2. Ha̍k-hāu sī boeh kin-tî chit-chióng bê-sìn
"Góa kám-kak gông-ngia̍h," Obi kā chi̍t-ê í-keng lâi ha̍k-hāu saⁿ nî ê lāu-su kóng, "lín thài ē ín-chún chng nih ê lâng sú-iōng chit-tiâu sió-lō͘. Che chin hō͘ lâng siūⁿ bē-kàu." I ná kóng ná iô-thâu.
"Chit-tiâu lō͘," lāu-su pháiⁿ-sè pháiⁿ-sè kóng, "ká-ná tùi in chin iàu-kín. Sui-bóng chin chió iōng, i liân-kiat chng nih ê biō kàu in bâi-chòng ê só͘-chāi."
"Nā án ne, he kap ha̍k-hāu ū siáⁿ tī-tāi?" hāu-tiúⁿ mn̄g.
"Hmh, góa mā m̄-chai," lēng-gōa chi̍t-ê lāu-su ìn, keng-kah-thâu giâ chi̍t-ē. "M̄-koh, góa ē-kì-tit, kòe-khì goán chhì boeh kā koaiⁿ-tiāu ê sî, ín-khí chin tōa ê hong-pho."
"He sī kòe-khì ah. M̄-koh taⁿ i bē-sái koh iōng ah," Obi ná kóng ná kiâⁿ khui. "Āu lé-pài Koaⁿ-thiaⁿ Tok-ha̍k lâi sī-chhat ha̍k-hāu, ē án-nóa kóng ah? Chiū góa só͘ chai, chhun-bîn khó-lêng ē koat-tēng tī sī-chhat kî-kan sú-iōng lán ê kàu-sek, kí-pān pún-tē chong-kàu ê gî-sek."
Tī hit-tiâu sió-lō͘ chìn-ji̍p hām lī-khui hāu-hn̂g ê siang-thâu lóng kō͘ tōa-kho͘ chhâ kā ke̍h tio̍h. Téng-bīn koh kō͘ ū chhì ê thih-sòaⁿ-bāng ka-kiông.
Saⁿ-kang liáu-āu, chng nih ê Ani chè-si lâi pài-hóng hāu-tiúⁿ. I sī chi̍t-ê lāu-hòe-á, kiâⁿ-lō͘ sió-khóa khiau-ku. I tu̍h chi̍t-ki chho͘ koái, múi-pái kóng kàu sin ê lūn-tiám, i chóng sī kō͘ koái-á thok thô͘-kha, án-ne lâi piáu-sī kiông-tiāu.
"Góa thiaⁿ-kóng," tī it-poaⁿ chio-ho͘ ìn-tap liáu-āu, i kóng, "goán chó͘-thoân ê sió-lō͘ chòe-kīn í-keng hông cha̍h-tn̄g ah..."
"Sī lah," Obi Ss ìn. "Goán m̄-chún ū-lâng tī goán hāu-hn̂g khui kong-lō͘."
"Lí khòaⁿ chia, koai gín-á," chè-si kā koái-á khǹg lo̍h, "chit-tiâu lō͘ tī lí bōe chhut-sì, lín lāu-pē bōe chhut-sì tō í-keng tī chia. Goán sí khì ê chhin-chiâⁿ khò i lâi lī-khui, goán chó͘-sian khò i lâi pài-hóng goán. M̄-koh, siōng iàu-kín ê, he sī bōe chhut-sì ê gín-á lâi ê lō͘..."
Obi thiaⁿ i kóng, bīn-siōng hiàn-chhut móa-ì ê chhiò-iông.
"Goán ha̍k-hāu ê chóng-thé bo̍k-tek," chòe-āu i kóng, "tō sī boeh kin-tî chit-chióng sìn-gióng. Sí-lâng m̄-bián kha-lō͘. Hit-khoán ê su-sióng put-kò sī bê-sìn. Goán ê jīm-bū tō-sī boeh kà lín ê sī-sè mài siong-sìn hit-chióng su-sióng."
"Lí kóng ê hoān-sè sī tio̍h," chè-si ìn, "m̄-koh, goán sī tòe chó͘-sian án-ne chò. Lí nā koh khai-hòng hit-tiâu sió-lō͘, lán tō bô siáⁿ thang sio-chèⁿ ah. Góa chóng-sī án-ne kóng: hō͘ bā-hio̍h hioh, mā hō͘ eng-chiáu hioh*." I khí-sin boeh lī-khui. [* Ì-sù sī: pa̍t-lâng ê sìn-gióng mā tio̍h chun-tiōng.]
