4. La̍k-goe̍h thiu-khau, hó nî-tang chāi āu
Chèng-lâng lóng thiu chē-chē pái ah, ta̍k-ê ū thiaⁿ ná bô thiaⁿ hiah-ê pō͘-sò͘: tōa pō͘-hūn lâng kan-ta chēng-chēng nā chhùi-tûn, bô sì-kè khòaⁿ. Sòa lo̍h, Summers Ss chi̍t-chhiú gia̍h koân, kóng, "Adams." Chi̍t-ê lâng ùi lâng-tīn chhut-lâi, kiâⁿ ǹg chêng. "Hái, Steve." Summers Ss kóng, Adams Ss mā kóng, "Hái, Joe." In hō͘-siong gi-chhùi chi̍t-ē, bô-ì bô-ì koh sió-khóa kín-tiuⁿ. Koh-lâi, Adams Ss chhun-chhiú ji̍p o͘ siuⁿ-á the̍h chhut chi̍t-ki chóa-khau-á. Oa̍t-sin ê sî, i kā khau-á tēⁿ ân-ân, tō kín kiâⁿ-tńg lâng-tīn, bô khiā-óa chhù-lāi-lâng, mā bô àⁿ-thâu khòaⁿ ka-tī ê chhiú.
"Allen." Summers Ss kóng. "Anderson... Bentham."
"Nn̄g-kái thiu-khau tiong-kan ná-chhiūⁿ sī bô làng-phāng." Delacroix Tt oa̍t-thâu kā āu-piah ê Graves Tt kóng: "Lán téng-kái thiu ká-ná sī téng lé-pài ê tāi-chì."
"Sî-kan khak-si̍t kòe liáu chin kín." Graves Tt kóng.
"Clark... Delacroix"
"Lûn tio̍h goán thâu-ê ah." Delacroix Tt kóng. Yin ang ǹg-chêng ê sî, yi kā khùi kìm leh.
"Dunbar," Summers Ss kóng, Dunbar Tt bān-bān kiâⁿ ǹg siuⁿ-á ê sî, ū chi̍t-ê cha-bó͘ kóng, "Janey, khah kín leh," lēng-gōa ū-lâng kóng, "Yi kàu ah lah."
"Koh lâi tō sī goán ah," Graves Tt kóng. Yi khòaⁿ tio̍h Graves Ss se̍h kòe siuⁿ-á, chèng-chèng keng-keng kap Summers Ss phah chi̍t-ê chio-ho͘, koh ùi siuⁿ-á thiu chi̍t-ki chóa-khau. Kàu chit sî-chūn, tōa pō͘-hūn cha-po͘-lâng lóng í-keng tēⁿ chi̍t-ki sè-sè ê chóa-khau, koh put-sî tī chhiú nih kā lián lâi lián khì. Dunbar Tt hām nn̄g-ê hāu-seⁿ khiā chò-hóe, chóa-khau tī Dunbar Tt ê chhiú tiong.
"Harburt... Hutchinson."
"Kín khì, Bill," Hutchinson Tt kóng, piⁿ-á ê lâng lóng chhiò chhut-lâi.
"Jones."
"Ū thiaⁿ-e kóng," Adams kā khiā tī i piⁿ-á ê Warner Lāu-sian kóng, "pak-pêng hit-chng tng-teh tâm-lūn chhú-siau thiu-khau ê tāi-chì."
Waner Lāu-sian hngh chi̍t-siaⁿ. "Hit-tīn khong-khám kiáⁿ," i kóng. "Thiaⁿ hiah-ê siàu-liân sió-kiáⁿ, tāi-chì ē hāi. Lí kám chai, koh-lâi in tio̍h tńg-khì tòa soaⁿ-khang, bô sit-thâu thang chò, tio̍h án-ne tō͘ ji̍t-chí. Kòe-khì ū chi̍t-ê kóng-hoat 'La̍k-goe̍h thiu-khau, hó nî-tang chāi āu.' Chin kín lí tō chai, lán lóng tio̍h chia̍h gô-tn̂g-chhài (鵝腸菜 = 䌓縷, chickweed) kap chhiūⁿ-chí (橡子, acorn). Chū-chá lán tō lóng ū teh thiu-khau ah." I khì-phut-phut koh án-ne po͘-chhiong: "Khòaⁿ Joe Summers láu-sè tī hia kap lâng gō͘-sì-saⁿ, khòaⁿ tio̍h chiâⁿ gāi-gio̍h ê."
"Ū chi̍t-kóa só͘-chāi í-keng bô teh thiu-khau ah," Adams Ss kóng.
"Án-ne kan-ta ē chhut tāi-chì," Warner Lāu-sian kian-koat kóng, "hiah-ê siàu-liân sió-kiáⁿ."
"Martin." Bobby Martin khòaⁿ in lāu-pē kiâⁿ ǹg chêng. "Overdyke... Percey."
"Góa hi-bāng in khah kín leh," Dunbar Tt kā yin tōa-hàn hāu-seⁿ kóng; "góa hi-bāng in khah kín leh."
"In tit-boeh liáu ah," yin hāu-seⁿ kóng.
"Lí chún-pī hó cháu khì kā lín lāu-pē kóng," Dunbar Tt kóng.
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4. 六月抽 khau, 好年冬在後
眾人 lóng 抽濟濟擺 ah, 逐个有聽 ná 無聽 hiah-ê 步數: 大部份人干焦靜靜 nā 喙唇, 無四界看. 紲落, Summers Ss 一手攑懸, 講, "Adams." 一个人 ùi 人陣出來, 行 ǹg 前. "Hái, Steve." Summers Ss 講, Adams Ss mā 講, "Hái, Joe." In 互相 gi 喙一下, 無意無意 koh 小可緊張. Koh 來, Adams Ss 伸手入烏箱仔提出一支紙 khau 仔. 越身 ê 時, 伊 kā khau 仔捏絚絚, tō 緊行轉人陣, 無徛倚厝內人, mā 無 àⁿ 頭看 ka-tī ê 手.
