2. Che sī si-á hō͘-sòaⁿ
Goán mama kóng-ōe hiah lāi, hō͘ góa chin pháiⁿ-sè. Góa siūⁿ boeh án-ne kā kóng, "Oh, mă, khah ū-liōng leh, i sī chin lāu ê lâng ah, chhin-chhiat koh hó-lé, taⁿ i ū khùn-lân, m̄-thang tùi i hiah bô-chêng lah." M̄-koh, góa tiām-tiām bô kóng chhut-lâi.
É-kó͘ lâng kā hō͘-sòaⁿ ōaⁿ hō͘ pa̍t-ki chhiú gia̍h. "Í-chêng góa m̄-bat bē-kì-tit kòe."
"Lí m̄-bat bē-kì-tit siáⁿ?" goán mama sûi tòe leh mn̄g.
"Góa ê phiò-pau-á," i kóng. "Góa it-tēng sī kā khǹg tī iáu chi̍t-niá gōa-thò. Che chin-chiàⁿ sī siōng gōng ê tāi-chì lah."
"Lí sī boeh kiò góa hō͘ lí chîⁿ hioh?" goán mama kóng.
"Oh, Thiⁿ ah, m̄-sī lah!" i kiò chhut-lâi. "Thiⁿ-kong-peh m̄-chún góa án-ne chò!"
"Nā bô, lí sī boeh án-chóaⁿ?" goán mama kóng. "Khah kín leh. Góa tit-boeh ak kah tâm-kô͘-kô͘ ah-lah."
"Che góa chai," i kóng. "Tō sī án-ne, góa boeh kā góa ê hō͘-sòaⁿ hō͘ lín thang jia, koh thang chah tńg khì, kan-ta... kan-ta..."
"Kan-ta siáⁿ?" goán mama kóng.
"Kan-ta lí nā hō͘ góa chi̍t-pōng ê taksi chhia-chîⁿ, hō͘ góa thang tńg goán tau."
Goán mama iáu sī teh giâu-gî. "Lí nā chū khí-thâu tō bô chîⁿ, á lí sī án-chóaⁿ lâi chia ê?"
"Góa kiâⁿ-lō͘," i ìn. "Ta̍k-kang góa lóng kiâⁿ tn̂g-lō͘ sàn-pō͘, chiah kiò taksi tńg chhù. Kui-nî thàng-thiⁿ góa lóng án-ne chò."
"Sī án-chóaⁿ lí m̄ kiâⁿ-lō͘ tńg khì?" goán mama mn̄g.
"Góa mā hi-bāng góa chò ē-kàu," i kóng. "Góa hi-bāng góa chò ē-kàu. M̄-koh, góa siūⁿ taⁿ góa koán bē tio̍h chit 2-ki lāu kha. In-ūi í-keng kiâⁿ siuⁿ hn̄g ah."
Goán mama khiā tī hia kā yi ê ē-tûn. Yi khai-sí pàng khah nńg ah, che góa khòaⁿ ē chhut-lâi. Siūⁿ tio̍h ē-tàng tit-tio̍h chi̍t-ki hō͘-sòaⁿ lâi jia-hō͘, tiāⁿ-tio̍h hō͘ yi kám-kak sǹg-ē-hô.
"Che sī chin khó-ài ê hō͘-sòaⁿ," hit-ê é-kó͘ lâng kóng.
"Góa ū chù-ì tio̍h," goán mama kóng.
"Sī si-á--ê," i kóng.
"Góa chai."
"Nā án-ne, hu-jîn, hō͘-sòaⁿ lí the̍h khì," i kóng. "Che kè-ta̍t 20-pōng, góa pó-chèng. M̄-koh, taⁿ bô iàu-kín ah, kan-ta góa ē-tàng tńg-chhù hō͘ chit 2-ki lāu kha hioh-khùn tō hó ah."
Góa khòaⁿ tio̍h goán mama ê chhiú teh bong yi phiò-pau-á ê khian-á. Yi ū khòaⁿ-e góa teh khòaⁿ yi. Chit-pái ōaⁿ góa kō͘ tàng-sng-phīⁿ khòaⁿ yi, á yi mā chai-iáⁿ góa ê ì-sù. Thiaⁿ-hō͘-hó, mă, góa án-ne kā kóng, lí bô eng-kai kō͘ chit-chióng hong-hoat khì phiⁿ chi̍t-ê thiám-thûi ê lāu-lâng. Án-ne chò chin bô-phín. Goán mama thêng lo̍h-lâi, lia̍h góa khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē. Chū án-ne, yi kā hit-ê é-kó͘ lâng kóng, "Góa siūⁿ, góa bô eng-kai the̍h lí he kè-ta̍t 20-pōng ê hō͘-sòaⁿ. Góa siūⁿ, thōng-hó sī, góa kan-ta hō͘ lí taksi ê chhia-chîⁿ, án-ne tō hó lah."
