5. Góa siūⁿ, góa ū lāi-siong
Gín-á lóng hàiⁿ lo̍h chē-ūi, in lāu-bú, phō eⁿ-á, hàiⁿ kàu chhia gōa ê thô͘-kha; lāu hu-jîn hàiⁿ kàu chêng-chō. Chū-tōng-chhia péng chi̍t-liàn koh thán-khi khiā tī lō͘ piⁿ ê kau-á té, chiàⁿ-pêng hiòng téng-koân. Bailey iáu chē tī kà-sú-chō, iá hit-chiah phú tiâu-bûn ê niau -- bīn pe̍h koh khoah, phīⁿ kam-á sek -- ná chi̍t-bóe chhì-mo͘-thâng khîⁿ tī i ê ām-kún.
Gín-á hoat-hiān kha-chhiú ē-tàng tín-tāng, sûi pê chhut chhia, ná hoah, "Lán chhut CHHIA-HŌ ah!" Amá kiu tī gī-pió-pang ē-bīn, hi-bāng ka-tī ū siū-siong, án-ne Bailey chiah bē chò-chi̍t-ē tùi yi hoat sèng-tē. Yi tú-chiah tī chhia-hō chìn-chêng siūⁿ tio̍h ê khó-phà tāi-chì sī án-ne, hit-keng yi kì kah chheng-chheng chhó-chhó ê chhù m̄-sī tī Georgia, sī tī Tennessee.
Bailey kō͘ siang-chhiú kā niau-á ùi ām-kún pak lo̍h-lâi, koh kā phiaⁿ ǹg thang-á gōa hit-châng siông-á chhiū. Jiân-āu, i peh chhut chhia, khai-sí chhōe gín-á ê lāu-bú. Yi chē tī óa âng-sek ê kau-á piⁿ hia, lám tiâu mà-mà háu ê eⁿ-á, ka-chài yi kan-ta bīn koah siong, kap keng-kah-thâu chhè siong. "Lán chhut CHHIA-HŌ ah!" gín-á hoaⁿ-hí kah ki-ki kiò.
"M̄-koh bô lâng sí khì," June Star kóng kah chin sit-bōng, hit-sî Amá chiah oaiⁿh chhut chhia, bō-á iáu tì tī thâu-khak, thâu-chêng phòa khì ê kîⁿ khiàu chi̍t-ê chhio-tiô ê kak-tō͘, chí-lô-lân hoe-sok sûi lo̍h tī piⁿ-á. Gín-á í-gōa, ta̍k-ê lóng chē tī kau-á té, hó thang an-tēng tio̍h-kiaⁿ ê sim. Ta̍k-ê lóng iáu teh khu̍h-khu̍h chùn.
"Hoān-sè ē ū chhia kòe lâi," gín-á ê lāu-bú sau-siaⁿ kóng.
"Góa siūⁿ, góa ū lāi-siong," Amá kóng, ná chhi̍h pak-tó͘ piⁿ, m̄-koh bô lâng kā ìn. Bailey ê chhùi-khí khia̍k-khia̍k kiò. I chhēng n̂g ūn-tōng saⁿ, téng-bīn ìn chi̍t-chiah chhíⁿ-nâ ê eng-ko, i ê bīn kap saⁿ pêⁿ n̂g. Amá koat-tēng yi m̄ kóng-khí he chhù sī tī Tennessee.
