3. Yi kan-ta siūⁿ boeh kín kiat-sok ián-káng
Kiat-siàu ê sî, ūi yi bé ê cha̍p-hòe skan koh chng-tē ê siàu-liân-ke kat ê miâ-pâi siá "Martin," che khó-lêng sī, mā khó-lêng m̄-sī i ê chin miâ. Eng-kok lâng kah-ì in ê ho̍k-bū-oân ê miâ hó tha̍k, tōa pō͘-hūn kong-si mā án-ne iau-kiû oân-kang. I chhiú-ba̍k ê chhiah-chheⁿ hián-sī i ê kong-bîn sin-hūn -- goân-pún Biafra lâng -- kap i ê kai-kip, 3-téng. I tiāⁿ-tio̍h sī tòa tī chhī-gōa, jî-chhiáⁿ i chi̍t-ē chìn-ji̍p tiān-chú mn̂g-cha̍h tō pī tui-chong, it-ti̍t kàu i hā-pan lī-khui. I pí tōa pō͘-hūn lâng khah hó-ūn.
Tī chhia-téng, yi khòaⁿ chhiú-ki-á, yi ê tiān-ōe kan-ta lāu-pē, chō͘-chhiú, kap Kioni chai-iáⁿ. Iáu-sī bô siau-sit. Chū yi poaⁿ chhut-khì, yin tō bô kóng-ōe. M̄-koán yin sī án-nóa hun-chhiú, yi tio̍h ài chai, Nneoma ē chhau-sim.Bô pòaⁿ-ê yin kiōng-tông sio-bat ê Sin Kenya lâng chai-iáⁿ khì tó chhōe yi, Kioni ê tiān-ōe chóng-sī bô lâng chiap. Hoān-sè Kioni kō͘ án-ne lâi kóaⁿ-cháu yi ê sim-pēⁿ.
Tī khì ha̍k-hāu ê lō͘ téng, yi chia̍h nn̄g-lia̍p lingo hām chi̍t-tè pháng, koh hian yi ê pit-kì lâi khòaⁿ. Yi í-keng chò kòe chin chē pái chit-chióng ián-káng, tiōng-tiám m̄-sī ián-káng, sī boeh hoat-hiān chiâm-chāi ê Sò͘-ha̍k-ka, in ū hoat-tō͘ hō͘-siong hoat-hiān. Yi kō͘ chi̍t-ki chéng-thâu-á kí Kong-sek, he kàu taⁿ iáu hō͘ yi tîm-chùi. Yi bé 57 tiâu kong-sek, sui-bóng kan-ta kúi tiâu tō ū-kàu iōng lâi chhek-giām ha̍k-seng.
Tī tāi-chì khai-sí pang-khiah ê sî, sè-kài in-ūi tē-tāng liah-khui, hiu-bîn kú-kú ê hóe-soaⁿ chhun-ûn, peh-hah, tōa-kiò, kàu-tn̂g (chheng-chin sī, biō-sī) tó khì, m̄-nā si̍t-thé kiàn-bu̍t iô kah piàn thô͘-hu, chióng-chióng chè-tō͘ mā kāng-khoán. Chile sò͘-ha̍k-ka Francisco Furcal kiâⁿ-ji̍p chin-khong, hoat-hiān chi̍t-ê kái-soeh ú-tiū ê kong-sek. He tō ná chhiūⁿ ú-tiū pún-sin, sī bû-hān ê, chit-ê kong-sek bû-hān, hoān-sè iân-sin kàu jîn-lūi mā bû-hān ê siūⁿ-hoat, chiàⁿ-chiàⁿ sī chit-ê sè-kài só͘ su-iàu ê.
Kúi cha̍p nî lâi, ū-lâng khai-sí si̍t-giām chit-ê bû-hān ê kong-sek, tī chit-ê kòe-thêng tang-tiong, hoat-hiān chióng-chióng hām jîn-thé kái-phó͘-ha̍k it-tì ê hong-thêng-sek, hō͘ yi taⁿ teh chò ê khang-khòe chiâⁿ-chò khó-lêng. Tiong-sim ê chi̍t-tâi tiān-náu cháu chit-ê Kong-sek 24/7, thàm-chhek i ê bû-hān-sèng. Ū chhian-chhian bān-bān tiâu ê hong-thêng-sek. Kòe-khì ū-lâng ē-tàng khì Lâm Afrika hun-pō͘ khòaⁿ chhut-hiān tī êng-bō͘ ê put-chīn hû-hō. Āu-lâi, Tiong-sim bô koh tùi kong-chiòng khai-hòng, tō khai-sí ū iâu-giân, kóng Furcal ê Kong-sek m̄-tio̍h, m̄-sī bû-hān, kóng i ê lí-lō͘ tī kúi pah-bān koh kúi pah-bān ê pâi-lia̍t cho͘-ha̍p tang-tiong chhut-hiān būn-tê, he sī chhiau-kòe jîn-lūi tī it-seng tiong-kan ē-tàng kè-sǹg ê hoān-ûi.
