3. Taⁿ ê lâng tong-jiân bô kòe-khì hiah siān-liông
Red Sammy tó tī The Tower gōa-kháu ê khàng-tē, thâu chhàng tī chi̍t-tâi hòe-chhia ē-bīn, piⁿ-á ū chi̍t-chiah chha-put-to chi̍t-chhioh koân ê phú-sek kâu-san-á, kō͘ liān-á pa̍k tī chi̍t-châng sè-châng ê khó͘-lēng (chinaberry tree), tī hia hiu-hiu kiò. Kâu-san-á khòaⁿ tio̍h gín-á lo̍h-chhia ǹg i cháu kòe-lâi, tō kín thiàu chiūⁿ chhiū-á, peh kàu siōng téng-koân ê chhiū-ki.
The Tower lāi-bīn, sī chi̍t-ê tn̂g-tn̂g àm-sàm ê pâng-keng, chi̍t-thâu sī kūi-tâi, lēng-gōa hit-thâu ū chi̍t-kóa toh-á, tiong-ng sī thiàu-bú ê khong-kan. In chē tī óa tiám-chhiùⁿ-ki ê chhâ-toh; Red Sam in bó͘ kiâⁿ kòe-lâi mn̄g in boeh tiám siáⁿ. Yi sī chi̍t-ê koân-koân ê cha-bó͘, bah hóe-ta-sek, thâu-chang kap ba̍k-chiu ê sek tian-tò bô hiah o͘. Gín-á ê lāu-bú lok chi̍t-ê chi̍t-kak tī tiám-chhiùⁿ-ki, soán chhiùⁿ "The Tennessee Waltz," Amá tō kóng, thiaⁿ tio̍h hit-ê khek-tiāu yi tō siūⁿ boeh thiàu-bú. Yi mn̄g Bailey, kám boeh thiàu-bú, m̄-koh i kan-ta kā gîn chi̍t-ē. I ê sèng-keh bô chhiūⁿ in lāu-bú hiah-nī thian-seng khai-lóng, iá tn̂g-tô͘ ê lí-hêng mā hō͘ i sin-keng kin-tiuⁿ. Amá ê chang-sek ba̍k-chiu kim sih-sih. Yi iô thâu pái náu, bē-su ka-tī chē tī í-á téng teh thiàu-bú. June Star kóng, pàng chi̍t-kóa yi ē-sái thiàu tih-tap ê khek-tiāu, chū án-ne gín-á ê lāu-bú koh lok chi̍t-kak, pàng kín chiat-chàu ê khek-tiāu, June Star tō lī-khui chē-ūi kàu bú-tî, tī hia ta̍h tih-tap bú-pō͘.
"Yi kám m̄-sī chin kó͘-chui?" Red Sam in bó͘ kóng, àⁿ tī kūi-tâi téng. "Lí lâi hō͘ góa chò chă-kiáⁿ, hó bô?"
"Boaih, góa tong-jiân bô-ài," June Star kóng. "Hō͘ góa chi̍t-pah-bān, góa mā bô-ài tòa chit-lō phòa só͘-chāi!" chū án-ne yi cháu tńg toh-á hia.
"Yi kám m̄-sī chin kó͘-chui?" hit-ê cha-bó͘ koh án-ne kóng, kā chhùi tu chi̍t-ē.
"Lí bē kám-kak kiàn-siàu sioh?" Amá khin-siaⁿ kóng.
Red Sam ji̍p-lâi, kiò in bó͘ mài tī kūi-tâi hia kô, kín khì khoán lâng-kheh tiám ê liāu-lí. I chhēng ê khaki khò͘ kòa tī ē-io, kui-ê pak-tó͘ phok chhut-lâi, ná chhiūⁿ chi̍t-khian tō͘ tiàu tī siatchuh ē-bīn. I kiâⁿ kòe-lâi chē tī piⁿ-á ê toh-á, hoat chi̍t-ê thó͘-khùi kap ai-kiò ê siaⁿ. "Lí bē iâⁿ," i kóng. "Lí bē iâⁿ," i kō͘ chi̍t-tiâu phú-sek ê chhiú-kin-á chhit tiāu âng-bīn téng-koân ê kōaⁿ. "Tong-kim, lán m̄-chai siáng ta̍t-tit sìn-jīm," i kóng. "Sū-si̍t kám m̄-sī án-ne?"
