6. Lí tiāⁿ-tio̍h sī chhut-sin tī hó ka-têng
"Goán péng nn̄g-liàn!" Amá kóng.
"Chi̍t-liàn," i kái-chèng kóng. "Goán ū khòaⁿ tio̍h. Chhì khòaⁿ in ê chhia, kám iáu ē ēng tit, Hiram," i khin siaⁿ kā tì phú-sek bō-á ê siàu-liân kóng.
"Lín chah chhèng boeh chhòng siáⁿ?" John Wesley mn̄g. "Lín he chhèng boeh chhòng siáⁿ?"
"Hu-jîn," hit-lâng kā gín-á ê lāu-bú kóng, "lí ē-sái kiò gín-á chē tī lí piⁿ-á bô? Gín-á hō͘ góa khí kín-tiuⁿ. Góa ài lín lóng tī lín taⁿ ê ūi chē lo̍h-lâi."
"Lí kiò GOÁN tio̍h án-chóaⁿ chò, sī boeh chhòng siáⁿ?" June Star mn̄g.
Āu-piah hit-pâi teh khòaⁿ in ê chhiū-á, ná chhiūⁿ sī chi̍t-ê peh-khui ê o͘-o͘ ê chhùi. "Kòe lâi chia," in lāu-bú kóng.
"Lí khòaⁿ chia," Bailey hut-jiân khai-sí kóng, "goán tú-tio̍h khùn-lân! Goán tú..."
Amá hiu chhut-lâi. Yi hiong-kông khiā khí-lâi, ba̍k-chiu tián tōa. "Lí sī Bē-ha̍h-ê!" yi kóng. "Góa chi̍t-ē khòaⁿ tō jīn chhut lí!"
"Sī ah, hu-jîn," hit-lâng kóng, khin-khin chhiò, ká-ná chin hoaⁿ-hí khì hông jīn chhut-lâi, "m̄-koh, hu-jîn, nā bô jīn chhut góa, khó-lêng tùi lín ta̍k-ê ē khah hó."
Bailey hut-leh oa̍t-thâu kā in lāu-bú kóng siáⁿ-mih, liân gín-á mā kiaⁿ chi̍t-tiô. Lāu hu-jîn khai-sí khàu, iá Bē-ha̍h-ê bīn hoán âng.
"Hu-jîn," i kóng, "lí mài oàn. Ū-sî cha-po͘ lâng kóng ōe m̄-sī hit-ê ì-sù. Góa bô jīn-ûi i thiâu kò͘-ì án-ne kā lí kóng."
"Lí bē kā cha-bó͘ tōaⁿ chhèng lah hoⁿh, kám ē? Amá án-ne kóng, ùi chhiú-ńg thiu chi̍t-tiâu chheng-khì ê chhiú-kin, khai-sí kho̍k-kho̍k chhit ba̍k-chiu.
Bē-ha̍h-ê kō͘ ê-chiam chhak thô͘, ó͘ chi̍t-ê khang, iū-koh kā khàm khí-lâi. "Góa chiah bô siūⁿ boeh án-ne chò," i kóng.
"Thiaⁿ hó," Amá chha-put-to sī kō͘ ki ê, "góa chai lí sī chi̍t-ê hó lâng, lí chi̍t-tiám-á to bô sêng phó͘-thong ê hiat-thóng. Góa chai, lí tiāⁿ-tio̍h sī chhut-sin tī hó ka-têng!"
"Sī ah, hu-jîn," i kóng, "goán tau sī sè-kài siōng hó ê lâng." I gi-chhùi chhiò ê sî, hiàn chhut chi̍t-pâi kian-kò͘ ê pe̍h chhùi-khí. "Sîn m̄-bat chhòng-chō kòe pí goán lāu-bú koh khah hó ê cha-bó͘-lâng, iá goán lāu-pē ê sim-koaⁿ sī chiàⁿ-kim," i kóng. Chhēng âng ūn-tōng saⁿ ê siàu-liân í-keng se̍h kàu in ê āu-piah, chhèng hē tī io, khiā tī hia. Bē-ha̍h-ê khû lo̍h tī thô͘-kha. "Kā hiah-ê gín-á kò͘ tio̍h, Bobby Lee," i kóng. "Lí chai, in hō͘ góa khí kín-tiuⁿ." I khòaⁿ hit la̍k-lâng tī i bīn-chêng kheh chò chi̍t-tui, ka-tī kám-kak pháiⁿ-sè, soah m̄-chai boeh kóng siáⁿ hó. "Thiⁿ-téng chi̍t-lúi hûn to bô," i án-ne nauh, ná taⁿ-thâu khòaⁿ thiⁿ. "Bô khòaⁿ-e ji̍t, mā bô khòaⁿ-e hûn."
