4. Chhù lāi ū chi̍t-tè pì-bi̍t ê piah-pang
In koh sái-chhia kiâⁿ ji̍p sio hop-hop ê ē-tàu. Amá teh tuh-ku, múi kúi hun-cheng yi iū hō͘ ka-tī ê kôⁿ-siaⁿ phah-chhéⁿ. Kàu Toombsboro kau-gōa ê sî, yi chhéⁿ khí-lâi, siūⁿ khí tī yi siàu-liân ê sî bat lâi chit-ê hū-kīn ê chi̍t-ê lông-tiûⁿ. Yi kóng, hit-keng chhù ê chiàⁿ-bīn ū la̍k-ki pe̍h thiāu-á, ū chi̍t-tiâu chèng chhiūⁿ-chhiū ê tōa-lō͘ thong ǹg chhù, nn̄g chō chhâ hoe-kè ê liâng-têng chi̍t-pêng chi̍t chō chhāi tī thâu-chêng, tī hoe-hn̂g sàn-pō͘ liáu, lí ē-sái hām tui-kiû lí ê lâng chē tī hia. Yi kì kah chin chheng-chhó, tio̍h oat tá chi̍t-tiâu lō͘ chiah ē kàu-ūi hia. Yi chai-iáⁿ Bailey bē siūⁿ boeh liáu sî-kan khì khòaⁿ chi̍t-keng lāu chhù, m̄-koh yi lú kóng, soah lú siūⁿ boeh koh kā khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē, khòaⁿ hit nn̄g-chō hoe-kè sī-m̄-sī iáu chhāi tī hia. "Chhù lāi ū chi̍t-tè pì-bi̍t ê piah-pang," yi kóng kah chin kek-kut, m̄-sī si̍t-chāi ōe, m̄-koh kóng kah ná chin ê, "thiaⁿ kóng, Sherman lâi ê sî, kui ke-hóe ê gîn lóng chhàng tī hia, m̄-koh lóng chhōe bē-tio̍h..."
"Heh!" John Wesley kóng. "Lán lăi khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē! Lán ē chhōe tio̍h! Ta̍k-tè chhâ-pang lóng kā thok khòaⁿ-māi, lán tō ē chhōe tio̍h! Taⁿ siáng tòa tī hia? Tio̍h ùi tó-ūi oat? Heh, Pă, lán kám bē-sái tī hia oat?"
"Lán lóng m̄-bat khòaⁿ kòe ū pì-bi̍t piah-pang ê chhù!" June Star hiu chhut-lâi. "Lán lâi khì hit-keng ū pì-bi̍t piah-pang ê chhù! Heh, Pă, lán ná m̄-khì khòaⁿ hit-keng ū pì-bi̍t piah-pang ê chhù!"
"He lī chia bô hn̄g, góa chai-iáⁿ," Amá kóng. "Bē chhiau-kòe 20 hun-cheng."
Bailey ko͘-ko͘ khòaⁿ thâu-chêng. I ê ē-táu ngē kah ná bé-kha-tê. "M̄-khì," i kóng.
Gín-á khai-sí ai koh ki-ki kiò, kóng in boeh khì khòaⁿ hit-keng ū pì-bi̍t piah-pang ê chhù. John Wesley that chêng-chō ê āu-bīn, iá June Star àⁿ tī yin lāu-bú ê keng-kah-thâu téng, piàⁿ-miā tī yi ê hīⁿ-khang-piⁿ haiⁿ, kóng in lóng bô thang sńg, sīm-chì hioh-khùn ji̍t, in lóng bē-tàng chò IN siūⁿ boeh chò ê tāi-chì. Eⁿ-á khai-sí teh háu, John Wesley that kà-sú-chō, tōa-la̍t kah in lāu-pē kám-kak io-chí hông tûi tio̍h.
"Hó lah!" i tōa-siaⁿ hoah, kā chhia sái kàu lō͘-piⁿ thêng lo̍h-lâi. "Lín lóng mài koh kóng, hó bô? Lín lóng tiām-tiām chi̍t-khùn, hó bô? Lín nā m̄ tiām lo̍h-lâi, lán tó-ūi to m̄-khì."