"Taⁿ ê lâng tong-jiân bô kòe-khì hiah siān-liông," Amá kóng.
"Téng lé-pài ū nn̄g-ê lâng lâi chia," Red Sammy kóng, "in sái chi̍t-tâi Chrysler. He sī chi̍t-tâi lāu khok-khok ê chhia, m̄-koh chhia iáu sǹg bē-bái, hiah-ê siàu-liân-ke chāi góa khòaⁿ mā bē-bái. Kóng in tī kang-tiûⁿ chia̍h thâu-lō͘, iá lí kám chai, góa hō͘ in sia gasolin? Ai-ah, góa ná ē án-ne chò?"
"In-ūi lí sī chi̍t-ê hó lâng!" Amá sûi án-ne kā ìn.
"Sī ah, Hu-jîn, góa mā án-ne siūⁿ," Red Sam kóng, bē-su i thiaⁿ kah chiok kám-tōng.
In bó͘ phâng chhài lâi, gō͘ pôaⁿ chò chi̍t-kái, bô iōng phâng-pôaⁿ, ta̍k-chhiú nn̄g-pôaⁿ, koh chi̍t-pôaⁿ tī chhiú-kut. "Tī chit-ê Sîn ê le̍k-sek sè-kài, bô chi̍t-ê lâng ta̍t-tit lí sìn-jīm," yi kóng. "Bô chi̍t-ê góa ē kau-tiāng-tit, chi̍t-ê to bô," yi koh kóng, ná khòaⁿ Red Sammy.
"Lí kám ū tha̍k tio̍h hit-ê chōe-hoān, Bē-ha̍h-ê, í-keng tô-ga̍k ah?" Amá mn̄g
"I nā bô lâi kong-kek chit-ê só͘-chāi, góa chi̍t-tiám-á to bē kî-koài," hit-ê chă-lâng kóng. "I nā thiaⁿ tio̍h kóng tī chia, khòaⁿ tio̍h i góa mā bē kî-koài. I nā thiaⁿ tio̍h kóng siu-gîn-ki ū nn̄g-sén-chîⁿ, góa chi̍t-tiám-á to bē kî-koài, i nā..."
"Hó ah lah," Red Sam kóng. "Khì the̍h lâng-kheh ê Co-Cola," hit-ê cha-bó͘ tō khì the̍h lâng-kheh tiám ê kî-thaⁿ mi̍h-kiāⁿ.
"Hó lâng chin oh chhōe," Red Sammy kóng. "Sū-sū hāng-hāng lóng lú lâi lú khióng-pò͘. Ē-kì-tit chá-chêng chhut-mn̂g m̄-bián koaiⁿ-mn̂g. Taⁿ bē-sái-tit ah."
I hām Amá thó-lūn kòe-khì ê hó sî-tāi. Lāu hu-jîn kóng, yi jīn-ûi, tāi-chì ē piàn-chò taⁿ án-ne, tio̍h koài Europa. Yi kóng, Europa kā lí pìⁿ kah siūⁿ kóng lâng sī chîⁿ chò ê, iá Red Sam kóng, kóng mā bô lō͘-iōng, m̄-koh yi kóng liáu chin tio̍h. Gín-á cháu chhut-khì pe̍h ji̍t ē-bīn, khòaⁿ hoe-hoe khó͘-lēng chhiū téng hit-chiah kâu-san. I teh bô-êng lia̍h sin-khu ê sat-bó, ta̍k-chiah lóng hó-lé-á kau hō͘ chhùi-khí pō͘, bē-su sī hó-chia̍h-mi̍h.
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3. 今 ê 人當然無過去 hiah 善良
Red Sammy 倒 tī The Tower 外口 ê 空地, 頭藏 tī 一台貨車下面, 邊仔有一隻差不多一尺懸 ê 殕色猴山仔, kō͘ 鍊仔縛 tī 一叢細叢 ê 苦楝 (chinaberry tree), tī hia 咻咻叫. 猴山仔看著囡仔落車 ǹg 伊走過來, tō 緊跳上樹仔, peh 到上頂懸 ê 樹枝.
