2. Cheng-lêng bô khòaⁿ-e iáⁿ
Tē-jī kang chá-khí, mn̂g-lêng hiáng ê sî, yi chhēng chhù-lāi-saⁿ, chē tī chàu-kha chia̍h chá-tǹg. Thàng kòe piⁿ-á mn̂g ê po-lê-thang, yi ū khòaⁿ-e he sī Norman, sim-nih teh siūⁿ, tī chi̍t-nî ê chit-ê sî-chūn, siáng ē kià kòa-hō-phe lâi hō͘ yi. "Gâu-chá, Graham Tt," i kóng. "Góa siūⁿ, góa siōng-hó kā lí kóng, ū kóa gín-á koh lâi chok-gia̍t ah. Lí khòaⁿ in án-chóaⁿ pìⁿ lí ê é-kó͘-lâng."
"Cheng-lêng, Norman," yi kóng, kiâⁿ chhut-lâi lō͘-tâi. Cheng-lêng í-keng ùi i pún-lâi ê ūi tó lo̍h, bīn ǹg ē, tó tī chio̍h-tek-hoe (石竹, sweet william) nih.
"Góa lâi thè lí kā ián tò-tńg," i kóng, ná kā i ê tē-á khǹg tī khàm-á téng. "Hoān-sè sī Allen in tau hiah-ê cha-po͘ gín-á. Í-chêng i bat hām Dorothy kóng kòe hiah-ê sûi-ki hoat-seng ê phò-hoāi sū-kiāⁿ, sam-put-gō͘-sî teh khùn-jiáu chit-ê siā-khu. "Boeh bē" ê pâi-á tī àm-sî hông thiu cháu, koh chhah tī pa̍t-keng chhù thâu-chêng; chháu-tiâⁿ ê í-á hông hian-tó, hoe-tôaⁿ hông o͘-pe̍h lo̍p. Dorothy bêng-pe̍k, chek-koài Allen chhù ê cha-po͘ gín-á pēng bô kong-pêng, m̄-koh, ū-sî bat khòaⁿ in hām pêng-iú tī ke-lō͘ téng hoah lah-sap-ōe, koh kòng in keng-kòe ê múi chi̍t-ê lō͘-pâi, soah chin pháiⁿ siong-sìn chok-gia̍t ê m̄-sī in.
"Hmh, to-siā lí oh, Norman. Lí chò-lâng chiâⁿ hó," tī i kā cheng-lêng phô͘-chiàⁿ liáu koh khioh khí i ê tē-á ê sî, yi án-ne kóng.
Chia̍h chá-tǹg liáu, yi chah chi̍t-tè tâm pò͘ kàu hoe-hn̂g, kā cheng-lêng ê bīn poān tio̍h ê thô͘ chhit chheng-khì. "Chhit hó ah, lāu pêng-iú," yi kóng. "Lí ū kám-kak khah thiàu-iā bô?" I iáu-sī lō͘-chhut i he sîn-pì ê chhiò-iông.
Kòe kúi-ā kang, bô koh hoat-seng siáⁿ-mih tāi-chì. Āu-lâi, chi̍t-kang chá-khí, kiâⁿ kàu thang-á chêng, yi tio̍h chi̍t-kiaⁿ, hoat-hiān i iū hông sak-tó khì. "Che si̍t-chāi siuⁿ kòe-hūn! Góa taⁿ tio̍h ài kā chó͘-tòng."
Yi kā ê-á chhēng hó, sīm-chì bô khòa kā cheng-lêng hû hō͘ chiàⁿ, tō tōa pō͘ chiūⁿ ke, kiâⁿ kàu Allen ang-á-bó͘ tòa ê hit-keng phòa-kū ê kē-chhù. Pha̍k n̂g ê kū pò-chóa kòa tī lân-kan, chi̍t-chiah siān-siān ê káu oaiⁿh lo̍h khàm-á, bô-lám bô-ne teh phīⁿ Dorothy ê kha-kut.
"Thiaⁿ hó, Allen Tt," khòaⁿ tio̍h hit-ê yi bô chin se̍k-sāi, bīn pe̍h-pe̍h, sió-khóa tōa-kho͘ ê cha-bó͘ khui-mn̂g ê sî, yi kóng, "góa m̄-sī lâi chhōe mâ-hoân, m̄-koh góa khióng-kiaⁿ sī lín hiah-ê cha-po͘ gín-á tī góa ê hoe-hn̂g chè-chō phò-hoāi."
"Góa ê gín-á?" yi ná kā lāi-saⁿ kiù-tòa seh-ji̍p poān o͘ ê n̂g iûⁿ-chong nih.
