6. Iáu ē-kì-tit tio̍h iōng chio̍h-thâu
"Kì hō͘ hó," Summers Ss kóng, "thiu-khau liáu, tán ta̍k-ê lóng thiu hó chiah phah-khui khau-á. Harry, lí kā sè-hàn Dave tàu-kha-chhiú." Graves Ss khan sè-hàn gín-á ê chhiú, i tō koai-koai tòe i kiâⁿ kàu siuⁿ-á hia. "Ùi siuⁿ-á nih the̍h chi̍t-ki chóa-khau chhut-lâi, Davy," Summers Ss kóng. "Harry, lí thè i ni tio̍h." Graves Ss gia̍h khí gín-á ê chhiú, kā chóa-khau ùi Dave tēⁿ ân ê kûn-thâu-bó the̍h khì ka-tī tēⁿ, Dave khiā tī piⁿ-á, kám-kak koài-kî lia̍h i khòaⁿ.
"Koh lâi sī Nancy," Summers Ss kóng. Nancy cha̍p-jī hòe, yi iô-tāng kûn-ki kiâⁿ ǹg chêng, koh ùi siuⁿ-á nih chin kín thiu chi̍t-ki khau ê sî, yin tông-o̍h lóng chhoán chi̍t-ê tn̂g-khùi. "Sió Bill," Summers Ss kiò, bīn âng-âng, kha-tê tōa ê Billy ùi siuⁿ-á thiu chhut chóa-khau ê sî, hiám-á kā siuⁿ-á lòng tó khì. "Tessie," Summers Ss kiò. Yi tiû-tû chi̍t-khùn, kō͘ put-ho̍k ê ba̍k-kng sì-kè khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē, chhùi-tûn peⁿ ân kiâⁿ kàu siuⁿ-á hia. Yi lia̍h chi̍t-ki chóa-khau chhut-lâi, iap-āu tēⁿ tio̍h.
"Bill," Summers Ss kiò, Bill Hutchinson tō chhun-chhiú ji̍p siuⁿ-á, chhiú hôe lâi hôe khì, lo̍h-bóe chiah kiu chhut tēⁿ chi̍t-ki chóa-khau ê chhiú.
Lâng-tīn tiām chiuh-chiuh. Chi̍t-ê cha-bó͘ gín-á sè-siaⁿ kóng, "Góa hi-bāng he m̄-sī Nancy," khin-khin ê siaⁿ thoân kàu lâng-tīn ê sì-kho͘-liàn-tńg.
"Kòe-khì m̄-sī chit-lō iūⁿ," Warner Lāu-sian kóng kah chheng-chheng chhó-chhó. "Lâng í-keng kap kòe-khì tōa bô-kāng ah."
"Hó ah," Summers Ss kóng, "kā chóa-khau phah-khui. Harry, lí phah-khui sè-hàn Dave ê khau-á."
Graves Ss phah-khui chóa-khau, kā gia̍h koân-koân hō͘ ta̍k-lâng lóng khòaⁿ ē-tio̍h he sī khang-pe̍h ê, ū chi̍t-phiàn ê hoah-siaⁿ. Kāng hit-sî, Nancy hām Sió Bill mā phah-khui in ê, nn̄g-lâng ba̍k-chiu chi̍t-ē kim, chhiò chhut-lâi, se̍h sin ǹg chèng-lâng, kā in ê chóa-khau gia̍h kàu thâu-khak téng.
"Tessie," Summers Ss kóng. Thêng chi̍t-ē liáu-āu, Summers Ss khòaⁿ khì Bill Hutchinson hia, á Bill kā i ê chóa-khau phah-khui, the̍h hō͘ lâng khòaⁿ. He sī khang-pe̍h ê.
"Nā án-ne, tō sī Tessie," Summers Ss kóng, i koh ah-kē siaⁿ-im kóng, "Bill, kā yi ê chóa-khau the̍h lâi khòaⁿ."
Bill Hutchinson kiâⁿ ǹg in bó͘, ùi yi ê chhiú kā chóa-khau ngē pak chhut-lâi. Téng-bīn ū chi̍t-ê o͘ tiám, he o͘ tiám sī Summers Ss cha-mê kō͘ thô͘-thòaⁿ kong-si pan-kong-sek ê te̍k-o͘ iân-pit ōe ê. Bill Hutchinson kā chóa-khau gia̍h koân, lâng-tīn chhut-hiān chi̍t-chūn jiáu-tāng.
"Hó ah, Hiong-chhin ah," Summers Ss kóng, "lán kóaⁿ-kín lâi kiat-sok."
