2. Góa kiâⁿ óa, thì-thâu-to gia̍h koân
Góa tio̍h chhiūⁿ tùi-thāi pa̍t-lâng kāng-khoán thì i ê chhùi-chhiu, sè-jī, khak-si̍t, kā tòng-chò hó kò͘-kheh, chù-ì bô hō͘ jīm-hô mo͘-kńg-khang sia̍p hoeh. Chù-ì tī to-bah tńg-se̍h ê sî bē-sái liu khì. Chù-ì hō͘ phôe-hu chheng-khì, jiû-nńg, kng-ku̍t, kō͘ chhiú-pôaⁿ hôe bē-sái kám-kak chhoaⁿ-chhoaⁿ. Tio̍h, su-té hā, góa sī chi̍t-ê kek-bēng hūn-chú, m̄-koh góa tông-sî mā sī chi̍t-ê ū liông-sim ê thì-thâu-sai, tùi ka-tī ê khang-khòe kám-kak kong-êng. I he sì-kang bô thì ê chhùi-chhiu tùi góa sī chi̍t-ê thiau-chiàn.
Góa the̍h khí thì-thâu-to, pèⁿ phah khui, hiàn-chhut to-bah, khai-sí kang-chok, ùi pìn-piⁿ khau hiòng ē. To-bah hoán-èng chin hó. Chhùi-chhiu mo͘ ngē koh jūn; bô kài tn̂g, m̄-koh chin cha̍t. Bān-bān phôe-hu chhut-hiān. Thì-thâu-to khau khí têng-têng sap-bûn pho kap chhùi-chhiu sap-á, hoat-chhut kap pêng-sî kāng-khoán ê siaⁿ. Góa thêng-khùn kā to póe chheng-khì, koh khì kā to-chhùi hoah lāi, in-ūi góa sī ku-mo͘ ê thì-thâu-sai.
Hit-lâng goân-pún ba̍k-chiu kheh-kheh, taⁿ peh-kim, ùi moa-pò͘-ē chhun-chhut chi̍t-ki chhiú, khì bong khau khui sap-bûn pho hit-ūi ê bīn, kā góa kóng, "Ē-po͘ la̍k-tiám lâi ha̍k-hāu."
"Kám ē chhin-chhiūⁿ téng-kang án-ne?" góa mn̄g, sim kiaⁿ-kiaⁿ, kui-sin ngē-chiāⁿ.
"Sīm-chì ē khah hó," i ìn.
"Lí kè-ōe boeh chhòng-siáⁿ?"
"Góa iáu-bōe khak-tēng. M̄-koh lán ē chin sim-sek."
I koh chi̍t-kái hiàⁿ-āu, ba̍k-chiu kheh lo̍h. Góa kiâⁿ óa, thì-thâu-to gia̍h koân.
"Lí boeh chhú-hoa̍t só͘-ū ê lâng sioh?" góa sim tám-tám, chhì-thàm án-ne kā mn̄g.
"Tio̍h, só͘-ū ê lâng."
I bīn ê sap-bûn pho chiām-chiām teh ta. Góa tio̍h kóaⁿ-kín. Thàu-kòe kiàⁿ, góa khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē ke-lō͘. Ke-lō͘ kap pêng-sî kāng-khoán; kám-á tiàm ū nn̄g/saⁿ ê kò͘-kheh. Jiân-āu góa khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē sî-cheng, nn̄g-tiám pòaⁿ.