Chiah-ê put-kò sī iâu-giân, m̄-koh āu-lâi ū chi̍t-ê lâng ùi thiⁿ-téng poa̍h lo̍h-lâi.
Tit-boeh kàu ha̍k-hāu ê sî, in ū khòaⁿ e chi̍t-kóa gia̍h siám-sih tiān-chú phiau-gí ê khòng-gī-chiá. Siū-khì ê lâng ê siū-khì âng-sek. Amadi kā chhia pàng bān.
"Hu-jîn?"
"Kè-sio̍k kiâⁿ, kan-ta 10-ê lâng."
M̄-koh tán yi boeh lī-khui ê sî, lâng-sò͘ ū khó-lêng piàn saⁿ-pōe. In ná chóng-sī chai-iáⁿ yi tī tó?
Chhia tòe chhiú-sè chìn-ji̍p ha̍k-hāu gōa-mn̂g, jiân-āu lâi kàu lāi-mn̂g, Amadi ê chèng-kiāⁿ keng-kòe kiám-cha, koh ho̍k-cha. Siú-ūi jīn-tēng Amadi bô chu-keh lâu tī lāi-mn̂g tán-hāu, Nneoma tō chhut-bīn kan-sia̍p. Yi ê su-ki, yi ê kui-chek. Siú-ūi tō ná yi só͘ kî-thāi ê niū-pō͘, Amani kā chhia thêng tī chi̍t-ê bô pha̍k-ji̍t ê só͘-chāi. Gêng-chiap Nneoma ê sī hāu-tiúⁿ Nkem Ozechi, chi̍t-ê sè-lia̍p-chí, pih-chah ê cha-bó͘, yi ê chhiú hō͘ yi siūⁿ tio̍h Kioni ê. Yi ū chi̍t-chióng chū-ngó͘ tek-ì ê khì-chit, kiâⁿ-lō͘ ê chu-thài oân-choân thiòng kah ná teh tiô. Yi hām Nneoma kóng-ōe bē-su siang-lâng í-keng bat kúi-ā nî ah. Nā m̄-sī kin-á-ji̍t, Nneoma hoān-sè ē chin tio̍h-bê, kám-kak chhù-bī, m̄-koh taⁿ yi kan-ta siūⁿ boeh kín kiat-sok chit-chiat khò, thang-hó kín tńg-chhù.
Khò-tn̂g nih móa-móa sī bô-liâu ê bīn-chhiuⁿ, tōa pō͘-hūn sī cha̍p-saⁿ/sì hòe (yi mā bat khòaⁿ tio̍h hiah siàu-liân neh?) chin chió lâng koan-sim a̍h liáu-kái yi chò ê tāi-chì, in-ūi m̄-bat tú tio̍h pi-kio̍k, soah bē-tàng liáu-kái tùi yi ê su-iàu. M̄-koh chhin-chhiūⁿ chit-khoán ha̍k-hāu, chū-chi̍p kúi-ā ê kok-ka nih siōng hó, siōng chhong-bêng ê gín-á (kin-kì Nkem Ozechi ê kóng-hoat), la̍p kāu-kāu ê lé-kim hō͘ Tiong-sim, chhiàⁿ chhiūⁿ yi chit-khoán lâng lâi ián-káng, tùi yi lâi kóng, che mā sī siōng khin-khó thàn ê chîⁿ.
"Lín tiong-kan gōa-chē lâng ē-tàng khòaⁿ chi̍t-ê lâng, chai-iáⁿ i chin siong-sim?"
Kui-pan lóng gia̍h chhiú.
"Lín tiong-kan gōa-chē lâng ē-tàng chai chi̍t-ê lâng siong-sim, ká-sú i bô khàu?"
Tōa pō͘-hūn ê chhiú iáu gia̍h tio̍h.
"Lín tiong-kan gōa-chē lâng ē-tàng khòaⁿ siong-sim ê lâng, chai i sī án-nóa siong-sim, koh ē-tàng kái-koat chit-ê būn-tê?"
