5. 發現 papa 和 00 單獨 tī 場館

5. Hoat-hiān papa hām 00 tan-to̍k tī tiûⁿ-koán

Hó͘-bó Tūi tiām-tiām chi̍t-khùn. Yin ê bīn bô hiòng i, teh chù-ì gōa-kháu ê kńg-lê-á hong. I siūⁿ boeh kóng, Góa teh bîn-bāng!, m̄-koh kóng bē chhut-siaⁿ. Hó͘-bó tūi-oân se̍h-thâu kòe-lâi, ká-ná ū thiaⁿ tio̍h. Yin oat kòe-lâi, chhùi khui-khui, tōa-siaⁿ kóng-ōe.

I hut-leh chhéⁿ khí-lâi.

8-Hō chē tī i sin-piⁿ, se̍h-se̍h liām. "Lí ū náu chìn-tōng, sam-pat," yi án-ne kóng. "Taⁿ bē-sái khùn."

"Kàu-liān án-nóa ah?"

Yi kā i kóng, kàu-liān bô kāng, m̄-koh bô kóng siông-sè.

Chi̍t-koàn iû sé-sé ê thô͘-tāu-chiùⁿ se̍h leh thoân. Hó͘-bó tūi-oân kō͘ kāng chi̍t-ki thng-sî-á óe kui-kô͘ lâi chia̍h. 45-Hō phah-khui peng-tháng, teh pun kō͘ chóa-poe-á té ê tháng-á lāi ê e̍k-thé -- sī kiô-sek ê bó͘-chióng mi̍h. Khòaⁿ tio̍h yi, Rusty siūⁿ-khí lāu-táu hûn, i tō mn̄g 8-Hō chit-ê tāi-chì.

"Bô tāi-chì," yi kóng, siaⁿ pàng sè-sè. "Ū-sî yi kóng-ōe sī ūi-tio̍h ín lâng chù-ì."

Theⁿ tī in thâu-chêng pâi ê DeDe àⁿ-sin kòe-lâi, kā 8-Hō kóng yi ū chi̍t-ê siūⁿ-hoat, thang hō͘ chit-ê cha-bó͘-thé-ê pó-chhî chheng-chhéⁿ. Yin tio̍h kóng-kó͘, ná-chhiūⁿ ûi tī iâⁿ-hóe án-ne.

45-Hō kín-pō͘ kàu kòe-tō āu-tōaⁿ. "Siáⁿ khoán ê kó͘?"

"Ū kóng-ōe hit-chióng," DeDe kóng, ta̍k-ê tō soāiⁿ-soāiⁿ kiò.

8-Hō ná phok Rusty ê kha-thâu-u, ná soan-pò͘ kóng, yi ū chi̍t-ê. "Chi̍t-ê hó-liāu ê," yi kóng. "Jî-chhiáⁿ che kap lán taⁿ ê khùn-kéng ū koan-liân." Yi kè-sio̍k kóng, yi tī it-nî-á ê sî, bat ê chi̍t-ê cha-bó͘ gín-á. "Yi ê thâu-chang sī chang-sek ê, seⁿ-chò sè-sè, chin sè-lia̍p-chí. Yi khiâ-bé, yin pē-bú sī siù-i." Yi chhiúⁿ kòe thô͘-tāu-chiùⁿ ê koàn-á, ó͘ chi̍t-kô͘ chang-sek ê mi̍h ji̍p yi ê chhùi.

16-Hō khòaⁿ kah gāng-gāng. "Che ná sī siáⁿ-mih kó͘ ah?"

DeDe kóng, "Koh lâi neh?"

8-Hō pō͘ oân liáu, kā koàn-á kau hō͘ Rusty. I bô the̍h.

45-Hō kóng, "Taⁿ tàu-té sī hoat-seng siáⁿ tāi-chì ah?"

Bē-su che sī hō͘ yi ê chi̍t-ê àm-sī, 8-Hō kóng, "Oh, sī lah, yi sí tī chi̍t-ê kńg-lê-á hong nih." Yi tòng-tiām chi̍t-ē, bô-lâng kóng siáⁿ, yi tō koh kóng lo̍h. "Só͘-í, hit-ê kńg-lê-á hong kńg cháu yi ê pang-keng ê piah, yi ê chhùi nih that-móa che, lín án-chóaⁿ kóng che, iù-sap-á?"

DeDe chhap-ōe mn̄g, kò͘-sū ê tiōng-tiám sī siáⁿ.

"Tiōng-tiám?"

Rusty kái-soeh kóng: "Lí ná boeh kăn kóng chia-e?"

"Góa ioh -- góa m̄-chai -- pháiⁿ tāi-chì ē hoat-seng? Kai-sí."

