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Sample translations submitted: 1
English to Indonesian: War of The Seasons Book 1 : The Human General field: Art/Literary Detailed field: Poetry & Literature
Source text - English War of The Seasons Book 1 : The Human
The first thing Story realized was she was somehow, miraculously, still alive. She knew this because every single inch of her body hurt; even her hair hurt. The second thing Story realized was she’d neglected an important rule in spelunking: always look up before you stand.
Chapter 1 : The Fall
Gravel sprayed out from under the Jeep’s tires as it
skidded to a halt in front of the cave entrance. Story smiled as she saw the familiar, happy memory from her childhood.
The longing—no, the need—to see it again had been consuming
her for months. Set in a massive limestone outcropping that jutted out from the mountainside, the opening was shaped like a lopsided half-moon, as if someone had hooked the right side of the cave entrance and tugged upward. A warm, summer breeze rustled the treetops, and she took a deep breath, inhaling the sharp, piney smell of the surrounding woods.
“What do you mean if you go back to school?”
Story’s smile evaporated, and she felt a flash of irritation over the interruption. Josh raised his fiery red eyebrows and peered over the rim of his sunglasses at her, waiting for an answer.
Ignoring his question, she hopped out of the Jeep and after
a quick look around noted that there weren’t any other cars parked nearby.
Good.
Josh jumped out and slammed the passenger door shut before
walking around to the back of the vehicle to block her access to their gear.
“I’m serious, Story. What do you mean if? You can’t be thinking of dropping out of high school! What about your friends? What about prom? What about college?”
Story snorted. “Are you serious? Prom? College? Like those things really matter.” She pushed past him and reached for her gear. “Besides, you’re the only friend I have left.”
Leaning into the back of the Jeep, she pulled out her daypack
and slipped a headlamp over her purple-streaked black hair. She tossed some water and snacks into the bag along with a short length of rope and a few anchor points with carabiners.
Josh picked up his daypack and mirrored her actions, but stubbornly clung to the subject. “Of course it matters. You only get to go to high school once.” His face softened. “Besides, didn’t we have a good time last year?” He held her gaze with his sky blue eyes and, hesitantly, as if he was afraid he’d scare her away, reached up with his hand and gently brushed her chin-length hair back, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. His thumb came down to rest on her jaw, while his fingertips grazed the side of her neck.
Story looked up at him and felt a familiar ache rise in her chest: her breath became short and shallow. But she buried the rising rush of emotions before they could fully surface. She couldn’t allow herself to feel anything anymore—not even good things like Josh, because, as her father always used to say, “You can’t feel the good without the bad.”
She jerked away from Josh, as if burned by his touch, and turned back to the Jeep.
Ignoring the hurt look she saw before she turned, she threaded the string from her battered lensatic compass through one of her belt loops and then shoved its considerable bulk in her front pocket. After pausing to make sure it was secure, she pulled on a faded, black hoodie with a peeling surfing logo emblazoned
across the front; it would be enough to ward off the cave’s chill.
Almost as an afterthought, she picked up the knife lying in the back of the Jeep.
Her father smiled and pulled a poorly wrapped gift from his back pocket. “Merry Christmas, kiddo!” He winked and tossed it into her lap.
Story examined the oblong bundle, fairly certain she knew what it contained. Never one for trying to preserve gift-wrap, she made short work of the paper and found herself holding an old knife. Her father’s old Marine Corps Ka-Bar, to be precise. She turned it around in her hands and pulled it from its brown leather sheath. It was nearly a foot long from end to end: the blade itself was seven inches in length. It was just an old, oversized knife—unremarkable in every way.
“Um, thanks?”
Her father’s neck started to turn red, and he thrust his hands deeply into his front pockets as he leaned against the doorjamb. “It’s not your only gift. I just wanted to give you this one now.”
“Oh no, it’s great, Dad, really!” She plastered a huge, and hopefully
genuine looking, smile on her face. “I’m sure it’ll come in handy a lot. Hiking, spelunking...”
Slamming the door on the rest of the memory, she attached the knife to her belt with more force than necessary. When she looked up, Josh was eying her warily.
“We don’t have to do this today, you know—if it’s too much for you.” Josh stepped in closer, requiring her to arch her neck back to look him in the face, which was saying something; at nearly six feet, Story was pretty tall for a girl.
“We could just set up camp and try in the morning,” he continued.
“If you keep talking like that I’m going to start thinking you’re claustrophobic.” Story hefted her pack and adjusted its fit. “Or a wuss.” She pushed past his linebacker’s bulk and walked toward the cave entrance.
She heard Josh give an exasperated sigh and, looking over her shoulder, saw him kick her Jeep’s tire before picking up his pack and following her. “Just once, you could try being nice to me, you know.”
“That would only encourage you,” she called back at him. He rolled his eyes, and she knew she had, once again, been forgiven. For some reason, that comforted her. As much as she drove Josh away, she felt like if he ever did give up on her what little remained of the old Story would be gone for good.
Those melancholy thoughts evaporated as she neared the cave entrance. She ran her hand up the smooth, white trunk of the solitary aspen tree that flanked the opening and heard its distinctive round leaves flutter in the light wind. She smiled as she remembered her father’s advice to her and the twins on one of their many trips here.