The Tower 內面, 是一个長長暗毿 ê 房間, 一頭是櫃台, 另外彼頭有一寡桌仔, 中央是跳舞 ê 空間. In 坐 tī 倚點唱機 ê 柴桌; Red Sam in 某行過來問 in 欲點啥. 她是一个懸懸 ê 查某, 肉火焦色, 頭鬃 kap 目睭 ê 色顛倒無 hiah 烏. 囡仔 ê 老母 lok 一个一角 tī 點唱機, 選唱 "The Tennessee Waltz," Amá tō 講, 聽著彼个曲調她 tō 想欲跳舞. 她問 Bailey, 敢欲跳舞, m̄-koh 伊干焦 kā gîn 一下. 伊 ê 性格無像 in 老母 hiah-nī 天生開朗, iá 長途 ê 旅行 mā 予伊神經緊張. Amá ê 棕色目睭金 sih-sih. 她搖頭擺腦, 袂輸 ka-tī 坐 tī 椅仔頂 teh 跳舞. June Star 講, 放一寡她會使跳 tih-tap ê 曲調, 自 án-ne 囡仔 ê 老母 koh lok 一角, 放緊節奏 ê 曲調, June Star tō 離開坐位到舞池, tī hia 踏 tih-tap 舞步.
"她敢毋是真古錐?" Red Sam in 某講, àⁿ tī 櫃台頂. "你來予我做 chă 囝, 好無?"
"Boaih, 我當然無愛," June Star 講. "予我一百萬, 我 mā 無愛蹛 chit-lō 破所在!" 自 án-ne 她走轉桌仔 hia.
"她敢毋是真古錐?" 彼个查某 koh án-ne 講, kā 喙 tu 一下.
"你袂感覺見笑 sioh?" Amá 輕聲講.
Red Sam 入來, 叫 in 某莫 tī 櫃台 hia kô, 緊去款人客點 ê 料理. 伊穿 ê khaki 褲掛 tī 下腰, 規个腹肚 phok 出來, ná 像一圈肚吊 tī siatchuh 下面. 伊行過來坐 tī 邊仔 ê 桌仔, 發一个吐氣 kap 哀叫 ê 聲. "你袂贏," 伊講. "你袂贏," 伊 kō͘ 一條殕色 ê 手巾仔拭掉紅面頂懸 ê 汗. "當今, 咱毋知 siáng 值得信任," 伊講. "事實敢毋是 án-ne?"
"今 ê 人當然無過去 hiah 善良," Amá 講.
"頂禮拜有兩个人來 chia," Red Sammy 講, "in 駛一台 Chrysler. 彼是一台老 khok-khok ê 車, m̄-koh 車猶算袂䆀, hiah-ê 少年家在我看 mā 袂䆀. 講 in tī 工場食頭路, iá 你敢知, 我予 in 賒 gasolin? Ai-ah, 我那會 án-ne 做?"
"因為你是一个好人!" Amá 隨 án-ne kā 應.
"是 ah, 夫人, 我 mā án-ne 想," Red Sam 講, 袂輸伊聽 kah 足感動.
In 某捀菜來, 五盤做一改, 無用捀盤, 逐手兩盤, koh 一盤 tī 手骨. "Tī 這个神 ê 綠色世界, 無一个人值得你信任," 她講. "無一个我會交 tiāng 得, 一个 to 無," 她 koh 講, ná 看 Red Sammy.
"你敢有讀著彼个罪犯, Bē-ha̍h-ê, 已經逃獄 ah?" Amá 問
"伊若無來攻擊這个所在, 我一點仔 to 袂奇怪," 彼个 chă 人講. "伊若聽著講 tī chia, 看著伊我 mā 袂奇怪. 伊若聽著講收銀機有兩 sén 錢, 我一點仔 to 袂奇怪, 伊若..."
"好 ah lah," Red Sam 講. "去提人客 ê Co-Cola," 彼个查某 tō 去提人客點 ê 其他物件.
