Lampion Merah yang Tak Pernah Padam

Malam itu, angin sepoi-sepoi membawa aroma kemenyan dan bunga melati ke dalam rumah kayu tua di gang sempit Pecinan.ⓘThat night, a gentle breeze carried the aroma of incense and jasmine flowers into the old wooden house in a narrow alley of Chinatown.

Nenek Siti duduk di kursi rotan, tangannya yang keriput memegang lampion merah kecil yang cahayanya masih setia menyala meski usianya sudah puluhan tahun.ⓘGrandmother Siti sat on a rattan chair, her wrinkled hands holding a small red lantern whose light still faithfully glowed even though it was decades old.

“Lampion ini bukan sekadar hiasan, cucuku,” katanya pelan sambil menatap api kecil di dalam nya.”ⓘ“This lantern is not merely decoration, my grandchild,” she said softly while gazing at the small flame inside it. Ia melambangkan harapan yang tak pernah padam, semangat leluhur yang terus hidup meski badai zaman datang silih berganti.ⓘIt symbolizes hope that never goes out, the spirit of our ancestors that continues to live even though the storms of time come one after another.

Setiap kali aku menyalakannya lagi, aku merasa mereka semua masih ada di sini, menjaga kita dengan cahaya merah yang hangat itu.”ⓘEvery time I light it again, I feel they are all still here, watching over us with that warm red light.”