2. Siōng bóe hit-hio̍h lak liáu, góa mā kiat-sok ah
Yi an-pâi hó ōe-pang, khai-sí ōe chi̍t-tiuⁿ cha̍p-chì kò͘-sū chhah-tô͘ ê kǹg-pit ōe. Siàu-liân gē-su̍t-ka tio̍h pho͘-lō͘ kiâⁿ hiòng Gē-su̍t, óa-khò ê sī ōe cha̍p-chì kò͘-sū ê chhah-tô͘, á hiah-ê kò͘-sū iū sī siàu-liân chok-ka só͘ siá ê, thang pho͘-lō͘ kiâⁿ hiòng Bûn-ha̍k.
Sue tng-teh ōe chi̍t-niá iu-ngá ê bé-khò͘ hām chhēng bé-khò͘ hit-ê Idaho khòaⁿ-gû-á ê tan-phìⁿ ba̍k-kiàⁿ, yi thiaⁿ tio̍h chi̍t-ê sè-sè ê siaⁿ, ū-sî siaⁿ iū-koh lâi. Yi kín lâi-kàu chhn̂g-piⁿ.
Johnsy ê ba̍k-chiu tián tōa-tōa. Yi khòaⁿ ǹg thang-á gōa-kháu, teh sǹg -- tò-thè sǹg.
"12," yi kóng, kòe chi̍t-khùn, "11," koh-lâi "10," "9," koh "8," kap "7," chha-put-to sī liân-sòa kóng ê.
Sue sim cho-cho khòaⁿ khì thang-á gōa. Hia ū siáⁿ thang sǹg ah? Kan-ta khòaⁿ ē-tio̍h chi̍t-ê khang koh chheⁿ-chhìn ê tiâⁿ-táu, hām 7-bí gōa hit-tòng chng-á chhù ê o͘-sek gōa-chhiûⁿ. Chi̍t-châng lāu khok-khok ê siông-chhun-tîn, kin-thâu kiat-liû koh àu-kó͘, soan kàu chhiûⁿ ê chi̍t-pòaⁿ koân. Chhiu-thiⁿ ê léng-hong chhoe kah tîn ê hio̍h lak boeh liáu, chha-put-to kan-ta chhun tîn-kut kng khia̍t-khia̍t peⁿ tī chng-á téng.
"He sī siáⁿ-mi̍h, chhin-ài ê?" Sue mn̄g.
"6," Johnsy ê siaⁿ-im khin kah ná teh kóng hīⁿ-khang-kháu ê ōe. "Taⁿ in lak khah kín ah. Saⁿ-kang chêng iáu chha-put-to ū chi̍t-pah, hō͘ góa sǹg kah thâu-khak thiàⁿ. Taⁿ ke chin kán-tan. Koh lak chi̍t-hio̍h ah. Taⁿ kan-ta chhun 5."
"Gō͘ siáⁿ-mi̍h ah, chhin-ài ê? Kín kā lí ê Sudie kóng."
"Hio̍h-á lah. Tī siông-chhun-tîn téng ê hio̍h-á. Siōng bóe hit-hio̍h lak liáu, góa mā kiat-sok ah. Saⁿ-kang chêng góa tō chai-iáⁿ ah. I-seng kám bô kā lí kóng?"
"Oh, góa m̄-bat thiaⁿ tio̍h chit-lō gōng-ōe," Sue kō͘ khau-sé ê kháu-khì bâi-oàn kóng. "Soan-tîn ê hiah-ê phòa hio̍h-á, kap lí ê pēⁿ sī-m̄-sī ē hó, ná ū siáⁿ tī-tāi? Kòe-khì lí chin kah-ì hit-châng soan-tîn, lí chit-ê gia̍t-thiok gín-á. Mài koh hàu-tai ah lah. Thiaⁿ hō͘ hó, chá-khí i-seng kā góa kóng, lí chin kín ē hó khí-lâi ê ki-hōe sī -- góa chiàu i só͘ kóng ê kā lí kóng -- i kóng, ki-hōe sī 10 tùi 1! Oah, he chha-put-to hām lán tī New York chē tiān-chhia a̍h kiâⁿ kòe chi̍t-tòng sin tōa-lâu hiah-nī tiāⁿ-tio̍h. Lí seng lim kóa sio-thng, hō͘ Sudie kè-sio̍k ōe yi ê tô͘, thang kā tô͘ bē hō͘ cha̍p-chì pian-chi̍p, án-ne thang ūi yi hit-ê phòa-pēⁿ gín-á bé âng pô-tô-chiú, koh ūi iau-kúi ê ka-tī bé chi̍t-kóa ti-bah-pâi."