"Allen." Summers Ss 講. "Anderson... Bentham."
"兩改抽 khau 中間 ná 像是無 làng 縫." Delacroix Tt 越頭 kā 後壁 ê Graves Tt 講: "咱頂改抽 ká-ná 是頂禮拜 ê 代誌."
"時間確實過了真緊." Graves Tt 講.
"Clark... Delacroix"
"輪著阮頭 ê ah." Delacroix Tt 講. Yin 翁 ǹg 前 ê 時, yi kā 氣禁 leh.
"Dunbar," Summers Ss 講, Dunbar Tt 慢慢行 ǹg 箱仔 ê 時, 有一个查某講, "Janey, 較緊 leh," 另外有人講, "她到 ah lah."
"Koh 來 tō 是阮 ah," Graves Tt 講. 她看著 Graves Ss 踅過箱仔, 正正經經 kap Summers Ss 拍一个招呼, koh ùi 箱仔抽一支紙 khau. 到這時陣, 大部份查埔人 lóng 已經捏一支細細 ê 紙 khau, koh 不時 tī 手 nih kā 撚來撚去. Dunbar Tt 和兩个後生徛做伙, 紙 khau tī Dunbar Tt ê 手中.
"Harburt... Hutchinson."
"緊去, Bill," Hutchinson Tt 講, 邊仔 ê 人 lóng 笑出來.
"Jones."
"有聽 e 講," Adams kā 徛 tī 伊邊仔 ê Warner 老先講, "北爿彼庄 tng-teh 談論取消抽 khau ê 代誌."
Waner 老先 hngh 一聲. "彼陣 khong-khám 囝," 伊講. "聽 hiah-ê 少年小囝, 代誌會害. 你敢知, koh-lâi in 著轉去蹛山空, 無穡頭通做, 著 án-ne 度日子. 過去有一个講法 '六月抽 khau, 好年冬在後.' 真緊你 tō 知, 咱 lóng 著食 gô-tn̂g-chhài (鵝腸菜 = 䌓縷, chickweed) kap chhiūⁿ-chí (橡子, acorn). 自早咱 tō lóng 有 teh 抽 khau ah." 伊氣 phut-phut koh án-ne 補充: "看 Joe Summers 老細 tī hia kap 人五四三, 看著誠礙虐 ê."
"有一寡所在已經無 teh 抽 khau ah," Adams Ss 講.
"Án-ne 干焦會出代誌," Warner 老先堅決講, "hiah-ê 少年小囝."
"Martin." Bobby Martin 看 in 老爸行 ǹg 前. "Overdyke... Percey."
"我希望 in 較緊 leh," Dunbar Tt kā yin 大漢後生講; "我希望 in 較緊 leh."
"In 得欲了 ah," yin 後生講.
"你準備好走去 kā 恁老爸講," Dunbar Tt 講.
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4.
The people had done it so many times that they only half listened to the directions: most of them were quiet, wetting their lips, not looking around. Then Mr. Summers raised one hand high and said, "Adams." A man disengaged himself from the crowd and came forward. "Hi, Steve." Mr. Summers said, and Mr. Adams said, "Hi. Joe." They grinned at one another humorlessly and nervously. Then Mr. Adams reached into the black box and took out a folded paper. He held it firmly by one corner as he turned and went hastily back to his place in the crowd, where he stood a little apart from his family, not looking down at his hand.
"Allen." Mr. Summers said. "Anderson.... Bentham."
"Seems like there's no time at all between lotteries any more." Mrs. Delacroix said to Mrs. Graves in the back row.
"Seems like we got through with the last one only last week."
"Time sure goes fast.-- Mrs. Graves said.
"Clark.... Delacroix"
"There goes my old man." Mrs. Delacroix said. She held her breath while her husband went forward.
"Dunbar," Mr. Summers said, and Mrs. Dunbar went steadily to the box while one of the women said. "Go on. Janey," and another said, "There she goes."
"We're next." Mrs. Graves said. She watched while Mr. Graves came around from the side of the box, greeted Mr. Summers gravely and selected a slip of paper from the box. By now, all through the crowd there were men holding the small folded papers in their large hand, turning them over and over nervously. Mrs. Dunbar and her two sons stood together, Mrs. Dunbar holding the slip of paper.
"Harburt.... Hutchinson."
"Get up there, Bill," Mrs. Hutchinson said, and the people near her laughed.
"Jones."
"They do say," Mr. Adams said to Old Man Warner, who stood next to him, "that over in the north village they're talking of giving up the lottery."
Old Man Warner snorted. "Pack of crazy fools," he said. "Listening to the young folks, nothing's good enough for them. Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody work any more, live that way for a while. Used to be a saying about 'Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.' First thing you know, we'd all be eating stewed chickweed and acorns. There's always been a lottery," he added petulantly. "Bad enough to see young Joe Summers up there joking with everybody."
"Some places have already quit lotteries." Mrs. Adams said.
"Nothing but trouble in that," Old Man Warner said stoutly. "Pack of young fools."
"Martin." And Bobby Martin watched his father go forward. "Overdyke.... Percy."
"I wish they'd hurry," Mrs. Dunbar said to her older son. "I wish they'd hurry."
"They're almost through," her son said.
"You get ready to run tell Dad," Mrs. Dunbar said.
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