Só͘-ū ê chhiú lóng pàng lo̍h-lâi ah. Taⁿ yi tit-tio̍h in ê chù-ì ah, choăn yi kái-soeh yi ê kang-chok.
Yi hō͘ kau-tâm koh kè-sio̍k 15 hun-cheng, chiah kā kiat-sok.
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3. 她干焦想欲緊結束演講
結數 ê 時, 為她買 ê 雜貨 skan koh 裝袋 ê 少年家結 ê 名牌寫 "Martin," 這可能是, mā 可能毋是伊 ê 真名. 英國人佮意 in ê 服務員 ê 名好讀, 大部份公司 mā án-ne 要求員工. 伊手目 ê 刺青顯示伊 ê 公民身份 -- 原本 Biafra 人 -- kap 伊 ê 階級, 3 等. 伊定著是蹛 tī 市外, 而且伊一下進入電子門閘就被追蹤, 一直到伊下班離開. 伊比大部份人較好運.
Tī 車頂, 她看手機仔, 她 ê 電話干焦老爸, 助手, kap Kioni 知影. 猶是無消息. 自她搬出去, 姻就無講話. 毋管姻是按怎分手, 她著愛知, Nneoma 會操心. 無半个姻共同相捌 ê 新 Kenya 人知影去佗揣她, Kioni ê 電話總是無人接. 凡勢 Kioni kō͘ án-ne 來趕走她 ê 心病.
Tī 去學校 ê 路頂, 她食兩粒 lingo 和一塊 pháng, koh 掀她 ê 筆記來看. 她已經做過真濟擺這種演講, 重點毋是演講, 是欲發現潛在 ê 數學家, in 有法度互相發現. 她 kō͘ 一支指頭仔指公式, 彼到今猶予她沉醉. 她買 57 條公式, 雖罔干焦幾條就有夠用來測驗學生.
Tī 代誌開始崩隙 ê 時, 世界因為地動裂開, 休眠久久 ê 火山伸勻, peh-hah, 大叫, 教堂 (清真寺, 廟寺) 倒去, 毋但實體建物搖甲變塗烌, 種種制度 mā 仝款. Chile 數學家 Francisco Furcal 行入真空, 發現一个解說宇宙 ê 公式. 彼就若像宇宙本身, 是無限 ê, 這个公式無限, 凡勢延伸到人類 mā 無限 ê 想法, 正正是這个世界所需要 ê.
幾十年來, 有人開始實驗這个無限 ê 公式, tī 這个過程當中, 發現種種和人體解剖學一致 ê 方程式, 予她今 teh 做 ê 工課成做可能. 中心 ê 一台電腦走這个公式 24/7, 探測伊 ê 無限性. 有千千萬萬條 ê 方程式. 過去有人會當去南 Afrika 分部看出現 tī 螢幕 ê 不盡符號. 後來, 中心無 koh 對公眾開放, 就開始有謠言, 講 Furcal ê 公式毋著, 毋是無限, 講伊 ê 理路 tī 幾百萬 koh 幾百萬 ê 排列組合當中出現問題, 彼是超過人類 tī 一生中間會當計算 ê 範圍.
Chiah-ê 不過是謠言, 毋過後來有一个人 ùi 天頂跋落來.
得欲到學校 ê 時, in 有看 e 一寡攑閃爍電子標語 ê 抗議者. 受氣 ê 人 ê 受氣紅色. Amadi kā 車放慢.
"夫人?"
"繼續行, 干焦 10 个人."
毋過等她欲離開 ê 時, 人數有可能變三倍. In 那總是知影她 tī 佗?
車綴手勢進入學校外門, 然後來到內門, Amadi ê 證件經過檢查, koh 複查. 守衛認定 Amadi 無資格留 tī 內門等候, Nneoma 就出面干涉. 她 ê 司機, 她 ê 規則. 守衛就 ná 她所期待 ê 讓步, Amani kā 車停 tī 一个無曝日 ê 所在. 迎接 Nneoma ê 是校長 Nkem Ozechi, 一个細粒子, 撆紮 ê 查某, 她 ê 手予她想著 Kioni ê. 她有一種自我得意 ê 氣質, 行路 ê 姿態完全暢甲 ná teh 趒. 她和 Nneoma 講話袂輸雙人已經捌幾若年 ah. 若毋是今仔日, Nneoma 凡勢會真著迷, 感覺趣味, 毋過今她干焦想欲緊結束這節課, 通好緊轉厝.
