A Call from Abroad

Silas wakes up early every Saturday morning. He makes a cup of coffee and sits by the window. The street outside is calm and quiet. He reads the news on his tablet.

Silas bangun pagi-pagi setiap Sabtu. Ia membuat secangkir kopi dan duduk di dekat jendela. Jalan di luar tenang dan sunyi. Ia membaca berita di tabletnya.

This Saturday feels just like any other. Silas finishes his coffee and starts to make breakfast. He cracks two eggs into a pan. The kitchen smells like toast and coffee.

Sabtu ini terasa sama seperti hari-hari lainnya. Silas menghabiskan kopinya dan mulai membuat sarapan. Ia memecahkan dua butir telur ke dalam wajan. Dapur itu beraroma roti panggang dan kopi.

Then his phone rings with a number he doesn't know. Silas almost doesn't answer it. At the last second, he picks it up.

Lalu ponselnya berdering dengan nomor yang tidak ia kenal. Silas hampir tidak mengangkatnya. Pada detik terakhir, ia menjawabnya.

"Hello?" he says, a little confused.

"Halo?" katanya, agak bingung.

"Silas! It's Rhea! Can you believe it's really me?" a voice says.

"Silas! Ini Rhea! Kamu percaya ini benar-benar aku?" kata sebuah suara.

Silas nearly drops his phone in surprise. "Rhea? I can't believe it's you!"

Silas hampir menjatuhkan ponselnya karena terkejut. "Rhea? Aku tidak percaya ini kamu!"

Rhea moved abroad after college to study medicine. They sent messages sometimes at first, but that slowly stopped. Silas never expected a call like this.

Rhea pindah ke luar negeri setelah kuliah untuk belajar kedokteran. Pada awalnya mereka kadang saling berkirim pesan, tetapi lama-kelamaan itu berhenti. Silas tidak pernah menyangka akan menerima telepon seperti ini.

"I'm at a small café near the hospital," Rhea says. "I just finished a long night shift, and I thought of you."

"Aku di sebuah kafe kecil dekat rumah sakit," kata Rhea. "Aku baru selesai jaga malam yang panjang, dan aku teringat kamu."

"I can't believe you still remember my number," Silas says, laughing.

"Aku tidak percaya kamu masih ingat nomorku," kata Silas sambil tertawa.

"Of course I do. You were my closest friend here," Rhea says warmly.

"Tentu saja ingat. Kamu sahabat terdekatku di sini," kata Rhea dengan hangat.

They talk for almost an hour about their new lives. Rhea describes the hospital and her tiny apartment. Silas tells her about his new job and his garden.

Mereka mengobrol hampir satu jam tentang kehidupan baru mereka. Rhea menceritakan rumah sakitnya dan apartemennya yang mungil. Silas bercerita tentang pekerjaan barunya dan kebunnya.

His eggs get cold in the pan. But he doesn't care.

Telurnya menjadi dingin di wajan. Tetapi ia tidak peduli.

"I'm going to visit next spring," Rhea finally says. "I promise this time."

"Aku akan berkunjung musim semi depan," kata Rhea akhirnya. "Kali ini aku janji."

Silas hangs up, smiling, and finally eats his cold eggs.

Silas menutup telepon sambil tersenyum, lalu akhirnya memakan telur dinginnya.