Manyan's Blog

Halo sobat Manyan, kali ini kita akan melangkah ke cerita bahasa inggris selanjutnya. Cerita ini merupakan karangan cerita yang saya usung guna untuk mempertajam pemahaman kita terkait bahasa inggris diantaranya : Vocabulary, Tenses, dsb. Untuk itu mari kita pelajari alur ceritanya dan juga menganalisa kosa kata baru / tenses yang dapat kita pelajari.

The Clockmaker’s Promise

The rain was falling steadily when Daniel stepped into the old antique shop at the corner of Green Street. The scent of polished wood and timeworn books filled the air, and somewhere behind the counter, a clock was ticking with calm precision. Daniel had been walking for hours, trying to clear his head after a long argument with his business partner. He had always believed that time would fix everything, but that morning, he felt the weight of every wasted second pressing on his chest. “Maybe I just need a sign,” he murmured, unaware that the sign would soon come in the most unexpected way.

Hujan turun perlahan ketika Daniel melangkah masuk ke toko barang antik tua di sudut Green Street. Aroma kayu yang mengilap dan buku-buku usang mengisi udara, dan di suatu tempat di balik meja kasir, sebuah jam berdetik dengan tenang. Daniel telah berjalan selama berjam-jam, mencoba menjernihkan pikirannya setelah pertengkaran panjang dengan rekan bisnisnya. Ia selalu percaya bahwa waktu akan memperbaiki segalanya, tetapi pagi itu, ia merasakan beratnya setiap detik yang terbuang menekan dadanya. “Mungkin aku hanya butuh sebuah tanda,” gumamnya, tanpa menyadari bahwa tanda itu akan datang dengan cara yang tak terduga.

Behind the counter stood an elderly man with silver-rimmed glasses and gentle eyes. “You’re looking for something that lasts,” he said before Daniel could speak. “Perhaps a reminder that time doesn’t break—it bends.” His voice was soft, yet every word seemed to echo through the shop. Daniel smiled nervously and replied, “I just wanted to look around.” The man nodded. “Then look carefully, because sometimes time shows you what you’ve been missing.”

Di balik meja berdiri seorang pria tua berkacamata perak dengan tatapan lembut. “Kau sedang mencari sesuatu yang abadi,” katanya sebelum Daniel sempat berbicara. “Mungkin pengingat bahwa waktu tidak pernah hancur — ia hanya membengkok.” Suaranya lembut, namun setiap kata bergema di dalam ruangan itu. Daniel tersenyum gugup dan menjawab, “Saya hanya ingin melihat-lihat.” Lelaki tua itu mengangguk. “Kalau begitu, lihatlah dengan hati-hati, karena terkadang waktu menunjukkan apa yang telah lama kau abaikan.”

Daniel’s eyes wandered to a golden pocket watch lying on a velvet cloth. The moment he touched it, a strange warmth spread through his palm. “This belonged to a traveler,” the old man said. “He said it could take you anywhere—past, present, or future—if your heart has learned what it truly desires.” Daniel laughed. “That sounds like a fairy tale.” “Perhaps,” the man replied, “but haven’t you been living in one already, chasing what isn’t there?”

Pandangan Daniel beralih pada sebuah jam saku emas yang tergeletak di atas kain beludru. Saat ia menyentuhnya, kehangatan aneh menyebar di telapak tangannya. “Ini milik seorang pengelana,” kata lelaki tua itu. “Katanya jam ini bisa membawamu ke mana saja — masa lalu, masa kini, atau masa depan — jika hatimu telah belajar apa yang benar-benar diinginkannya.” Daniel tertawa pelan. “Kedengarannya seperti dongeng.” “Mungkin,” balas lelaki itu, “tetapi bukankah kau selama ini hidup dalam dongengmu sendiri, mengejar hal-hal yang sebenarnya tak ada?”

The lights flickered. The air grew heavier, and Daniel suddenly found himself standing on a sun-lit street filled with people in old-fashioned clothes. The year on a newspaper nearby was 1890. He was holding the same golden watch, but the shop had disappeared. Confused, he walked toward a small bakery, the smell of warm bread pulling him in. Inside, he met a young woman who was reading a letter by the window. She looked up, smiled, and said, “You’re late, Daniel.” He froze—no one there should have known his name. “I—I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else,” he stammered. She shook her head gently. “No, you just haven’t remembered yet.”

Lampu berkedip. Udara menjadi lebih berat, dan tiba-tiba Daniel mendapati dirinya berdiri di jalanan yang disinari matahari, dikelilingi orang-orang berpakaian kuno. Tahun yang tertulis di koran terdekat adalah 1890. Ia masih memegang jam emas yang sama, namun toko itu telah lenyap. Bingung, ia berjalan menuju sebuah toko roti kecil, tertarik oleh aroma roti hangat yang baru dipanggang. Di dalamnya, ia bertemu seorang wanita muda yang sedang membaca surat di dekat jendela. Wanita itu memandangnya, tersenyum, dan berkata, “Kau terlambat, Daniel.” Ia tertegun — tak seharusnya ada yang mengenalnya di sana. “A—aku rasa kau salah orang,” ia gugup menjawab. Wanita itu menggeleng pelan. “Tidak, kau hanya belum mengingatnya.”

