Lanterns over the Town Square

Menjelang senja, alun-alun yang biasanya lengang berubah jadi lautan cahaya; Sekaten kembali menggelar pesta rakyat, dan kami tak mau ketinggalan.

At dusk, the usually quiet town square turned into a sea of lights; Sekaten was back in full swing, and we weren’t about to miss it.

Aroma sate yang dipayungi asap tipis berkelindan dengan wangi jenang gula jawa, membuat perut meronta sebelum sempat tawar-menawar.

The scent of satay veiled in thin smoke tangled with the sweetness of palm-sugar porridge, making our stomachs growl before we could even bargain.

Aku datang bersama Bu De Sulastri yang hafal betul seluk-beluk lapak, sementara aku cuma mengikuti arus, menambatkan pandang ke bianglala yang berputar malas.

I came with Aunt Sulastri, who knows every stall by heart, while I simply went with the flow, my gaze moored to the ferris wheel turning lazily.

Di sela riuh gamelan yang ditabuh di panggung kecil, Bu De berbisik, "Kalau mau lupisnya Mbah Rono, jangan sampai kehabisan—antreannya mengular."

Amid the clamor of gamelan on a small stage, Aunt whispered, “If you want Mbah Rono’s lupis, don’t be too late—the line snakes on and on.”

Kami menyusup di antara pengunjung yang berjejal, sekali-kali disergap penjual mainan yang lihai merayu dengan cahaya lampu tembak-tembakan.

We slipped through the packed crowd, now and then ambushed by toy sellers deftly luring us with blinking light guns.

Alih-alih langsung ke lapak lupis, langkah terhenti di depan pertunjukan wayang orang; dalang melontarkan guyon cerdas yang bikin tawa meledak, sekaligus menyentil sopan.

Instead of heading straight to the lupis stall, we stopped at a wayang orang performance; the puppeteer tossed off sharp jokes that sent laughter bursting while gently poking fun.

Rasanya waktu menguap begitu saja, dan ketika sadar, antrean di lapak Mbah Rono sudah mengular sampai dekat pagar komidi putar.

Time seemed to evaporate, and before we knew it, the queue at Mbah Rono’s stall had stretched to the carousel’s fence.

Bu De menghela napas, lalu menatapku dengan senyum setengah geli: "Ya sudah, sabar itu separo rasa manis—kita tunggu."

Aunt sighed, then looked at me with a half-amused smile: “All right, patience is half the sweetness—let’s wait.”

Sambil berdiri, kami diajak ngobrol seorang bapak perajin topeng yang mengeluh omzet naik-turun tapi tetap kukuh karena katanya, "warisan keterampilan tangan tak boleh putus."

While we stood there, a mask craftsman struck up a chat, lamenting seesawing sales yet holding firm because, he said, “handmade heritage must not break.”

Begitu tiba giliran, Mbah Rono menaburi lupis hangat dengan kelapa parut dan juruh kental; manisnya tak berlebihan, ada getir halus yang mengingatkan pada masa kecil di kampung.

When our turn finally came, Mbah Rono sprinkled warm lupis with grated coconut and thick palm syrup; the sweetness wasn’t overbearing, with a faint bitter note that recalled childhood in the village.

Perut kenyang, hati lega, namun yang paling membekas justru tatapan bangga para pelapak lokal yang malam itu, kendati lelah, tetap semringah.

Bellies full and hearts at ease, what lingered most were the proud looks of local vendors who, though tired, still beamed that night.

Saat pulang, lampion-lampion masih berkedip di belakang punggung; rasanya, kota yang kadang terasa dingin, malam itu memeluk erat warganya.

On the way home, lanterns still winked behind our backs; it felt as if the city, often so cold, embraced its people tightly that night.