"Bô, bô, bô!" i kiò chhut-lâi. "Bē-sái án-ne! Góa mā m̄-káⁿ án-ne siūⁿ! Éng-oán to bē án-ne siūⁿ! Góa éng-oán to m̄ siu lí chit-khoán chîⁿ! Hu-jîn ah, hō͘-sòaⁿ the̍h khì, kín the̍h khì jia hō͘, bián-tit keng-kah-thâu ak tâm khì!"
Goán mama kek chi̍t-ê sèng-lī ê piáu-chêng hō͘ góa khòaⁿ. Lí khòaⁿ, yi ê ì-sù sī án-ne: Lí m̄-tio̍h loh. Sī i kiò góa the̍h hō͘-sòaⁿ ê.
Yi thàm chhiú ji̍p phiò-pau-á, the̍hchi̍t-tiuⁿ chi̍t-pōng ê phiò-á chhut-lâi, kau hō͘ é-kó͘ lâng. I the̍h tio̍h liáu, kā hō͘-sòaⁿ kau hō͘ yi. I kā hit-tiuⁿ chi̍t-pōng ê phiò-á siu hó, bō-á hian chi̍t-ē, oan-io kiâⁿ chi̍t-ê lé, kóng, "To-siā, hu-jîn, chin to-siā." Chū án-ne i kiâⁿ khui.
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2. 這是絲仔雨傘
阮媽媽講話 hiah 利, 予我真歹勢. 我想欲 án-ne kā 講, "Oh, mă, 較有量 leh, 伊是真老 ê 人 ah, 親切 koh 好禮, 今伊有困難, 毋通對伊 hiah 無情 lah." M̄-koh, 我恬恬無講出來.
矮鼓人 kā 雨傘換予別支手攑. "以前我 m̄-bat 袂記得過."
"你 m̄-bat 袂記得啥?" 阮媽媽隨綴 leh 問.
"我 ê 票包仔," 伊講. "我一定是 kā 囥 tī 猶一領外套. 這真正是上戇 ê 代誌 lah."
"你是欲叫我予你錢 hioh?" 阮媽媽講.
"Oh, 天 ah, 毋是 lah!" 伊叫出來. "天公伯毋准我 án-ne 做!"
"若無, 你是欲按怎?" 阮媽媽講. "較緊 leh. 我得欲沃 kah 澹糊糊 ah-lah."
"這我知," 伊講. "Tō 是 án-ne, 我欲 kā 我 ê 雨傘予恁通 jia, koh 通扎轉去, 干焦... 干焦..."
"干焦啥?" 阮媽媽講.
"干焦你若予我一鎊 ê taksi 車錢, 予我通轉阮兜."
阮媽媽猶是 teh 憢疑. "你若自起頭 tō 無錢, á 你是按怎來 chia ê?"
"我行路," 伊應. "逐工我 lóng 行長路散步, 才叫 taksi 轉厝. 規年迵天我 lóng án-ne 做."
"是按怎你毋行路轉去?" 阮媽媽問.
"我 mā 希望我做會到," 伊講. "我希望我做會到. M̄-koh, 我想今我管袂著這 2 支老跤. 因為已經行 siuⁿ 遠 ah."
阮媽媽徛 tī 遐咬她 ê 下唇. 她開始放較軟 ah, 這我看會出來. 想著會當得著一支雨傘來遮雨, 定著予她感覺算會和.
"這是真可愛 ê 雨傘," 彼个矮鼓人講.
"我有注意著," 阮媽媽講.
"是絲仔 ê," 伊講.
"我知."
"若 án-ne, 夫人, 雨傘你提去," 伊講. "這價值 20 鎊, 我保證. M̄-koh, 今無要緊 ah, 干焦我會當轉厝予這 2 支老跤歇睏 tō 好 ah."