"Hia tùi in chin ū kàu-io̍k ì-gī," Amá khin-siaⁿ liām.
"Hó lah," Bailey kóng, "m̄-koh, thiaⁿ hó: che sī ûi-it chi̍t-kái, lán ūi chit-khoán mi̍h-kiāⁿ thêng-khùn. Che sī chi̍t-kái, mā sī ûi-it ê chi̍t-kái."
"Lí tio̍h oat ê thô͘-lō͘ tī tò-tńg liōng-iok chi̍t-mai," Amá pò-lō͘ kóng. "Tú-chiah lán kòe ê sî, góa ū chù-ì tio̍h."
"Chi̍t-tiâu thô͘-lō͘," Bailey būn-siaⁿ kóng.
In se̍h-thâu liáu-āu, tō kiâⁿ hiòng hit-tiâu thô͘-lō͘, Amá koh siūⁿ-khí hit-keng chhù ê pa̍t-hāng tāi-chì, chêng-mn̂g téng-koân ê súi po-lê kap tōa-thiaⁿ ê la̍h-chek teng. John Wesley kóng, hit-ê pì-bi̍t ê piah-pang khó-lêng sī tī piah-lô͘ lāi-bīn.
"Lín bē-sái ji̍p-khì hit-keng chhù," Bailey kóng. "Lín m̄-bat tòa tī hia ê lâng."
"Lín tī thâu-chêng hām lâng kóng-ōe, góa lâi se̍h khì āu-piah, peh thang-á ji̍p-khì," John Wesley án-ne kiàn-gī.
"Lán lóng lâu tī chhia téng," in lāu-bú kóng. In oat chiūⁿ thô͘-lō͘, chhia chhi-chhi chhe̍k-chhe̍k, ká chi̍t-chūn hún-âng ê thô͘-hún tòe tī āu-piah poe. Amá siūⁿ-khí chá-chêng ê lō͘ bô pho͘ tamaka, 30-mai sī chi̍t-kang ê hêng-têng. Chit-tiâu thô͘-lō͘ sī tī soaⁿ-phiâⁿ, ū-ê ūi ū chúi chhiâng-kòe ê kau, a̍h sī hûi-hiám lō͘-hōaⁿ ê kín-kip se̍h-oan. Chin kín, in lâi kàu soaⁿ-niá téng, khòaⁿ ē-tio̍h ē-bīn chiu-ûi kúi-ā mai ê chheⁿ-sek chhiū-á, kòe chi̍t hun-cheng, in kàu chi̍t-ê âng-thô͘ ê soaⁿ-kau, ōaⁿ khā thô͘-hún ê chhiū-á tī téng-koân khòaⁿ in.
"Chit-ê só͘-chāi siōng-hó chi̍t hun-cheng tō peh khí-lih, Bailey kóng, "nā bô, góa tō boeh se̍h-thâu ah."
Che lō͘ khòaⁿ tio̍h ná í-keng kúi-ā kò goe̍h bô lâng kiâⁿ kòe ah.
"Koh bô gōa hn̄g ah lah," Amá kóng, án-ne kóng ê sî, hō͘ yi siūⁿ tio̍h chi̍t-ê khó-phà ê tāi-chì. Siūⁿ tio̍h he, hō͘ yi phái-sè kah bīn hoán âng, ba̍k-chiú ian-n̄g, siang-kha khí-tiô, soah kā yi ê kha-báng sak sóa-ūi. Kha-báng sóa-ūi ê hit-sî, yi khǹg tī ē-bīn nâ-á téng ê pò-chóa hoat chhut chi̍t-ê hōⁿ siaⁿ, iá hit-chiah niau-á, Pitty Sing, tō thiàu kàu Bailey ê keng-kah-thâu.
