3. Tē-it tiuⁿ kng-phe kàu-ūi
"Goán ē chīn-liōng kín phài lâng kòe lâi," yi pò kóng ū chhiúⁿ-kiap ê sî, kéng-kio̍k ê chiap-sòaⁿ-oân án-ne kóng. Khòaⁿ khí-lâi, i pēng bô kā khǹg tī chin iu-sian. Yi khì ūi ka-tī phàu chi̍t-poe kapi, boeh tò ê sî soah hoat-hiān chhiú teh chhoah. Yi kā kheh-thiaⁿ ê thang-lî khiú chi̍t-pòaⁿ koân. Chi̍t-chiah chhia thêng tī gōa-kháu ê sî, yi sim khah tiāⁿ lo̍h-lâi, khòaⁿ he sī Norah, yi chiah siūⁿ khí yin pêng-iú hit ē-tàu boeh lī-khui khì Charlottetown khòaⁿ yin sió-mōe, bat kóng ē kòe-lâi kā kò-sî.
"Chin-chiàⁿ sī lah-sap pá-hì!" Norah thiaⁿ yi kóng tāi-chì liáu án-ne kóng, jiân-āu yin chhut-khì khòaⁿ goân-lâi cheng-lêng khiā ê hit-ê khang só͘-chāi. Kòe chi̍t-khùn liáu-āu, chi̍t-ê kéng-chhat kàu-ūi, m̄-koh thiaⁿ Dorothy kóng sī hoe-hn̂g chong-sek-phín hông thau khì, i soah ká-ná bô siáⁿ chhù-bī. "Án-ne hó, Hu-jîn," i the̍h chhut pit-kì phō͘-á, bô-iàu bô-kín án-ne kóng. "Lán lâi kā teng-kì chi̍t-ē."
Lo̍h-bóe boeh chhut-mn̂g ê sî, i tòng-tiām chi̍t-ē. "Láu-si̍t kóng, Hu-jîn, góa bô kià-bāng ē-tàng koh khòaⁿ tio̍h lí ê cheng-lêng. Sì-kè lóng ū-lâng pìⁿ phò-hoāi, chin khó-lêng chit-kái sī gín-á kā hiat khì tó-ūi khì ah."
"Norah," koaiⁿ-mn̂g liáu, Dorothy kóng, "lí ē-sái tàu-kha-chhiú bô? He chiàⁿ sī lí lâi chìn-chêng góa só͘ siūⁿ ê. Ū khó-lêng sī gín-á kā phiaⁿ khì kheⁿ-khàm-kha. Góa chai, e-àm góa ē siūⁿ kah khùn bē khì. M̄-koh ka-tī chi̍t-ê góa m̄-káⁿ lo̍h-khì hia."
"Hmh..." yin pêng-iú ná khòaⁿ chhiú-pió-á ná kóng. "Sî-kan mài siuⁿ kú, in-ūi khì chē hui-ki chìn-chêng, góa iáu ū kóa tāi-chì ài chò."
Nn̄g-ê hū-jîn-lâng sió-sim kiâⁿ lo̍h kiā-thui, he siuⁿ-kòe lo̍k-koan ê kong-hn̂g pō͘-mn̂g chhāi pâi-á kóng sī "Chū-jiân ê Sió-lō͘." Dorothy sim-nih siūⁿ, "Lim-chiú ê Sió-lō͘" khah chha-put-to, yin kui-lō͘ khòaⁿ tio̍h siàu-liân-ke hiat tiāu ê bihlù koàn kap ùi kheⁿ-khàm-kha peh khí-lâi, chhēng phòng-phòng hō͘-i ê àu cha-po͘ só͘ lâu lo̍h-lâi ê khang chiú-kan-á.
"Put-kò sī, chai-iáⁿ liáu, góa ē kám-kak khah hó--kóa," lâi kàu ko-kè-kiô kha ê sî, Dorothy án-ne kóng. "Tō-kóng taⁿ i í-keng hông lòng kah phòa kê-kê."
Yin kàu ê sî, hún-chiáu phah-si̍t chhut-siaⁿ poe-khí, yin tī kē-chhiū tiong-kan thàm-khòaⁿ ê sî, chi̍t-ê tó tī chi̍t-tui pò-chóa khùn ê lâng hut-jiân kôⁿ chhut-siaⁿ, hāi yin chhoah chi̍t-tiô.
"Mài hō͘ chit-lō͘ tāi-chì éng-hióng lí," yin chhoán phēⁿ-phēⁿ peh khám-á khí-lâi liáu-āu, Norah án-ne kā kóng. "Thiaⁿ hó, góa kā lí kóng lán án-chóaⁿ chò. Góa tńg-lâi liáu, āu-kái koh khì chhun-sià ê sî, lán koh khì hit-ê hoe-hn̂g tiong-sim, khòaⁿ in sī-m̄-sī ū lēng-gōa chi̍t-ê."
