Aha! It has been a while since I wrote
anything about Sherlock Holmes, right? I mean, I love him so much,
and yet I don't talk much about him. But today, for the Shorty July
and Short Stories on Wednesday this week, I'd like to write about The
Adventure of the Dying Detective,
which is Sherlock Holmes, by Conan Doyle. As usual I will write in
two languages, so here we go.
In Bahasa:
“Ia sekarat, Dr. Watson.”
Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes |
Kisah
ini diawali dengan deskripsi singkat mengenai Sherlock Holmes sebagai
“anak kos terburuk” di seluruh Inggris. Bagaimana tidak? Holmes
memiliki berbagai kebiasaan-kebiasaan aneh nan menyebalkan, seperti
menembaki pintu dan dinding kamar, melakukan eksperimen-eksperimen
aneh (yang seharusnya dilakukan di laboratorium) di dalam kamar, dan
main biola subuh-subuh. Tapi, bukankah keanehannya ini yang membuat
banyak orang menyukainya?
Kalau
pembaca menganggap bahwa berurusan dengan Sherlock Holmes yang sehat
sudah cukup menguji kesabaran, silakan coba berurusan dengan pria ini
sewaktu sedang sakit. Dijamin, pengalaman itu akan menjadi uji
kesabaran yang tidak terlupakan. Detektif sekarat itu, bukannya
menerima kebaikan hati temannya, malah menolak semua nasihat medis
yang Watson berikan, bahkan meragukan kecakapan sang dokter dalam
bidangnya tersebut. Bukan itu saja, dia malah memberikan perintah ini
itu pada sang dokter, sambil mengoceh tidak jelas tentang koin,
kerang, dan hal-hal lain. Seolah belum cukup, dia juga sempat
membentak Watson hanya gara-gara perkara sebuah kotak kecil.
Ya
sudahlah. Cerita ini pada dasarnya menonjolkan kualitas-kualitas
seorang teman yang sangat baik dalam diri Watson. Dia sabar,
perhatian, dan rela melakukan apa yang diminta Sherlock tidak soal
seberapa menjengkelkannya temannya itu. Dan soal penyakit Sherlock
Holmes, dapatkah Watson menemukan “obat” yang cocok bagi
temannya?
In English:
“He’s dying, Dr. Watson.”
Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke as Holmes and Watson |
I
don't want to give any spoiler, because perhaps some of the readers
have this story as a part of their to-read list, but let me tell you
this: this is a beautiful story. In this story we can see how
irritating Holmes could be, and how patient, kind and loyal Watson
was to him.
Even
at the beginning of the story, Sherlock is described as the “worst
tenant in London” with his mad, annoying habits (note that I'm
using plural) such as shooting the wall, playing the violin at dawn,
and doing scientific experiments in his room, while such thing should
be done in laboratory. And yet, that's exactly what we love about
him.
The
doctor, on the other hand, is perhaps the best and kindest man anyone
could find in London. Sometimes I pity him being so close to Sherlock
Holmes instead of some less eccentric being. But he loved the thrill
of adventures that surrounded the sleuth, and had proven every now
and then that he was a valuable partner and a loyal companion of him.
And in
this short story, Watson proves himself to be a great, kind, and
long-suffering friend. How so? Well, just imagine. If you think
dealing with a healthy Holmes is trying enough, you should never
consider getting near the house when he's ill. Being almost dead,
Holmes became so absurd. He wouldn't let Watson touch him, and
refused any kind of medication, even doubting Watson's medical
capability. He talked about oysters, coins, and other crazy stuff,
while giving Watson specific instruction about the man he wanted to
come to cure him. And to add on more thing on the list of his oddity,
he even got mad over just a little box.
Would
he die? Or would Watson find the sole remedy for his illness?
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