A Table for One

Mia goes into a small restaurant at nine. The room is almost empty. A tired waiter in a white apron points to a table in the corner.

Mia masuk ke restoran kecil pukul sembilan. Ruangan hampir kosong. Seorang pelayan yang lelah, memakai apron putih, menunjuk ke meja di sudut.

"Just one?" he asks. Mia says yes. She always travels alone. She is a little nervous. The menu is on one small piece of paper.

"Sendirian saja?" tanyanya. Mia bilang ya. Dia selalu bepergian sendiri. Dia sedikit gugup. Menunya ada di selembar kertas kecil.

Mia points at a word. She does not know it. The waiter smiles. "The special," he says slowly. "My grandmother's food. If you do not like it, I bring something else."

Mia menunjuk satu kata. Dia tidak tahu artinya. Pelayan itu tersenyum. "Menu spesial," katanya pelan. "Masakan nenek saya. Kalau Anda tidak suka, saya bawakan yang lain."

The food comes in a heavy bowl. It is hot, with garlic and little pieces of bread. Mia tries it. The waiter watches her from the bar.

Makanan itu datang dalam mangkuk besar dan berat. Panas, dengan bawang putih dan potongan roti kecil. Mia mencobanya. Pelayan itu mengawasinya dari bar.

Mia gives him a thumbs up. He laughs and fills her glass again. "Good," he says. "Come back tomorrow. Then I tell you what is in it."

Mia mengacungkan jempol kepadanya. Dia tertawa dan mengisi gelasnya lagi. "Enak," katanya. "Besok kembali lagi. Nanti saya kasih tahu isinya apa."