“Aspen’s a terrible wood to use for a fire. Doesn’t burn very hot or fast. But the inner bark can be peeled and eaten in a pinch—”
“Does it taste good?” Katie interrupted, always eager to try something new.
“It’s actually pretty bitter, but if you were hungry enough, I promise you wouldn’t care. That’s what I learned in the Corps; why I remember back when I was in SERE School—”
“Daaaaaaad,” Will whined, cutting their father off. “No more boring Marine stories!” He brandished his pocketknife. “Come on Katie, let’s go try some.”
Chuckling, their father winked at Story, and she smiled back. Her younger siblings were so predictable; they always dove head first into any new thing.
“Story? Hello… Anyone home?” Josh was standing before her, waving a hand in front of her face.
Startled, she shook her head to clear away the lingering memory. “Yeah, sorry. Just making sure I didn’t forget anything.”
Then, switching on her headlamp, she plunged into the darkness.
*****
T
he tunnel was too narrow for them to walk side by side. When she looked back to check on Josh, she saw he had to stoop slightly
so that he wouldn’t scrape his head.
“Don’t worry, it gets bigger in a couple minutes.”
“I hope so. I think I’m getting a crick in my neck.” Josh’s voice sounded strained. “So, what you said back there, about hating the kids who trashed the entry way to the cave.”
“Yeah?” Story felt her blood boil as she remembered the scattered beer bottles and the graffiti-covered walls they’d come across before entering this tunnel.
“Well, that’s pretty rich, coming from you.”
“What? How?” Surprise tinged her voice. “I’ve never vandalized
anything in my life!”
“I bet Sandy would disagree with you.”
Story bit her lower lip. “Oh. That…”
“Yeah, that.”
Story was standing patiently in line to pay for her bagel and cream cheese at the cafeteria. Sandy Wright was standing in front of her, carrying on a loud argument on her phone. It was impossible to ignore what she was saying.
“Seriously, Dad, you’re such an idiot sometimes. I’ve already explained this to you like a million times—”
Story ripped the phone out of Sandy’s hands and threw it against the wall so hard it made a cracking sound and broke in two. Then she calmly walked away, eating her stolen bagel and feeling better than she had in a long while. Sandy’s shrieks in the background had been the icing on the cake. Or rather, the chocolate chip in her cookie—she’d never been a fan of cake.
A smile crept across her face at the memory. “You know what? I think you’re right. But I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
“I know. That’s what worries me.”
The tunnel they’d been working their way down abruptly widened, and Josh let out a loud sigh of relief. “Finally!”
“Dude, we were only walking for like five minutes.” Story raised an eyebrow at him. “Does Coach McKnight know his star linebacker is this out of shape?”
“Shut up.”
“I’m sooooo telling…”
“I’m not out of shape! That ceiling was just low and stuff. Shut up.” Josh tried to stalk off down the tunnel, but Story grabbed his arm and yanked him back before he could take a step. Toe to toe, they faced each other in the dark, the soft glow of their headlamps illuminating their faces. She could see a spark of hope in Josh’s eyes—hope that maybe she’d dragged him all the way down here to rekindle things. For a fleeting moment, she almost gave in. It would be so easy, so very easy to do it, to be with Josh like that again. To let him try to fill the void in her heart.
But even as she thought it, she knew it wouldn’t be enough. Unable to hold his gaze any longer, she dropped her eyes and stared at the olive skin of her own hand and how it contrasted with the freckled, creamy surface of Josh’s biceps where she still clung. As the ache in her chest grew, she wished again for the time when life was simpler: when he was all that she needed. All she had to offer him now was the occasional friendship of an angry and bitter girl. Yet he stuck with her, either out of loyalty or misplaced affection, or maybe both.
Story stood up on her toes and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
She turned away from him before he could ask her what for and before she could see the hurt in his eyes at being rejected by her once again. Story angled her headlamp down to illuminate the floor near their feet. “Next time, before you go charging off, remember this is a cave. We’re spelunking. Always look down before you step.”
Josh looked at their feet and immediately scrambled away from the craggy, wide-mouthed hole he’d nearly stepped through. He pressed himself against the wall, breathing quickly.
“Holy crap! They should put up warning signs. That’s dangerous!”
Story snickered. “That’s half the fun! Besides, it’s a cave. What’d you expect? Well-lit paths? Guardrails? How about a tour guide and a refreshment stand?”
“Ha-ha.” Josh peeled the upper half of his body from the wall and cautiously peered over the edge into the darkness below.
“There’s a ledge about a foot wide along the left side of the hole that leads to another tunnel. There are some gorgeous rock formations down that way, and it eventually leads to the underground
river I was telling you about before.” The river where my parents met. A hazy image of a flighty, ethereally beautiful woman began to surface, and Story frowned, refusing to think about her mother. My mother who left me when I was just a baby. She felt her cheeks flush with the heat of her anger, and she pressed her sea green eyes closed. Sea green eyes, just like my mother’s. Banishing the memory with a sigh, she opened her eyes and pointed out a tall, narrow tunnel that was slanted on a leftward angle, on the opposite side of the sinkhole about ten feet away.
“Um…I don’t think…” Josh’s voice cracked.
