The Forgotten Anniversary

Trevor and Isabel had a small tradition. Every year, on the day they had first met, they bought each other a used book. They each wrote a note inside the front cover.

Trevor dan Isabel punya tradisi kecil. Setiap tahun, pada hari mereka pertama kali bertemu, mereka saling membelikan buku bekas. Masing-masing menulis catatan di sampul bagian dalam.

This year, work had been busy for Trevor. He had a big project due, and his days had blurred together. He hadn't even noticed the date on the calendar until Isabel came home holding a small paper bag.

Tahun ini, pekerjaan Trevor sangat sibuk. Ia punya proyek besar yang harus selesai, dan hari-harinya berbaur menjadi satu. Ia bahkan tidak memperhatikan tanggal di kalender sampai Isabel pulang sambil membawa kantong kertas kecil.

"Happy book day," she said, smiling, and handed him a worn paperback with a note written inside.

"Selamat hari buku," katanya sambil tersenyum, lalu menyerahkan buku saku yang sudah lusuh dengan catatan tertulis di dalamnya.

Trevor's stomach dropped. He had completely forgotten. "I… I'm so sorry, Isabel. I didn't get you anything. I lost track of the date."

Perut Trevor serasa jatuh. Ia benar-benar lupa. "Aku… aku minta maaf sekali, Isabel. Aku tidak membelikanmu apa-apa. Aku tidak ingat tanggalnya."

Isabel's smile faded a little, though she tried to hide it. "It's okay," she said quietly. "It's just a small thing."

Senyum Isabel sedikit memudar, meski ia berusaha menyembunyikannya. "Tidak apa-apa," katanya pelan. "Ini cuma hal kecil."

"It's not okay," Trevor said. "You remembered, and I didn't, and that matters to you. I need to start writing these things down."

"Tidak, ini tidak baik-baik saja," kata Trevor. "Kamu ingat, aku tidak, dan itu penting bagimu. Aku harus mulai menuliskan hal-hal seperti ini."

That night, Trevor couldn't stop thinking about it. The tradition wasn't really about the book. It was about the fact that they had both chosen to remember something small, year after year.

Malam itu, Trevor tak bisa berhenti memikirkannya. Tradisi itu sebenarnya bukan soal bukunya. Tradisi itu soal kenyataan bahwa mereka berdua memilih mengingat sesuatu yang kecil, tahun demi tahun.

The next morning, Trevor left work early and walked to the same bookstore where they had met. He searched the shelves for almost an hour before he found the right book. It was one Isabel had mentioned wanting to read months ago.

Keesokan paginya, Trevor pulang kerja lebih awal dan berjalan ke toko buku tempat mereka dulu bertemu. Ia menelusuri rak-rak hampir satu jam sebelum menemukan buku yang tepat. Itu buku yang berbulan-bulan lalu pernah Isabel bilang ingin ia baca.

He sat at the café next door and wrote a note inside the cover, longer than usual. In it, he explained how sorry he was. He also wrote how much their tradition meant to him.

Ia duduk di kafe sebelah dan menulis catatan di dalam sampulnya, lebih panjang daripada biasanya. Di dalamnya, ia menjelaskan betapa menyesalnya ia. Ia juga menulis betapa berartinya tradisi mereka baginya.

That evening, he handed her the book before she had even taken off her coat. "I know I'm a day late," he said, "but I didn't want to skip this."

Sore itu, ia menyerahkan buku itu sebelum Isabel sempat melepas mantelnya. "Aku tahu aku terlambat sehari," katanya, "tapi aku tidak mau melewatkan ini."

Isabel opened the book and read the note slowly. When she finished, she looked up at him. "A day late," she said, "but you walked all the way back to where we started. That counts for something."

Isabel membuka buku itu dan membaca catatannya pelan-pelan. Setelah selesai, ia menengadah menatapnya. "Terlambat sehari," katanya, "tapi kamu berjalan sampai kembali ke tempat kita bermula. Itu berarti sesuatu."

She reached for his hand. Together, they sat down to read the first pages out loud, the way they always did.

Ia meraih tangan Trevor. Bersama-sama, mereka duduk dan membaca halaman-halaman pertama dengan suara keras, seperti yang selalu mereka lakukan.