Tńg kàu chhù, Norah hoat-tōng yi ê chhia ê sî, Dorothy kek chi̍t-ê hoaⁿ-hí ê bīn. "Chi̍t-lō͘ sun-hong, chhin-ài ê," yi kóng. "Teh chia̍h liông-hê àm-tǹg ê sî, m̄-thang chia̍h kah ná chhiūⁿ ti."
Kiâⁿ tī chhù-tiâⁿ ê sió-lō͘, yi kìm-put-chū siong-sim khòaⁿ ké-soaⁿ téng khang-khang ê só͘-chāi.
Che sī yi ta̍k chá-khí ê koàn-lē. Siōng tāi-seng, yi giú-khui kheh-thiaⁿ ê thang-lî, sim-koaⁿ pòaⁿ-sìn pòaⁿ-gî, hi-bāng khòaⁿ tio̍h i tńg-lâi tī hia. Chiâⁿ hāi! Yi chiok su-liām i, bē-su i sī chi̍t-ê lâng. Yi keng-thâu giâ chi̍t-ē, kā pàng bē-kì, tán chá-tǹg liáu, the̍h-chhut yi ê hn̂g-gē chhiú-thò kap ke-si, tō khai-sí bô-êng khau-chháu.
Ē chi̍t-ê pài-saⁿ, tē-it tiuⁿ kng-phe kàu-ūi. Tī sìn-siuⁿ khòaⁿ tio̍h he, yi siūⁿ-kóng sī Norah kià lâi ê. M̄-koh, he m̄-sī Edward Ông-chú Tó ê siòng-phìⁿ, jî sī Rockies Soaⁿ-me̍h ê siòng-phìⁿ. Iû-piān-ìn sī tǹg Calgary, siá ê jī pit-ōe chheng-chhó koh sió-khóa îⁿ-sin, ná gín-á siá ê jī-thé, kóng: "Chhin-ài ê Dorothy, Sńg kah chiâⁿ hoaⁿ-hí. Cha-hng khòaⁿ chi̍t-tiûⁿ khòaⁿ-gû-á ê piáu-ián. Chiâⁿ siáu! Ài-lí ê, Cheng-lêng Ss."
Yi tī cháu-lông ê chi̍t-tè í-á chē lo̍h. Pá-hì, che it-tēng sī teh piàn pá-hì. M̄-koh siáng ē hiah pòaⁿ-kang án-ne lâi heh-kiaⁿ yi?
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3. 第一張光批到位
"阮會盡量緊派人過來," 她報講有搶劫 ê 時, 警局 ê 接線員 án-ne 講. 看起來, 伊並無 kā 囥 tī 真優先. 她去為 ka-tī 泡一杯 kapi, 欲 tò ê 時煞發現手 teh 掣. 她 kā 客廳 ê窗簾 khiú 一半懸. 一隻車停 tī 外口 ê 時, 她心較定落來, 看彼是 Norah, 她才想起 yin 朋友彼下晝欲離開去 Charlottetown 看 yin 小妹, bat 講會過來 kā 告辭.
"真正是垃圾把戲!" Norah 聽她講代誌了 án-ne 講, 然後 yin 出去看原來精靈徛 ê 彼个空所在. 過一睏了後, 一个警察到位, m̄-koh 聽 Dorothy 講是花園裝飾品 hông 偷去, 伊煞 ká-ná 無啥趣味. "Án-ne 好, 夫人," 伊提出筆記簿仔, 無要無緊 án-ne 講. "咱來 kā 登記一下."
落尾欲出門 ê 時, 伊擋恬一下. "老實講, 夫人, 我無寄望會當 koh 看著你 ê 精靈. 四界 lóng 有人 pìⁿ 破壞, 真可能這改是囡仔 kā 㧒去佗位去 ah."
"Norah," 關門了, Dorothy 講, "你會使鬥跤手無? He 正是你來進前我所想 ê. 有可能是囡仔 kā 抨去坑崁跤. 我知, 下暗我會想 kah 睏袂去. M̄-koh ka-tī 一个我毋敢落去 hia."
"Hmh..." yin 朋友 ná 看手錶仔 ná 講. "時間莫 siuⁿ 久, 因為去坐飛機進前, 我猶有寡代誌愛做."
兩个婦人 lâng 小心行落崎梯, he siuⁿ 過樂觀 ê 公園部門 chhāi 牌仔講是 "自然 ê 小路." Dorothy 心 nih 想, "啉酒 ê 小路" 較差不多, yin 規路看著少年家㧒掉 ê bihlù 罐 kap ùi 坑崁跤 peh 起來, 穿膨膨雨衣 ê 漚查埔所留落來 ê 空酒矸仔.
"不過是, 知影了, 我會感覺較好寡," 來到高架橋跤 ê 時, Dorothy án-ne 講. "Tō 講今伊已經 hông 挵 kah 破 kê-kê."
Yin 到 ê 時, 粉鳥拍翼出聲飛起, yin tī 低樹中間探看 ê 時, 一个倒 tī 一堆報紙睏 ê 人忽然 kôⁿ 出聲, 害 yin 掣一趒.