Story gave him a sidelong glance. “Don’t worry, we’re going
a different way.”
“I’m heartbroken.”
She smirked and shrugged off her pack. “We’re going down.”
“I was afraid you were going to say that.”
*****
T
he sinkhole wasn’t as dire as Story led Josh to believe. Roughly six feet deep and bowl shaped, it had craggy, pock marked walls that provided ample hand and foot holds for climbing. The twins had named this part of the cave the ‘Toilet Bowl,’ because of the tunnel that Story and Josh currently found themselves crawling through. It shot off the bowl at a downward angle, leading the twins to call it the u-bend.
When Story’s hand dropped down into nothingness, she quickly stopped and felt Josh run into her backside. She looked over her shoulder in time to see his face turn almost as red as his hair.
“Uh, sorry. Didn’t realize...”
She didn’t say anything—to avoid embarrassing him more—and hopped down out of the tunnel. She let her gaze sweep the length of the massive cavern. Roughly the size of a basketball court, it was littered with holes, fissures, and crevices
that led off into countless other caverns. She’d always found this part of the caves stunningly beautiful, due to the abundance of stalactite and stalagmite formations. Some had grown close enough together over the ages that they formed a beautiful pillar,
narrowed at the center like an hourglass. She could hear the drip-drip-drip of water droplets around the room working ceaselessly for millennia to create these wonders.
“Whoa.” Josh’s voice interrupted the timeless symphony of water droplets, inadequately summing up the natural beauty around them.
Story turned to the right side of the cave and began navigating
around the columns toward the far wall. There was a tiny fissure back there that she’d discovered as child. It was the only place in the caves her father had gotten upset about when she tried to explore. In fact, he’d expressly forbidden her from entering
it, saying only that it was “dangerous.”
Behind her, she heard Josh curse under his breath as he stumbled. When he finally caught up to her, she pointed at an unremarkable rock face in front of them with a few stones jutting
out from the base.
“So what? It’s a wall—am I missing something?”
“Looks like it, doesn’t it?” She walked forward toward one of the bigger rock outcroppings and removed her pack. “But looks can be deceiving.” She flashed him a mischievous grin over her shoulder and slipped into the shadows.
The sharp intake of breath she heard from Josh confirmed what she knew would happen. To him, it would look like she’d disappeared right before his eyes. In reality, it was just a trick of the light. Hidden in the shadows of the outcropping was a wide, horizontal slit in the cave wall that Story had pressed her body into. Built slim like her father, she was able to fit with minimal effort. It was only three feet or so deep, so she quickly slid to the other side of the fissure, into the cave beyond.
“Story? STORY?” Josh’s voice was panicked, and he clutched her abandoned pack in his hands as his eyes searched vainly for her in the shadows before him.
Crouched down on her side of the fissure, she contemplated remaining silent just to mess with him a bit more, but he was getting upset.
“Hey, quit freaking out. I’m right here.” She pulled her headlamp off and flashed the light at him.
His face popped into view on the other side of the crevice; his mouth had flattened to a thin line. “Not cool, Story. Not cool. How about a little warning next time?”
“Well, that wouldn’t be nearly as fun, would it?”
“I’m serious.” Josh looked left, then right, eyeing the length and width of the fissure. “Also, there is absolutely no way I will ever fit through this.”
“That’s fine. I just want to look around a bit in here anyway.”
Story’s legs were starting to cramp from being crouched for so long.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea—you going off on your own.”
Story rolled her eyes. Great, now he sounds like Dad. “Just pass me my pack. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
For a few moments there was only silence from the other side. Then Josh grumbled something that sounded like “Fine, have it your way,” and started shoving her pack through the crevice.
She felt the prickling sensation of her leg falling asleep, so she stood up to shake it out. Time seemed to slow as two things happened: She cracked her head on the ceiling or a stalactite—she wasn’t sure which—and lost her balance. She felt herself fall forward as her feet slipped out from under her, and she threw her arms out to break her fall.
What she hadn’t realized before was that she’d been standing
on the smooth edge of a precipice. Before she had time to process what was happening, her feet, followed by her legs, slipped over the edge and down into the chasm beneath her.
Her chest slammed against the lip of the opening, knocking the wind out of her.
“Josh!” she gasped out. She tried to brace her legs against the wall and push herself back up, but there was only open space beneath her. She felt the weight of her body begin to pull her down into the dark maw below.
“JOSH! Help me!”
She could hear Josh grunting as he tried to wedge his too-large frame into the crevice. “Story, hang on! I’m coming!” His voice was wild with panic, but it didn’t even come close to matching the terror Story felt. Her father wasn’t coming to save her; Josh couldn’t save her; no one could save her but herself.
She clawed frantically at the dusty cave floor with her hands, but it only made her slide down faster.
In that last moment, as Story was clinging to the edge with just her fingertips, she realized something: she was a terrible person. She had no friends anymore because she’d driven them all away. She’d been rude and spiteful to everyone and angry at the world for the unfairness of life and death and everything in between. She’d spent this entire trip behaving horribly to the one person who’d stuck by her through the worst year of her life. Truly, Josh was her last friend in this world. The knowledge washed over her, calming her, as if admitting the truth to herself had lifted a burden she didn’t know she was carrying.