"Sī ah, che sī chiâⁿ súi ê chi̍t-kang," Amá kóng. "Góa kā lí kóng," yi koh kóng, "lí bô su-iàu kiò ka-tī Bē-ha̍h-ê, in-ūi góa chai, lí ê lāi-sim sī chi̍t-ê hó lâng. Kan-ta khòaⁿ lí, góa tio̍h chai-iáⁿ."
"Ssh!" Bailey tōa siaⁿ kiò. "Ssh! Ta̍k-ê lóng tiām-tiām, che hō͘ góa lâi chhú-lí!" i sī kō͘ cháu-pio boeh khí-pō͘ cháu ê chu-sè khû tī thô͘-kha, m̄-koh i bô tín-tāng.
"Góa kám-siā, hu-jîn," Bē-ha̍h-ê kō͘ chhèng-pèⁿ tī thô͘-kha ōe chi̍t-ê îⁿ-kho͘-á.
"Siu-lí chit-tâi chhia tio̍h pòaⁿ tiám-cheng kú," Hiram hoah chhut-lâi, ná khòaⁿ hian khí-lâi ê enjin kòa.
"Hó, taⁿ lí seng hām Bobby Lee chhōa i kap hit-ê sè-hàn cha-po͘ gín-á tòe lín peh khí-lih," Bē-ha̍h-ê kóng, ná kí Bailey kap John Wesley. "Siàu-liân-ê boeh mn̄g lí chi̍t-ē," i ǹg Bailey kóng. "Lí sī-m̄-sī ē-sái hām in peh tńg-khì chhiū-nâ hia?"
"Lí thiaⁿ góa kóng," Bailey khai-sí kóng, "goán tú tio̍h tōa khùn-lân! Bô-lâng chai-iáⁿ che sī boeh án-chóaⁿ," i ê siaⁿ-im teh chùn. I ê ba̍k-chiu kap saⁿ téng ìn ê eng-ko pêⁿ nâ, pêⁿ chheⁿ-kìn, kóng-ōe ê sî lâng tāng to bô tāng.
Amá chhun-chhiú khì tiâu-chéng yi ê bō-á, ká-ná sī kóng, yi mā boeh hām i khì chhiū-nâ, m̄-koh bō-á lak lo̍h-lâi tī yi ê chhiú. Yi khiā tī hia khòaⁿ chi̍t-khùn, chi̍t-ē-á koh kā pàng lo̍h tī thô͘-kha. Hiram khiú Bailey ê chhiú-kut peh khí-lih, bē-su sī hû chi̍t-ê lāu-lâng. John Wesley lia̍h tio̍h in lāu-pē ê chhiú, iá Bobby Lee tòe tī āu-piah. In kiâⁿ ǹg chhiū-nâ khì, tng in tú-tú boeh kàu chhiū-nâ piⁿ ê sî, Bailey oa̍t-sin, khò tī chi̍t-ki bô oe ê phú-sek siông-á chhiū-kut, hoah kóng, "Góa liâm-mi tō tńg lâi, Mama, lí tī hia tán chi̍t-ē!"
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6. 你定著是出身 tī 好家庭
"阮 péng 兩輾!" Amá 講.
"一輾," 伊改正講. "阮有看著. 試看 in ê 車, 敢猶會用得, Hiram," 伊輕聲 kā 戴殕色帽仔 ê 少年講.
"恁扎銃欲創啥?" John Wesley 問. "恁 he 銃欲創啥?"