Sui-jiân chhun-bîn í-keng bē-kì-tit gî-sek, mā bô tong-chho͘ hit-ê o͘ siuⁿ-á, in iáu ē-kì-tit tio̍h iōng chio̍h-thâu. Hiah-ê cha-po͘ gín-á chá-chêng kok ê chio̍h-thâu-tui í-keng khoán hó-sè; sàm ū siuⁿ-á chhut-lâi ê chóa-tiâu ê thô͘-kha mā iáu ū chio̍h-thâu. Delacroix kéng chi̍t-lia̍p tōa chio̍h-thâu, he yi tio̍h kō͘ siang-chhiú chiah poaⁿ ē tāng, tō oa̍t-sin ǹg Dunbar Tt kóng, "Tâng-chê, khah kín leh."
Dunbar Tt siang-chhiú lóng the̍h sè-lia̍p chio̍h-thâu-á, ná phīⁿ-phēⁿ chhoán ná kóng, "Góa kin-pún bô hoat-tō͘ cháu. Lí tio̍h chò thâu-chêng, góa ùi āu-piah tòe lí."
Gín-á lóng ū the̍h chio̍h-thâu ah. Mā ū-lâng the̍h kúi-lia̍p-á sè-chio̍h-á hō͘ sè-hàn Devy Hutchinson.
Taⁿ, Tessie Hutchinson sī tī chheng chhut-lâi ê khang-tē ê tiong-ng, chhun-bîn kiâⁿ ǹg yi ê sî, yi choa̍t-bōng chhun-chhut siang-chhiú. "Án-ne bô kong-pêng ah," yi kóng. Chi̍t-lia̍p chio̍h-thâu kòng tio̍h yi ê pìn-piⁿ. Warner Lāu-sian hoah kóng, "Hiong-chhin ah, hiòng chêng, hiòng chêng." Steve Adams tī chhun-bîn lâng-tīn ê siōng thâu-chêng, āu-piah tòe Graves Tt.
"Che bô kong-pêng lah," Hutchinson Tt chiam-siaⁿ kiò, á hit-sî lâng-tīn chò chi̍t-ē chhi̍h óa-khì.
[Soah]
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6. 猶會記得著用石頭
"記予好," Summers Ss 講, "抽 khau 了, 等逐个 lóng 抽好才拍開 khau 仔. Harry, 你 kā 細漢 Dave 鬥跤手." Graves Ss 牽細漢囡仔 ê 手, 伊 tō 乖乖綴伊行到箱仔 hia. "Ùi 箱仔 nih 提一支紙 khau 出來, Davy," Summers Ss 講. "Harry, 你替伊 ni 著." Graves Ss 攑起囡仔 ê 手, kā 紙 khau ùi Dave 捏絚 ê 拳頭母提去 ka-tī 捏, Dave 徛 tī 邊仔, 感覺怪奇掠伊看.
"Koh 來是 Nancy," Summers Ss 講. Nancy 十二歲, 她搖動裙裾行 ǹg 前, koh ùi 箱仔 nih 真緊抽一支 khau ê 時, yin 同學 lóng 喘一个長氣. "小 Bill," Summers Ss 叫, 面紅紅, 跤蹄大 ê Billy ùi 箱仔抽出紙 khau ê 時, 險仔 kā 箱仔挵倒去. "Tessie," Summers Ss 叫. 她躊躇一睏, kō͘ 不服 ê 目光四界看一下, 喙唇繃絚行到箱仔 hia. 她掠一支紙 khau 出來, iap 後捏著.
"Bill," Summers Ss 叫, Bill Hutchinson tō 伸手入箱仔, 手回來回去, 落尾才勼出捏一支紙 khau ê 手.
人陣恬 chiuh-chiuh. 一个查某囡仔細聲講, "我希望彼毋是 Nancy," 輕輕 ê 聲傳到人陣 ê 四箍輾轉.
"過去毋是 chit-lō 樣," Warner 老先講 kah 清清楚楚. "人已經 kap 過去大無仝 ah."
"好 ah," Summers Ss 講, "kā 紙 khau 拍開. Harry, 你拍開細漢 Dave ê khau 仔."
Graves Ss 拍開紙 khau, kā 攑懸懸予逐人 lóng 看會著彼是空白 ê, 有一遍 ê 喝聲. 仝彼時, Nancy 和小 Bill mā 拍開 in ê, 兩人目睭一下金, 笑出來, 踅身 ǹg 眾人, kā in ê 紙 khau 攑到頭殼頂.
"Tessie," Summers Ss 講. 停一下了後, Summers Ss 看去 Bill Hutchinson hia, á Bill kā 伊 ê 紙 khau 拍開, 提予人看. 彼是空白 ê.
"若 án-ne, tō 是 Tessie," Summers Ss 講, 伊 koh 壓低聲音講, "Bill, kā 她 ê 紙 khau 提來看."