“Josh?” Her voice was quiet now, calm.
“Story, just hang on a little longer—I’m going to throw you the rope!”
She heard the zipper on her bag being ripped open.
“Josh, I’m sorry.”
Story’s grip gave out, and she plummeted into the inky darkness below.
Translation - Indonesian War of The Seasons Book 1 : The Human
Hal pertama yang disadari Story adalah dia –entah bagaimana- masih hidup. Ia mengetahuinya karena setiap inci tubuhnya terasa sakit, termasuk rambutnya. Hal kedua yang disadari Story adalah ia telah mengabaikan peraturan penting dalam hal penjelajahan goa: selalu lihatlah ke atas sebelum kau berdiri.
Bagian 1 : The Fall (Terjatuh)
Kerikil berhamburan keluar dari bagian bawah ban Jeep saat Jeep tergelincir sebelum berhenti di depan mulut sebuah gua. Story tersenyum saat ia melihat ingatan familiar yang menyenangkan dari masa kanak-kanaknya. Kerinduan –tidak, kebutuhan- untuk melihatnya lagi telah merongrong dirinya selama berbulan-bulan. Berada pada batu gamping luar biasa besar yang menonjol keluar dari permukaan bumi, mulut gua itu berbentuk seperti bulan separuh yang miring, seolah-olah seseorang membengkokkan bagian kanan mulut gua dan menyentakkannya ke atas. Angin sepoi musim panas berdesir pada puncak pepohonan, dan Story menghirup napas dalam, menghirup bau pinus yang tajam dari pepohonan sekitarnya.
“Apa maksudmu kalau kau kembali ke sekolah?”
Senyuman Story memudar, dan dia merasakan sekelebat kejengkelan karena gangguan itu. Josh menaikkan alis merah menyalanya dan mengamati Story dari balik bingkai kacamata hitamnya, menunggu sebuah jawaban. Mengabaikan pertanyaan tadi, Story melompat keluar dari Jeep dan setelah sekilas memandang sekitar ia menyadari bahawa tidak ada mobil lain yang parkir di sekitar mereka. Bagus.
Josh melompat keluar dari Jeep dan membanting pintu penumpang agar menutup sebelum berjalan ke bagian belakang Jeep untuk menghalangi Story meraih peralatan penjelajahan guanya.
“Aku serius, Story. Apa maksudmu dengan kalau? Kau tidak boleh berpikiran untuk keluar dari sekolah! Bagaimana dengan teman-temanmu? Bagaimana dengan prom? Bagaimana dengan kuliah?”
Story mendengus. “Kau serius? Prom? Kuliah? Seperti semua hal itu penting saja.” Ia berjalan melewati Josh dan meraih peralatannya. “Lagipula, kau adalah satu-satunya temanku yang tersisa.”
Bersandar pada bagian belakang Jeep, Story menarik keluar ranselnya dan menyelipkan senter kepala pada rambut hitam bergaris ungunya. Ia melemparkan beberapa botol air minum dan makanan ringan ke dalam tas, bersamaan dengan tali pendek dan beberapa anchor point dengan carabiner.
Josh mengambil ranselnya dan mengikuti apa yang dilakukan oleh Story, namun ia tetap keras kepala melanjutkan topik pembicaraan. “Tentu saja itu semua penting. Kau hanya bisa bersekolah di SMA satu kali”. Ekspresi wajahnya melembut. “Lagipula, bukankah hari-hari kita menyenangkan tahun lalu?” Ia memandang Story dengan mata biru langitnya. Dengan bimbang, seolah kahawatir ia akan menakuti Story, ia meraih Story dengan tangannya dan dengan lembut menyibak rambut sedagu Story, menyelipkan beberapa helai di belakang telinganya. Ibu jari Josh beristirahat di dagu Story saat jemarinya menyentuh bagian samping leher Story.
Story menatap Josh dan merasakan rasa sakit yang familiar di dadanya: napasnya menjadi pendek dan tersendat. Namun ia segera mengubur aliran emosi yang timbul sebelum mereka mencapai permukaan. Ia tidak bisa mengijinkan dirinya merasakan hal apapun lagi –tidak juga untuk hal baik seperti Josh, karena seperti apa yang selalu dikatakan ayahnya, ”Kau tidak dapat merasakan sesuatu yang baik tanpa merasakan yang buruk juga.”
Ia tersentak dan menghindar dari Josh, seolah-olah terbakar oleh sentuhan Josh, dan kembali ke Jeep. Mengabaikan pandangan terluka yang ia lihat sebelum berbalik, ia mengurutkan tali dari kompas baterei berlensanya menuju salah satu kolong ikat pinggangnya kemudian mendorongnya pada bagian belakang kantongnya. Setelah berhenti sebentar untuk memastikan kompasnya akan aman, ia menarik hoodie berwarna hitam pudar dengan logo selancar mengelupas yang menghiasi bagian depannya. Hoodie itu akan cukup untuk menghalau hawa dingin gua.
Hampir spontan, ia mengambil pisau yang tergeletak di bagian belakang Jeep.