16-Hō lia̍h kàu-liān nńg siô-siô ê chhiú, ǹg 8-Hō iô. "Halo, góa siūⁿ goán í-keng chai ah lah."

8-Hō iô yi ê tiong-cháiⁿ hō͘ chèng-lâng khòaⁿ ê sî, liân Rusty mā ài chhiò.

62-Hō kóng, "Culpepper Kàu-liān sī kóng-kó͘ ê lâng."

Rusty kóng, "I sī si-jîn."

"Kāng-khoán ê chha-pia̍t."

DeDe kiò ta̍k-ê chēng lo̍h-lâi. Yi ū chi̍t-ê kò͘-sū.

"Lí lâu phīⁿ-hoeh," yi kóng, ná khòaⁿ Rusty. "Lí hō͘ góa siūⁿ khí Carrie-Anne."

45-Hō kóng, "Oh, thiⁿ ah: lâu phīⁿ-hoeh."

Rusty siūⁿ khí-lâi. Lâu phīⁿ-hoeh kòe-khì sī yi ê piau-chì. Pí-sài chêng teh ka-un khian-kiû ê chhiú-kut sî, ū-sî yi ē lâu phīⁿ-hoeh. "Siuⁿ kín-tiuⁿ," in lāu-pē án-ne kóng. M̄-koh phīⁿ-hoeh piàn-chò chi̍t-ê bê-sìn. Chóng-kóng, yi sī tâu-chhiú-lu (pitcher’s mond) téng-koân ê khùi-la̍t, kā kiû khian hiòng sin-châi nn̄g-pōe tōa ê battah chhiú (hitter). M̄-koh, tī yi ê phīⁿ kō-hoeh ê pí-sài tang-tiong, yi khian-chhut oân-hong (完封, shutout), bô hō͘ tùi-hong jīm-hô chi̍t-ê kiû-oân chiūⁿ lúi.

Rusty kóng, "Khòng-khòng."

DeDe ê ba̍k-chiu niàu khí-lâi. "Téng kò goe̍h, góa khòaⁿ tio̍h yin mama."

16-Hō kóng, "Siūⁿ-kóng yin poaⁿ-chhù ah."

"Sī ūi-tio̍h seⁿ gín-á."

Rusty siūⁿ khí hit-sî, i hoat-hiān tī chú-tiûⁿ pí-sài chìn-chêng in tan-to̍k tī tiûⁿ-koán nih. In papa hām Khòng-khòng. I the̍h chi̍t-pau peng-kak ù yi ê phīⁿ-lēng, boeh chí-hoeh. Hoeh lâu kàu i ê chhiú āu-khiau âng-âng, Rusty khòaⁿ kah siūⁿ boeh thò͘. In papa tio̍h khah sió-sim leh, i ē-kì-tit i án-ne siūⁿ, bē-sái hō͘ yi ê hoeh kā i bak kah án-ne seⁿ.

"Góa m̄-chai-iáⁿ," i sūn-chhùi kóng.

Bô-lâng thiaⁿ tio̍h i: Yin lóng teh thiaⁿ DeDe kóng. Kóng yi án-chóaⁿ tī Sunflower Chhī-tiûⁿ. Kóng yi án-chóaⁿ kan-ta kò͘ ka-tī ê tāi-chì, ūi yin mama khòaⁿ chhiah-chiam, hit-sî ū siáⁿ ji̍p-lâi? He sī Carrie-Anne ê mama. Hiông-hiông, DeDe siūⁿ boeh cháu khì bih. "M̄-koh, góa koh án-ne siūⁿ: Bián. Goán bô chò siáⁿ kiàn-siàu ê tāi-chì, kám ū?" Choăn, yin khai-káng. Siōng tāi-seng kóng thiⁿ-khì. Koh lâi Carrie-Anne ê mama kóng yin chă-kiáⁿ kòe liáu "bē-bái." Í-keng tit-tio̍h GED (phó͘-thong kàu-io̍k chèng-su). Taⁿ tī siā-khu ha̍k-īⁿ siu-khò. "Kai-sí ê sī -- yi kè-sio̍k sak yi ê chhia-á khì āu chi̍t-ê kòe-tō. Chū-chū chāi-chāi chò yi khì."

"Góa m̄-chai lah," Rusty koh kóng. "Pó-chèng."

- -

5. 發現 papa 和 00 單獨 tī 場館

虎母隊恬恬一睏. 姻 ê 面無向伊, teh 注意外口 ê 捲螺仔風. 伊想欲講, 我 teh 眠夢!, 毋過講袂出聲. 虎母隊員踅頭過來, ká-ná 有聽著. 姻斡過來, 喙開開, 大聲講話.