"夫人," 彼人 kā 囡仔 ê 老母講, "你會使叫囡仔坐 tī 你邊仔無? 囡仔予我起緊張. 我愛恁 lóng tī 恁今 ê 位坐落來."
"你叫阮著按怎做, 是欲創啥?" June Star 問.
後壁彼排 teh 看 in ê 樹仔, ná 像是一个擘開 ê 烏烏 ê 喙. "過來 chia," in 老母講.
"你看 chia," Bailey 忽然開始講, "阮拄著困難! 阮拄..."
Amá 咻出來. 她兇狂徛起來, 目睭展大. "你是 Bē-ha̍h-ê!" 她講. "我一下看 tō 認出你!"
"是 ah, 夫人," 彼人講, 輕輕笑, ká-ná 真歡喜去 hông 認出來, "m̄-koh, 夫人, 若無認出我, 可能對恁逐个會較好."
Bailey hut leh 越頭 kā in 老母講啥物, 連囡仔 mā 驚一趒. 老夫人開始哭, iá Bē-ha̍h-ê 面反紅.
"夫人," 伊講, "你莫怨. 有時查埔人講話毋是彼个意思. 我無認為伊 thiâu 故意 án-ne kā 你講."
"你袂 kā 查某彈銃 lah hoⁿh, 敢會? Amá án-ne 講, ùi 手䘼抽一條清氣 ê 手巾, 開始 kho̍k-kho̍k 拭目睭.
Bē-ha̍h-ê kō͘ 鞋尖鑿塗, 挖一个空, 又 koh kā 崁起來. "我才無想欲 án-ne 做," 伊講.
"聽好," Amá 差不多是 kō͘ ki ê, "我知你是一个好人, 你一點仔 to 無成普通 ê 血統. 我知, 你定著是出身 tī 好家庭!"
"是 ah, 夫人," 伊講, "阮兜是世界上好 ê 人." 伊 gi 喙笑 ê 時, 現出一排堅固 ê 白喙齒. "神 m̄-bat 創造過比阮老母 koh 較好 ê 查某人, iá 阮老爸 ê 心肝是正金," 伊講. 穿紅運動衫 ê 少年已經踅到 in ê 後壁, 銃 hē tī 腰, 徛 tī hia. Bē-ha̍h-ê 跍落 tī 塗跤. "Kā hiah-ê 囡仔顧著, Bobby Lee," 伊講. "你知, in 予我起緊張." 伊看彼六人 tī 伊面前 kheh 做一堆, ka-tī 感覺歹勢, 煞毋知欲講啥好. "天頂一蕊雲 to 無," 伊 án-ne nauh, ná taⁿ 頭看天. "無看 e 日, mā 無看 e 雲."
"是 ah, 這是誠媠 ê 一工," Amá 講. "我 kā 你講," 她 koh 講, "你無需要叫 ka-tī Bē-ha̍h-ê, 因為我知, 你 ê 內心是一个好人. 干焦看你, 我著知影."
"Ssh!" Bailey 大聲叫. "Ssh! 逐个 lóng 恬恬, 這予我來處理!" 伊是 kō͘ 走標欲起步走 ê 姿勢跍 tī 塗跤, m̄-koh 伊無振動.
"我感謝, 夫人," Bē-ha̍h-ê kō͘ 銃柄 tī 塗跤畫一个圓箍仔.
"修理這台車著半點鐘久," Hiram 喝出來, ná 看掀起來 ê enjin 蓋.
"好, 今你先和 Bobby Lee chhōa 伊 kap 彼个細漢查埔囡仔綴恁 peh 起 lih," Bē-ha̍h-ê 講, ná kí Bailey kap John Wesley. "少年 ê 欲問你一下," 伊 ǹg Bailey 講. "你是毋是會使和 in peh 轉去樹林 hia?"
"你聽我講," Bailey 開始講, "阮拄著大困難! 無人知影這是欲按怎," 伊 ê 聲音 teh 顫. 伊 ê 目睭 kap 衫頂印 ê 鸚哥平藍, 平 chheⁿ-kìn, 講話 ê 時人動 to 無動.