Ayahnya tersenyum dan mengeluarkan sebuah hadiah yang dibungkus berantakan dari kantong belakangnya. “Selamat hari natal, Nak!” Ia mengedip dan melemparkannya ke pangkuan Story. Story memeriksa bundelan membujur itu, cukup yakin ia mengetahui apa isinya. Karena ia bukan tipe orang yang senang menyimpan bungkus hadiah, ia pun segera merobek bungkusnya dan mendapati dirinya memegang sebuah pisau tua. Ayahnya adalah seorang senior angkatan laut Ka-Bar. Story membalik-balikkan pisau di tangannya dan menariknya keluar dari sarung kulitnya. Panjangnya dari ujung ke ujung hampir satu kaki. Mata pisau itu sendiri panjangnya 7 inci. Pisau itu hanyalah sebuah pisau tua yang terlalu besar –sangat biasa saja dilihat dari sisi manapun.
“Em, terimakasih?”
Leher ayahnya mulai memerah, dan ia memasukkan tangannya ke dalam kantong depannya saat ia bersandar pada tonggak pintu. “Itu bukan satu-satunya hadiahmu. Aku hanya ingin memberimu pisau itu sekarang.”
“Oh tidak, ini bagus, Ayah, sungguh.” Story menempelkan sebuah pelukan pada ayahnya, dan berharap semoga senyumnya terlihat tulus, ia kemudian tersenyum. “Aku yakin ini akan banyak berguna. Mendaki, penjelajahan gua..”
Story membanting pintu Jeep untuk mengenyahkan ingatan itu. Ia memasang pisau itu pada ikat pinggangnya dengan tenaga lebih dari yang dibutuhkan. Saat ia mendongak, Josh sedang memperhatikannya dengan waspada.
“Kita tidak harus melakukannya hari ini, kau tahu –jika ini terlalu berat untukmu.” Josh mendekati Story, berusaha membuat Story menengokkan kepalanya untuk melihat Josh. Pada saat bersamaan Story mengatakan sesuatu. Dengan tinggi hampir mencapai 6 kaki, Story terbilang cukup tinggi untuk ukuran seorang gadis.
“Kita bisa berkemah untuk hari ini dan menjelajah besok pagi,” lanjut Josh.
“Kalau kau terus berbicara seperti itu aku akan mulai berpikir kalau kau claustrophobic –fobia ruang tertutup-.” Story memakai ranselnya dan menyesuaikannya dengan tubuhnya. “Atau seorang pengecut.” Story mendorong tubuh besar Josh melewatinya dan melangkah menuju mulut gua.
Ia mendengar Josh menghela napas jengkel. Saat mengintip Josh melewati bahunya, Story melihat Josh menendang ban Jeepnya sebelum mengambil ranselnya dan mengikuti Story. “Hanya sekali, kau bisa mencoba bersikap baik padaku, kau tahu.”
“Ah, itu hanya akan membuatmu semakin berani,” Story membalas. Josh memutar bola matanya, dan Story tahu bahwa sekali lagi ia telah dimaafkan. Untuk beberapa alasan, hal itu membuatnya tenang. Sebanyak apapun ia telah mencoba membuat Josh menjauh, ia merasa jika Josh pernah menyerah padanya, apa yang tersisa pada diri Story yang dulu akan hilang untuk selamanya.
Pikiran sedih itu menguap saat ia mendekati mulut gua. Ia mengulurkan tangannya pada batang putih pohon aspen yang halus yang mengapit mulut gua dan mendengar suara khas dedaunan bergemerisik karena angin semilir. Ia tersenyum saat mengingat nasihat ayahnya untuknya dan si kembar di salah satu liburan mereka di sini.
“Kayu aspen sangat buruk untuk dijadikan kayu bakar. Karena aspen tidak mudah panas dan tidak terbakar dengan cepat. Tapi kulit kayu pada bagian dalamnya dapat dikupas dan dimakan dengan mencuilnya –”
“Apa rasanya enak?” Katie memotong, selalu bersemangat mencoba hal-hal baru.
“Sebenarnya rasanya cukup pahit, tapi jika kau sangat lapar, aku yakin kau tidak akan mempermasalahkannya. Itulah yang kupelajari dari Kesatuan. Aku ingat dulu saat aku masih di sekolah SERE – ”
“Ayaaaah,” Will merengek, memotong pembicaraan ayahnya. “Tidak ada lagi cerita membosankan tentang Angkatan Laut!” Will mengacungkan pisau sakunya. “Ayo Katie, ayo kita coba aspen ini.”
Terkekeh, ayah mereka mengedip pada Story. Story membalas kekehan ayahnya. Adik-adiknya sangat mudah ditebak. Mereka selalu bersemangat pada hal-hal baru.
“Story? Halo...ada orang di dalam?” Josh berdiri di hadapannya, melambaikan tangan di depan wajah Story.
Terkejut, Story menggeleng-gelengkan kepalanya untuk mengusir kenangan yang tertinggal. “Ya, maaf. Hanya memastikan aku tidak ketinggalan apapun.” Kemudian, Story menyalakan senter kepalanya dan masuk ke dalam kegelapan.
*****
Terowongan di dalam terlalu sempit bagi Story dan Josh untuk berjalan bersisihan. Saat Story menengok ke belakang untuk melihat Josh, ia melihat Josh harus sedikit membungkuk agar kepalanya tidak bergesekan dengan langit gua.
