6. Sió-khóa îⁿ-sin, ná gín-á siá ê
Norah tìm-thâu. "Yi bat kā góa kóng khí lí," i kóng. "Góa sī Norman."
"Hmh, in sī boeh kā chài khì tó-ūi?" Yi chiam-siaⁿ kóng. "Tāi-chì sī án-chóaⁿ?"
"He chin-chiàⁿ chin khó-phà," i kóng, bē-su lóng bô thiaⁿ tio̍h yi ê ōe. "Góa hoat-hiān yi, lí khòaⁿ. Góa koh ū chi̍t-tiuⁿ yi ê khah-phìⁿ, góa khok-mn̂g, m̄-koh yi bô lâi khui. Hm, án-ne, góa tō ùi thang-á thàm khòaⁿ māi, soah khòaⁿ tio̍h yi tó tī kheh-thiaⁿ ê tē-pán, tú-hó tī tōa thang-á thâu-chêng. Yi bô tín-tāng, eh? Só͘-í, hmh, góa tō se̍h kàu āu-bóe, kā thang-á lòng khui.
"Yi khòaⁿ tio̍h chheⁿ sún-sún. Góa ūi yi chò chhùi-tú-chhùi kip-kiù," i kín kè-sio̍k kóng. "Góa ta̍k-hāng lóng chhì, m̄-koh lóng bô hāu. Chū án-ne, góa kiò kiù-hō͘-chhia. Yi í-keng khì ah."
Norah hōaⁿ piah lâi ún-tēng ka-tī. "Khì ah?"
"Lí khòaⁿ khí-lâi chin siū táⁿ-kek. Lí siōng-hó ji̍p-lâi lāi-té chē," Norman kóng. "Góa mā kám-kak bô sóng-khoài."
In se̍h kàu āu-bóe, Norman hō͘ khòaⁿ i lòng-phòa thang-á, chhun-chhiú khui āu-piah mn̂g ê só͘-chāi. Norah kā khang pâng-keng se̍h chi̍t-liàn, koh tńg lâi chàu-kha, Norman tng-teh ūi in ka-tī phàu kín-iûⁿ ê kapi.
"Góa siūⁿ, hiah-ê kng-phe it-tēng kap che ū koan-hē," i kóng. "He sī chi̍t-ê lah-sap pá-hì."
"Siáⁿ-mih kng-phe?"
"Yi bô siá-phe kā lí kóng che?" I sì-kho͘ liàn-tńg khòaⁿ chàu-kha, āu-lâi chhun-chhiú khì chúi-chô téng ê kè-á. "Khǹg tī chia. "Ū-lâng the̍h cháu yi ê cheng-lêng, jiân-āu ùi sì-kè kià kng-phe hō͘ yi. Chhiam-miâ siá ‘Cheng-lêng Ss.’ Chiâⁿ koài-kî, eh?"
Norah tha̍k hiah-ê kng-phe, koh kā khǹg tī yi bīn-chêng ê toh-á. "Chit-tiuⁿ kin-á-ji̍t chiah lâi," Norman kóng, ùi i ê lak-tē-á thiu chhut lēng-gōa chi̍t-tiuⁿ khah-phìⁿ hō͘ yi. He siòng-phìⁿ sī Adelaide. "Chhin-ài ê Dorothy. Kan-ta lâi chia kúi-kang-á, koh-lâi tō boeh tńg khì Sydney. Chiâⁿ súi ê tē-tiám. Ài-lí ê, Cheng-lêng Ss," téng-bīn ê sìn-sit án-ne siá.
Norah pí-kàu ji̍t-kî ê ìn-kì. "Che tiāⁿ-tio̍h ū hông chhiân tio̍h. I pí āu-lâi ê khah-phìⁿ koh khah chá siá." yi kóng. Norman í-keng kā i lim ê poe-á khǹg tī chúi-chô. "Chóng-sī, góa siōng-hó sī tńg-khì chò khang-khòe. Góa í-keng bān ah."
"Thiaⁿ tio̍h, Norman," Norah sim-koaⁿ lia̍h-tiāⁿ kóng. "Che it-chhè lóng chiâⁿ koài-kî. Góa siūⁿ, lán tio̍h kiò kéng-chhat. Lán ná chai, cha-àm chia bô hoat-seng siáⁿ tāi-chì? Lí kè-sio̍k lí sàng-phe ê lō͘-sòaⁿ, góa ē lâu tī chia tán kéng-chhat. In boeh án-chóaⁿ liân-lo̍k lí, nā su-iàu ê sî?"
"Góa lâu hō͘ lí goán tau ê tiān-ōe hō-má kap kang-chok só͘-chāi ê tiān-ōe hō-má," i kóng, ná ùi siatchuh lak-tē-á ê giap-á nih thiu chi̍t-ki âng-sek ê pit. I sì-kè chhōe khòaⁿ ū chóa bô, āu-lâi kō͘ kî-tiong ê chi̍t-tiuⁿ kng-phe, siá tī khang-pe̍h ê só͘-chāi. "Lí khòaⁿ, che sī góa ê miâ, Norman Stannard," i kóng, kā khah-phìⁿ kau hō͘ yi. "Chài-kiàn loh."
