The Bike That Was Too Big

Tariq walks into a bike shop near the beach. "I want to rent a bike, please," he says. The man behind the counter nods and picks a bike.

Tariq masuk ke sebuah toko sepeda di dekat pantai. "Saya mau menyewa sepeda, tolong," katanya. Pria di balik meja kasir mengangguk dan memilih sebuah sepeda.

Tariq takes the bike outside and gets on. His knees hit the handlebars with every turn. The seat is too high for him.

Tariq membawa sepeda itu ke luar dan menaikinya. Lututnya membentur setang setiap kali ia berbelok. Joknya terlalu tinggi baginya.

Tariq rides in a slow circle and almost falls. A woman on the sidewalk laughs and points.

Tariq mengayuh dalam lingkaran pelan dan hampir jatuh. Seorang wanita di trotoar tertawa dan menunjuk.

Tariq stops and looks down at the bike. "This bike is too big for me," he says.

Tariq berhenti dan memandang sepeda itu. "Sepeda ini terlalu besar untuk saya," katanya.

He walks the bike back into the shop. "Sorry, this bike is too big," Tariq says. "Do you have a small one?" he asks.

Ia menuntun sepeda itu kembali ke dalam toko. "Maaf, sepeda ini terlalu besar," kata Tariq. "Apakah ada yang lebih kecil?" tanyanya.

"Of course, my mistake," the man says. He brings out a small blue bike from the back.

"Tentu, salah saya," kata pria itu. Ia membawa keluar sebuah sepeda biru kecil dari belakang.

Tariq sits on the new bike and smiles. His feet touch the ground now. "This one is perfect," Tariq says.

Tariq duduk di sepeda baru itu dan tersenyum. Sekarang kakinya menyentuh tanah. "Yang ini pas sekali," kata Tariq.

He rides out of the shop and down the road. The wind feels cool against his face.

Ia mengayuh keluar dari toko dan menyusuri jalan. Angin terasa sejuk di wajahnya.

He turns toward the long path by the water. Boats sit quietly near the old wooden dock.

Ia berbelok ke jalan setapak panjang di tepi air. Perahu-perahu diam di dekat dermaga kayu tua.

Tariq rides past them and waves at two fishermen. He rides all the way to the lighthouse and back.

Tariq mengayuh melewatinya dan melambai kepada dua nelayan. Ia mengayuh sampai ke mercusuar dan kembali lagi.