“Jangan kuatir, sebentar lagi terowongan ini akan lebih besar.”
“Kuharap begitu. Sepertinya leherku mulai pegal,” suara Josh terdengar tegang. “Jadi, yang tadi kau katakan, tentang kau sebal pada anak-anak yang membuang sampah sembarangan di depan mulut gua.”
“Ya?” Story merasakan darahnya mendidih mengingat botol bir berserakan dan grafiti pada dinding gua sebelum mereka memasuki terowongan ini.
“Yah, kata-kata itu cukup aneh karena keluar dari mulutmu.”
“Apa? Kenapa?” suaranya terdekat terkejut. “Aku tidak pernah merusak apapun dalam hidupku!”
“Aku berani bertaruh Sandy tidak akan setuju denganmu.”
Story menggigit bibir bawahnya. “Oh. Itu..”
“Ya, itu.”
Story mengantri dengan sabar untuk membayar roti dan cream cheese-nya di kantin. Sandy Wright berdiri di depannya, berteriak-teriak pada ponselnya. Sangat sulit untuk mengabaikan apa yang ia katakan.
“Serius, ayah, kau terkadang benar-benar idiot. Aku sudah menjelaskannya padamu hampir sejuta kali—”
Story merampas ponsel Sandy dari tangannya dan melemparnya ke tembok dengan keras hingga ponsel itu mengeluarkan suara bergemeretak dan terbagi menjadi dua bagian. Story kemudian pergi dengan tenang, memakan roti yang belum ia bayar dan merasa lebih baik dari apa yang dirasakannya selama beberapa waktu. Jeritan Sandy di belakangnya seperti krim di cake-nya. Atau lebih tepatnya, chocolate chip di biskuitnya—karena Story bukanlah penggemar cake.
Seulas senyum melintas di wajahnya karena ingatan itu. “Kau tahu? Kurasa kau benar. Tapi kurasa aku akan melakukannya lagi dengan lebih menyenangkan.”
“Aku tahu. Itulah yang membuatku khawatir.”
Terowongan yang mereka susuri melebar. Josh mengeluarkan desahan lega dengan suara keras. “Akhirnya!”
”Hei, kita baru berjalan sekitar lima menit.” Story mengangkat sebelah alisnya. “Apakah pelatih McKnight tahu linebacker favoritnya sepayah ini?”
“Diamlah.”
“Aku kan hanya bilaaaaang....”
“Aku tidak payah! Hanya saja langit-langitnya rendah. Diamlah.” Josh berusaha menyusuri terowongan yang menurun tapi Story menggapai lengannya dan menyentaknya sebelum Josh melangkah. Mereka saling berhadapan dalam gelap. Sinar redup dari senter kepala mereka menyinari wajah mereka berdua. Story dapat melihat secercah harapan di mata Josh. Harapan bahwa Story menyeretnya hingga ke tempat ini untuk memperbaiki hubungan mereka. Untuk sekejap, Story hampir menyerah. Akan mudah, sangat mudah untuk kembali bersama Josh. Sangat mudah untuk membiarkan Josh mengisi kekosongan di hatinya.
Namun bahkan saat sedang memikirkan hal itu, Story tahu bahwa itu semua tidak akan cukup. Story tidak mampu lagi memandang Josh dan mengalihkan pandangannya pada kulit tangannya yang kekuningan yang sangat kontras dengan lengan berbintik Josh yang berwarna krem dimana ia berpegang. Saat rasa sakit di dadanya membesar, Story berdoa agar ia kembali memiliki kehidupan yang lebih mudah seperti dulu. Kehidupan dimana Josh adalah segala hal yang dibutuhkan Story. Satu-satunya hal yang bisa diberikan oleh Story pada Josh saat ini hanyalah persahabatan sesaat dengan gadis pemarah dan menyebalkan. Walaupun begitu Josh tetaplah menempel erat pada Story, entah karena kesetiaan atau karena perhatian yang salah tempat, atau mungkin karena keduanya.
Store berjinjit dan mencium pipi Josh, “Terimakasih.”
Story berbalik memunggungi Josh sebelum Josh bisa memberinya pertanyaan dan sebelum Story melihat siratan luka di mata Josh atas penolakannya sekali lagi. Story mengatur senter kepalanya agar menyinari tempat dimana kakinya berada. “Lain kali sebelum kau mulai melangkah, ingatlah bahwa kita sedang menjelajah gua. Selalu lihatlah ke bawah sebelum kau melangkah.”
Josh melihat tempat kaki mereka berpijak dan segera memindahkan kakinya dari lubang lebar menganga berbatu yang hampir ia pijak. Ia segera bersandar pada dinding gua dengan napas memburu.
“Sialan! Mereka seharusnya menaruh papan peringatan di sini. Lubang itu berbahaya!”
Story tergelak,”Hei, itu tadi menyenangkan! Lagipula, ini kan gua. Memang apa yang kau harapkan? Jalanan yang mulus? Pagar? Atau sekalian saja pemandu wisata dan penjual minuman?”
“Ha ha.” Josh menjauhkan bagian atas tubuhnya dari dinding gua dan dengan hati-hati memandang ke dalam lubang yang gelap.