我看著阮媽媽 ê 手 teh 摸她票包仔 ê 圈仔. 她有看 e 我 teh 看她. 這擺換我 kō͘ 凍霜鼻看她, á 她 mā 知影我 ê 意思. 聽予好, mă, 我 án-ne kā 講, 你無應該 kō͘ 這種方法去 phiⁿ 一个 thiám-thûi ê 老人. Án-ne 做真無品. 阮媽媽停落來, 掠我看一下. 自 án-ne, 她 kā 彼个矮鼓人講, "我想, 我無應該提你 he 價值 20 鎊 ê 雨傘. 我想, thōng 好是, 我干焦予你 taksi ê 車錢, án-ne tō 好 lah."
"無, 無, 無!" 伊叫出來. "袂使 án-ne! 我 mā 毋敢 án-ne 想! 永遠 to 袂 án-ne 想! 我永遠 to 毋收你這款錢! 夫人 ah, 雨傘提去, 緊提去遮雨, 免得肩胛頭沃澹去!"
阮媽媽激一个勝利 ê 表情予我看. 你看, 她 ê 意思是 án-ne: 你毋著 loh. 是伊叫我提雨傘 ê.
她探手入票包仔, 提一張一鎊 ê 票仔出來, 交予矮鼓人. 伊提著了, kā 雨傘交予她. 伊 kā 彼張一鎊 ê 票仔收好, 帽仔掀一下, 彎腰行一个禮, 講, "多謝, 夫人, 真多謝." 自 án-ne 伊行開.
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2
I felt quite embarrassed by my mother’s sharpness. I wanted to say to her, ‘Oh, mummy, for heaven’s sake, he’s a very very old man, and sweet and polite, and he’s in some sort of trouble, so don’t be so beastly to him.’ But I didn’t say anything.
The little man shifted his umbrella from one hand to the other. ‘I’ve never forgotten it before,’ he said.
‘You’ve never forgotten what?’ my mother asked sternly.
‘My wallet,’ he said. ‘I must have left it in my other jacket. Isn’t that the silliest thing to do?’
‘Are you asking me to give you money?’ my mother said.
‘Oh, good gracious me, not!’ he cried. ‘Heaven forbid I should ever do that!’
‘Then what are you asking?’ my mother said. ‘Do hurry up. We’re getting soaked to the skin here.’
‘I know you are,’ he said. ‘And that is why I’m offering you this umbrella of mine to protect you, and to keep forever, if . . . if only . . . ’
‘If only what?’ my mother said.
‘If only you would give me in return a pound for my taxi-fare just to get me home.’
My mother was still suspicious. ‘If you had no money in the first place,’ she said, ‘then how did you get here?’
‘I walked,’ he answered. ‘Every day I go for a lovely long walk and then I summon a taxi to get me home. I do it every day of the year.’
’Why don’t you walk home now?’ my mother asked.
’Oh, I wish I could,’ he said. ’I do wish I could. But I don’t think I could manage it on these silly old legs of mine. I’ve gone too far already.’
My mother stood there chewing her lower lip. She was beginning to melt a bit, I could see that. And the idea of getting an umbrella to shelter under must have tempted her a good deal.
‘It’s a lovely umbrella,’ the little man said.
‘So I’ve noticed,’ my mother said.
‘It’s silk,’ he said.
‘I can see that.’
‘Then why don’t you take it, madam,’ he said. ‘It cost me over twenty pounds, I promise you. But now it’s of no importance so long as I can get home and rest these old legs of mine.’
I saw my mother’s hand feeling for the clasp of her purse. She saw me watching her. I was giving her one of my own frosty-nosed looks this time and she knew exactly what I was telling her. Now listen, mummy, I was telling her, you simply mustn’t take advantage of a tired old man in this way. It’s a rotten thing to do. My mother paused and looked back at me. Then she said to the little man, ‘I don’t think it’s quite right that I should take an umbrella from you worth twenty pounds. I think I’d better just give you the taxi-fare and be done with it.’
‘No, no no!’ he cried. ‘It’s out of the question! I wouldn’t dream of it! Not in a million years! I would never accept money from you like that! Take the umbrella, dear lady, and keep the rain off your shoulders!’
My mother gave me a triumphant sideways look. There you are, she was telling me. You’re wrong. He wants me to have it.
She fished into her purse and took out a pound note. She held it out to the little man. He took it and handed her the umbrella. He pocketed the pound, raised his hat, gave a quick bow from the waist, and said, ‘Thank you, madam, thank you.’ Then he was gone.
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