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4. 厝內有一塊祕密 ê 壁枋
In koh 駛車行入燒 hop-hop ê 下晝. Amá teh tuh-ku, 每幾分鐘她又予 ka-tī ê 鼾聲拍醒. 到 Toombsboro 郊外 ê 時, 她醒起來, 想起 tī 她少年 ê 時 bat 來這个附近 ê 一个農場. 她講, 彼間厝 ê 正面有六支白柱仔, 有一條種 chhiūⁿ 樹 ê 大路通 ǹg 厝, 兩座柴花架 ê 涼亭一爿一座 chhāi tī 頭前, tī 花園散步了, 你會使和追求你 ê 人坐 tī hia. 她記 kah 真清楚, 著斡 tá 一條路才會到位 hia. 她知影 Bailey 袂想欲了時間去看一間老厝, m̄-koh 她 lú 講, 煞 lú 想欲 koh kā 看一下, 看彼兩座花架是毋是猶 chhāi tī hia. "厝內有一塊祕密 ê 壁枋," 她講 kah 真激骨, 毋是實在話, m̄-koh 講 kah ná 真 ê, "聽講, Sherman 來 ê 時, 規家伙 ê 銀 lóng 藏 tī hia, m̄-koh lóng 揣袂著..."
"Heh!" John Wesley 講. "咱 lăi 看一下! 咱會揣著! 逐塊柴枋 lóng kā thok 看覓, 咱 tō 會揣著! 今 siáng 蹛 tī hia? 著 ùi 佗位斡? Heh, Pă, 咱敢袂使 tī hia 斡?"
"咱 lóng m̄-bat 看過有祕密壁枋 ê 厝!" June Star 咻出來. "咱來去彼間有祕密壁枋 ê 厝! Heh, Pă, 咱那毋去看彼間有祕密壁枋 ê 厝!"
"He 離 chia 無遠, 我知影," Amá 講. "袂超過 20 分鐘."
Bailey 孤孤看頭前. 伊 ê 下斗硬 kah ná 馬跤蹄. "毋去," 伊講.
囡仔開始哀 koh ki-ki 叫, 講 in 欲去看彼間有祕密壁枋 ê 厝. John Wesley 踢前座 ê 後面, iá June Star àⁿ tī 姻老母 ê 肩胛頭頂, 拚命 tī 她 ê 耳空邊哼, 講 in lóng 無通耍, 甚至歇睏日, in lóng 袂當做 IN 想欲做 ê 代誌. 嬰仔開始 teh 吼, John Wesley 踢駕駛座, 大力 kah in 老爸感覺腰子 hông 捶著.
"好 lah!" 伊大聲喝, kā 車駛到路邊停落來. "恁 lóng 莫 koh 講, 好無? 恁 lóng 恬恬一睏, 好無? 恁若毋恬落來, 咱佗位 to 毋去."
"Hia 對 in 真有教育意義," Amá 輕聲念.
"好 lah," Bailey 講, "m̄-koh, 聽好: 這是唯一一改, 咱為這款物件停睏. 這是一改, mā 是唯一 ê 一改."
"你著斡 ê 塗路 tī 倒轉量約 1 mai," Amá 報路講. "拄才咱過 ê 時, 我有注意著."
"一條塗路," Bailey 悶聲講.
In 踅頭了後, tō 行向彼條塗路, Amá koh 想起彼間厝 ê 別項代誌, 前門頂懸 ê 媠玻璃 kap 大廳 ê 蠟燭燈. John Wesley 講, 彼个祕密 ê 壁枋可能是 tī 壁爐內面.
"恁袂使入去彼間厝," Bailey 講. "恁 m̄-bat 蹛 tī hia ê 人."
"恁 tī 頭前和人講話, 我來踅去後壁, peh 窗仔入去," John Wesley án-ne 建議.
"咱 lóng 留 tī 車頂," in 老母講. In 斡上塗路, 車 chhi-chhi chhe̍k-chhe̍k, 絞一陣粉紅 ê 塗粉綴 tī 後壁飛. Amá 想起早前 ê 路無鋪 tamaka, 30-mai 是一工 ê 行程. 這條塗路是 tī 山坪, 有 ê 位有水沖過 ê 溝, a̍h 是危險路岸 ê 緊急踅彎. 真緊, in 來到山嶺頂, 看會著下面周圍幾若 mai ê 青色樹仔, 過一分鐘, in 到一个紅塗 ê 山溝, 換 khā 塗粉 ê 樹仔 tī 頂懸看 in.