Thì-thâu-to kè-sio̍k khau hiòng ē. Taⁿ sī ùi iáu chi̍t-pêng pìn-piⁿ hiòng ē. Che sī nâ chhùi-chhiu*, chin cha̍t. I si̍t-chāi ē-sái kā lâu-tn̂g, ná chhiūⁿ si-jîn, a̍h ná chhiūⁿ thoân-kàu-sū. Án-ne ē chin ha̍h i. Chē-chē lâng tō bē jīn-tit i. Án-ne tùi i khah hó, góa án-ne siūⁿ, ná khin-khin khau kòe i ê nâ-âu sòaⁿ. Tī chit-ê só͘-chāi, lí chin-chiàⁿ tio̍h hó-hó khòng-chè lí ê to-bah, in-ūi chhùi-chhiu sui-bóng tī chia khah se, tiāⁿ-tiāⁿ ē sió-khóa kiat-khiû. I ê chhùi-chhiu pún-chiâⁿ tō khiû. Chit só͘-chāi ê mo͘-kńg-khang khó-lêng sió-khóa khah khui, ē sia̍p hoeh-chúi. Chhiūⁿ góa chit-khoán hó thì-thâu-sai, tó͘ góa ê miâ-siaⁿ, put-chún hō͘ jīm-hô chi̍t-ê kò͘-kheh hoat-seng chit-chióng tāi-chì. [* nâ chhùi-chhiu: sat-jîn mô͘]
M̄-koh, che sī chin-chiàⁿ te̍k-pia̍t ê kò͘-kheh. I sàng goán gōa-chē lâng khì sí? I kā gōa-chē lâng thâi koh koah? Siōng-hó sī mài koh siūⁿ che. Torres m̄-chai góa sī i ê te̍k-jîn. I m̄-chai, pa̍t-lâng mā m̄-chai. Chit-ê pì-bi̍t chin chió lâng chai, in-ūi án-ne góa chiah ū khó-lêng thong-ti kek-bēng hūn-chú iú-koan Torres tī tìn-siōng ê oa̍h-tāng, í-ki̍p ta̍k-kái i tu̍t-kek tui-lia̍h hoán-khòng hūn-chú ê kè-ōe. Só͘-í, si̍t-chāi chin pháiⁿ kái-soeh, ná-ē kā i tēⁿ tī chhiú-tiong, koh oa̍h-oa̍h pàng i pêng-an chhut-khì, chhùi-chhiu thì kah hó liu-liu.
I ê chhùi-chhiu taⁿ chha-put-to lóng bô ah lah. I khòaⁿ tio̍h khah siàu-liân, pí ji̍p-lâi ê sî siàu-liân kúi-ā hòe. Góa siūⁿ, che chóng sī hoat-seng tī chìn-ji̍p koh lī-khui thì-thâu-tiàm ê cha-po͘-lâng. Tī góa ê thì-thâu-to ê ē-bīn, Torres piàn siàu-liân ah; tio̍h, in-ūi góa sī chi̍t-ê hó thì-thâu-sai, pún-tìn siōng-hó ê thì-thâu-sai, góa án-ne kóng pēng bô phòng-hong.
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2. 我行倚, 剃頭刀攑懸
我著像對待別人仝款剃伊 ê 喙鬚, 細膩, 確實, kā 當做好顧客, 注意無予任何毛管空洩血. 注意 tī 刀肉轉踅 ê 時袂使溜去. 注意予皮膚清氣, 柔軟, 光滑, kō͘ 手盤回袂使感覺扦扦. 著, 私底下, 我是一个革命份子, 毋過我同時 mā 是一个有良心 ê 剃頭師, 對家己 ê 工課感覺光榮. 伊 he 四工無剃 ê 喙鬚對我是一个挑戰.
我提起剃頭刀, 柄拍開, 現出刀肉, 開始工作, ùi 鬢邊剾向下. 刀肉反應真好. 喙鬚毛硬 koh 韌; 無蓋長, 毋過真 cha̍t. 慢慢皮膚出現. 剃頭刀剾起重重雪文泡 kap 喙鬚屑仔, 發出 kap 平時仝款 ê 聲. 我停睏 kā 刀掰清氣, 閣去 kā 刀喙砉利, 因為我是龜毛 ê 剃頭師.
彼人原本目睭瞌瞌, 今擘金, ùi 幔布下伸出一支手, 去摸剾開雪文泡彼位 ê 面, kā 我講, "下晡六點來學校."
"敢會親像頂工 án-ne?" 我問, 心驚驚, 規身硬掙.
"甚至會較好," 伊應.
"你計畫欲創啥?"
"我猶未確定. 毋過咱會真心適."
伊 koh 一改 hiàⁿ 後, 目睭瞌落. 我行倚, 剃頭刀攑懸.
"你欲處罰所有 ê 人 sioh?" 我心 tám-tám, 試探 án-ne kā 問.
"著, 所有 ê 人."
伊面 ê 雪文泡漸漸 teh 焦. 我著趕緊. 透過鏡, 我看一下街路. 街路 kap 平時仝款; kám 仔店有兩三 ê 顧客. 然後我看一下時鐘, 兩點半.