"Sī," Dorothy kè-sio̍k kóng. "Ū-lâng it-ti̍t kā góa hoe-hn̂g ê chong-sek-phín tháⁿ-tó, góa siong-sìn in chai-iaⁿ chit-lō tāi-chì."
"Goán hāu-seⁿ, eh? Hmh, góa kā lí kóng lah, lí chit-ê sì-kè chhéng ê lāu iā-pô. Goán Tom í-keng khì Calgary in a-chek hia, á Fred tī pak-pō͘ ê kang-tiûⁿ chia̍h-thâu-lō͘. M̄-thang chiah chhóng-pōng tō chek-koài hiah-ê siáⁿ to bô chò ê lâng." Kóng-liáu yi tōa-la̍t phiāng mn̂g.
Dorothy tī hia gāng-gāng khiā chi̍t-khùn. Yi ê bīn pháiⁿ-sè kah sio thǹg-thǹg, oa̍t-sin kiâⁿ tò-tńg, m̄-káⁿ koh oa̍t-thâu, khióng-kiaⁿ Allen Tt tī thang-á khòaⁿ yi.
Keh-tńg kang chá-khí, cheng-lêng bô khòaⁿ-e iáⁿ. Thâu-khí-seng, Dorothy siūⁿ-kóng i tiāⁿ-tio̍h sī am tī ké-soaⁿ kha ê hit-chhok kim-chiam hoe nih, m̄-koh tán yi kiâⁿ kàu hoe-hn̂g, iáu sī bô khòaⁿ-e i ê iáⁿ. Chit-kái yi ê siū-khì chhap ū pa̍t-chióng kám-chêng. Yi ì-sek tio̍h ū tām-po̍h ê kiaⁿ-hiâⁿ. Yi kā he khang-khang ê ke-lō͘ khòaⁿ liáu koh khòaⁿ, bô chi̍t-ê thang-á lî ē tín-tāng. Tōa-pō͘-hūn ê lâng lóng teh bô-êng khang-khòe. Yi koh kiâⁿ ji̍p-khì, chhōe chhut khǹg tī tiān-ōe piⁿ-á ê hō-má, khà tiān-ōe hō͘ kéng-chhat.
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2. 精靈無看 e 影
第二工早起, 門鈴響 ê 時, 她穿厝內衫, 坐 tī 灶跤食早頓. 迵過邊仔門 ê 玻璃窗, 她有看 e 彼是 Norman, 心 nih teh 想, tī 一年 ê 這个時陣, siáng 會寄掛號批來予她. "Gâu 早, Graham Tt," 伊講. "我想, 我上好 kā 你講, 有寡囡仔 koh 來作孽 ah. 你看 in 按怎 pìⁿ 你 ê 矮鼓人."
"精靈, Norman," 她講, 行出來露台. 精靈已經 ùi 伊本來 ê 位倒落, 面 ǹg 下, 倒 tī chio̍h-tek-hoe (石竹, sweet william) nih.
"我來替你 kā ián 倒轉," 伊講, ná kā 伊 ê 袋仔囥 tī 坎仔頂. "凡勢是 Allen in 兜 hiah-ê 查埔囡仔. 以前伊 bat 和 Dorothy 講過 hiah-ê 隨機發生 ê 破壞事件, 三不五時 teh 困擾這个社區. "欲賣" ê 牌仔 tī 暗時 hông 抽走, koh 插 tī 別間厝頭前; 草埕 ê 椅仔 hông 掀倒, 花壇 hông 烏白 lo̍p. Dorothy 明白, 責怪 Allen 厝 ê 查埔囡仔並無公平, m̄-koh, 有時 bat 看 in 和朋友 tī 街路頂喝垃圾話, koh 摃 in 經過 ê 每一个路牌, 煞真歹相信作孽 ê 毋是 in.
"Hmh, 多謝你 oh, Norman. 你做人誠好," tī 伊 kā 精靈 phô͘ 正了 koh 抾起伊 ê 袋仔 ê 時, 她 án-ne 講.
食早頓了, 她扎一塊澹布到花園, kā 精靈 ê 面拌著 ê 塗拭清氣. "拭好 ah, 老朋友," 她講. "你有感覺較 thiàu-iā 無?" 伊猶是露出伊 he 神祕 ê 笑容.
過幾若工, 無 koh 發生啥物代誌. 後來, 一工早起, 行到窗仔前, 她著一驚, 發現伊又 hông 捒倒去. "這實在 siuⁿ 過份! 我今著愛 kā 阻擋."
她 kā 鞋仔穿好, 甚至無 khòa kā 精靈扶予正, tō 大步上街, 行到 Allen 翁仔某蹛 ê 彼間破舊 ê 低厝. 曝黃 ê 舊報紙掛 tī 欄杆, 一隻 siān-siān ê 狗 oaiⁿh 落坎仔, 無攬無拈 teh 鼻 Dorothy ê 跤骨.
