Para Ayah

Itu Walter. Tangan kanannya memakai perban putih. Dia berhenti di pintu dan melihat surat di tangan Ana. Lalu dia melihat wajah Ana.

It was Walter. His right hand was in a white bandage. He stopped at the door and looked at the letter in Ana’s hand. Then he looked at her face.

“Aku sedang membersihkan,” kata Ana dengan cepat. “Surat-surat itu ada di bawah kaleng-kaleng. Aku tidak membuka apa pun. Maafkan aku.”

“I was cleaning,” Ana said quickly. “The letters were under the tins. I didn’t open anything. I’m sorry.”

Walter berjalan mendekatinya. Dia mengambil surat itu dari tangannya dengan tangannya yang sehat. Dia tidak melihatnya. Dia memasukkannya ke dalam saku celemeknya.

Walter walked over to her. He took the letter from her hand with his good hand. He didn’t look at it. He put it in the pocket of his apron.

“Jess akan membawaku ke dokter pada jam sembilan,” katanya. “Dia lebih cerewet daripada neneknya. Jangan katakan apa-apa kepadanya tentang hal ini. Dia ada ujian.”

“Jess is taking me to the doctor at nine,” he said. “She’s worse than her grandmother. Don’t say anything to her about this. She has exams.”

“Walter, delapan belas ribu pound adalah uang yang banyak.”

“Walter, eighteen thousand pounds is a lot of money.”

“Aku tahu berapa jumlahnya.” Suaranya tidak marah. Dia hanya sangat lelah. “Pergi dan tidurlah, Ana. Terima kasih untuk rotinya.”

“I know how much it is.” His voice wasn’t angry. It was only very tired. “Go and sleep, Ana. Thank you for the bread.”

Dokter berkata bahwa tangan Walter akan sembuh dalam dua minggu. Mengenai tangannya yang gemetar, dokter ingin melakukan beberapa tes di rumah sakit. Walter berkata bahwa dia tidak punya waktu untuk tes. Jess tidak berbicara dengannya sepanjang sisa hari itu.

The doctor said Walter’s hand was going to be fine in two weeks. About his shaking hands, the doctor wanted to do some tests at the hospital. Walter said he didn’t have time for tests. Jess didn’t talk to him for the rest of the day.

Pada Minggu siang, telepon Ana berdering. Itu saudara laki-lakinya, Leo. Dia selalu menelepon pada hari Minggu, tetapi biasanya Ana yang meneleponnya.

On Sunday afternoon, Ana’s phone rang. It was her brother, Leo. He always called on Sundays, but usually Ana called him.

“Bagaimana bahasa Inggrismu?” tanya Leo, dan dia tertawa. “Apakah kamu bermimpi dalam bahasa Inggris sekarang?”

“How is your English?” Leo asked, and he laughed. “Do you dream in English now?”

“Kadang-kadang. Aku bermimpi tentang roti dalam bahasa Inggris.” Dia sedang duduk di anak tangga paling bawah di toko roti, dekat dapur. Di sana hangat. “Ada apa, Leo? Suaramu terdengar aneh.”

“Sometimes. I dream about bread in English.” She was sitting on the bottom stair in the bakery, near the kitchen. It was warm there. “What’s wrong, Leo? You sound strange.”

Leo diam sejenak. “Ayah ingin berbicara denganmu. Dia menanyakan tentangmu setiap hari sekarang. Dia sedang duduk di sebelahku. Boleh aku memberikan telepon ini kepadanya?”

Leo was quiet for a moment. “Dad wants to talk to you. He asks about you every day now. He’s sitting next to me. Can I give him the phone?”

Tangan Ana menjadi dingin pada telepon itu. Selama dua tahun dia tidak berbicara dengan ayahnya. Tidak satu kata pun. Dia berkata, “Tidak, Leo. Maaf. Jangan sekarang.”

Ana’s hand went cold on the phone. For two years she didn’t speak to her father. Not one word. She said, “No, Leo. I’m sorry. Not now.”

“Ana, tolonglah. Dia…”

“Ana, please. He…”

“Jangan sekarang. Aku harus pergi. Aku akan meneleponmu hari Minggu depan. Aku janji.” Dia menutup panggilan itu. Lalu dia duduk di anak tangga dan tidak bergerak.

“Not now. I have to go. I’ll call you next Sunday. I promise.” She ended the call. Then she sat on the stair and didn’t move.