The Notes in the Mailbox

Odette moved to a new neighborhood in March. She wanted to make new friends quickly. Two groups asked her to join them.

Odette pindah ke lingkungan baru pada bulan Maret. Ia ingin cepat mendapat teman baru. Dua kelompok mengajaknya bergabung.

The book club met on Tuesday nights at the library. The hiking group met early on Saturday mornings. Odette could not decide which one to try.

Klub buku bertemu pada malam Selasa di perpustakaan. Kelompok pendaki bertemu pagi-pagi sekali pada hari Sabtu. Odette tidak bisa memutuskan mana yang akan dicoba.

That week, a small note appeared in her mailbox. "Welcome to the street," it said. "We hope you feel at home here."

Minggu itu, sebuah catatan kecil muncul di kotak suratnya. "Selamat datang di jalan ini," bunyinya. "Kami harap kamu merasa betah di sini."

More notes kept coming, one every few days. Each one was short, kind, and unsigned. Odette wondered who wrote them.

Catatan-catatan lain terus berdatangan, satu setiap beberapa hari. Setiap catatan pendek, ramah, dan tanpa nama. Odette bertanya-tanya siapa yang menulisnya.

She asked her neighbors, but nobody knew. She checked the handwriting against old letters. Nothing matched anything she owned.

Ia bertanya kepada para tetangga, tetapi tidak ada yang tahu. Ia mencocokkan tulisan tangan itu dengan surat-surat lamanya. Tidak ada yang cocok dengan apa pun yang ia miliki.

On Saturday, Odette made her choice. She decided to try the hiking group. She picked it over the book club. She wanted fresh air and new faces. She walked to the meeting spot near the park.

Pada hari Sabtu, Odette menentukan pilihan. Ia memutuskan mencoba kelompok pendaki. Ia memilihnya daripada klub buku. Ia ingin udara segar dan wajah-wajah baru. Ia berjalan ke tempat pertemuan dekat taman.

A tall man named Marek led the group that morning. He handed her a trail map and a warm smile. Something about his handwriting looked familiar.

Seorang pria jangkung bernama Marek memimpin kelompok itu pagi itu. Ia menyerahkan peta jalur dan senyum hangat kepadanya. Ada sesuatu pada tulisan tangannya yang tampak familier.

"Do you write the notes in my mailbox?" Odette asked. Marek turned a little red. "That was me," he said. "I just wanted you to feel welcome."

"Apakah Anda yang menulis catatan-catatan di kotak surat saya?" tanya Odette. Marek jadi sedikit memerah. "Itu saya," katanya. "Saya hanya ingin Anda merasa disambut."

Odette laughed and shook her head. "The notes worked," she said. "Here I am."

Odette tertawa dan menggeleng. "Catatan-catatan itu berhasil," katanya. "Buktinya, saya di sini."

She joined the hiking group that day. Marek walked next to her the whole way. They talked about the street and the trail.

Hari itu juga ia bergabung dengan kelompok pendaki. Marek berjalan di sampingnya sepanjang jalan. Mereka mengobrol tentang jalan tempat tinggal mereka dan jalur pendakian itu.