Final Reminder

Daniel jumped down from the bus, and Ana ran after him. The night was cold and very quiet. They stopped on the river path, behind the bakery.

Daniel melompat turun dari bus, dan Ana berlari mengejarnya. Malam itu dingin dan sangat sepi. Mereka berhenti di jalan setapak sungai, di belakang toko roti.

There was nobody there. The path went left to the canal and right to the bridge, and both ways were dark and empty. Only the paper bag was there, on the step, with the bread inside.

Tidak ada orang di sana. Jalan itu menuju ke kiri ke kanal dan ke kanan ke jembatan, dan kedua arah itu gelap serta kosong. Hanya kantong kertas yang ada di sana, di tangga, dengan roti di dalamnya.

“Where did he go?” Daniel said. He looked left and right. “He was here. Ten seconds ago. I saw him.”

“Ke mana dia pergi?” kata Daniel. Dia melihat ke kiri dan ke kanan. “Dia tadi di sini. Sepuluh detik yang lalu. Aku melihatnya.”

“Daniel. Who did you see? In the lights. You said: that’s…”

“Daniel. Siapa yang kamu lihat? Di bawah lampu. Kamu berkata: itu…”

Daniel was quiet for a long time. Then he shook his head. “Nobody. I don’t know. For one second, I thought… It was the hat, and the way he walked. But it’s fifteen years, Ana. And it was dark.”

Daniel diam untuk waktu yang lama. Lalu dia menggelengkan kepala. “Bukan siapa-siapa. Aku tidak tahu. Untuk satu detik, aku berpikir… Itu karena topinya, dan cara dia berjalan. Tapi ini sudah lima belas tahun, Ana. Dan waktu itu gelap.”

Ana couldn’t keep it inside any more. “His name is Mick,” she said. “He lives on a boat on the canal. He takes the bread every night. He says he’s from Manchester. He says he doesn’t know any Michael Bell. But he folds the bags, like Michael. And he knows how to make bread.”

Ana tidak bisa menyimpannya lagi. “Namanya Mick,” katanya. “Dia tinggal di perahu di kanal. Dia mengambil roti itu setiap malam. Dia berkata bahwa dia dari Manchester. Dia berkata bahwa dia tidak kenal Michael Bell mana pun. Tapi dia melipat kantong itu, seperti Michael. Dan dia tahu cara membuat roti.”

Daniel looked at her for a long time. Behind them, the bus was waiting with its doors open. The nurse was looking out of the window, not happy.

Daniel memandangnya untuk waktu yang lama. Di belakang mereka, bus itu menunggu dengan pintu terbuka. Perawat itu melihat ke luar jendela, tidak senang.

“Listen to me, Ana,” he said quietly. “If it is Michael, Walter mustn’t hear it from you. Not from you, not from me. Do you understand? That’s Michael’s job. Only Michael can walk through that door.”

“Dengarkan aku, Ana,” katanya pelan. “Kalau itu Michael, Walter tidak boleh mendengarnya dari kamu. Tidak dari kamu, tidak dari aku. Kamu mengerti? Itu urusan Michael. Hanya Michael yang boleh lewat pintu itu.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

“Dan kalau dia tidak datang?”

“Then he doesn’t. It’s not our story.” He walked back to the bus. “I’m going to be late. Go inside. It’s cold.”

“Maka dia tidak datang. Itu bukan cerita kita.” Dia berjalan kembali ke bus. “Aku akan terlambat. Masuklah. Di luar dingin.”

The bus drove away. Ana stood alone on the path. Then she opened the back door and went into the warm kitchen.

Bus itu pergi. Ana berdiri sendiri di jalan setapak. Lalu dia membuka pintu belakang dan masuk ke dapur yang hangat.

Walter was at the oven. He had a big tray of loaves in his hands. He turned round when he heard the door. “Ana? It’s your night off. What are you—”

Walter ada di dekat oven. Dia membawa nampan besar berisi roti di tangannya. Dia berbalik ketika mendengar pintu. “Ana? Ini malam liburmu. Apa yang kamu—”

Then his hands shook, very badly. The hot tray fell. The loaves went everywhere on the floor. Walter put out his hand to catch the tray, and his hand touched the hot metal.

Lalu tangannya gemetar, sangat parah. Nampan panas itu jatuh. Roti-roti berserakan di lantai. Walter mengulurkan tangannya untuk menangkap nampan itu, dan tangannya menyentuh logam panas.

He shouted. Crumb barked. Ana ran to him and took his arm. “Cold water! Now!” She held his hand under the cold tap in the sink. Walter’s face was grey.

Dia berteriak. Crumb menggonggong. Ana berlari kepadanya dan memegang lengannya. “Air dingin! Sekarang!” Dia menahan tangan Walter di bawah keran air dingin di bak cuci piring. Wajah Walter abu-abu.