Sons and Lovers - Chapter 8
Anak dan Kekasih - Bab 8
Clara Dawes was different from Miriam in every way. She was older, married, and worked in a lace factory. She was bold and confident, a woman who knew what she wanted and was not afraid to ask for it.
Clara Dawes berbeda dari Miriam dalam segala hal. Dia lebih tua, sudah menikah, dan bekerja di pabrik renda. Dia adalah wanita yang berani dan percaya diri, yang tahu apa yang dia inginkan dan tidak takut untuk memintanya.
Paul met Clara through work. She was training new workers, and Paul found himself drawn to her immediately. She was unlike anyone he had ever known—direct, passionate, and completely unafraid.
Paul bertemu Clara melalui pekerjaan. Dia sedang melatih pekerja baru, dan Paul segera tertarik padanya. Dia tidak seperti siapa pun yang pernah ditemuinya — terus terang, penuh gairah, dan sama sekali tidak takut.
"You are an interesting boy," she said to him one day, looking him up and down. "There is more to you than meets the eye."
"Kamu anak yang menarik," katanya padanya suatu hari, memandangnya dari atas ke bawah. "Ada lebih banyak hal dalam dirimu daripada yang terlihat."
Paul felt his face grow hot. He didn't know how to respond to such attention from a woman like Clara.
Paul merasakan wajahnya memanas. Dia tidak tahu bagaimana harus bereaksi terhadap perhatian seperti itu dari wanita seperti Clara.
As they worked together, they talked more and more. Clara told him about her unhappy marriage, about her husband who drank and treated her badly.
Saat mereka bekerja bersama, mereka semakin sering berbicara. Clara bercerita tentang pernikahannya yang tidak bahagia, tentang suaminya yang minum dan memperlakukannya dengan buruk.
"I should have left him years ago," she said, her voice hard. "But I stayed, and now I am stuck."
"Aku seharusnya meninggalkannya bertahun-tahun yang lalu," katanya dengan suara keras. "Tetapi aku tinggal, dan sekarang aku terjebak."
Paul listened, fascinated by her openness. He had never met a woman who spoke so freely about her life, her desires, her disappointments.
Paul mendengarkan, terpesona oleh keterusterangannya. Dia belum pernah bertemu wanita yang berbicara begitu bebas tentang hidupnya, keinginannya, frustrasinya.
Miriam, when she learned about Clara, was upset. She could see that Paul was attracted to this older, married woman, and it made her jealous.
Miriam, setelah mengetahui tentang Clara, merasa terganggu. Dia bisa melihat bahwa Paul tertarik pada wanita yang lebih tua dan sudah menikah ini, dan itu membuatnya cemburu.
"She is not right for you," Miriam said. "She will hurt you."
"Dia tidak cocok untukmu," kata Miriam. "Dia akan menyakitimu."
But Paul was already too involved with Clara to listen. The excitement he felt with her was unlike anything he had ever experienced—intense, physical, overwhelming.
Tetapi Paul terlalu terlibat dengan Clara untuk mendengarkan. Kegembiraan yang dia rasakan bersamanya tidak seperti apa pun yang pernah dia alami — intens, fisik, luar biasa.
He found himself comparing Clara to Miriam. Where Miriam was shy and spiritual, Clara was bold and earthy. Where Miriam held back, Clara pulled forward.
Dia mendapati dirinya membandingkan Clara dengan Miriam. Sementara Miriam pemalu dan spiritual, Clara berani dan duniawi. Sementara Miriam menahan diri, Clara bergerak maju.
Paul didn't know which one he truly wanted. But he knew that he could no longer be the boy his mother wanted him to be. He was changing, and the changes were happening fast.
Paul tidak tahu siapa yang sebenarnya dia inginkan. Tetapi dia tahu dia tidak bisa lagi menjadi anak laki-laki yang diinginkan ibunya. Dia sedang berubah, dan perubahan itu terjadi dengan cepat.