課堂 nih 滿滿是無聊 ê 面腔, 大部份是十三四歲 (她 mā 捌看著 hiah 少年 neh?) 真少人關心 a̍h 了解她做 ê 代誌, 因為毋捌拄著悲劇, 煞袂當了解對她 ê 需要. 毋過親像這款學校, 聚集幾若个國家 nih 上好, 上聰明 ê 囡仔 (根據 Nkem Ozechi ê 講法), 納厚厚 ê 禮金予中心, 倩像她這款人來演講, 對她來講, 這 mā 是上輕可趁 ê 錢.
"恁中間偌濟人會當看一个人, 知影伊真傷心?"
規班攏攑手.
"恁中間偌濟人會當知一个人傷心, 假使伊無哭?"
大部份 ê 手猶攑著.
"恁中間偌濟人會當看傷心 ê 人, 知伊是按怎傷心, koh 會當解決這个問題?"
所有 ê 手攏放落來 ah. 今她得著 in ê 注意 ah, choăn 她解說她 ê 工作.
她予交談 koh 繼續 15 分鐘, 才 kā 結束.
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3.
At checkout, the boy who scanned and bagged her groceries had a name tag that read “Martin,” which may or may not have been his name. The Britons preferred their service workers with names they could pronounce, and most companies obliged them. The tattoo on his wrist indicated his citizenship—an original Biafran—and his class, third. No doubt he lived outside of the city and was tracked the minute he crossed the electronic threshold till he finished his shift and left. He was luckier than most.
At the car, she checked her personal phone, the number only her father, her assistant, and Kioni knew. Still no message. They hadn’t spoken since she’d moved out. She had to know Nneoma worried, in spite of how they’d left things. None of their mutual New Kenyan contacts knew where to find her and Kioni’s phone went unanswered. Maybe this was what it took for Kioni to exorcise her.
On the way to the school, Nneoma finished off two apples and a roll and flipped through her notes. She had done many such presentations, which were less about presenting and more about identifying potential Mathematicians, who had a way of feeling each other out. She ran a finger along the Formula, still mesmerized by it after all this time. She’d brought fifty-seven lines of it, though she would only need a few to test the students.
When things began to fall apart, the world cracked open by earthquakes and long dormant volcanoes stretched, yawned and bellowed, the churches (mosques, temples) fell, not just the physical buildings shaken to dust by tremors, but the institutions as well. Into the vacuum stepped Francisco Furcal, a Chilean Mathematician who discovered a formula that explained the universe. It, like the universe, was infinite and the idea that the formula had no end and, perhaps, by extension, humanity had no end, was exactly what the world had needed.
Over decades, people began to experiment with this infinite formula, and in the process discovered equations that coincided with the anatomy of the human body, making work like hers possible. A computer at the Center ran the Formula 24/7, testing its infiniteness. There were thousands and thousands of lines. People used to be able to tour the South African branch and watch the endless symbols race across a screen ticker-style. Then the Center closed to the public, and the rumors started that Furcal’s Formula was wrong, not infinite, that the logic of it faltered millions and millions of permutations down the line, past anything a human could calculate in her lifetime.
They were just that, rumors, but then a man fell from the sky.
As they neared the school, they could see a few protesters with gleaming electronic placards. The angry red of angry men. Amadi slowed.
“Madam?”
“Keep going, there are only ten.”
But the number could triple by the time she was ready to leave. How did they always know where she’d be?
The car was waved through the school’s outer gate, then the inner gate where Amadi’s ID was checked, then double checked. When the guard decided that Amadi wasn’t credentialed enough to wait within the inner gate, Nneoma stepped in. Her driver, her rules. The guard conceded as she’d known he would and Amadi parked the car under a covered spot out of the sun. Nneoma was greeted by Nkem Ozechi, the headmaster, a small, neat woman whose hands reminded her of Kioni’s. She had a smug air about her and walked with a gait that was entirely too pleased with itself. She spoke to Nneoma as though they’d known each other for years. On a different day, Nneoma might have been charmed, interested, but she just wanted the session to be over with so she could go home.
The class was filled with bored faces, most around thirteen or fourteen (had she ever looked so young?) with few caring or understanding what she did, too untouched by tragedy to understand her necessity. But schools like these, which gathered the best and brightest several nations had to offer (according to Nkem Ozechi), paid the Center handsomely to have people like her speak and it was the easiest money she earned.
“How many of you can look at someone and know that they are sad?”
The whole class raised their hands.
“How many of you can tell someone is sad even if they are not crying?”
Most hands stayed up.
“How many of you can look at a person who is sad, know why they are sad and fix it?”
All hands lowered. She had their attention now as she explained what she did.
The talk lasted fifteen minutes before she brought it to a close.
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