3. I m̄-sī boeh kiò taksi
"Bih kòe-lâi, koai gín-á, bián-tit ak-hō͘," goán mama kóng. "Lán chin hó-ūn, kám m̄-sī? Góa m̄-bat bé kòe si-á hō͘-sòaⁿ. Góa bé bē-khí."
"Tú khai-sí ê sî, lí ná ē tùi i hiah kiaⁿ-gî?"
"Góa boeh khak-tēng, i m̄-sī pián-á," yi kóng. "Góa ū án-né chò kàu. I sī chi̍t-ê sin-sū. Góa mā chin hoaⁿ-hí, ē-tàng kā tàu saⁿ-kāng."
"Sī ah, mă," góa kóng.
"Sī chiàⁿ-káng ê sin-sū," yi kè-sio̍k kóng. "I mā chin hó-gia̍h, nā-bô i ná ē ū si-á hō͘-sòaⁿ. Nā-kóng i ū siáⁿ thâu-hâm, góa chi̍t-tiám-á to bē kám-kak kî-koài. Chhin-chhiūⁿ kóng: Bó͘-bó͘ Sià a̍h-sī siáⁿ-mih hit-lūi ê thâu-hâm."
"Sī ah, mă."
"Tī chia lí mā ē-tàng o̍h tio̍h chi̍t-ê kàu-hùn," yi koh kóng. "M̄-thang tio̍h-kip. Boeh kiat-lūn chi̍t-ê lâng, lí tio̍h khoaⁿ-khoaⁿ-á lâi. Án-ne lí tō bē hut m̄-tio̍h khì."
"I kiâⁿ hia khì," góa kóng. "Lí khòaⁿ."
"Toeh?"
"Hit pêng. I teh kòe ke-lō͘. Thiⁿ ah, mă, i kóaⁿ kín-kín."
Goán khòaⁿ hit-ê é-kó͘ lâng tī chhia-tīn nih siám lâi siám khì chin liú-lia̍h. Kòe ke-lō͘ liáu, i oat tò-pêng, koh kín-kín kiâⁿ.
"Chāi góa khòaⁿ, i m̄-sī chin thiám, lí khòaⁿ án-chóaⁿ, mă?"
Goán mama bô ìn.
"Khòaⁿ khí-lâi, i mā m̄-sī boeh kiò taksi," góa kóng.
Goán mama khiā tiām, gāng-gāng khòaⁿ ke-lō͘ tùi-bīn hit-ê é-kó͘ lâng. Góa ē-tàng khòaⁿ kah chin chheng-chhó. I kui-ê lâng kóaⁿ piāng-piāng, tī lāu-jia̍t ê jîn-hêng-tō nǹg-chǹg, siám lâng, siang-chhiú hàiⁿ koân-koân, chhin-chhiūⁿ a-peng-ko teh that-kha-pō͘.
"I tiāⁿ-tio̍h ū tāi-chì," goán mama kóng, bīn bô piáu-chêng.
"Sī án-chóaⁿ?"
"Góa mā m̄-chai," goán mama tōa-siaⁿ kóng. "M̄-koh góa boeh kā chhâ chhut-lâi. Tòe góa lâi." Yi khan góa ê chhiú, goán tâng-chê kòe ke-lō͘. Kòe lō͘ liáu, goán mā oat tò-pêng.
"Lí ū khòaⁿ-e i bô?" goán mama mn̄g.
"Ū. I tī hia. I tī koh-loeh hit-tiâu ke oat chiàⁿ-pêng."
Goán kiâⁿ kàu hit-tiâu ke, mā oat chiàⁿ-pêng. Hit-ê é-kó͘ lâng tī goán thâu-chêng chha-put-to 20-bí. I ná-chhiūⁿ thò͘-á án-ne nǹg lâi nǹg khì, goán tio̍h kiâⁿ khah kín leh chiah tòe i ē-tio̍h. Chit-sî hō͘ lo̍h tōa ah, góa khòaⁿ ē-tio̍h hō͘-chúi ùi i ê bō-á-kîⁿ tih lo̍h i ê keng-kah-thâu. M̄-koh goán chin sù-sī, tī hit-ki tōa si-á hō͘-sòaⁿ ē-bīn, goán kui-sin lóng ta-ta.
"Tàu-té i boeh chhòng-siáⁿ?" goán mama kóng.
