The Tractor That Drives Itself

When the new tractor arrives on the farm, Isadora's grandfather walks around it twice and says nothing. It is bright green and has no steering wheel that he trusts. It follows a map that Isadora has drawn on a tablet. It drives itself in perfectly straight lines.

Ketika traktor baru tiba di pertanian, kakek Isadora mengelilinginya dua kali dan tidak berkata apa-apa. Traktor itu berwarna hijau cerah dan tidak punya setir yang bisa ia percayai. Traktor itu mengikuti peta yang digambar Isadora di sebuah tablet. Ia berjalan sendiri dalam garis-garis yang lurus sempurna.

"A machine that thinks it knows my land better than I do," he says finally. "No, thank you."

"Mesin yang mengira ia lebih tahu tanahku daripada aku sendiri," katanya akhirnya. "Tidak, terima kasih."

"It doesn't think anything, Grandpa," Isadora says. "It only follows the map. It will save us weeks in the fields."

"Traktor itu tidak mengira apa-apa, Kek," kata Isadora. "Ia hanya mengikuti peta. Ia akan menghemat berminggu-minggu kerja kita di ladang."

"And when it hits a rock, who will pay?" He walks back to his old red tractor, which has served the family for forty years. He climbs into the seat. The subject is closed.

"Dan kalau ia menabrak batu, siapa yang akan membayar?" Ia berjalan kembali ke traktor merah tuanya, yang sudah melayani keluarga selama empat puluh tahun. Ia naik ke jok. Pembicaraan itu selesai.

For two weeks, the new tractor sits in the barn while Isadora does the work the slow way. Then, on a Thursday morning, the radio brings bad news. A big storm will arrive by tomorrow evening, and a third of the wheat is still standing.

Selama dua minggu, traktor baru itu hanya berdiam di lumbung sementara Isadora mengerjakan pekerjaannya dengan cara yang lambat. Lalu, pada Kamis pagi, radio membawa kabar buruk. Badai besar akan tiba sebelum besok sore, dan sepertiga gandum masih berdiri di ladang.

Her grandfather listens with his arms crossed. Then he looks at the sky, which has already turned a heavy gray. "We have no choice," he says. "If we don't finish today, we will lose it."

Kakeknya mendengarkan sambil melipat tangan. Lalu ia menatap langit, yang sudah berubah menjadi kelabu pekat. "Kita tidak punya pilihan," katanya. "Kalau tidak selesai hari ini, kita akan kehilangannya."

"Then we use both tractors," Isadora says. "You take the east fields. I'll send the new one out west and watch it from the hill."

"Kalau begitu kita pakai kedua traktor," kata Isadora. "Kakek ambil ladang timur. Aku akan mengirim yang baru ke barat dan mengawasinya dari bukit."

He nods once, as if it hurts. They work from dawn until the first wind begins to bend the wheat. Isadora checks her tablet every few minutes. The green tractor never tires, never stops for lunch, and never drifts from its line. At six, the last field is cut, and the first raindrops hit the barn roof.

Ia mengangguk sekali, seolah itu menyakitkan. Mereka bekerja dari fajar sampai angin pertama mulai membengkokkan gandum. Isadora memeriksa tabletnya setiap beberapa menit. Traktor hijau itu tidak pernah lelah, tidak pernah berhenti untuk makan siang, dan tidak pernah melenceng dari jalurnya. Pukul enam, ladang terakhir selesai dipanen, dan tetes hujan pertama menimpa atap lumbung.

Her grandfather climbs down from the old tractor, his face covered in dust. He looks across the field at the green machine, still moving slowly toward the gate. "It's good," he admits. "Very good. Don't tell your father I said so."

Kakeknya turun dari traktor tua itu dengan wajah berlumur debu. Ia memandang ke seberang ladang, ke arah mesin hijau yang masih bergerak pelan menuju gerbang. "Bagus," akunya. "Bagus sekali. Jangan bilang ayahmu aku bilang begitu."

"Does that mean you'll use it next year?"

"Apa itu berarti Kakek akan memakainya tahun depan?"

"Maybe on the west fields, when I'm tired." He pats the old red tractor on its wheel. "But I sit in my own seat for the east."

"Mungkin di ladang barat, kalau aku sedang capek." Ia menepuk roda traktor merah tuanya. "Tapi untuk ladang timur, aku duduk di kursiku sendiri."