Flour, Water, Salt

Walter turns on the light. Then he turns on the radio. There is music. “Wash your hands,” he says. Ana washes her hands.

Walter menyalakan lampu. Lalu dia menyalakan radio. Ada musik. “Cuci tangan kamu,” kata Walter. Ana mencuci tangan.

On the big table, there is a big bowl. Walter puts flour in the bowl. “Flour,” he says. Then he puts in water. “Water. Warm, not hot.” Then a little salt. “Salt. Not a lot.”

Di atas meja besar, ada mangkuk besar. Walter menaruh tepung ke dalam mangkuk. “Flour,” kata Walter. Lalu dia memasukkan air. “Water. Hangat, tidak panas.” Lalu sedikit garam. “Salt. Tidak banyak.”

“Flour, water, salt,” Ana says. She takes her phone. She wants to write the new words.

“Flour, water, salt,” kata Ana. Dia mengambil ponsel dia. Dia mau menulis kata-kata yang baru.

“No phone,” Walter says. “Hands. Look.” He pushes the dough with his big hands. Push, turn, push, turn.

“Jangan pakai ponsel,” kata Walter. “Tangan. Lihat.” Dia menekan adonan dengan tangan dia yang besar. Tekan, balik, tekan, balik.

Ana tries. The dough is on her hands. It is on the table. It is on her jumper. “Walter, it is… it is in every place.”

Ana mencoba. Adonan ada di tangan dia. Adonan ada di meja. Adonan ada di baju hangat dia. “Walter, ini… ini ada di semua tempat.”

“Everywhere,” Walter says. He doesn’t laugh. “Again. Slowly.”

“Everywhere,” kata Walter. Dia tidak tertawa. “Lagi. Lambat-lambat.”

They work. The clock on the wall says four o’clock. Ana makes small rolls. Her rolls are not round. Walter’s rolls are all the same.

Mereka bekerja. Jam di dinding menunjukkan jam empat. Ana membuat roti kecil. Roti dia tidak bulat. Roti Walter semua sama.

Ana takes a tray from the oven. “Not with your hands! It’s hot!” Walter says. Ana puts the tray down fast. “Sorry. Sorry, sorry.”

Ana mengambil baki dari oven. “Jangan dengan tangan kamu! Itu panas!” kata Walter. Ana menaruh baki itu dengan cepat. “Maaf. Maaf, maaf.”

“Don’t say sorry. Use this.” He gives her a thick cloth.

“Jangan minta maaf. Pakai ini.” Dia memberi kain yang tebal kepada Ana.

Then Walter takes a big loaf from a tray. His hands shake. The loaf falls on the floor. Walter looks at his hands. Ana looks at his hands too.

Lalu Walter mengambil roti besar dari baki. Tangan dia bergetar. Roti itu jatuh ke lantai. Walter melihat tangan dia. Ana juga melihat tangan Walter.

“Don’t look at me,” he says. “Work.”

“Jangan melihat aku,” kata Walter. “Bekerja.”

Ana doesn’t say a word. She picks up the loaf and puts it on the table.

Ana tidak berbicara. Dia mengambil roti itu dan menaruh roti itu di meja.

At ten to five, Walter goes to the front of the shop. Ana hears the bell over the door. People come in. They want bread and rolls. Ana stays at the back with the oven.

Jam lima kurang sepuluh menit, Walter pergi ke bagian depan toko. Ana mendengar lonceng di atas pintu. Orang-orang datang masuk. Mereka mau roti. Ana tetap di belakang dekat oven.

At six o’clock, a girl comes down the stairs. She is tall, with long red hair. She has big headphones round her neck. “Toast, Grandad!” she says. Then she sees Ana. “Oh. You’re the new one.”

Jam enam, seorang anak perempuan turun dari tangga. Dia tinggi, dengan rambut merah yang panjang. Ada penyuara telinga besar di leher dia. “Roti panggang, Kakek!” kata anak itu. Lalu dia melihat Ana. “Oh. Kamu orang yang baru.”