"莫予 chit-lō 代誌影響你," yin 喘 phēⁿ-phēⁿ peh 坎仔起來了後, Norah án-ne kā 講. "聽好, 我 kā 你講咱按怎做. 我轉來了, 後改 koh 去村舍 ê 時, 咱 koh 去彼个花園中心, 看 in 是毋是有另外一个."
轉到厝, Norah 發動她 ê 車 ê 時, Dorothy 激一个歡喜 ê 面. "一路順風, 親愛 ê," 她講. "Teh 食龍蝦暗頓 ê 時, 毋通食 kah ná 像豬."
行 tī 厝埕 ê 小路, 她禁不住傷心看假山頂空空 ê 所在.
這是她逐早起 ê 慣例. 上代先, 她 giú 開客廳 ê 窗簾, 心肝半信半疑, 希望看著伊轉來 tī hia. 誠害! 她足思念伊, 袂輸伊是一个人. 她肩頭夯一下, kā 放袂記, 等早頓了, 提出她 ê 園藝手套 kap 家私, tō 開始無閒 khau 草.
下一个拜三, 第一張光批到位. Tī 信箱看著 he, 她想講是 Norah 寄來 ê. M̄-koh, 彼毋是 Edward 王子島 ê 相片, 而是 Rockies 山脈 ê 相片. 郵便印是頓 Calgary, 寫 ê 字筆畫清楚 koh 小可圓身, ná 囡仔寫 ê 字體, 講: "親愛 ê Dorothy, 耍 kah 誠歡喜. 昨昏看一場看牛仔 ê 表演. 誠痟! 愛你 ê, 精靈 Ss."
她 tī 走廊 ê 一塊椅仔坐落. 把戲, 這一定是 teh 變把戲. M̄-koh siáng 會 hiah 半工 án-ne 來嚇驚她?
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3.
"We'll get someone around as soon as we can," said the police operator when she explained there'd been a robbery. He didn't seem to be giving it very high priority. She made herself a cup of coffee and noticed that her hand was shaking as she poured it. She drew the living-room curtains halfway to. When a car pulled up outside she was relieved to see it was Norah, and then she remembered that her friend was leaving that afternoon to visit her sister in Charlottetown and had said she would drop by to say goodbye.
"What a dirty trick!" Norah said when Dorothy told her what had happened, and they went to look at the empty spot where the gnome had stood. A few moments later a young policeman arrived, but he seemed to lose interest when Dorothy explained that it was a garden ornament that had been stolen. "Okay, ma'am," he said, taking out his notebook with a resigned air. "Let's get the particulars."
As he was going out of the door afterwards, he stopped. "Frankly, ma'am, I wouldn't get my hopes up about seeing your gnome again. There's been a lot of vandalism going on, and it's probably kids who've chucked it somewhere now."
"Norah," said Dorothy after closing the door, "would you help me? That's exactly what I was thinking before you arrived. That maybe some kids threw the gnome down the ravine. I know I won't be able to sleep tonight for wondering. But down there's not a place I'd dare to go on my own."
"Well ... " said her friend looking at her watch. "If we're not too long, because I have to do some things before I catch my plane."
The two women went cautiously down the steep stairs that aj1, over-optimistic parks department had sign-posted "Nature Trail". "Booze Trail" is more like it, Dorothy thought to herself as they picked their way past the beer bottles discarded by teenagers and the empty wine bottles left by the decrepit men in bulging raincoats whom she had seen emerging from the ravine.
"It's just that I'd feel better knowing," said Dorothy as they reached the viaduct. "Even if he's smashed into fragments by now."
Pigeons rattled up noisily at their approach, and as they probed the undergrowth, a man lying on a pile of newspapers startled them by suddenly snorting in his sleep.
"Just don't let this affair get to you," Norah said after they had climbed panting back up the steps. "Look, I'll tell you what we'll do. Next time you come to the cottage, after I get back, we'll go into the garden centre and see if they've got another one."
Back home, Dorothy put on a cheerful front as Norah started her car. "Have a safe trip, dear," she said. "Don't make too much of a pig of yourself at those lobster suppers!"
Walking up the path she couldn't help looking sadly at the vacant spot in the rockery.
It became a routine every morning for her. First thing she'd pull back the living-room curtains, half-expecting to see him back there. Darn it, she missed him, just as if he'd been a person. She'd shrug it off and after breakfast get out her gardening gloves and tools and busy herself with the weeding.
The first postcard arrived the following Wednesday. Finding it in the box, she assumed it was from Norah. But instead of a picture of Prince Edward Island, it had a photograph of the Rockies. It was postmarked Calgary, and the message, in a neat, round, almost childish hand, said, "Dear Dorothy, Having a great time. Saw a rodeo yesterday. Wild! Love, Mr. Gnome."
She sat down on the chair in the hallway. Her heart was racing. A trick. It had to be a trick. But who would go to such lengths to scare her?
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