Meninggalkan Lembah

Tomas, penjaga hutan, datang ke pusat pengunjung saat matahari terbit. Dia membawa termos berisi kopi. Dia duduk di bangku di sebelah Polly.

Tomas the ranger came to the visitor centre at sunrise. He had a Thermos of coffee. He sat on a bench next to Polly.

Mereka tidak banyak bicara. Polly merapikan bulu-bulunya. Pagi itu tercium aroma sungai.

They did not say much. Polly preened her feathers. The morning smelled of the river.

"Kamu akan pergi," kata Tomas.

"You are leaving," Tomas said.

Polly memiringkan kepalanya.

Polly tilted her head.

Dia menceritakan tentang bagian lain dari taman itu. Daerah pegunungan dengan danau-danaunya. Lembah lain di utara. Sebuah hutan dengan pohon-pohon tinggi.

He told her about the rest of the park. The high country with its lakes. Another valley to the north. A grove of tall trees.

"Tempat ini terlalu besar untuk dilihat dalam tiga hari," katanya. "Kamu hanya melihat sebagian kecil."

"This place is too big to see in three days," he said. "You only see pieces."

Polly memikirkan tentang terjunannya dari tebing. Tidak ada yang sempurna. Tapi setiap kali sedikit lebih baik. Dia bisa terus menjadi lebih baik seumur hidupnya.

Polly thought about her dives off the cliff. None of them were good. But each one was a little better. She could keep getting better for a lifetime.

Bus antar-jemput hijau kembali. Sopir yang sama. Tomas berdiri. "Pergilah," katanya.

The green shuttle bus came back. The same driver. Tomas stood up. "Off you go," he said.

Polly merentangkan sayapnya. Dia terbang dari bangku. Dia berputar mengelilingi pusat pengunjung. Dia naik ke atas.

Polly stretched her wings. She lifted off the bench. She circled the visitor centre. She climbed.

Lembah itu menjauh. El Capitan ada di sebelah kirinya. Half Dome di sebelah kanannya.

The valley dropped away. El Capitan was on her left. Half Dome was on her right.

Di tepi, dia berbelok ke barat. Di bawahnya, seekor elang peregrine berburu burung-burung kecil di sepanjang tebing. Polly mengamati. Lalu dia menemukan angin dan membiarkannya membawanya keluar dari taman.

At the rim, she banked west. Below her, a peregrine hunted small swifts along the cliff. Polly watched. Then she found the wind and let it carry her out of the park.