Lō͘ tī liōng-iok 10 chhioh téng-koân, iá in kan-ta khòaⁿ ē-tio̍h lō͘ tùi-bīn ê chhiū-á bóe. Tī in só͘ chē ê kau-á āu-bīn, iáu ū koh khah chē ê chhiū-nâ, koân koh o͘ koh chhim. Kúi hun-cheng liáu-āu, in khòaⁿ tio̍h bô hn̄g ê soaⁿ-niá téng ū chi̍t-tâi chhia, bān-bān ǹg in lâi, ká-ná chhia-téng ê lâng teh khòaⁿ in. Amá khiā khí-lâi, jīn sèⁿ-miā kō͘ siang-chhiú ia̍t, lâi ín-khí in ê chù-ì. Chhia iáu-sī bān-bān kiâⁿ, kàu chi̍t-ê oan-oat ê ūi bô khòaⁿ è, iū koh chhut-hiān, kiâⁿ koh khah bān ah, tī in tú-chiah kiâⁿ kòe ê soaⁿ-niá téng kiâⁿ. He sī chi̍t-tâi tōa koh phòa, ná lêng-chhia ê o͘ chū-tōng. Lāi-bīn ū saⁿ-ê lâng.
Lâi kàu in ê téng-koân, chhia thêng lo̍h-lâi, ūn-choán-chhiú bīn bô piáu-chêng, kim-kim khòaⁿ in chē ê ūi chi̍t-khùn, tiām-tiām bô kóng-ōe. Āu-lâi, i oa̍t-thâu kap lēng-gōa nn̄g-lâng nauh chi̍t-ē, in tō lo̍h-chhia. Kî-tiong chi̍t-ê sī tōa-kho͘ siàu-liân-ke, chhēng o͘ tn̂g-khò͘, âng ūn-tōng saⁿ, thâu-chêng ìn chi̍t-chiah gîn-sek ê bé. I tī in ê chiàⁿ-pêng kiâⁿ-tāng, koh tòng-tiām khòaⁿ, chhùi pòaⁿ khui, sió-khóa gi-gi. Lēng-gōa hit-ê chhēng khaki khò͘, nâ-sek tiâu-bûn ê gōa-thò, chi̍t-téng phú-sek ê bō-á ah kē-kē, bīn khàm chi̍t-pòaⁿ khah ke. I tī tò-pêng bān-bān kiâⁿ. Mā bô kóng-ōe.
Ūn-choán-chhiú lo̍h-chhia, khiā tī chhia piⁿ, ǹg in khòaⁿ lo̍h-lâi. I pí lēng-gōa hit nn̄g-ê lóng khah lāu. I ê thâu-chang sió-khóa hoe, kòa gîn-kheng ba̍k-kiàⁿ, ū ha̍k-chiá ê phài-thâu. I ê bīn tn̂g koh jiâu, bô chhēng siatchuh mā bô chhēng lāi-saⁿ. I chhēng nâ-sek phah-thih-á khò͘, tùi i lâi-kóng siuⁿ ân, chhiú the̍h chi̍t-téng o͘ bō-á kap chi̍t-ki chhèng. Hit nn̄g-ê siàu-liân-ke mā ū chhèng.
"Goán chhut CHHIA-HŌ!" gín-á tōa-siaⁿ ki.
Amá ū chi̍t-ê kî-miāu ê kám-kak, hit-ê khan ba̍k-kiàⁿ ê lâng sī yi bat ê lâng. I ê bīn, tùi yi lâi kóng, bīn-se̍k kah ká-ná í-keng bat kui sì-lâng, m̄-koh bē kì-tit i sī siáng. I kiâⁿ lī-khui chhia, khai-sí lo̍h piah-hōaⁿ, kha hó-lé-á ta̍h, bián-tit ku̍t-tó. I chhēng chang-sek phòe pe̍h ê ê-á, bô chhēng boe̍h-á, i ê kha-ba̍k âng koh sán. "Lín hó," i kóng. "Góa khòaⁿ lín ta̍k-ê lóng siak kah tang-tó sai-oai."
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5. 我想, 我有內傷
囡仔 lóng 幌落坐位, in 老母, 抱嬰仔, 幌到車外 ê 塗跤; 老夫人幌到前座. 自動車 péng 一輾 koh 坦敧徛 tī 路邊 ê 溝仔底, 正爿向頂懸. Bailey 猶坐 tī 駕駛座, iá 彼隻殕條紋 ê 貓 -- 面白 koh 闊, 鼻柑仔色 -- ná 一尾刺毛蟲 khîⁿ tī 伊 ê頷頸.
