MISTERI KANTUNG MACAN (8)

 

A novel by Nurlaeli Umar

Publisher; AE Publishing (ISBN 978-602-5468-81-0)

BLOG NURLAELI UMAR- Suara kendang pencak seharusnya terdengar begitu dekat, di halaman, memecah sepi seperti tahun-tahun yang telah terlewati. Merayakan purnama, menikmati kewingitan malam Jumat kliwon. Kerinduan itu sekarang benar-benar hadir kemudian bergeming. Lelaki itu menarik napas panjang untuk kali ke sekian.

The sound of the pencak drum should have been heard so close, out in the yard, breaking the silence like the years that have passed. Celebrating the full moon, savoring the mystique of a Friday Kliwon night. That longing now truly arrives, then falls still. The man takes a deep breath for the umpteenth time.

Di luar malam merangkak perlahan, lelaki itu bangun dari duduknya berjalan ke arah pintu. Dikuaknya pintu yang mempertemukan dirinya dengan udara luar dan sinar bulan yang benderang. Tak seorang pun terlihat, ini desa yang tidur. Semua terlelap dalam mimpi dan peluk hangat selimut. Angin bertiup lambat, dingin, dan menusuk. Bulan benderang menerangi sepi yang lantang. Dia memilih melangkah keluar, dan menutup pintunya rapat, tanpa menguncinya.

At the outside, the night crept slowly as the man rose from his seat and walked toward the door. He pushed it open, meeting the outside air and the bright moonlight. No one was in sight; this was a sleeping village. Everyone was lost in dreams and the warm embrace of their blankets. The wind blew slowly, cold and piercing. The bright moon illuminated the loud silence. He chose to step outside and closed the door tightly behind him, without locking it.

Mitos malam Jumat kliwon membuat suasana begitu sunyi, walau belum pernah ada kejadian yang membuat orang takut, harus menutup pintu lebih awal, dan mematikan lampu ruang depan sebelum kumandang isya dari kejauhan terdengar. Tidak pernah ada kejadian apapun di sini. Tapi tetap saja semua orang percaya. Juga lelaki tua itu.

The myth of Friday Kliwon night made the atmosphere so quiet, even though there had never been any incident that frightened people into closing their doors early or turning off the front-room lights before the distant call to the Isha prayer was heard. Nothing had ever happened here. Yet everyone still believed. Including that old man.

Sesuatu tiba-tiba merasuk ke dalam hatinya. Matanya bergerak mencari ke semua penjuru. Dia merogoh dan mengeluarkan sesuatu dari sakunya setelah memastikan aman. Dia bergerak mencari tempat yang sedikit terhindar dari cahaya bulan yang terang, di bawah rimbun pohon kopi yang penuh bunga.

Something suddenly seeped into his heart. His eyes moved, searching in every direction. He reached into his pocket and took something out after making sure it was safe. He moved toward a place slightly shielded from the bright moonlight, beneath the dense coffee tree heavy with blossoms.

Merasa semuanya aman, dia berlutut, sesuatu dari saku bajunya tadi disarungkan ke ibu jari kaki kirinya, dua utas tali yang berasal dari benda itu diikatnya melingkar di pergelangan kakinya, sisanya diikat ke bawah lalu ke atas telapak kakinya erat-erat.

 Feeling everything was safe, he knelt down. The object from his shirt pocket was slipped onto the big toe of his left foot, its two strings tied around his ankle, the rest secured downward and then tightly across the sole of his foot.

Malam semakin tenggelam dalam ceruk sepi. Mulut laki-laki tua itu berkomat-kamit merapal sesuatu. Tubuhnya terlihat sedikit menegang seperti ada sesuatu yang memasuki jiwanya. Sesuatu akan terjadi. Hening sementara waktu. Bulu-bulu tampak tumbuh dengan lebat dan cepat dari jari kakinya, terus merayap dengan cepat ke sekujur tubuhnya tanpa terkecuali.

The night sank deeper into the hollow of silence. The old man’s lips murmured, chanting something. His body appeared to tense slightly, as if something were entering his soul. Something was about to happen. A moment of stillness. Hair began to grow thick and fast from his toes, creeping rapidly across his entire body without exception.

Sebuah ekor tumbuh dengan sendirinya. Lalu kuku-kuku runcing mencuat dari ujung jarinya. Misainya tumbuh dari atas bibirnya, tampak panjang dan runcing memutih. Telinganya membesar, matanya berkilat, dan suaranya menjadi geraman lirih yang menakutkan. Kedua tangannya sekarang menyentuh tanah sebagai kaki depan. Dia telah menjadi sesuatu yang lain. Laki-laki itu sadar benar sudah berubah!

A tail grew on its own. Then sharp claws jutted out from the tips of his fingers. Whiskers sprouted above his lips, long, pointed, and pale. His ears enlarged, his eyes gleamed, and his voice turned into a low, frightening growl. Both his hands now touched the ground as front legs. He had become something else. The man was fully aware that he had changed!

Setelah itu, dia mulai melangkah perlahan dengan ringan keluar dari bawah rimbunan bunga-bunga kopi menjauh dari rumah bilik itu, berjalan dengan tenang dan gagah melewai satu per satu rumah di sekitarnya, kemudian menelusuri jalan kecil menuju ke arah yang lebih jauh. (p13)

After that, he began to step lightly and slowly out from beneath the cluster of coffee blossoms, moving away from the little bamboo-walled house. He walked calmly and proudly past each of the nearby homes, then followed the narrow path leading farther away.