Number Forty-Seven

Carla had cut her hand washing the dishes. It wasn't deep, but it kept bleeding, so she went to the clinic. The receptionist asked for her insurance card and gave her a number. Forty-seven.

Carla melukai tangannya saat mencuci piring. Lukanya tidak dalam, tetapi terus berdarah, jadi dia pergi ke klinik. Resepsionis meminta kartu asuransinya dan memberinya nomor. Empat puluh tujuh.

The screen above the door said "Now serving: 31." The waiting room was full. A man was reading the same page of a magazine for ten minutes. A young father was holding a sleeping baby. A teenager was staring at his phone.

Layar di atas pintu bertuliskan "Sedang melayani: 31." Ruang tunggu penuh. Seorang pria membaca halaman majalah yang sama selama sepuluh menit. Seorang ayah muda menggendong bayi yang sedang tidur. Seorang remaja menatap ponselnya.

Carla sat down and watched the numbers change. 32. 33. 36. The numbers did not move in order. She wondered if she had been forgotten.

Carla duduk dan memperhatikan angka-angka berubah. 32. 33. 36. Angka-angka itu tidak bergerak secara berurutan. Dia bertanya-tanya apakah dia sudah dilupakan.

After an hour, the screen finally showed 47. She walked through the door to the small office. The doctor looked at her hand for two minutes. "It's nothing," he said. "Clean it twice a day. No stitches."

Setelah satu jam, layar akhirnya menunjukkan 47. Dia berjalan melewati pintu menuju ruang kecil. Dokter melihat tangannya selama dua menit. "Tidak apa-apa," katanya. "Bersihkan dua kali sehari. Tidak perlu jahitan."

When she left, the waiting room was almost empty. The teenager was gone. The baby was awake. The man had finally turned the page.

Ketika dia pergi, ruang tunggu hampir kosong. Remaja itu sudah pergi. Bayi itu sudah bangun. Pria itu akhirnya membalik halaman.