囡仔發現跤手會當振動, 隨爬出車, ná 喝, "咱出車禍 ah!" Amá 勼 tī 儀錶枋下面, 希望 ka-tī 有受傷, án-ne Bailey 才袂做一下對她發性地. 她拄才 tī 車禍進前想著 ê 可怕代誌是 án-ne, 彼間她記 kah 清清楚楚 ê 厝毋是 tī Georgia, 是 tī Tennessee.
Bailey kō͘ 雙手 kā 貓仔 ùi 頷頸剝落來, koh kā 抨 ǹg 窗仔外彼叢松仔樹. 然後, 伊 peh 出車, 開始揣囡仔 ê 老母. 她坐 tī 倚紅色 ê 溝仔邊 hia, 攬牢 mà-mà 吼 ê 嬰仔, 佳哉她干焦面割傷, kap 肩胛頭 chhè 傷. "咱出車禍 ah!" 囡仔歡喜 kah ki-ki 叫.
"M̄-koh 無人死去," June Star 講 kah 真失望, 彼時 Amá 才 oaiⁿh 出車, 帽仔猶戴 tī 頭殼, 頭前破去 ê 墘翹一个𪁎趒 ê 角度, 紫羅蘭花束垂落 tī 邊仔. 囡仔以外, 逐个 lóng 坐 tī 溝仔底, 好通安定著驚 ê 心. 逐个 lóng 猶 teh khu̍h-khu̍h 顫.
"凡勢會有車過來," 囡仔 ê 老母梢聲講.
"我想, 我有內傷," Amá 講, ná 揤腹肚邊, m̄-koh 無人 kā 應. Bailey ê 喙齒 khia̍k-khia̍k 叫. 伊穿黃運動衫, 頂面印一隻醒藍 ê 鸚哥, 伊 ê 面 kap 衫平黃. Amá 決定她毋講起 he 厝是 tī Tennessee.
路 tī 量約 10 尺頂懸, iá in 干焦看會著路對面 ê 樹仔尾. Tī in 所坐 ê 溝仔後面, 猶有 koh 較濟 ê 樹林, 懸 koh 烏 koh 深. 幾分鐘了後, in 看著無遠 ê 山嶺頂有一台車, 慢慢 ǹg in 來, ká-ná 車頂 ê 人 teh 看 in. Amá 徛起來, 認性命 kō͘ 雙手擛, 來引起 in ê 注意. 車猶是慢慢行, 到一个彎斡 ê 位無看 è, 又 koh 出現, 行 koh 較慢 ah, tī in 拄才行過 ê 山嶺頂行. 彼是一台大 koh 破, ná 靈車 ê 烏自動. 內面有三个人.
來到 in ê 頂懸, 車停落來, 運轉手面無表情, 金金看 in 坐 ê 位一睏, 恬恬無講話. 後來, 伊越頭 kap 另外兩人 nauh 一下, in tō 落車. 其中一个是大箍少年家, 穿烏長褲, 紅運動衫, 頭前印一隻銀色 ê 馬. 伊 tī in ê 正爿 kiâⁿ 動, koh 擋恬看, 喙半開, 小可 gi-gi. 另外彼个穿 khaki 褲, 藍色條紋 ê 外套, 一頂殕色 ê 帽仔壓低低, 面崁一半較加. 伊 tī 倒爿慢慢行. Mā 無講話.
運轉手落車, 徛 tī 車邊, ǹg in 看落來. 伊比另外彼兩个 lóng 較老. 伊 ê 頭鬃小可花, 掛銀框目鏡, 有學者 ê 派頭. 伊 ê 面長 koh 皺, 無穿 siatchuh mā 無穿內衫. 伊穿藍色拍鐵仔褲, 對伊來講 siuⁿ 絚, 手提一頂烏帽仔 kap 一支銃. 彼兩个少年家 mā 有銃.