Amá 伸手去調整她 ê 帽仔, ká-ná 是講, 她 mā 欲和伊去樹林, m̄-koh 帽仔 lak 落來 tī 她 ê 手. 她徛 tī hia 看一睏, 一下仔 koh kā 放落 tī 塗跤. Hiram 搝 Bailey ê 手骨 peh 起 lih, 袂輸是扶一个老人. John Wesley 掠著 in 老爸 ê 手, iá Bobby Lee 綴 tī 後壁. In 行 ǹg 樹林去, 當 in 拄拄欲到樹林邊 ê 時, Bailey 越身, 靠 tī 一支無椏 ê 殕色松仔樹骨, 喝講, "我 liâm-mi tō 轉來, Mama, 你 tī hia 等一下!"
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6.
"We turned over twice!" said the grandmother.
"Once," he corrected. "We seen it happen. Try their car and see will it run, Hiram," he said quietly to the boy with the gray hat.
"What you got that gun for?" John Wesley asked. "Whatcha gonna do with that gun?"
"Lady," the man said to the children's mother, "would you mind calling them children to sit down by you? Children make me nervous. I want all you all to sit down right together there where you're at."
"What are you telling US what to do for?" June Star asked.
Behind them the line of woods gaped like a dark open mouth. "Come here," said their mother.
"Look here now," Bailey began suddenly, "we're in a predicament! We're in . . ."
The grandmother shrieked. She scrambled to her feet and stood staring. "You're The Misfit!" she said. "I recognized you at once!"
"Yes'm," the man said, smiling slightly as if he were pleased in spite of himself to be known, "but it would have been better for all of you, lady, if you hadn't of reckernized me."
Bailey turned his head sharply and said something to his mother that shocked even the children. The old lady began to cry and The Misfit reddened.
"Lady," he said, "don't you get upset. Sometimes a man says things he don't mean. I don't reckon he meant to talk to you thataway."
"You wouldn't shoot a lady, would you?" the grandmother said and removed a clean handkerchief from her cuff and began to slap at her eyes with it.
The Misfit pointed the toe of his shoe into the ground and made a little hole and then covered it up again. "I would hate to have to," he said.
"Listen," the grandmother almost screamed, "I know you're a good man. You don't look a bit like you have common blood. I know you must come from nice people!"
"Yes mam," he said, "finest people in the world." When he smiled he showed a row of strong white teeth. "God never made a finer woman than my mother and my daddy's heart was pure gold," he said. The boy with the red sweat shirt had come around behind them and was standing with his gun at his hip. The Misfit squatted down on the ground. "Watch them children, Bobby Lee," he said. "You know they make me nervous." He looked at the six of them huddled together in front of him and he seemed to be embarrassed as if he couldn't think of anything to say. "Ain't a cloud in the sky," he remarked, looking up at it. "Don't see no sun but don't see no cloud neither."
"Yes, it's a beautiful day," said the grandmother. "Listen," she said, "you shouldn't call yourself The Misfit because I know you're a good man at heart. I can just look at you and tell "
"Hush!" Bailey yelled. "Hush! Everybody shut up and let me handle this!" He was squatting in the position of a runner about to sprint forward but he didn't move.
"I prechate that, lady," The Misfit said and drew a little circle in the ground with the butt of his gun.
"It'll take a half a hour to fix this here car," Hiram called, looking over the raised hood of it.
"Well, first you and Bobby Lee get him and that little boy to step over yonder with you," The Misfit said, pointing to Bailey and John Wesley. "The boys want to ast you something," he said to Bailey. "Would you mind stepping back in them woods there with them?"
"Listen," Bailey began, "we're in a terrible predicament! Nobody realizes what this is," and his voice cracked. His eyes were as blue and intense as the parrots in his shirt and he remained perfectly still.
The grandmother reached up to adjust her hat brim as if she were going to the woods with him but it came off in her hand. She stood staring at it and after a second she let it fall on the ground. Hiram pulled Bailey up by the arm as if he were assisting an old man. John Wesley caught hold of his father's hand and Bobby Lee followed. They went off toward the woods and just as they reached the dark edge, Bailey turned and supporting himself against a gray naked pine trunk, he shouted, "I'll be back in a minute, Mamma, wait on me!"
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