The Ferry That Turned Back

The morning ferry to the island left on time, but the sky was already a flat, heavy grey. Maddox had booked this trip weeks ago to spend four quiet days walking on the coast. He found a seat near a window, took out his book, and tried to ignore the wind.

Kapal feri pagi menuju pulau berangkat tepat waktu, tetapi langit sudah berwarna kelabu datar yang berat. Maddox memesan perjalanan ini berminggu-minggu sebelumnya untuk menghabiskan empat hari yang tenang berjalan-jalan di pesisir. Ia menemukan tempat duduk dekat jendela, mengeluarkan bukunya, dan berusaha mengabaikan angin.

Twenty minutes later, the captain's voice came over the speakers. "Good morning, everyone. The weather ahead is worse than we expected. For safety, we will turn back and try again tomorrow. Please stay in your seats. There is nothing to worry about."

Dua puluh menit kemudian, suara sang kapten terdengar dari pengeras suara. "Selamat pagi, semuanya. Cuaca di depan lebih buruk daripada yang kami duga. Demi keselamatan, kami akan memutar balik dan mencoba lagi besok. Mohon tetap duduk di tempat Anda. Tidak ada yang perlu dikhawatirkan."

Nobody complained. The crew moved calmly along the aisles, handing out cups of water. They said it was only a precaution. Still, as the ferry turned, the waves grew bigger, and the whole boat began to rock.

Tidak ada yang mengeluh. Para awak bergerak dengan tenang di sepanjang lorong, membagikan gelas-gelas air. Mereka bilang itu hanya tindakan berjaga-jaga. Meski begitu, saat feri berputar, ombak semakin besar, dan seluruh kapal mulai bergoyang.

Across the aisle, a boy of about eight sat alone with a small backpack on his knees. His face had gone pale, and his hands gripped the straps. A crew member had told Maddox earlier that the boy was travelling alone to visit his grandmother.

Di seberang lorong, seorang anak laki-laki berusia sekitar delapan tahun duduk sendirian dengan ransel kecil di pangkuannya. Wajahnya sudah pucat, dan tangannya mencengkeram tali ransel. Seorang awak kapal sebelumnya sudah memberi tahu Maddox bahwa anak itu bepergian sendirian untuk mengunjungi neneknya.

Maddox moved to the seat next to him. "Rough ride," he said. "I don't like it much either."

Maddox pindah ke kursi di sebelahnya. "Perjalanan yang bergelombang," katanya. "Aku juga tidak terlalu suka."

"I want to get off," the boy whispered.

"Aku mau turun," bisik anak itu.

"We will soon. Hey, I have an idea. Look out of the window. Every time a big wave hits the side of the boat, we count it. If we reach fifty before the harbour, I'll buy you a hot chocolate."

"Sebentar lagi kita turun. Hei, aku punya ide. Lihat ke luar jendela. Setiap kali ombak besar menghantam sisi kapal, kita hitung. Kalau kita sampai lima puluh sebelum pelabuhan, aku akan membelikanmu cokelat panas."

The boy looked doubtful, but he turned towards the window. "One," he said. Then, "Two." By ten, he was correcting Maddox when he missed one. By thirty, they were arguing about what counted as a big wave. The boat kept rocking, but the boy had let go of his backpack.

Anak itu tampak ragu, tetapi ia menoleh ke jendela. "Satu," katanya. Lalu, "Dua." Pada hitungan kesepuluh, ia sudah mengoreksi Maddox saat ia terlewat satu. Pada hitungan ketiga puluh, mereka berdebat tentang apa yang dihitung sebagai ombak besar. Kapal terus bergoyang, tetapi anak itu sudah melepaskan ranselnya.

They had reached forty-six when the harbour wall came into view. "Almost," the boy said. "That's not fair."

Mereka sudah mencapai empat puluh enam ketika dinding pelabuhan mulai terlihat. "Hampir," kata anak itu. "Itu tidak adil."

Then four heavy swells rolled under the ferry as it slid towards the dock. "Fifty!" the boy shouted, and the people around them began to clap.

Lalu empat gelombang besar bergulung di bawah feri saat kapal itu meluncur menuju dermaga. "Lima puluh!" teriak anak itu, dan orang-orang di sekitar mereka mulai bertepuk tangan.

An hour later, they sat in the harbour café with two hot chocolates. The boy was waiting for his grandmother. "Same time tomorrow?" he asked.

Satu jam kemudian, mereka duduk di kafe pelabuhan dengan dua cangkir cokelat panas. Anak itu sedang menunggu neneknya. "Jam yang sama besok?" tanyanya.

"Same boat," Maddox said. "But I'll bring a better game."

"Kapal yang sama," kata Maddox. "Tapi aku akan membawa permainan yang lebih bagus."