The Last Train Out

Elias and Noor are on their school's exchange trip, three days into two weeks. They're in a city where neither of them speaks the language well. Tonight, they've stayed out later than planned, wandering through a night market their teacher specifically warned them about.

Elias dan Noor sedang mengikuti study tour pertukaran pelajar sekolah mereka, baru tiga hari dari dua minggu. Mereka berada di sebuah kota yang bahasanya tidak dikuasai keduanya dengan baik. Malam ini, mereka pulang lebih larut dari rencana, berkeliaran di pasar malam yang secara khusus dilarang oleh guru mereka.

"We have time," Noor says, checking her phone. "The last train back to the hostel is at eleven."

"Kita masih punya waktu," kata Noor sambil memeriksa ponselnya. "Kereta terakhir ke hostel berangkat pukul sebelas."

They lose track of time somewhere between a food stall and a street performer juggling fire. By the time they check again, it's 10:52. The train station is a fifteen-minute walk away, at least.

Mereka lupa waktu di antara kios makanan dan seorang pengamen jalanan yang memainkan api. Ketika memeriksa lagi, jam sudah menunjukkan 22.52. Stasiun itu setidaknya berjarak lima belas menit berjalan kaki.

"We need to run," Elias says, already moving.

"Kita harus lari," kata Elias, yang sudah mulai bergerak.

They sprint through unfamiliar streets, checking street signs they can barely read. They follow the map on Noor's phone, even as it keeps recalculating their route. Elias's backpack bounces painfully against his spine the whole way.

Mereka berlari menyusuri jalan-jalan asing, memeriksa papan nama jalan yang nyaris tidak bisa mereka baca. Mereka mengikuti peta di ponsel Noor, meski peta itu terus menghitung ulang rute mereka. Ransel Elias menghantam punggungnya dengan menyakitkan sepanjang jalan.

They reach the platform at 11:03, breathless, just in time to watch the train doors close without them.

Mereka sampai di peron pukul 23.03, terengah-engah, tepat pada saat melihat pintu kereta menutup tanpa mereka.

"That's it. We missed it," Noor says, sitting down hard on a bench. "The next one isn't until six in the morning."

"Sudah. Kita ketinggalan," kata Noor sambil menjatuhkan diri ke bangku. "Kereta berikutnya baru berangkat pukul enam pagi."

Elias checks his phone. No signal, and the battery is dangerously low. Their teacher told them exactly what to do in this situation. But neither of them actually paid attention at the time.

Elias memeriksa ponselnya. Tidak ada sinyal, dan baterainya hampir habis. Guru mereka sudah memberi tahu persis apa yang harus dilakukan dalam keadaan seperti ini. Tapi tidak satu pun dari mereka benar-benar memperhatikannya waktu itu.

"Okay," Elias says, trying to sound calmer than he feels. "We have enough money for a taxi, probably. If we split the cost, it shouldn't be too expensive."

"Oke," kata Elias, berusaha terdengar lebih tenang daripada perasaannya. "Uang kita mungkin cukup untuk naik taksi. Kalau ongkosnya kita bagi dua, seharusnya tidak terlalu mahal."

They approach the taxi stand outside the station, where a driver is finishing a cigarette. Neither of them knows the exact address, only the hostel's name and its neighborhood.

Mereka mendatangi pangkalan taksi di luar stasiun, tempat seorang sopir sedang menghabiskan rokoknya. Keduanya tidak tahu alamat pastinya, hanya nama hostel dan daerahnya.

Noor pulls up a photo of the hostel's business card, saved from their first day. She holds it up for the driver to see. The driver studies it for a moment, nods, and waves them into the back seat.

Noor membuka foto kartu nama hostel yang disimpannya sejak hari pertama. Ia mengangkatnya agar dilihat si sopir. Sopir itu mengamatinya sejenak, mengangguk, lalu menyuruh mereka masuk ke kursi belakang.

The ride takes almost twenty minutes, mostly in silence. Both of them watch unfamiliar streets slide past the window. When they finally reach the hostel, the driver refuses a tip. He says something neither of them fully understands. Somehow, it sounds like reassurance.

Perjalanan itu memakan waktu hampir dua puluh menit, sebagian besar dalam diam. Keduanya memandangi jalan-jalan asing yang meluncur lewat di jendela. Ketika akhirnya sampai di hostel, sang sopir menolak tip. Ia mengatakan sesuatu yang tidak sepenuhnya mereka mengerti. Entah kenapa, kedengarannya seperti kata-kata menenangkan.

Back in their rooms, their teacher is still awake, unaware they were ever gone. Elias and Noor agree, without discussing it, that this story can wait until they're home.

Kembali di kamar mereka, guru mereka masih terjaga, tidak tahu bahwa mereka pernah menghilang. Elias dan Noor sepakat, tanpa perlu membicarakannya, bahwa cerita ini bisa menunggu sampai mereka tiba di rumah.