Norman, khah-phìⁿ the̍h tī chhiú nih, kiâⁿ khì cháu-lông ê tiān-ōe. Yi teh poah tiān-ōe ê sî, ba̍k-chiu khòaⁿ tio̍h tiān-ōe piⁿ-á pit-kì-phō͘ téng ló-chhó siá ê sìn-sit. "Cheng-lêng kin-á-ji̍t sí khì ah." he án-ne siá.
Yi kā tiān-ōe kòa hó. Yi ê sim-koaⁿ phi̍h-pho̍k chhái. Yi khòaⁿ chhiú tiong ê khah-phìⁿ.
"Chiâⁿ súi ê tē-tiám," yi tha̍k. Ū mi̍h-kiāⁿ tī yi ê thâu-náu āu-bīn teh ngiau. Nn̄g-hāng tāi-chì siūⁿ boeh tàu chò-tīn. Yi koh khòaⁿ hit-tiuⁿ khah-phìⁿ, khòaⁿ he sió-khóa îⁿ-sin, ná gín-á siá ê pit-ōe. Chū án-ne yi chù-ì tio̍h, siá tī tē-chí téng-bīn ê miâ kap hō-má ê pit-ōe.
Yi khiā khí-lâi, kiâⁿ kàu thâu-chêng ê thang-á. Norman, tē-á phāiⁿ tī keng-thâu, tī ke-lō͘ tng-teh kiâⁿ. Yi thiaⁿ ē-tio̍h i teh kho͘ si-á. Yi ê chhiú-mo͘ khu̍h-khu̍h chùn. Yi chai-iáⁿ ū lâng tng-teh khòaⁿ yi. Yi m̄-chai, tú-chiah ná ē bô chù-ì tio̍h: cheng-lêng í-keng tńg lâi tī goân-lâi ê só͘-chāi. I ê chhiò-bīn, hām tē-it-pái tī chai-pôe hoe-hn̂g khòaⁿ tio̍h ê i kāng-khoán gia̍t-thiok.
(Soah)
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6. 小可圓身, ná 囡仔寫 ê
Norah tìm 頭. "她 bat kā 我講起你," 伊講. "我是 Norman."
"Hmh, in 是欲 kā 載去佗位?" 她尖聲講. "代誌是按怎?"
"彼真正真可怕," 伊講, 袂輸 lóng 無聽著她 ê 話. "我發現她, 你看. 我 koh 有一張她 ê 卡片, 我硞門, m̄-koh 她無來開. Hm, án-ne, 我 tō ùi 窗仔探看覓, 煞看著她倒 tī 客廳 ê 地板, 拄好 tī 大窗仔頭前. 她無振動, eh? 所以, hmh, 我 tō 踅到後尾, kā 窗仔挵開.
"她看著青 sún-sún. 我為她做喙拄喙急救," 伊緊繼續講. "我逐項 lóng 試, m̄-koh lóng 無效. 自 án-ne, 我叫救護車. 她已經去 ah."
Norah 扞壁來穩定 ka-tī. "去 ah?"
"你看起來真受打擊. 你上好入來內底坐," Norman 講. "我 mā 感覺無爽快."
In 踅到後尾, Norman 予看伊挵破窗仔, 伸手開後壁門 ê 所在. Norah kā 空房間踅一輾, koh 轉來灶跤, Norman tng-teh ūi in ka-tī 泡緊溶 ê kapi.
"我想, hiah-ê 光批一定 kap che 有關係," 伊講. "彼是一个垃圾把戲."
"啥物光批?"
"她無寫批 kā 你講 che?" 伊四箍輾轉看灶跤, 後來伸手去水槽頂 ê 架仔. "囥 tī chia. "有人提走她 ê 精靈, 然後 ùi 四界寄光批予她. 簽名寫 ‘精靈 Ss.’ 誠怪奇, eh?"
Norah 讀 hiah-ê 光批, koh kā 囥 tī 她面前 ê 桌仔. "這張今仔日才來," Norman 講, ùi 伊 ê lak 袋仔抽出另外一張卡片予她. 彼相片是 Adelaide. "親愛 ê Dorothy. 干焦來 chia 幾工仔, koh 來 tō 欲轉去 Sydney. 誠媠 ê 地點. 愛你 ê, 精靈 Ss," 頂面 ê 信息 án-ne 寫.
Norah 比較日期 ê 印記. "這定著有 hông chhiân 著. 伊比後來 ê 卡片 koh 較早寫." 她講. Norman 已經 kā 伊啉 ê 杯仔囥 tī 水槽. "總是, 我上好是轉去做工課. 我已經慢 ah."
