Sarung Tangan Merah

Tidak ada yang memberi tahu betapa kotornya sebuah aula gereja. Saya menyapunya Kamis malam, setelah latihan, dengan sapu tua Pak Doyle. Ada biskuit di bawah piano dari tahun 2019. Ada sebuah sepatu. Ada sandwich yang sangat tua.

Nobody tells you how dirty a church hall is. I swept it on Thursday evening, after the rehearsal, with Mr Doyle’s old broom. There were biscuits under the piano from 2019. There was a shoe. There was a very old sandwich.

Lalu saya mengambil kawat tipis dari laci dapur dan mengikat bintang timah di atas kandang kecil itu, berputar-putar, sangat kencang. Sekarang tidak ada yang bisa mengambil bintang itu. Saya mengunci pintu dengan kunci saya, dan saya memeriksanya dua kali. Pukul tujuh Marco datang dengan kuncinya untuk membangun, dan pukul sepuluh dia menguncinya lagi. Saya tahu, karena pukul sepuluh saya lewat di sana, memakai mantel, membawa daftar saya. Dia tidak melihat saya. Saya merasa bodoh dan tetap lewat.

Then I took some thin wire from the kitchen drawer and tied the tin star to the top of the little stable, round and round, very tight. Nobody could take that star now. I locked the door with my key, and I checked it twice. At seven Marco came with his key to build, and at ten he locked it again. I know, because I walked past at ten, in my coat, with my list. He didn’t see me. I felt stupid and I walked past anyway.

Pada hari Jumat paduan suara Ruth berlatih di aula. Jumat ini dia datang lebih awal. Pukul setengah empat dia masuk ke kelas saya, hal yang belum pernah dia lakukan.

On Fridays Ruth’s choir practises in the hall. This Friday she came early. At half past three she came into my classroom, which she has never done before.

“Bu Novak,” katanya. “Bintang Anda hilang.”

“Miss Novak,” she said. “Your star is gone.”

Bintang timah itu hilang. Kawat saya menggantung terbuka di sudut kandang. Seseorang melepasnya, pelan-pelan, berputar-putar, dalam gelap.

The tin star was gone. My wire hung open from the corner of the stable. Somebody untied it, slowly, round and round, in the dark.

“Sekarang ada dua kunci,” kata saya. “Kunci saya dan kunci dia.”

“There are two keys now,” I said. “Mine and his.”

“Ya,” kata Ruth. “Saya juga bisa menghitung.”

“Yes,” said Ruth. “I can count too.”

Ujung kawat saya tajam. Di situ ada sesuatu yang merah. Seutas benang wol merah yang pendek. Saya mengambilnya, memasukkannya ke amplop, dan menulis tanggalnya di amplop itu.

The end of my wire was sharp. On it there was something red. A short red wool thread. I took it off and put it in an envelope, and wrote the date on the envelope.

“Bagus sekali,” kata Ruth. “Sekarang Anda seorang detektif.”

“Very good,” said Ruth. “Now you are a detective.”

Pukul setengah lima para orang tua datang menjemput anak-anak paduan suara. Diane Price datang dengan sarung tangan merah. Dia selalu memakai sarung tangan merah. Itu sarung tangan yang sangat bagus, dari wol merah yang lembut.

At half past four the parents came for the choir children. Diane Price came in red gloves. She always wears red gloves. They are very good gloves, of soft red wool.

Sophie bercerita kepada ibunya tentang bintang itu sebelum Diane melepas mantelnya. Diane melihat kandang Natal, lalu melihat semua orang tua.

Sophie told her mother about the star before Diane had her coat off. Diane looked at the crib and then at all the parents.

“Ini skandal,” katanya keras. “Hari Selasa Father Tom bercerita kepada dewan tentang satu boneka kecil. Satu boneka, katanya, dan Bu Novak sedang mencarinya. Sekarang malaikat-malaikat dan bintang juga?”

“This is a scandal,” she said loudly. “On Tuesday Father Tom told the council about one little doll. One doll, he said, and Miss Novak is looking for it. Now the angels and the star too?”

“Saya sedang mencari,” kata saya.

“I am looking,” I said.

“Anda sedang mencari,” kata Diane, kepada semua orang. “Baiklah. Uskup akan datang tiga minggu lagi. Saya meminta rapat dewan paroki. Senin malam.”

“You are looking,” said Diane, to everybody. “Well. The bishop is coming in three weeks. I am asking for a meeting of the parish council. On Monday evening.”