伊 hut-leh 醒起來.

8 號坐 tī 伊身邊, 踅踅念. "你有腦震盪, 三八," 她 án-ne 講. "今袂使睏."

"教練按怎 ah?"

她 kā 伊講, 教練無仝, 毋過無講詳細.

一罐油洗洗 ê 塗豆醬踅 leh 傳. 虎母隊員 kō͘ 仝一支湯匙仔挖規糊來食. 45 號拍開冰桶, teh 分 kō͘ 紙杯仔貯 ê 桶仔內 ê 液體 -- 是茄色 ê 某種物. 看著她, Rusty 想起漏斗雲, 伊 tō 問 8 號這个代誌.

"無代誌," 她講, 聲放細細. "有時她講話是為著引人注意."

撐 tī in 頭前排 ê DeDe àⁿ 身過來, kā 8 號講她有一个想法, 通予這个查某體 ê 保持清醒. 姻著講古, ná 像圍 tī 營火 án-ne.

45 號緊步到過道後段. "啥款 ê 古?"

"有講話彼種," DeDe 講, 逐个 tō 檨檨叫.

8 號 ná 撲 Rusty ê 跤頭趺, ná 宣布講, 她有一个. "一个好料 ê," 她講. "而且這 kap 咱今 ê 困境有關連." 她繼續講, 她 tī 一年仔 ê 時, 捌 ê 一个查某囡仔. "她 ê 頭鬃是棕色 ê, 生做細細, 真細粒子. 她騎馬, 姻爸母是獸醫." 她搶過塗豆醬 ê 罐仔, 挖一糊棕色 ê 物入她 ê 喙.

16 號看 kah 愣愣. "這那是啥物古 ah?"

DeDe 講, "閣來 neh?"

8 號哺完了, kā 罐仔交予 Rusty. 伊無提.

45 號講, "今到底是發生啥代誌 ah?"

袂輸這是予她 ê 一个暗示, 8 號講, "Oh, 是 lah, 她死 tī 一个捲螺仔風 nih." 她擋恬一下, 無人講啥, 她 tō koh 講落. "所以, 彼个捲螺仔風捲走她 ê 房間 ê 壁, 她 ê 喙 nih 窒滿這, 恁按怎講這, 幼屑仔?"

DeDe 插話問, 故事 ê 重點是啥.

"重點?"

Rusty 解說講: "你那欲 kăn 講 chia-e?"

"我臆 -- 我毋知 -- 歹代誌會發生? 該死."

16 號掠教練軟 siô-siô ê 手, ǹg 8 號搖. "Halo, 我想阮已經知 ah lah."

8 號搖她 ê 中指予眾人看 ê 時, 連 Rusty mā 愛笑.

62 號講, "Culpepper 教練是講古 ê 人."

Rusty 講, "伊是詩人."

"仝款 ê 差別."

DeDe 叫逐个靜落來. 她有一个故事.

"你流鼻血," 她講, ná 看 Rusty. "你予我想起 Carrie-Anne."

45 號講, "Oh, 天 ah: 流鼻血."

Rusty 想起來. 流鼻血過去是她 ê 標誌. 比賽前 teh 加溫掔球 ê 手骨時, 有時她會流鼻血. "Siuⁿ 緊張," in 老爸 án-ne 講. 毋過鼻血變做一个迷信. 總講, 她是投手 lu (pitcher’s mond) 頂懸 ê 氣力, kā 球掔向身材兩倍大 ê battah 手 (hitter). 毋過, tī 她 ê 鼻滒血 ê 比賽當中, 她掔出 oân-hong (完封, shutout), 無予對方任何一个球員上壘.

Rusty 講, "Khòng-khòng."

DeDe ê 目睭 niàu 起來. "頂個月, 我看著姻 mama."

16 號講, "想講姻搬厝 ah."

"是為著生囡仔."

Rusty 想起彼時, 伊發現 tī 主場比賽進前 in 單獨 tī 場館 nih. In papa 和 Khòng-khòng. 伊提一包冰角 ù 她 ê 鼻稜, 欲止血. 血流到伊 ê 手後曲紅紅, Rusty 看 kah 想欲吐. In papa 著較小心 leh, 伊會記得伊 án-ne 想, 袂使予她 ê 血 kā 伊沐 kah án-ne seⁿ.

"我毋知影," 伊順喙講.