“Di sini ada celah selebar satu kaki di sisi kiri lubang menuju terowongan lain. Di sana terdapat formasi bebatuan yang keren yang akan membawa kita ke sungai bawah tanah yang pernah aku ceritakan padamu.” Sungai dimana kedua orangtuaku pertama kali bertemu. Gambaran kabur seorang wanita urakan dengan kecantikan luar biasa mulai menyembul di pikiran Story. Story mengernyit, menolak untuk memikirkan ibunya. Ibuku yang meninggalkanku sewaktu aku masih bayi. Ia merasakan pipinya memerah karena amarah kemudian menutup mata hijau lautnya. Mata hijau laut, persis seperti mata ibuku. Story menghe napas untuk menghilangkan ingatan itu. Ia kemudian membuka matanya dan melihat terowongan tinggi sempit yang miring ke kiri, berseberangan sejauh sepuluh kaki dengan rongga di depannya.
“Em, kurasa kau sebaiknya tidak..” suara Josh terdengar pecah.
Story melirik Josh, ”Jangan kuatir. Kita akan melewati jalan yang lain.”
“Aku sangat sedih.”
Story menyeringai dan menaikkan ranselnya, “Kita akan turun.”
“Aku takut kau akan bilang begitu.”
*****
Rongga yang dimasuki Story tidak semenakutkan yang ia ceritakan pada Josh. Dalamnya sekitar enam kaki dan berbentuk mangkuk. Dindingnya berbatu dengan permukaan bopeng sehingga memberikan tempat yang cukup bagi tangan dan kakinya berpijak saat memanjat. Si kembar menamai bagian gua ini dengan sebutan Mangkuk Kloset karena rongga tempat merangkak Josh dan Story saat ini membentuk mangkuk pada sudut bagian bawahnya, membuat si kembar menamai bagian itu tikungan-u.
Saat Story merasakan tangannya tidak menggapai apapun, ia segera berhenti. Ia merasakan Josh segera menghampiri ke belakangnya. Story mengintip dari balik bahunya dan melihat wajah Josh berubah kemerahan hampir menyerupai rambutnya.
“Uh, maaf. Aku tidak tahu..”
Story tidak mengatakan apapun—agar Josh tidak merasa lebih malu lagi—dan melompat turun ke terowongan. Ia menyapukan pandangan pada ukuran terowongan bawah tanah yang begitu besar. Ukurannya hampir seluas lapangan basket dengan banyak lubang, celah, dan retakan yang akan membawa ke terowongan-terowongan lainnya. Ia selalu merasa bagian gua ini sangat indah, dikarenakan stalaktik dan stalakmit yang berlimpah-ruah. Beberapa stalaktit dan stalakmit terbentuk dengan cukup dekat satu sama lain sehingga membentuk pilar yang begitu indah, sempit pada bagian tengahnya sehingga menyerupai jam pasir. Ia bisa mendengar suara tetesan air di sekitarnya yang telah berlangsung terus-menerus selama berabad-abad sehingga menciptakan keajaiban seperti ini.
“Wah.” Suara Josh menginterupsi simfoni abadi tetesan air, mengurangi keindahan alam di sekitar mereka.
Story menghampiri sisi kanan gua dan mulai mengelilingi pilar yang menuju ke dinding di seberang. Terdapat celah sangat kecil disana yang ia temukan saat ia masih kecil. Itulah satu-satunya tempat di gua ini yang membuat ayahnya marah saat ia mencoba untuk masuk dan menjelajahinya. Sebenarnya, ayahnya dengan jelas melarangnya untuk memasuki celah itu, dengan hanya mengatakan tempat itu “berbahaya”.
Di belakangnya, ia mendengar Josh merutuk perlahan saat tersandung. Saat Josh berhasil menyusulnya, Story menunjuk ke permukaan bebatuan yang biasa saja di hadapan mereka dengan beberapa batu kecil menonjol keluar dari tempatnya.
“Memangnya ada apa? Itu kan dinding—apa ada yang tidak kuketahui?”
“Begitulah kelihatannya, ya kan?” Story berjalan maju menghampiri salah satu batu yang besar yang tersingkap keluar dan melepaskan ranselnya. “Tapi apa yang kita lihat bisa menipu.” Ia memberi Josh seringaian nakal dari balik bahunya dan menyelip memasuki bayang-bayang.
Hentakan napas tajam yang keluar dari Josh memastikan apa yang ia tahu akan terjadi. Bagi Josh, apa yang baru saja terjadi terlihat seperti Story menghilang tepat di hadapannya. Pada kenyataannya, itu hanyalah trik cahaya. Tersembunyi dalam baayang-bayang batu yang tersingkap, terdapat celah horizontal lebar pada dinding gua dimana Story masuk ke dalamnya. Karena tubuhnya yang ramping seperti ayahnya, ia bisa memasukinya dengan hanya sedikit usaha. Dalamnya kurang-lebih hanya tiga kaki jadi ia segera meluncur ke sisi lain celah, memasuki gua di baliknya.
“Story? STORY?” suara Josh terdengar panik. Ia mencengkeram ransel yang ditinggalkan Story saat matanya mencari dengan sia-sia keberadaan Story di bayang-bayang di hadapannya.