Bill Hutchinson 行 ǹg in 某, ùi 她 ê 手 kā 紙 khau 硬剝出來. 頂面有一个烏點, he 烏點是 Summers Ss 昨暝 kō͘ 塗炭公司辦公室 ê 特烏鉛筆畫 ê. Bill Hutchinson kā 紙 khau 攑懸, 人陣出現一陣擾動.
"好 ah, 鄉親 ah," Summers Ss 講, "咱趕緊來結束."
雖然村民已經袂記得儀式, mā 無當初彼个烏箱仔, in 猶會記得著用石頭. Hiah-ê 查埔囡仔早前 kok ê 石頭堆已經款好勢; sám 有箱仔出來 ê 紙條 ê 塗跤 mā 猶有石頭. Delacroix 揀一粒大石頭, he 她著 kō͘ 雙手才搬會動, tō 越身 ǹg Dunbar Tt 講, "同齊, 較緊 leh."
Dunbar Tt 雙手 lóng 提細粒石頭仔, ná phīⁿ-phēⁿ 喘 ná 講, "我根本無法度走. 你著做頭前, 我 ùi 後壁綴你."
囡仔 lóng 有提石頭 ah. Mā 有人提幾粒仔細石仔予細漢 Devy Hutchinson.
今, Tessie Hutchinson 是 tī 清出來 ê 空地 ê 中央, 村民行 ǹg 她 ê 時, 她絕望伸出雙手. "Án-ne 無公平 ah," 她講. 一粒石頭摃著 yi ê 鬢邊. Warner 老先喝講, "鄉親 ah, 向前, 向前." Steve Adams tī 村民人陣 ê 上頭前, 後壁綴 Graves Tt.
"這無公平 lah," Hutchinson Tt 尖聲叫, á 彼時人陣做一下 chhi̍h 倚去.
[煞]
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6.
"Remember," Mr. Summers said, "take the slips and keep them folded until each person has taken one. Harry, you help little Dave." Mr. Graves took the hand of the little boy, who came willingly with him up to the box. "Take a paper out of the box, Davy." Mr. Summers said. Davy put his hand into the box and laughed. "Take just one paper," Mr. Summers said. "Harry, you hold it for him." Mr. Graves took the child's hand and removed the folded paper from the tight fist and held it while little Dave stood next to him and looked up at him wonderingly.
"Nancy next," Mr. Summers said. Nancy was twelve, and her school friends breathed heavily as she went forward switching her skirt, and took a slip daintily from the box. "Bill, Jr.," Mr. Summers said, and Billy, his face red and his feet overlarge, near knocked the box over as he got a paper out. "Tessie," Mr. Summers said. She hesitated for a minute, looking around defiantly, and then set her lips and went up to the box. She snatched a paper out and held it behind her.
"Bill," Mr. Summers said, and Bill Hutchinson reached into the box and felt around, bringing his hand out at last with the slip of paper in it.
The crowd was quiet. A girl whispered, "I hope it's not Nancy," and the sound of the whisper reached the edges of the crowd.
"It's not the way it used to be," Old Man Warner said clearly. "People ain't the way they used to be."
"All right," Mr. Summers said. "Open the papers. Harry, you open little Dave's."
Mr. Graves opened the slip of paper and there was a general sigh through the crowd as he held it up and everyone could see that it was blank. Nancy and Bill. Jr. opened theirs at the same time, and both beamed and laughed, turning around to the crowd and holding their slips of paper above their heads.
"Tessie," Mr. Summers said. There was a pause, and then Mr. Summers looked at Bill Hutchinson, and Bill unfolded his paper and showed it. It was blank.
"It's Tessie," Mr. Summers said, and his voice was hushed. "Show us her paper. Bill."
Bill Hutchinson went over to his wife and forced the slip of paper out of her hand. It had a black spot on it, the black spot Mr. Summers had made the night before with the heavy pencil in the coal company office. Bill Hutchinson held it up, and there was a stir in the crowd.
"All right, folks." Mr. Summers said. "Let's finish quickly."
Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones. The pile of stones the boys had made earlier was ready; there were stones on the ground with the blowing scraps of paper that had come out of the box. Delacroix selected a stone so large she had to pick it up with both hands and turned to Mrs. Dunbar. "Come on," she said. "Hurry up."
Mr. Dunbar had small stones in both hands, and she said, gasping for breath, "I can't run at all. You'll have to go ahead and I'll catch up with you."
The children had stones already. And someone gave little Davy Hutchinson few pebbles.
Tessie Hutchinson was in the center of a cleared space by now, and she held her hands out desperately as the villagers moved in on her. "It isn't fair," she said. A stone hit her on the side of the head. Old Man Warner was saying, "Come on, come on, everyone." Steve Adams was in the front of the crowd of villagers, with Mrs. Graves beside him.
"It isn't fair, it isn't right," Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her.
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