambil pena. Ia berjalan lebih cepat.

By the time she reached the canal, Ana was out of breath and the light was already going. The ducks were settling for the night under the old bridge. On one of the boats somebody was frying onions, and the smell drifted along the water. Everything looked exactly as it always did, which seemed unfair.

Ketika tiba di tepi kanal, napas Ana terengah-engah dan hari sudah mulai gelap. Bebek-bebek mulai menetap untuk tidur di bawah jembatan tua. Di salah satu perahu, seseorang sedang menggoreng bawang bombai, dan aromanya melayang di atas air. Semuanya tampak persis seperti biasa, dan rasanya itu tidak adil.

The Second Chance did not look as it always did. Its side doors were open, and there were cardboard boxes on the path next to it, some taped shut, some still empty. The little stove was out. The hatch over the engine at the back had been lifted, and Michael was kneeling beside it with a torch and an oily cloth, his sleeves pushed up to the elbows.

The Second Chance tidak terlihat seperti biasa. Pintu sampingnya terbuka, dan ada kotak-kotak kardus di jalan setapak di sebelahnya, beberapa sudah direkatkan rapat, beberapa masih kosong. Kompor kecil sudah mati. Penutup mesin di bagian belakang telah diangkat, dan Michael sedang berlutut di sampingnya dengan senter dan kain berminyak, lengan bajunya digulung sampai ke siku.