Meringkuk di dalam celah gua, Story bermaksud untuk tetap diam dan mengerjai Josh sedikit lagi tapi Josh terdengar semakin kesal.
“Hei, berhentilah panik. Aku disini.” Story melepaskan senter kepalanya dan mengarahkan sinarnya pada Josh.
Wajah Josh muncul dari balik celah di seberang Story. Bibirnya mengatup membentuk garis tipis. “Itu tidak keren, Story. Tidak keren. Bagaimana dengan memberiku sedikit peringatan lain kali kau melakukan hal seperti itu?”
“Yah, kalau aku memberimu peringatan maka tidak akan semenyenangkan ini, kan?”
“Aku serius.” Josh melihat ke kanan dan ke kiri, mengukur panjang dan lebar celah yang dimasuki Story. “Lagipula, sepertinya aku tidak mungkin aku bisa memasuki celah ini.”
“Tidak apa-apa. Aku hanya ingin melihat-lihat sedikit di sini.” Kaki Story mulai keram karena terlalu lama membungkuk.
“Kurasa itu bukan ide yang bagus—kau pergi sendirian.”
Story memutar bola matanya. Bagus, sekarang ia terdengar seperti Ayah. “Berikan saja ranselku. Aku akan kembali sebentar lagi.”
Untuk sesaat hanya ada kesunyian dari sisi di seberang Story. Kemudian Josh menggerutu, yang terdengar seperti “Baiklah, terserah kau saja,” dan mulai mendorong ransel Story melewati celah.
Story merasakan sensasi tertusuk-tusuk saat kakinya mati rasa, sehingga ia memutuskan untuk berdiri dan menggoyang-goyangkannya. Waktu seolah berjalan lambat saat dua hal terjadi. Kepala Story membentur langit-langit gua atau stalaktit—ia tidak yakin yang mana—dan kehilangan keseimbangan. Ia merasakan dirinya terjatuh ke depan saat kakinya terpeleset dan ia menahan jatuhnya menggunakan kedua lengannya.
Apa yang tidak ia sadari sebelumnya ialah ia berdiri pada bagian pinggir sebuah tebing curam. Sebelum ia sempat mencerna apa yang terjadi, kakinya terpeleset dari pinggir dan memasuki jurang di bawahnya. Dadanya membentur bibir permukaan, membuat udara terhentak keluar dari dadanya.
“Josh!” seru Story terengah-engah. Ia berusaha menahan kakinya pada dinding jurang dan mendorong tubuhnya kembali naik, namun yang ada hanyalah ruang terbuka di bawahnya. Ia merasakan berat badannya mulai menariknya ke bawah, ke dalam kegelapan di bawahnya.
“JOSH! Tolong aku!”
Story bisa mendengar gerutuan Josh saat Josh mencoba menjejalkan tubuh besarnya ke dalam celah. “Bertahanlah, Story! Aku datang!” Suaranya terdengar sangat panik tapi sama sekali tidak mendekati rasa panik yang dirasakan Story. Ayahnya tidak datang untuk menyelamatkannya, Josh tidak bisa menyelamatkannya, tidak ada yang bisa menyelamatkannya kecuali dirinya sendiri.
Dengan bingung Story mencakari lantai gua yang berdebu, namun itu hanya membuatnya terpeleset semakin cepat.
Pada saat terakhir, saat Story bergantung pada bibir jurang hanya dengan ujung jari-jarinya, ia menyadari sesuatu. Ia adalah orang yang mengerikan. Ia tidak lagi memiliki teman karena ia membuat mereka semua pergi darinya. Ia telah berlaku kasar dan mendendam ke semua orang dan marah pada dunia karena ketidakadilan kehidupan dan kematian dan segala sesuatu tentangnya. Ia telah menghabiskan seluruh waktu pada perjalanan ini dengan bertingkah laku sangat buruk pada satu-satunya orang yang tetap di sisinya saat ia melewati tahun terburuk dalam hidupnya. Sesungguhnya, Josh adalah teman terakhirnya di dunia ini. Kesadaran itu melingkupinya, menenangkannya, seolah mengakui kebenaran pada dirinya sendiri telah mengangkat beban yang ia bawa tanpa ia sadari.
“Josh?” Suaranya kini terdengar tenang.
“Story, bertahanlah sedikit lagi. Aku akan melemparkan tali padamu!”
Story mendengar resleting tasnya terbuka.
“Josh, maafkan aku.”
Pegangan Story terlepas dan ia terjatuh ke dalam kegelapan pekat di bawahnya.
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Years of experience: 10. Registered at ProZ.com: Sep 2014.
Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office Pro, Microsoft Word, Powerpoint
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CV available upon request
Bio
I am a fresh graduate in bachelor degree. I am an Indonesian and spoken active English. I've been in translating and interpreting world since I went to college in 2010. So far I had translated journals, articles, and abstracs related to informatic engineering and education because my major is informatics engineering education. I would like to professionally begin my career in translating and interpreting specially in the field of literature (books, novels, poetries). Aside from literature field, I also have interest in some other fields which you can check in my profile. I am a responsible, optimist, and a hardworking person. I am able to work individually or in a team. Please feel free to contact me if you have some works to offered or just to shared some stories and experiences. Thank you. :)
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