"Lí m̄-bián koh bé âng-chiú ah lah," Johnsy kóng, ba̍k-chiu iáu-sī lia̍h gōa-kháu khòaⁿ. "Iū lak chi̍t-hio̍h ah. Bián, góa bô-ài lim sio-thng. Kan-ta chhun 4 hio̍h niā-niā. Góa siūⁿ boeh tī thiⁿ-àm chìn-chêng khòaⁿ siōng-bóe hit-hio̍h lak lo̍h-lâi. Jiân-āu, góa mā boeh lâi khì ah."
"Johnsy, chhin-ài ê," Sue àⁿ-sin tùi yi kóng, "lí tah-èng góa, ba̍k-chiu kheh-kheh, mài khòaⁿ thang-á gōa, it-ti̍t kàu góa ōe oân, hó bô? Bîn-á-chài chìn-chêng góa tio̍h kā tô͘ kau chhut-khì. Góa su-iàu kng-sòaⁿ, nā bô góa tio̍h kā thang-á-lî pàng lo̍h-lâi."
"Lí kám bē-sái khì pa̍t-ê pâng-keng ōe?" Johnsy léng-léng mn̄g.
"Góa lêng-khó lâu tī chia pôe lí," Sue kóng. "Koh-kóng, góa mā bô-ài lí it-ti̍t khòaⁿ hiah-ê thó-ià ê tîn-á hio̍h.
"Ōe hó sûi kā góa kóng," Johnsy kóng, ba̍k-chiu kheh khí-lâi, bīn-sek pe̍h chhang-chhang, tiām-tiām tó tī hia, bē-su chi̍t-chō tó lo̍h tē ê tiau-siōng, "in-ūi góa boeh khòaⁿ siōng-bóe lak lo̍h-lâi hit-hio̍h. Góa tán kah chiâⁿ thiám. Góa mā siūⁿ kah chiâⁿ thiám. Góa boeh pàng-khui it-chhè, sûi hong phiau, lak lo̍h-khì, ná-chhiūⁿ chi̍t-phìⁿ khó-liân, thiám koh siān ê hio̍h-á kāng-khoán."
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2. 上尾彼葉 lak 了, 我 mā 結束 ah
她安排好畫枋, 開始畫一張雜誌故事插圖 ê 鋼筆畫. 少年藝術家著鋪路行向藝術, 倚靠 ê 是畫雜誌故事 ê 插圖, á hiah-ê 故事又是少年作家所寫 ê, 通鋪路行向文學.
Sue tng-teh 畫一領優雅 ê 馬褲和穿馬褲彼个 Idaho 看牛仔 ê 單片目鏡, 她聽著一个細細 ê 聲, 有時聲又 koh 來. 她緊來到床邊.
Johnsy ê 目睭展大大. 她看 ǹg 窗仔外口, teh 算 -- 倒退算.
"12," 她講, 過一睏, "11," koh 來 "10," "9," koh "8," kap "7," 差不多是連紲講 ê.
Sue 心 cho-cho 看去窗仔外. Hia ū 啥通算 ah? 干焦看會著一个空 koh 青凊 ê 埕斗, 和 7 米外彼棟磚仔厝 ê 烏色外牆. 一叢老 khok-khok ê 常春藤, 根頭結瘤 koh 漚古, 旋到牆 ê 一半懸. 秋天 ê 冷風吹 kah 藤 ê 葉 lak 欲了, 差不多干焦賰藤骨光 khia̍t-khia̍t 繃 tī 磚仔頂.
"彼是啥物, 親愛 ê?" Sue 問.
"6," Johnsy ê 聲音輕 kah ná teh 講耳空口 ê 話. "今 in lak 較緊 ah. 三工前猶差不多 ū 一百, hō͘ 我算 kah 頭殼疼. 今加真簡單. Koh lak 一葉 ah. 今干焦賰 5."
"五啥物 ah, 親愛 ê? 緊 kā 你 ê Sudie 講."
"葉仔 lah. Tī 常春藤頂 ê 葉仔. 上尾彼葉 lak 了, 我 mā 結束 ah. 三工前我 tō 知影 ah. 醫生 kám 無 kā 你講?"