"I kám ē oa̍t-thâu, khòaⁿ tio̍h lán?" góa mn̄g.
"Án-ne mā bô iàu-kín," goán mama kóng. "I kā lán phiàn. I kóng i thiám kah bô hoat-tō͘ koh kiâⁿ, m̄-koh i hāi lán kiâⁿ kah thih-thúi! I sī tōa-bīn-sîn ê pe̍h-chha̍t! Sī chi̍t-ê pián-á!"
"Só͘-í, i m̄-sī ū thâu-hâm ê sin-sū?" góa mn̄g.
"Lí tiām-tiām," yi kóng.
Kiâⁿ kàu āu chi̍t-ê lō͘-kháu, é-kó͘ lâng koh oat chiàⁿ-pêng. Koh-lâi oat tò-pêng, koh-lâi chiàⁿ-pêng.
"Taⁿ, góa m̄ pàng-soah," goán mama kóng.
"I bô khòaⁿ-e ah!" góa kiò chhut-siaⁿ. "I toeh khì ah?"
"I ùi hit-ê mn̂g ji̍p-khì!" goán mama kóng. "Góa ū khòaⁿ tio̍h! Ji̍p-khì hit-keng chhù! Thiⁿ ah, he sī chiú-pa!"
He sī chi̍t-keng chiú-pa. Tī mn̂g-kháu tōa-tōa jī siá: Âng-sai Chiú-pa.
"Lí m̄ ji̍p-khì hioh, mă?"
"Bián," yi kóng. "Lán ùi gōa-kháu khòaⁿ."
Chiú-pa chiàⁿ-bīn ū chi̍t-ê tōa po-lê-thang, lāi-bīn sui-jiân ū ian-bū, nā áⁿ khah óa leh, mā ē-tàng khòaⁿ kah chin chheng-chhó.
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3. 伊毋是欲叫 taksi
"覕過來, 乖囡仔, 免得沃雨," 阮媽媽講. "咱真好運, 敢毋是? 我 m̄-bat 買過絲仔雨傘. 我買袂起."
"拄開始 ê 時, 你那會對伊 hiah 驚疑?"
"我欲確定, 伊毋是諞仔," 她講. "我有 án-ne 做到. 伊是一个紳士. 我 mā 真歡喜, 會當 kā 鬥相共."
"是 ah, mă," 我講.
"是正港 ê 紳士," 她繼續講. "伊 mā 真好額, 若無伊那會有絲仔雨傘. 若講伊有啥頭銜, 我一點仔 to 袂感覺奇怪. 親像講: 某某 Sià 抑是啥物彼類 ê 頭銜."
"是 ah, mă."
"Tī chia 你 mā 會當學著一个教訓," 她 koh 講. "毋通著急. 欲結論一个人, 你著寬寬仔來. Án-ne 你 tō 袂 hut 毋著去."
"伊行 hia 去," 我講. "你看."
"Toeh?"
"彼爿. 伊 teh 過街路. 天 ah, mă, 伊趕緊緊."
阮看彼个矮鼓人 tī 車陣 nih 閃來閃去真扭掠. 過街路了, 伊斡倒爿, koh 緊緊行.
"在我看, 伊毋是真忝, 你看按怎, mă?"
阮媽媽無應.
"看起來, 伊 mā 毋是欲叫 taksi," 我講.
阮媽媽徛恬, 愣愣看街路對面彼个矮鼓人. 我會當看 kah 真清楚. 伊規个人趕 piāng-piāng, tī 鬧熱 ê 人行道軁鑽, 閃人, 雙手幌懸懸, 親像阿兵哥 teh 踢跤步.
"伊定著有代誌," 阮媽媽講, 面無表情.
"是按怎?"
"我 mā 毋知," 阮媽媽大聲講. "M̄-koh 我欲 kā 查出來. 綴我來." 她牽我 ê 手, 阮同齊過街路. 過路了, 阮 mā 斡倒爿.
"你有看 e 伊無?" 阮媽媽問.
"有. 伊 tī hia. 伊 tī koh-loeh 彼條街斡正爿."
阮行到彼條街, mā 斡正爿. 彼个矮鼓人 tī 阮頭前差不多 20 米. 伊 ná 像兔仔 án-ne 軁來軁去, 阮著行較緊 leh 才綴伊會著. 這時雨落大 ah, 我看會著雨水 ùi 伊 ê 帽仔墘滴落伊 ê 肩胛頭. M̄-koh 阮真四序, tī 彼支大絲仔雨傘下面, 阮規身 lóng 焦焦.
