The Phone in the Taxi

The young man

Pemuda itu

Claire lives in Paris. She is forty-four. She drives a taxi.

Claire tinggal di Paris. Umur dia empat puluh empat tahun. Dia menyetir taksi.

She works every day, from seven to eight. Her taxi is old, but it is very clean.

Dia bekerja setiap hari, dari jam tujuh sampai jam delapan. Taksinya tua, tetapi sangat bersih.

Claire is divorced. She has a son, but he is a man now. He lives in Lyon. He does not call her much.

Claire bercerai. Dia punya anak laki-laki, tetapi anaknya sekarang sudah dewasa. Dia tinggal di Lyon. Dia jarang menelepon Claire.

It is Monday morning, and it is raining. A young man runs to the taxi. He has a big bag and a small bag.

Hari ini Senin pagi, dan hujan turun. Seorang pemuda berlari ke taksi. Dia membawa tas besar dan tas kecil.

“Good morning! To the big bank on Rue de Rivoli, please. And fast, please! I am late.”

“Selamat pagi! Tolong ke bank besar di Rue de Rivoli. Dan tolong cepat! Saya terlambat.”

“Everybody is late in Paris,” says Claire. She smiles.

“Semua orang terlambat di Paris,” kata Claire. Dia tersenyum.

The young man does not smile. He talks on his phone. He looks at his watch. He talks on his phone again.

Pemuda itu tidak tersenyum. Dia berbicara di ponselnya. Dia melihat jam tangannya. Dia berbicara di ponselnya lagi.

“Yes, Mum. No, Mum. I know, Mum. Tonight at nine. Yes, I have everything.”

“Ya, Ibu. Tidak, Ibu. Aku tahu, Ibu. Nanti malam jam sembilan. Ya, semua barang ada padaku.”

Claire listens. She thinks of her son. Her son never says “Yes, Mum” on the phone. Her son does not call.

Claire mendengar. Dia memikirkan anak laki-lakinya. Anaknya tidak pernah berkata “Ya, Ibu” di telepon. Anaknya tidak menelepon.

“Is that your mother?” she asks.

“Apakah itu ibu Anda?” tanya Claire.

“Yes. She calls every hour. She worries about everything.”

“Ya. Dia menelepon setiap jam. Dia cemas tentang semua hal.”

“Mothers worry,” says Claire. “It is their job. And young men forget everything.”

“Para ibu memang cemas,” kata Claire. “Itu tugas mereka. Dan pemuda lupa segalanya.”

The taxi stops in front of a big bank. The young man gives her the money. He takes his bags and runs.

Taksi berhenti di depan sebuah bank besar. Pemuda itu memberi uang kepada Claire. Dia mengambil tas-tasnya dan berlari.