"Oh, 我 m̄-bat 聽著 chit-lō 戇話," Sue kō͘ 剾洗 ê 口氣埋怨講. "旋藤 ê hiah-ê 破葉仔, kap 你 ê 病 sī-m̄-sī ē 好, ná ū 啥底代? 過去你真佮意彼叢旋藤, 你這个 gia̍t-thiok 囡仔. 莫 koh 孝呆 ah lah. 聽 hō͘ 好, 早起醫生 kā 我講, 你真緊 ē 好起來 ê 機會是 -- 我照伊所講 ê kā 你講 -- 伊講, 機會是 10 對 1! Oah, 彼差不多和咱 tī New York 坐電車 a̍h 行過一棟新大樓 hiah-nī 定著. 你先啉寡燒湯, hō͘ Sudie 繼續畫她 ê 圖, 通 kā 圖賣 hō͘ 雜誌編輯, án-ne 通為她彼个破病囡仔買紅 pô-tô 酒, koh 為枵鬼 ê ka-tī 買一寡豬肉排."
"你毋免 koh 買紅酒 ah lah," Johnsy 講, 目睭猶是掠外口看. "又 lak 一葉 ah. 免, 我無愛啉燒湯. 干焦賰 4 葉 niā-niā. 我想欲 tī 天暗進前看上尾彼葉 lak 落來. 然後, 我 mā 欲來去 ah."
"Johnsy, 親愛 ê," Sue àⁿ 身對她講, "你答應我, 目睭瞌瞌, 莫看窗仔外, 一直到我畫完, 好無? 明仔載進前我著 kā 圖交出去. 我需要光線, 若無我著 kā 窗仔簾放落來."
"你 kám 袂使去別个房間畫?" Johnsy 冷冷問.
"我寧可留 tī chia 陪你," Sue 講. "Koh 講, 我 mā 無愛你一直看 hiah-ê 討厭 ê 藤仔葉.
"畫好隨 kā 我講," Johnsy 講, 目睭瞌起來, 面色白蔥蔥, 恬恬倒 tī hia, 袂輸一座倒落地 ê 雕像, "因為我欲看上尾 lak 落來彼葉. 我等 kah 誠忝. 我 mā 想 kah 誠忝. 我欲放開一切, 隨風飄, lak 落去, ná 像一片可憐, 忝 koh siān ê 葉仔仝款."
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2.
She arranged her board and began a pen-and-ink drawing to illustrate a magazine story. Young artists must pave their way to Art by drawing pictures for magazine stories that young authors write to pave their way to Literature.
As Sue was sketching a pair of elegant horseshow riding trousers and a monocle of the figure of the hero, an Idaho cowboy, she heard a low sound, several times repeated. She went quickly to the bedside.
Johnsy's eyes were open wide. She was looking out the window and counting - counting backward.
"Twelve," she said, and little later "eleven"; and then "ten," and "nine"; and then "eight" and "seven", almost together.
Sue look solicitously out of the window. What was there to count? There was only a bare, dreary yard to be seen, and the blank side of the brick house twenty feet away. An old, old ivy vine, gnarled and decayed at the roots, climbed half way up the brick wall. The cold breath of autumn had stricken its leaves from the vine until its skeleton branches clung, almost bare, to the crumbling bricks.
"What is it, dear?" asked Sue.
"Six," said Johnsy, in almost a whisper. "They're falling faster now. Three days ago there were almost a hundred. It made my head ache to count them. But now it's easy. There goes another one. There are only five left now."
"Five what, dear? Tell your Sudie."
"Leaves. On the ivy vine. When the last one falls I must go, too. I've known that for three days. Didn't the doctor tell you?"
"Oh, I never heard of such nonsense," complained Sue, with magnificent scorn. "What have old ivy leaves to do with your getting well? And you used to love that vine so, you naughty girl. Don't be a goosey. Why, the doctor told me this morning that your chances for getting well real soon were - let's see exactly what he said - he said the chances were ten to one! Why, that's almost as good a chance as we have in New York when we ride on the street cars or walk past a new building. Try to take some broth now, and let Sudie go back to her drawing, so she can sell the editor man with it, and buy port wine for her sick child, and pork chops for her greedy self."
"You needn't get any more wine," said Johnsy, keeping her eyes fixed out the window. "There goes another. No, I don't want any broth. That leaves just four. I want to see the last one fall before it gets dark. Then I'll go, too."
"Johnsy, dear," said Sue, bending over her, "will you promise me to keep your eyes closed, and not look out the window until I am done working? I must hand those drawings in by to-morrow. I need the light, or I would draw the shade down."
"Couldn't you draw in the other room?" asked Johnsy, coldly.
"I'd rather be here by you," said Sue. "Beside, I don't want you to keep looking at those silly ivy leaves."
"Tell me as soon as you have finished," said Johnsy, closing her eyes, and lying white and still as fallen statue, "because I want to see the last one fall. I'm tired of waiting. I'm tired of thinking. I want to turn loose my hold on everything, and go sailing down, down, just like one of those poor, tired leaves."
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