Days passed—though he couldn’t tell how many—and Daniel found himself spending every morning with her, listening to her talk about dreams, inventions, and the life she would build once the century turned. He had never felt so alive. The pocket watch kept ticking, but he didn’t care about time anymore. “If I stay here,” he thought, “maybe everything I have lost will come back.” But deep inside, he knew it couldn’t last. One evening, as they watched the sunset, she said softly, “You will have to leave soon. Time doesn’t belong to those who try to hold it—it belongs to those who move with it.”

Hari-hari pun berlalu — meski ia tak tahu berapa lama — dan Daniel menemukan dirinya menghabiskan setiap pagi bersama wanita itu, mendengarkan impiannya tentang penemuan dan masa depan yang akan ia bangun saat abad berganti. Ia tak pernah merasa sehidup ini. Jam saku itu terus berdetak, tapi ia tak lagi peduli pada waktu. “Jika aku tetap di sini,” pikirnya, “mungkin segala yang telah hilang akan kembali.” Namun jauh di dalam hatinya, ia tahu itu tak akan mungkin. Suatu sore, saat mereka menyaksikan matahari terbenam, wanita itu berbisik lembut, “Kau harus pergi segera. Waktu bukan milik mereka yang berusaha menahannya — ia milik mereka yang mau berjalan bersamanya.”

When he opened his eyes again, Daniel was standing in the antique shop. The rain outside had stopped, and the clock on the wall was chiming six. The old man was polishing the counter, as if nothing had happened. “Did you travel far?” he asked. Daniel smiled weakly. “I think I did,” he said. “And I think I finally understand.” The old man nodded. “Then the watch has done its work. Keep it—it’s yours now. But remember, time is not an enemy. It’s a companion.”

Saat membuka matanya lagi, Daniel sudah berdiri di dalam toko barang antik itu. Hujan di luar telah berhenti, dan jam di dinding berbunyi enam kali. Lelaki tua itu sedang membersihkan meja, seolah tak terjadi apa-apa. “Apakah kau sudah bepergian jauh?” tanyanya. Daniel tersenyum lemah. “Kurasa iya,” katanya. “Dan kurasa aku akhirnya mengerti.” Lelaki tua itu mengangguk. “Kalau begitu, jam itu telah menyelesaikan tugasnya. Simpanlah — itu milikmu sekarang. Tapi ingat, waktu bukanlah musuh. Ia adalah teman perjalananmu.”

Daniel walked out of the shop, feeling lighter. The clouds were clearing, revealing a calm evening sky. For the first time in years, he has stopped thinking about what he could have done, and has started focusing on what he will do next. Tomorrow, he will meet his partner again. They will have discussed new plans for their company, and he will have been working with renewed purpose. He will no longer chase lost opportunities; instead, he will build new ones.

Daniel melangkah keluar dari toko dengan perasaan lebih ringan. Awan mulai menyingkir, menampakkan langit sore yang tenang. Untuk pertama kalinya dalam beberapa tahun, ia tidak lagi memikirkan apa yang seharusnya ia lakukan, dan mulai fokus pada apa yang akan ia lakukan. Besok, ia akan bertemu kembali dengan rekannya. Mereka akan membicarakan rencana baru untuk perusahaan mereka, dan ia akan bekerja dengan semangat yang diperbarui. Ia tidak akan lagi mengejar peluang yang telah lewat; kali ini ia akan menciptakan yang baru.

As he reached home, Daniel looked at the golden watch in his hand. It had stopped ticking, but somehow, he knew that was exactly how it should be. Time has already taught him its lesson: the past is gone, the future will come, and the present is the only place where change truly happens. He placed the watch on his desk, whispering, “Thank you, for the time I didn’t deserve.” Outside, the rain had returned, but it was falling gently now—like forgiveness. And somewhere, deep within the ticking silence of the night, Daniel knew he had become someone new.

Sesampainya di rumah, Daniel memandangi jam emas di tangannya. Jam itu telah berhenti berdetak, namun entah mengapa ia tahu itulah yang seharusnya terjadi. Waktu telah mengajarkan pelajarannya: masa lalu telah pergi, masa depan akan datang, dan masa kini adalah satu-satunya tempat di mana perubahan benar-benar terjadi. Ia meletakkan jam itu di meja, berbisik, “Terima kasih, untuk waktu yang tak pantas aku miliki.” Di luar, hujan turun kembali, namun kini jatuh dengan lembut — seperti maaf yang turun dari langit. Dan di antara keheningan malam yang berdetak, Daniel menyadari bahwa ia telah menjadi seseorang yang baru.

Tenses : 

1.  Simple Present Tense - Time is not an enemy.
2. Present Continuous - The rain falling steadily.
3. Present Perfect - He has stopped thinking about what he could have done.
4. Present Perfect Continuous - Haven't you been living in one already ?
5. Simple Past - He stepped into the old shop.
6. Past Continuous - The clock was ticking with calm precision.
7. Past Perfect - He had always believed that time would fix everything.
8. Past Perfect Continuous - He had been walking for hours.
9. Simple Future - He will meet his partner again.
10. Future Continuous - He will be working with renewed purpose.
11. Future Perfect - They will have discussed new plans.
12. Future Perfect Continuous - He will have been working with renewed purpose.