剃頭刀繼續剾向下. 今是 ùi 猶一爿鬢邊向下. 這是藍喙鬚*, 真 cha̍t. 伊實在會使 kā 留長, ná 像詩人, a̍h ná 像傳教士. Án-ne 會真合伊. 濟濟人 tō 袂認得伊. Án-ne 對伊較好, 我 án-ne 想, ná 輕輕剾過伊 ê 嚨喉線. Tī 這个所在, 你真正著好好控制你 ê 刀肉, 因為喙鬚雖罔 tī 遮較疏, 定定會小可結虯. 伊 ê 喙鬚本成 tō 虯. 這所在 ê 毛管空可能小可較開, 會洩血水. 像我這款好剃頭師, 賭我 ê 名聲, 不准予任何一个顧客發生這種代誌. [* 藍喙鬚: 殺人魔]
毋過, 這是真正特別 ê 顧客. 伊送阮偌濟人去死? 伊 kā 偌濟人刣 koh 割? 上好是莫 koh 想這. Torres 毋知我是伊 ê 敵人. 伊毋知, 別人 mā 毋知. 這个祕密真少人知, 因為 án-ne 我才有可能通知革命份子有關 Torres tī 鎮上 ê 活動, 以及逐改伊突擊追掠反抗份子 ê 計畫. 所以, 實在真歹解說, 那會 kā 伊捏 tī 手中, koh 活活放伊平安出去, 喙鬚剃甲好 liu-liu.
伊 ê 喙鬚今差不多攏無 ah lah. 伊看著較少年, 比入來 ê 時少年幾若歲. 我想, 這總是發生 tī 進入 koh 離開剃頭店 ê 查埔人. Tī 我 ê 剃頭刀 ê 下面, Torres 變少年 ah; 著, 因為我是一个好剃頭師, 本鎮上好 ê 剃頭師, 我 án-ne 講並無膨風.
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2.
I would have to shave his beard just like any other, carefully, neatly, just as though he were a good customer, taking heed that not a single pore should emit a drop of blood. Seeing to it that the blade did not slip in the small whorls. Taking care that the skin was left clean, soft, shining, so that when I passed the back of my hand over it not a single hair should be felt. Yes. I was secretly a revolutionary, but at the same time I was a conscientious barber, proud of the way I did my job. And that four-day beard presented a challenge.
I took up the razor, opened the handle wide, releasing the blade, and started to work, downward from one sideburn. The blade responded to perfection. The hair was tough and hard; not very long, but thick. Little by little the skin began to show through. The razor gave its usual sound as it gathered up layers of soap mixed with bits of hair. I paused to wipe it clean, and taking up the strop once more went about improving its edge, for I am a painstaking barber.
The man, who had kept his eyes closed, now opened them, put a hand out from under the sheet, felt of the part of his face that was emerging from the lather, and said to me, “Come at six o’clock this evening to the school.”
“Will it be like the other day?” I asked, stiff with horror.
“It may be even better,” he replied.
“What are you planning to do?”
“I’m not sure yet. But we’ll have a good time.”
Once more he leaned back and shut his eyes. I came closer, the razor on high.
“Are you going to punish all of them?” I timidly ventured.
“Yes, all of them.”
The lather was drying on his face. I must hurry. Through the mirror, I took a look at the street. It appeared about as usual; there was the grocery shop with two or three customers. Then I glanced at the clock, two-thirty.
The razor kept descending. Now from the other sideburn downward. It was a blue beard, a thick one. He should let it grow like some poets, or some priests. It would suit him well. Many people would not recognize him. And that would be a good thing for him, I thought, as I went gently over all the throat line. At this point you really had to handle your blade skillfully, because the hair, while scantier, tended to fall into small whorls. It was a curly beard. The pores might open, minutely, in this area and let out a tiny drop of blood. A good barber like myself stakes his reputation on not permitting that to happen to any of his customers.
And this was indeed a special customer. How many of ours had he sent to their death? How many had he mutilated? It was best not to think about it. Torres did not know I was his enemy. Neither he nor the others knew it. It was a secret shared by very few, just because that made it possible for me to inform the revolutionaries about Torres’s activities in the town and what he planned to do every time he went on one of his raids to hunt down rebels. So it was going to be very difficult to explain how it was that I had him in my hands and then let him go in peace, alive, clean-shaven.
His beard had now almost entirely disappeared. He looked younger, several years younger than when he had come in. I suppose that always happens to men who enter and leave barbershops. Under the strokes of my razor Torres was rejuvenated; yes, because I am a good barber, the best in this town, and I say this in all modesty.
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