"阮出車禍!" 囡仔大聲吱.
Amá 有一个奇妙 ê 感覺, 彼个 khan 目鏡 ê 人是她 bat ê 人. 伊 ê 面, 對她來講, 面熟 kah ká-ná 已經 bat 規世人, m̄-koh 袂記得伊是 siáng. 伊行離開車, 開始落壁岸, 跤好禮仔踏, 免得滑倒. 伊穿棕色配白 ê 鞋仔, 無穿襪仔, 伊 ê 跤目紅 koh 瘦. "恁好," 伊講. "我看恁逐个 lóng 摔 kah 東倒西歪."
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5.
The children were thrown to the floor and their mother, clutching the baby, was thrown out the door onto the ground; the old lady was thrown into the front seat. The car turned over once and landed right-side-up in a gulch off the side of the road. Bailey remained in the driver's seat with the cat--gray-striped with a broad white face and an orange nose--clinging to his neck like a caterpillar.
As soon as the children saw they could move their arms and legs, they scrambled out of the car, shouting, "We've had an ACCIDENT!" The grandmother was curled up under the dashboard, hoping she was injured so that Bailey's wrath would not come down on her all at once. The horrible thought she had had before the accident was that the house she had remembered so vividly was not in Georgia but in Tennessee.
Bailey removed the cat from his neck with both hands and flung it out the window against the side of a pine tree. Then he got out of the car and started looking for the children's mother. She was sitting against the side of the red gutted ditch, holding the screaming baby, but she only had a cut down her face and a broken shoulder. "We've had an ACCIDENT!" the children screamed in a frenzy of delight.
"But nobody's killed," June Star said with disappointment as the grandmother limped out of the car, her hat still pinned to her head but the broken front brim standing up at a jaunty angle and the violet spray hanging off the side. They all sat down in the ditch, except the children, to recover from the shock. They were all shaking.
"Maybe a car will come along," said the children's mother hoarsely.
"I believe I have injured an organ," said the grandmother, pressing her side, but no one answered her. Bailey's teeth were clattering. He had on a yellow sport shirt with bright blue parrots designed in it and his face was as yellow as the shirt. The grandmother decided that she would not mention that the house was in Tennessee.
The road was about ten feet above and they could see only the tops of the trees on the other side of it. Behind the ditch they were sitting in there were more woods, tall and dark and deep. In a few minutes they saw a car some distance away on top of a hill, coming slowly as if the occupants were watching them. The grandmother stood up and waved both arms dramatically to attract their attention. The car continued to come on slowly, disappeared around a bend and appeared again, moving even slower, on top of the hill they had gone over. It was a big black battered hearse-like automobile. There were three men in it.
It came to a stop just over them and for some minutes, the driver looked down with a steady expressionless gaze to where they were sitting, and didn't speak. Then he turned his head and muttered something to the other two and they got out. One was a fat boy in black trousers and a red sweat shirt with a silver stallion embossed on the front of it. He moved around on the right side of them and stood staring, his mouth partly open in a kind of loose grin. The other had on khaki pants and a blue striped coat and a gray hat pulled down very low, hiding most of his face. He came around slowly on the left side. Neither spoke.
The driver got out of the car and stood by the side of it, looking down at them. He was an older man than the other two. His hair was just beginning to gray and he wore silver-rimmed spectacles that gave him a scholarly look. He had a long creased face and didn't have on any shirt or undershirt. He had on blue jeans that were too tight for him and was holding a black hat and a gun. The two boys also had guns.
"We've had an ACCIDENT!" the children screamed.
The grandmother had the peculiar feeling that the bespectacled man was someone she knew. His face was as familiar to her as if she had known him au her life but she could not recall who he was. He moved away from the car and began to come down the embankment, placing his feet carefully so that he wouldn't slip. He had on tan and white shoes and no socks, and his ankles were red and thin. "Good afternoon," he said. "I see you all had you a little spill."
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