無人聽著伊: 姻攏 teh 聽 DeDe 講. 講她按怎 tī Sunflower 市場. 講她按怎干焦顧家治 ê 代誌, 為姻 mama 看刺針, 彼時有啥入來? 彼是 Carrie-Anne ê mama. 雄雄, DeDe 想欲走去覕. "毋過, 我 koh án-ne 想: 免. 阮無做啥見笑 ê 代誌, 敢有?" Choăn, 姻開講. 上代先講天氣. Koh 來 Carrie-Anne ê mama 講姻 chă 囝過了 "袂䆀." 已經得著 GED (普通教育證書). 今 tī 社區學院修課. "該死 ê 是 -- 她繼續捒她 ê 車仔去後一个過道. 自自在在做她去."

"我毋知 lah," Rusty koh 講. "保證."

- -

5.

The Lady Tigers hadn’t moved for some time. Their faces were turned from him, on alert for cyclones outside. He tried speaking, I am in a dream!, but the words wouldn’t come. The Lady Tigers turned as if they had heard him anyway. They turned and their mouths dropped open and they spoke with thunder.

He jumped awake.

Number 8 sat beside him, cussing. “You have a concussion, dumbass,” she was saying. “No sleepy time for you.”

“What about the coach?”

She told him the coach was a different matter but didn’t bother to elaborate.

A greasy jar of peanut butter was making the rounds. The Lady Tigers used the same spoon to dig out a fat dollop and eat. Number 45 had opened the cooler and was passing out paper cups of whatever liquid was inside it — something purple. Seeing her reminded Rusty of the funnel cloud and he asked Number 8 about it.

“False alarm,” she said, whispering. “She sometimes says things for attention.”

DeDe, who was lounging in the seat in front of them, leaned over and told Number 8 she had an idea for how to keep the sissy awake. They’d tell stories, like around a campfire.

Number 45 trotted back down the aisle. “What kind of stories?”

“The kind with words,” DeDe said, and everyone groaned.

Patting Rusty on the knee, Number 8 proclaimed she had one. “A real doozy,” she said. “And it relates to our current predicament.” She went on to describe this girl she knew in the first grade. “She had brown hair and was tiny, tiny. She rode horses and her parents were veterinarians.” She snatched the jar of peanut butter and shoveled some brown goop in her mouth.

Number 16 gawked. “That ain’t no story.”

DeDe said, “And?”

Number 8 finished chewing and offered Rusty the jar. He declined.

Number 45 said, “What the fuck is even happening right now?”

As if that were her cue, Number 8 said, “Oh, yeah, a tornado killed her.” She paused, and when nobody said anything, she continued. “Well, not the tornado itself. See, she slept with her mouth open.” She paused, and again, when nobody spoke, she added more. “So when the tornado ripped off her bedroom wall, her mouth filled up with all this, what do you call it, debris?”

DeDe interrupted her to ask the point of the story.

“Point?”

Rusty clarified: “Why are you telling us this?”

“I guess — I don’t know — bad things can happen? Shit.”

Number 16 grabbed the coach’s limp hand and waved it at Number 8. “Hello, I think we know that already.”

Even Rusty laughed while Number 8 waved her middle finger for all to see.

Number 62 said, “Coach Culpepper is the storyteller.”

Rusty said, “He’s a poet.”

“Same difference.”

DeDe told them to hush. She had one.

“Your nosebleed,” she said, looking at Rusty. “Reminds me of Carrie-Anne.”

Number 45 said, “Oh, jeez: the nosebleeds.”

Rusty remembered. Nosebleeds had been her trademark. As she warmed up her throwing arm before a game, she sometimes got them. “Nerves,” his father had called it. But they became the stuff of superstition. She was a force on the pitcher’s mound anyway, lobbing balls past hitters twice her size. But during the games her nose oozed blood, she pitched perfect shutouts, not allowing a single player from the opposing team even a base hit.

Rusty said, “Double zero.”

DeDe’s eyes narrowed. “I saw her mama last month.”

Number 16 said, “Thought they moved.”

“Just to have the baby.”

Rusty thought about the time he’d found them alone in the field house before a home game. His dad and Double Zero. He was holding a bag of ice to the bridge of her nose, trying to clot the bleed. He was up to his elbows in red, and the sight made Rusty feel sick. His dad should be more careful, he remembered thinking, letting her bleed all over him like that.

“I didn’t know,” he blurted out.

No one heard him: They were listening to DeDe. How she was in the Sunflower. How she was minding her own business, looking at crochet needles for her mom, when who rounded the corner? Carrie-Anne’s mom, that’s who. For a moment, a split second, DeDe considered hiding. “But I thought to myself: No. We didn’t do nothing to be ashamed of, did we?” So they spoke. First about the weather. Then Carrie-Anne’s mom said her girl was doing “just fine.” Had earned her GED. Was taking classes at the community college. “And the shit of it is — she just pushed her cart on, went to the next aisle. Pretty as you please.”

“I didn’t know,” Rusty repeated. “Promise.”

- -