"聽著, Norman," Norah 心肝掠定講. "這一切 lóng 誠怪奇. 我想, 咱著叫警察. 咱那知, 昨暗 chia 無發生啥代誌? 你繼續你送批 ê 路線, 我會留 tī chia 等警察. In 欲按怎連絡你, 若需要 ê 時?"
"我留予你阮兜 ê 電話號碼 kap 工作所在 ê 電話號碼," 伊講, ná ùi siatchuh lak 袋仔 ê giap 仔 nih 抽一支紅色 ê 筆. 伊四界揣看有紙無, 後來 kō͘ 其中 ê 一張光批, 寫 tī 空白 ê 所在. "你看, 這是我 ê 名, Norman Stannard," 伊講, kā 卡片交予她. "再見 loh."
Norman, 卡片提 tī 手 nih, 行去走廊 ê 電話. 她 teh 撥電話 ê 時, 目睭看著電話邊仔筆記簿頂潦草寫 ê 信息. "精靈今仔日死去 ah." he án-ne 寫.
她 kā 電話掛好. 她 ê 心肝 phi̍h-pho̍k 採. 她看手中 ê 卡片.
"誠媠 ê 地點," 她讀. 有物件 tī 她 ê 頭腦後面 teh ngiau. 兩項代誌想欲鬥做陣. 她 koh 看彼張卡片, 看 he 小可圓身, ná 囡仔寫 ê 筆畫. 自 án-ne 她注意著, 寫 tī 地址頂面 ê 名 kap 號碼 ê 筆畫.
她徛起來, 行到頭前 ê 窗仔. Norman, 袋仔揹 tī 肩頭, tī 街路 tng-teh 行. 她聽會著伊 teh kho͘ si-á. 她 ê 手毛 khu̍h-khu̍h 顫. 她知影有人 tng-teh 看她. 她毋知, 拄才那會無注意著: 精靈已經轉來 tī 原來 ê 所在. 伊 ê 笑面, 和第一擺 tī 栽培花園看著 ê 伊仝款 gia̍t-thiok.
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(煞)
6.
Norah nodded. "She told me about you," he said. "I'm Norman."
"Well, where on earth did they take her?" she said sharply. 'What's the matter?"
"It's terrible really," he said, almost as if he hadn't heard her. "I found her, see. I had another one of those cards for her and I knocked on the door but she didn't come. Well, like, I looked in the window and I could see her lying there on the living-room floor, right in front of the big window. She wasn't moving, eh? So, well, went round the back and smashed open the window.
"She just looked sort of blue. I gave her mouth-to-mouth," he went on quickly. "I tried everything, but it wasn't no good. So I called the ambulance. She was gone."
Norah steadied herself against the wall. "Gone?"
"You look pretty shook up. You better come inside and sit down," said Norman. "I'm not feeling too good myself."
They went around to the back, and Norman showed her where he'd broken the window and put in his hand to open the back door. Norah walked through the empty rooms, then back to the kitchen where Norman was making them instant coffee.
"I figure the postcards must have had something to do with it," he said. "That was a dirty trick."
"What postcards?"
"Didn't she write to you about them?" He looked around the kitchen then reached up on the shelf above the sink. "Here they are. Someone took her gnome then started sending her postcards from all over. They're signed 'Mr. Gnome'. Pretty weird, eh?"
Norah read the cards then laid them out on the table in front of her. "This one came only today," said Norman, pulling another card from his pocket and handing it to her. The picture was of Adelaide. "Dear Dorothy. Just here for a couple of days before returning Sydney. Beautiful spot. Love, Mr. Gnome," the message read.
Norah compared the date marks. "It must have been held up. It was written before some of the later ones," she said. Norman had put his cup in the sink. "Anyway, I better get back to work. I'm way behind."
"Look Norman," said Norah, making up her mind. "This is all pretty fishy. I think we should call the police. How do we know something didn't happen here last night? You carry on with your route, but I'll stay here for the police. Where can they reach you if they need to?"
"I'll give you my number at home as well as my work number," he said, pulling a red pen out of the holder in his shirt pocket. He looked around for a piece of paper, then pulled over one of the postcards and wrote in an empty space. "See, that's my name, Norman Stannard," he said, handing her the card. "Bye now."
Norah went into the hall to phone, the card still in her hand. As she dialed her eye caught a message scribbled on the pad by the phone. "The gnome died today," it said.
She put the receiver back. Her heart was pounding. She looked at the card in her hand.
"Beautiful spot," she read. Something tickled at the back of her brain. Two things trying to come together. She looked at the card again, at the round, childish handwriting. Then she noticed The writing in which the name and phone numbers had been written above the address.
She got up and went to the front window. Norman, his bag slung over his shoulder, was walking down the street. She could hear him whistling. The tiny hairs on the back of her hands tingled. She knew someone was watching her. She didn't know how it was that she hadn't noticed before: the gnome was back in his old place. His smile had the same insolence she had noticed when she had first seen him at the nursery.
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