The Frost Night Greenhouse

The frost was not supposed to arrive until the following week. Federica had read the forecast twice that afternoon, and both times it had promised a mild night. At ten o'clock, however, the thermometer outside the greenhouse showed three degrees and was still falling.

Embun beku seharusnya baru datang minggu depan. Federica sudah membaca ramalan cuaca dua kali sore itu, dan kedua kalinya ramalan itu menjanjikan malam yang sejuk. Namun pukul sepuluh, termometer di luar rumah kaca menunjukkan tiga derajat dan masih terus turun.

She was not worried yet. The old gas heater had been running since sunset, humming in its corner between the tomato trays. Then, at a quarter past eleven, it coughed twice and went silent.

Ia belum khawatir. Pemanas gas tua itu sudah menyala sejak matahari terbenam, berdengung di sudutnya di antara baki-baki tomat. Lalu, pukul sebelas lewat seperempat, pemanas itu terbatuk dua kali dan diam.

Federica tried the switch, the valve and, finally, a kick. Nothing worked. Inside the greenhouse stood eleven hundred tomato and pepper seedlings, all of them promised to the Saturday market. If the glass reached freezing, a season's work would be lost by morning.

Federica mencoba sakelarnya, katupnya, dan akhirnya menendangnya. Tak ada yang berhasil. Di dalam rumah kaca berdiri seribu seratus bibit tomat dan paprika, semuanya sudah dijanjikan untuk pasar hari Sabtu. Kalau kacanya sampai membeku, kerja satu musim akan lenyap pada pagi hari.

She phoned her neighbors, and within twenty minutes Lavinia and Leandra were standing at the door in coats over pajamas. Lavinia had brought a box of candles. Leandra had brought two sleeping bags and a large thermos.

Ia menelepon para tetangganya, dan dalam dua puluh menit Lavinia dan Leandra sudah berdiri di pintu dengan mantel di atas piama. Lavinia membawa sekotak lilin. Leandra membawa dua kantong tidur dan sebuah termos besar.

"Candles won't heat a greenhouse," Leandra said.

"Lilin tidak akan menghangatkan rumah kaca," kata Leandra.

"Not by themselves," said Federica. "But a candle in a metal bucket, with a clay pot turned upside down on top, warms the pot. The pot keeps giving out heat for hours. My grandmother did it every spring."

"Tidak kalau sendirian," kata Federica. "Tapi lilin di dalam ember logam, dengan pot tanah liat terbalik di atasnya, akan menghangatkan pot itu. Pot itu terus memancarkan panas selama berjam-jam. Nenekku melakukannya setiap musim semi."

They worked in a line. Lavinia lit the candles and carried the buckets under the benches. Leandra boiled kettles on Federica's stove and filled the barrels along the north wall, so that the water would release its warmth through the night. Federica draped blankets over the most delicate trays, tucking the edges as if she were putting children to bed.

Mereka bekerja dalam satu barisan. Lavinia menyalakan lilin dan membawa ember-ember itu ke bawah meja tanam. Leandra merebus ketel demi ketel di kompor Federica dan mengisi tong-tong di sepanjang dinding utara, supaya airnya melepaskan kehangatannya sepanjang malam. Federica menyelimuti baki-baki yang paling rapuh dengan selimut, menyelipkan tepinya seakan sedang menidurkan anak-anak.

By one o'clock, the thermometer inside read four degrees. Meanwhile, outside, the grass had turned white and stiff.

Pukul satu, termometer di dalam menunjukkan empat derajat. Sementara itu, di luar, rumput sudah memutih dan kaku.

"It should have been checked before winter," Lavinia said, nodding at the dead heater. "You must have known it was old."

"Seharusnya diperiksa sebelum musim dingin," kata Lavinia sambil mengangguk ke arah pemanas yang mati. "Kamu pasti tahu pemanas itu sudah tua."

"I did," Federica admitted. "I kept telling myself it would last another year."

"Aku tahu," Federica mengakui. "Aku terus meyakinkan diri bahwa pemanas itu akan bertahan satu tahun lagi."

At three, a cold draft found a crack in the door, and one barrel began losing its heat faster than expected. They stuffed the gap with a rolled towel and refilled the barrel with fresh kettle water. After that, they took turns at the kettle every half hour. The tea was so strong that nobody could have slept anyway.

Pukul tiga, angin dingin menemukan celah di pintu, dan salah satu tong mulai kehilangan panasnya lebih cepat dari dugaan. Mereka menyumpal celah itu dengan handuk yang digulung dan mengisi ulang tong itu dengan air ketel yang baru. Setelah itu, mereka bergiliran menjaga ketel setiap setengah jam. Tehnya begitu pekat sampai tak seorang pun bisa tidur.

Around four, the reading dipped to one degree. Federica stood in front of the thermometer with her arms crossed, as if she could argue it upward. Nobody spoke. Leandra quietly lit two more candles.

Sekitar pukul empat, angkanya turun ke satu derajat. Federica berdiri di depan termometer dengan tangan bersedekap, seolah-olah ia bisa membujuknya naik. Tak seorang pun berbicara. Leandra diam-diam menyalakan dua lilin lagi.

Slowly, the glass above them turned from black to grey. A thin line of orange appeared over the hedge, and the frost on the grass began to shine.

Perlahan-lahan, kaca di atas mereka berubah dari hitam menjadi kelabu. Segaris tipis warna jingga muncul di atas pagar tanaman, dan embun beku di rumput mulai berkilau.

Federica walked along the benches with a flashlight she no longer needed. A few basil leaves had turned dark, and one tray of peppers was lost. The rest, nearly all of them, were standing up, green and unharmed.

Federica berjalan menyusuri meja-meja tanam dengan senter yang tak lagi ia perlukan. Beberapa daun kemangi menghitam, dan satu baki paprika hilang. Sisanya, hampir semuanya, berdiri tegak, hijau dan tak tersentuh.

Lavinia was asleep on an upturned crate, her chin on her chest, still holding a candle stub. Leandra was already rinsing the cups. Federica took a pen and wrote a card for the market stall: "Frost-tested. Ask us how."

Lavinia tertidur di atas peti terbalik, dagunya menempel di dada, masih memegang puntung lilin. Leandra sudah mencuci cangkir. Federica mengambil pulpen dan menulis sebuah kartu untuk lapak pasar: "Teruji embun beku. Tanya kami caranya."