"聽好, Allen Tt," 看著彼个她無真熟似, 面白白, 小可大箍 ê 查某開門 ê 時, 她講, "我毋是來揣麻煩, m̄-koh 我恐驚是恁 hiah-ê 查埔囡仔 tī 我 ê 花園製造破壞."
"我 ê 囡仔?" 她 ná kā 內衫糾帶 seh 入拌烏 ê 黃洋裝 nih.
"是," Dorothy 繼續講. "有人一直 kā 我花園 ê 裝飾品 tháⁿ 倒, 我相信 in 知影 chit-lō 代誌."
"阮後生, eh? Hmh, 我 kā 你講 lah, 你這个四界筅 ê 老夜婆. 阮 Tom 已經去 Calgary in 阿叔 hia, á Fred tī 北部 ê 工場食頭路. 毋通 chiah 衝碰 tō 責怪 hiah-ê 啥 to 無做 ê 人." 講了她大力 phiāng 門.
Dorothy tī hia 愣愣徛一睏. 她 ê 面歹勢 kah 燒燙燙, 越身行倒轉, 毋敢 koh 越頭, 恐驚 Allen Tt tī 窗仔看她.
隔轉工早起, 精靈無看 e 影. 頭起先, Dorothy 想講伊定著是掩 tī 假山跤 ê 彼簇金針花 nih, m̄-koh 等她行到花園, 猶是無看 e 伊 ê 影. 這改她 ê 受氣 chhap 有別種感情. 她意識著有淡薄 ê 驚惶. 她 kā he 空空 ê 街路看了 koh 看, 無一个窗仔簾會振動. 大部份 ê 人 lóng teh 無閒工課. 她 koh 行入去, 揣出囥 tī 電話邊仔 ê 號碼, 敲電話予警察.
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2.
She had her housecoat on and was having breakfast in the kitchen next morning when the doorbell rang. Through the window the side door she could see it was Norman, and she wondered who would be sending her a registered letter this time of year. “Morning, Mrs. Graham," he said. "Thought I better tell you some kids have been up to mischief again. Look what they did to your dwarf."
“Gnome, Norman," she said, stepping out onto the porch. The gnome had been tipped from his perch and was lying face-down among the sweet william.
"I'll put it up again for you," he said, resting his bag on the steps. “Maybe it was those Allen boys." He and Dorothy had talked before about the random incidents of petty vandalism that seemed to plague the neighborhood in cycles. "For sale" signs would be pulled up in the night and stuck in front of other houses, lawn chairs would be tipped over, and flowerbeds trampled. Dorothy realized it wasn't fair to blame the Allen boys, but sometimes when they went down the street shouting obscenities with their friends and hitting every road sign they passed, it was hard to believe they were not behind the mischief.
“Well, thank you, Norman. It was very kind of you," she said as he picked up his bag after righting the gnome.
After breakfast she took a damp cloth out to the garden and wiped away the earth staining the gnome's face. "There you are, old fellow,” she said. "Feel better now?" He smiled his slightly conspiratorial smile.
For a couple of days nothing more happened. Then one morning, when she went to the window, she was surprised to see that he had been pushed over again. "This is too much!" she said furiously. “Too much! I'm going to put a stop to it right now."
She put on her shoes and, not even bothering to lift the gnome up again, strode up the street to the slightly run-down bungalow were the Allens lived. Old yellowed newspapers clung to the fence and a tired-looking dog rolled off the step and sniffed Dorothy's leg half-heartedly.
“Look, Mrs. Allen," she said when the pasty, somewhat overweight woman she knew only by sight opened the door, "I don't want to make any trouble, but I'm afraid those boys of yours have been causing damage in my garden."
"My boys?" She grabbed the elastic of her underwear and yanked it up under her stained yellow dress.
"Yes," Dorothy went on. "Someone keeps pushing over my garden ornament, and I'm sure they know something about it."
"My boys, eh? Well, let me tell you something, you snoopy old bat. My Tom's gone out to Calgary to visit his uncle, and Fred's working up north with the forestry. So don't be so bloody quick to blame people what ain't done nothin'." And she slammed the door.
Dorothy stood for a moment at a loss. Her face was hot with embarrassment as she turned and walked down the path, not daring to turn around in case Mrs. Allen was watching her from the window.
Next morning the gnome was gone. At first Dorothy thought he must be concealed among the clump of day lilies at the foot of the rockery, but when she went out to the garden there was no sign of him. This time her anger was mixed with other feelings. She was a little bit afraid, she realized. She looked up and down the empty street, but no curtain moved. Most of the people were at work. She went inside, found the number she kept handy by the phone, and called the police.
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