"這个所在上好一分鐘 tō peh 起 lih, Bailey 講, "若無, 我 tō 欲踅頭 ah."
Che 路看著 ná 已經幾若個月無人行過 ah.
"Koh 無偌遠 ah lah," Amá 講, án-ne 講 ê 時, 予她想著一个可怕 ê 代誌. 想著 he, 予她歹勢 kah 面反紅, 目睭 ian-n̄g, 雙跤起趒, 煞 kā 她 ê kha-báng 捒徙位. Kha-báng 徙位 ê 彼時, 她囥 tī 下面籃仔頂 ê 報紙發出一个 hōⁿ 聲, iá 彼隻貓仔, Pitty Sing, tō 跳到 Bailey ê 肩胛頭.
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4.
They drove off again into the hot afternoon. The grandmother took cat naps and woke up every few minutes with her own snoring. Outside of Toombsboro she woke up and recalled an old plantation that she had visited in this neighborhood once when she was a young lady. She said the house had six white columns across the front and that there was an avenue of oaks leading up to it and two little wooden trellis arbors on either side in front where you sat down with your suitor after a stroll in the garden. She recalled exactly which road to turn off to get to it. She knew that Bailey would not be willing to lose any time looking at an old house, but the more she talked about it, the more she wanted to see it once again and find out if the little twin arbors were still standing. "There was a secret panel in this house," she said craftily, not telling the truth but wishing that she were, "and the story went that all the family silver was hidden in it when Sherman came through but it was never found . . ."
"Hey!" John Wesley said. "Let's go see it! We'll find it! We'll poke all the woodwork and find it! Who lives there? Where do you turn off at? Hey Pop, can't we turn off there?"
"We never have seen a house with a secret panel!" June Star shrieked. "Let's go to the house with the secret panel! Hey Pop, can't we go see the house with the secret panel!"
"It's not far from here, I know," the grandmother said. "It wouldn't take over twenty minutes."
Bailey was looking straight ahead. His jaw was as rigid as a horseshoe. "No," he said.
The children began to yell and scream that they wanted to see the house with the secret panel. John Wesley kicked the back of the front seat and June Star hung over her mother's shoulder and whined desperately into her ear that they never had any fun even on their vacation, that they could never do what THEY wanted to do. The baby began to scream and John Wesley kicked the back of the seat so hard that his father could feel the blows in his kidney.
"All right!" he shouted and drew the car to a stop at the side of the road. "Will you all shut up? Will you all just shut up for one second? If you don't shut up, we won't go anywhere.
"It would be very educational for them," the grandmother murmured.
"All right," Bailey said, "but get this: this is the only time we're going to stop for anything like this. This is the one and only time."
"The dirt road that you have to turn down is about a mile back," the grandmother directed. "I marked it when we passed."
"A dirt road," Bailey groaned.
After they had turned around and were headed toward the dirt road, the grandmother recalled other points about the house, the beautiful glass over the front doorway and the candle-lamp in the hall. John Wesley said that the secret panel was probably in the fireplace.
"You can't go inside this house," Bailey said. "You don't know who lives there."
"While you all talk to the people in front, I'll run around behind and get in a window," John Wesley suggested.
"We'll all stay in the car," his mother said. They turned onto the dirt road and the car raced roughly along in a swirl of pink dust. The grandmother recalled the times when there were no paved roads and thirty miles was a day's journey. The dirt road was hilly and there were sudden washes in it and sharp curves on dangerous embankments. All at once they would be on a hill, looking down over the blue tops of trees for miles around, then the next minute, they would be in a red depression with the dust-coated trees looking down on them.
"This place had better turn up in a minute," Bailey said, "or I'm going to turn around."
The road looked as if no one had traveled on it in months.
"It's not much farther," the grandmother said and just as she said it, a horrible thought came to her. The thought was so embarrassing that she turned red in the face and her eyes dilated and her feet jumped up, upsetting her valise in the corner. The instant the valise moved, the newspaper top she had over the basket under it rose with a snarl and Pitty Sing, the cat, sprang onto Bailey's shoulder.
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