The Lonely Caller

Augustin had been dreaming about his first night shift for months. In none of the dreams was anyone old, calm or sitting in a hallway. His dreams contained sirens, stairwells and dramatic decisions. The real shift began with a cold sandwich and a warning from his supervisor. "Don't expect fireworks," she said. "Most nights are mostly paperwork."

Augustin sudah berbulan-bulan memimpikan shift malam pertamanya. Dalam mimpi-mimpi itu tak ada seorang pun yang tua, tenang, atau duduk di lorong. Mimpinya berisi sirene, tangga darurat, dan keputusan-keputusan dramatis. Shift yang sebenarnya dimulai dengan sebuah roti lapis dingin dan peringatan dari atasannya. "Jangan berharap ada kembang api," katanya. "Kebanyakan malam isinya urusan administrasi."

The first six hours proved her right. They were sent to a minor car scrape and a woman with a sprained ankle, and then spent forty minutes restocking the ambulance. Augustin, who was only observing, carried bags and kept quiet. Despite himself, he was beginning to feel like a spare part.

Enam jam pertama membuktikan ucapannya. Mereka dikirim ke sebuah tabrakan kecil dan seorang wanita dengan pergelangan kaki terkilir, lalu menghabiskan empat puluh menit mengisi ulang perlengkapan ambulans. Augustin, yang hanya mengamati, membawa tas-tas dan diam saja. Tanpa bisa dicegah, ia mulai merasa seperti suku cadang yang tak terpakai.

At ten to three in the morning, the radio crackled. A man had called the emergency line to report a fall. The address was a small flat above a bakery in the old quarter.

Pukul tiga kurang sepuluh pagi, radio berderak. Seorang pria menelepon saluran darurat untuk melaporkan jatuh. Alamatnya sebuah flat kecil di atas toko roti di kawasan kota tua.

The door was unlocked. Inside, a thin man of about eighty was sitting on the hall floor, his back against the wall. A tea towel was pressed to his forehead. "Ivar," he said, when they asked his name. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry to bring you out at this hour."

Pintunya tidak terkunci. Di dalam, seorang pria kurus berusia sekitar delapan puluh tahun duduk di lantai lorong, punggungnya bersandar ke dinding. Sehelai lap teh ditekan ke dahinya. "Ivar," katanya ketika mereka menanyakan namanya. "Maaf. Saya sungguh minta maaf sudah membuat kalian datang jam segini."

The senior paramedic, who had been doing the job for twenty years, checked his pupils, his pulse and his head. The cut was small, and nothing seemed to be broken. "You were lucky," she said. "But why did you wait an hour before calling?"

Paramedis senior, yang sudah menjalani pekerjaan ini selama dua puluh tahun, memeriksa pupil, denyut nadi, dan kepalanya. Lukanya kecil, dan tampaknya tidak ada yang patah. "Anda beruntung," katanya. "Tapi mengapa Anda menunggu satu jam sebelum menelepon?"

Ivar looked embarrassed. "Because it wasn't an emergency," he said. Then he admitted that he had not spoken to anyone in four days. The last person had been the baker downstairs, who had asked whether he wanted his usual loaf. When the phone was in his hand, he had simply wanted to hear someone answer.

Ivar tampak malu. "Karena ini bukan keadaan darurat," katanya. Lalu ia mengaku bahwa sudah empat hari ia tidak berbicara dengan siapa pun. Orang terakhir adalah pemilik toko roti di bawah, yang menanyakan apakah ia mau roti langganannya. Ketika ponsel sudah di tangannya, ia hanya ingin mendengar seseorang menjawab.

Augustin, standing in the doorway with the equipment bag, felt something shift. He had expected an emergency, and a small cut was hardly one. Yet the man in front of him had needed help badly enough to dial.

Augustin, yang berdiri di ambang pintu dengan tas peralatan, merasakan sesuatu bergeser. Ia sudah mengira akan menghadapi keadaan darurat, dan luka kecil hampir tidak termasuk. Namun, pria di hadapannya membutuhkan pertolongan sedemikian rupa sampai memutar nomor itu.

While his colleague finished the examination, Augustin made tea in the narrow kitchen. The flat was tidy and very silent, with one clock ticking above a table set for one. A radio sat on the shelf, switched off.

Sementara rekannya menyelesaikan pemeriksaan, Augustin membuat teh di dapur yang sempit. Flat itu rapi dan sangat sunyi, dengan satu jam berdetak di atas meja yang ditata untuk satu orang. Sebuah radio terletak di rak, dalam keadaan mati.

Once the tea was in his hands, Ivar began to talk. He talked about the bakery and about the choir he could no longer reach because of his knees. He talked about a daughter who lived abroad and called on Sundays. By the time he had finished, the cut was dressed and the tea had gone cold.

Begitu teh sudah di tangannya, Ivar mulai bercerita. Ia bercerita tentang toko roti itu dan tentang paduan suara yang tak lagi bisa ia datangi karena lututnya. Ia bercerita tentang putrinya yang tinggal di luar negeri dan menelepon setiap hari Minggu. Saat ia selesai, luka itu sudah dibalut dan tehnya sudah dingin.

Back in the ambulance, Augustin raised the subject. "He doesn't need a hospital," he said. "But he needs someone."

Kembali di dalam ambulans, Augustin mengangkat soal itu. "Beliau tidak perlu rumah sakit," katanya. "Tapi beliau butuh seseorang."

His colleague looked at him for a moment. "There's a community visiting service," she said. "Volunteers call round, and a coordinator phones within two days. The patient has to agree, though, and a referral form has to be filled in."

Rekannya menatapnya sejenak. "Ada layanan kunjungan komunitas," katanya. "Para sukarelawan datang bertamu, dan seorang koordinator menelepon dalam dua hari. Tapi pasiennya harus setuju, dan formulir rujukan harus diisi."

Ivar had been asked, and he had agreed after a long pause, although he warned them that he wouldn't be good company. Augustin had laughed. He had not been able to help it.

Ivar sudah ditanya, dan ia setuju setelah terdiam cukup lama, meski ia memperingatkan mereka bahwa ia bukan teman yang menyenangkan. Augustin tertawa. Ia tak bisa menahannya.

At dawn, back at the station, Augustin sat down with the form. The box marked "Reason for referral" was only two lines long. He wrote, "Patient has not spoken to anyone in four days." Then he crossed it out. Underneath, in smaller handwriting, he wrote, "Patient would enjoy company, and has plenty to say."

Saat fajar, kembali di pos, Augustin duduk dengan formulir itu. Kotak bertuliskan "Alasan rujukan" hanya sepanjang dua baris. Ia menulis, "Pasien tidak berbicara dengan siapa pun selama empat hari." Lalu ia mencoretnya. Di bawahnya, dengan tulisan yang lebih kecil, ia menulis, "Pasien akan senang ditemani, dan punya banyak hal untuk diceritakan."

He signed the form and, after a moment's thought, dropped it into the tray marked "Urgent".

Ia menandatangani formulir itu dan, setelah berpikir sejenak, memasukkannya ke baki bertanda "Mendesak".