The Back Door

Ana and Jess run down Bridge Street. The rain is very heavy now. Their shoes are wet. Their hair is wet. Ana’s new jacket is wet too.

Ana dan Jess berlari di Bridge Street. Hujan sangat deras sekarang. Sepatu mereka basah. Rambut mereka basah. Jaket baru Ana juga basah.

In the bakery, there is water on the floor. A lot of water. The back door is open, and the wind and the rain come in. Walter is at the door. He pushes it with his big hands, but it doesn’t close.

Di toko roti, ada air di lantai. Banyak air. Pintu belakang terbuka, lalu angin dan hujan masuk. Walter berdiri di pintu. Dia mendorong pintu dengan tangan besarnya, tapi pintu tidak mau menutup.

“Grandad! Are you OK?” Jess asks.

“Kakek! Kakek baik-baik saja?” tanya Jess.

“I’m fine. The door isn’t fine. The wind opens it, and it doesn’t close. The wood is old.” He looks at the water. “The flour, Jess. The flour can’t get wet.”

“Aku baik-baik saja. Pintu ini tidak baik. Angin membuka pintu ini, dan pintu tidak mau menutup. Kayunya sudah tua.” Dia melihat air itu. “Tepung itu, Jess. Tepung tidak boleh basah.”

Jess and Ana carry the bags of flour upstairs. They are very heavy. Then Jess goes to her room. She has homework. Ana comes back down.

Jess dan Ana membawa kantong-kantong tepung ke lantai atas. Kantong-kantong itu sangat berat. Lalu Jess pergi ke kamarnya. Dia ada pekerjaan rumah. Ana turun kembali.

“Walter, I can help with the door,” she says. “My father has a lot of tools. At home, I help him.”

“Walter, aku bisa bantu urus pintu,” kata Ana. “Ayahku punya banyak alat. Di rumah, aku membantu dia.”

Walter looks at her. Then he gives her a small box. “Tools,” he says. “Hold the door. I take out this piece of wood, and you put in the new one.”

Walter melihat Ana. Lalu dia memberi Ana satu kotak kecil. “Alat-alat,” kata Walter. “Pegang pintu ini. Aku mengeluarkan potongan kayu ini, dan kamu memasang yang baru.”

They work for an hour. The radio is on. Outside, the rain doesn’t stop. Walter’s hands shake, so Ana does the small things. Walter does the heavy things.

Mereka bekerja selama satu jam. Radio menyala. Di luar, hujan tidak berhenti. Tangan Walter bergetar, jadi Ana melakukan hal-hal kecil. Walter melakukan hal-hal yang berat.

Then Walter talks. Not a lot, but more than every other day.

Lalu Walter berbicara. Tidak banyak, tapi lebih banyak dari hari-hari biasa.

“My wife likes this song,” he says. “Mary. Mary likes all the old songs. She sings in the shop, and the customers sing too.”

“Istriku suka lagu ini,” kata Walter. “Mary. Mary suka semua lagu lama. Dia bernyanyi di toko, dan para pelanggan juga ikut bernyanyi.”

“Where is she now?” Ana asks.

“Di mana dia sekarang?” tanya Ana.

“In the church yard. Up the hill. Twenty years now.” He is quiet for a moment. “Bread is easy, Ana. Flour, water, salt. Families are not easy.”

“Di halaman gereja. Di atas bukit. Sekarang sudah dua puluh tahun.” Dia diam sebentar. “Roti itu mudah, Ana. Tepung, air, garam. Keluarga tidak mudah.”

“I’m sorry, Walter.”

“Maaf, Walter.”

“And you? Your family? Why are you here, at night, in the rain, in Hollin Bridge?”

“Dan kamu? Keluargamu? Kenapa kamu ada di sini, pada malam hari, di tengah hujan, di Hollin Bridge?”