"到底伊欲創啥?" 阮媽媽講.
"伊敢會越頭, 看著咱?" 我問.
"Án-ne mā 無要緊," 阮媽媽講. "伊 kā 咱騙. 伊講伊忝 kah 無法度 koh 行, m̄-koh 伊害咱行 kah thih 腿! 伊是大面神 ê 白賊! 是一个諞仔!"
"所以, 伊毋是有頭銜 ê 紳士?" 我問.
"你恬恬," 她講.
行到後一个路口, 矮鼓人 koh 斡正爿. 閣來斡倒爿, 閣來正爿.
"今, 我毋放煞," 阮媽媽講.
"伊無看 e ah!" 我叫出聲. "伊 toeh 去 ah?"
"伊 ùi 彼个門入去!" 阮媽媽講. "我有看著! 入去彼間厝! 天 ah, 彼是酒吧!"
彼是一間酒吧. Tī 門口大大字寫: 紅獅酒吧.
"你毋入去 hioh, mă?"
"免," 她講. "咱 ùi 外口看."
酒吧正面有一个大玻璃窗, 內面雖然有煙霧, 若 áⁿ 較倚 leh, mā 會當看 kah 真清楚.
--
3
‘Come under here and keep dry, darling,’ my mother said. ‘Aren’t we lucky. I’ve never had a silk umbrella before. I couldn’t afford it.’
‘Why were you so horrid to him in the beginning?’ I asked.
‘I wanted to satisfy myself he wasn’t a trickster,’ she said. ‘And I did. He was a gentleman. I’m very pleased I was able to help him.’
‘Yes, mummy,’ I said.
‘A real gentleman,’ she went on. ‘Wealthy, too, otherwise he wouldn’t have had a silk umbrella. I shouldn’t be surprised if he isn’t a titled person. Sir Harry Goldsworthy or something like that.’
’Yes, mummy.’
‘This will be a very good lesson to you,’ she went on. ‘Never rush things. Always take your time when you are summing someone up. Then you’ll never make mistakes.’
‘There he goes,’ I said. ’Look.’
‘Where?’
‘Over there. He’s crossing the street. Goodness, mummy, what a hurry he’s in.’
We watched the little man as he dodged nimbly in and out of the traffic. When he reached the other side of the street, he turned left, walking very fast.
‘He doesn’t look very tired to me, does he to you, mummy?’
My mother didn’t answer.
‘He doesn’t look as though he’s trying to get a taxi, either,’ I said.
My mother was standing very still and stiff, staring across the street at the little man. We could see him clearly. He was in a terrific hurry. He was bustling along the pavement, sidestepping the other pedestrians and swinging his arms like a soldier on the march.
‘He’s up to something,’ my mother said, stony-faced.
‘But what?’
‘I don’t know,’ my mother snapped. ‘But I’m going to find out. Come with me.’ She took my arm and we crossed the street together. Then we turned left.
‘Can you see him?’ my mother asked.
‘Yes. There he is. He’s turning right down the next street.’
We came to the corner and turned right. The little man was about twenty yards ahead of us. He was scuttling along like a rabbit and we had to walk very fast to keep up with him. The rain was pelting down harder than ever now and I could see it dripping from the brim of his hat on to his shoulders. But we were snug and dry under our lovely big silk umbrella.
‘What is he up to?’ my mother said.
‘What if he turns round and sees us?’ I asked.
‘I don’t care if he does,’ my mother said. ‘He lied to us. He said he was too tired to walk any further and he’s practically running us off our feet! He’s a barefaced liar! He’s a crook!’
‘You mean he’s not a titled gentleman?’ I asked.
‘Be quiet,’ she said.
At the next crossing, the little man turned right again. Then he turned left. Then right.
‘I’m not giving up now,’ my mother said.
‘He’s disappeared!’ I cried. ‘Where’s he gone?’
‘He went in that door!’ my mother said. ‘I saw him! Into that house! Great heavens, it’s a pub!’
It was a pub. In big letters right across the front it said THE RED LION.
‘You’re not going in are you, mummy?’
‘No,’ she said. ‘We’ll watch from outside.’
There was a big plate-glass window along the front of the pub, and although it was a bit steamy on the inside, we could see through it very well if we went close.
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