"好人真僫揣," Red Sammy 講. "事事項項 lóng lú 來 lú 恐怖. 會記得早前出門毋免關門. 今袂使得 ah."
伊和 Amá 討論過去 ê 好時代. 老夫人講, 她認為, 代誌會變做今 án-ne, 著怪 Europa. 她講, Europa kā 你 pìⁿ kah 想講人是錢做 ê, iá Red Sam 講, 講 mā 無路用, m̄-koh 她講了真著. 囡仔走出去白日下面, 看花花苦楝樹頂彼隻猴山. 伊 teh 無閒掠身軀 ê 虱母, 逐隻 lóng 好禮仔交予喙齒哺, 袂輸是好食 mi̍h.
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3.
Red Sammy was lying on the bare ground outside The Tower with his head under a truck while a gray monkey about a foot high, chained to a small chinaberry tree, chattered nearby. The monkey sprang back into the tree and got on the highest limb as soon as he saw the children jump out of the car and run toward him.
Inside, The Tower was a long dark room with a counter at one end and tables at the other and dancing space in the middle. They all sat down at a board table next to the nickelodeon and Red Sam's wife, a tall burnt-brown woman with hair and eyes lighter than her skin, came and took their order. The children's mother put a dime in the machine and played "The Tennessee Waltz," and the grandmother said that tune always made her want to dance. She asked Bailey if he would like to dance but he only glared at her. He didn't have a naturally sunny disposition like she did and trips made him nervous. The grandmother's brown eyes were very bright. She swayed her head from side to side and pretended she was dancing in her chair. June Star said play something she could tap to so the children's mother put in another dime and played a fast number and June Star stepped out onto the dance floor and did her tap routine.
"Ain't she cute?" Red Sam's wife said, leaning over the counter. "Would you like to come be my little girl?"
"No I certainly wouldn't," June Star said. "I wouldn't live in a broken-down place like this for a minion bucks!" and she ran back to the table.
"Ain't she cute?" the woman repeated, stretching her mouth politely.
"Arn't you ashamed?" hissed the grandmother.
Red Sam came in and told his wife to quit lounging on the counter and hurry up with these people's order. His khaki trousers reached just to his hip bones and his stomach hung over them like a sack of meal swaying under his shirt. He came over and sat down at a table nearby and let out a combination sigh and yodel. "You can't win," he said. "You can't win," and he wiped his sweating red face off with a gray handkerchief. "These days you don't know who to trust," he said. "Ain't that the truth?"
"People are certainly not nice like they used to be," said the grandmother.
"Two fellers come in here last week," Red Sammy said, "driving a Chrysler. It was a old beat-up car but it was a good one and these boys looked all right to me. Said they worked at the mill and you know I let them fellers charge the gas they bought? Now why did I do that?"
"Because you're a good man!" the grandmother said at once.
"Yes'm, I suppose so," Red Sam said as if he were struck with this answer.
His wife brought the orders, carrying the five plates all at once without a tray, two in each hand and one balanced on her arm. "It isn't a soul in this green world of God's that you can trust," she said. "And I don't count nobody out of that, not nobody," she repeated, looking at Red Sammy.
"Did you read about that criminal, The Misfit, that's escaped?" asked the grandmother.
"I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he didn't attact this place right here," said the woman. "If he hears about it being here,I wouldn't be none surprised to see him. If he hears it's two cent in the cash register, I wouldn't be a tall surprised if he . . ."
"That'll do," Red Sam said. "Go bring these people their Co'-Colas," and the woman went off to get the rest of the order.
"A good man is hard to find," Red Sammy said. "Everything is getting terrible. I remember the day you could go off and leave your screen door unlatched. Not no more."
He and the grandmother discussed better times. The old lady said that in her opinion Europe was entirely to blame for the way things were now. She said the way Europe acted you would think we were made of money and Red Sam said it was no use talking about it, she was exactly right. The children ran outside into the white sunlight and looked at the monkey in the lacy chinaberry tree. He was busy catching fleas on himself and biting each one carefully between his teeth as if it were a delicacy.
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