"Góa chin phō-khiam," siàu-liân hāu-tiúⁿ kóng. "M̄-koh ha̍k-hn̂g bē-tàng chò tōa-lō͘. Che ûi-hoán goán ê kui-tēng. Góa kiàn-gī lín lēng-gōa khui chi̍t-tiâu lō͘, siám kòe goán hāu-hn̂g. Goán sīm-chì ē-sái phài cha-po͘ gín-á khì tàu kha-chhiú. Góa siūⁿ, chó͘-sian eng-tong bē hiâm hit-tiâu oat-oan ê lō͘ pháiⁿ-kiâⁿ."
"Góa bô ōe hó koh kóng ah," lāu chè-si kóng, í-keng kiâⁿ kàu gōa-kháu. Nn̄g-kang liáu-āu, chng nih chi̍t-ê siàu-liân cha-bó͘ in-ūi seng-sán sí khì. In kín khì mn̄g ang-î, ang-î khui-lia̍t chi̍t tōa-tù ê seng-lé, tio̍h chè-pài hō͘ lō͘-cha̍h bú-jio̍k tio̍h ê chó͘-sian.
Keh-kang chá-khí Obi chhéⁿ lâi, khòaⁿ tio̍h i ê kiàn-siat siū tio̍h tōa phò-hoāi. Bí-lē ê lî-pa m̄-nā tī sió-lō͘ piⁿ-á pī húi-hoāi, ha̍k-hāu sì-kè lóng án-ne, hoe hông thún-ta̍h sí, mā ū chi̍t-kiāⁿ kiàn-bu̍t hông sak-tó... Hit-kang, pe̍h-lâng Tok-ha̍k lâi sī-chhat ha̍k-hāu, tùi hāu-hn̂g chōng-hóng ê pò-kò siá kah chin liáu-jiân, koh-khah giâm-tiōng ê sī, iú-koan "ha̍k-hāu hām chhun-chng tiong-kan tng-teh hoat-tián ê pō͘-lo̍k chiàn-cheng ê kio̍k-sè, pō͘-hūn in-toaⁿ sī in-ūi sin hāu-tiúⁿ ê jia̍t-chêng cháu-cheng khì."
(Soah)
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2. 學校是欲根除這種迷信
"我感覺 gông-ngia̍h," Obi kā 一个已經來學校三年 ê 老師講, "恁汰會允准庄 nih ê 人使用這條小路. 這真予人想袂到." 伊 ná 講 ná 搖頭.
"這條路," 老師歹勢歹勢講, "敢若對 in 真要緊. 雖罔真少用, 伊連結庄 nih ê 廟到 in 埋葬 ê 所在."
"若 án ne, 彼 kap 學校有啥底代?" 校長問.
"Hmh, 我 mā 毋知," 另外一个老師應, 肩胛頭夯一下. "毋過, 我會記得, 過去阮試欲 kā 關掉 ê 時, 引起真大 ê 風波."
"彼是過去 ah. 毋過今伊袂使 koh 用 ah," Obi ná 講 ná 行開. "後禮拜官廳督學來視察學校, 會按怎講 ah? 就我所知, 村民可能會決定 tī 視察期間使用咱 ê 教室, 舉辦本地宗教 ê 儀式."
Tī 彼條小路進入和離開校園 ê 雙頭攏 kō͘ 大箍柴 kā 扴著. 頂面 koh kō͘ 有刺 ê 鐵線網加強.
三工了後, 庄 nih ê Ani 祭司來拜訪校長. 伊是一个老歲仔, 行路小可曲痀. 伊揬一支粗拐, 每擺講到新 ê 論點, 伊總是 kō͘ 枴仔戳塗跤, án-ne 來表示強調.
"我聽講," tī 一般招呼應答了後, 伊講, "阮祖傳 ê 小路最近已經 hông 閘斷 ah..."
"是 lah," Obi Ss 應. "阮毋准有人 tī 阮校園開公路."
"你看遮, 乖囡仔," 祭司 kā 枴仔囥落, "這條路 tī 你未出世, 恁老爸未出世 tō 已經 tī 遮. 阮死去 ê 親情靠伊來離開, 阮祖先靠伊來拜訪阮. 毋過, 上要緊 ê, 彼是未出世 ê 囡仔來 ê 路..."
Obi 聽伊講, 面上現出滿意 ê 笑容.
"阮學校 ê 總體目的," 最後伊講, "就是欲根除這種信仰. 死人毋免跤路. 彼款 ê 思想不過是迷信. 阮 ê 任務就是欲教恁 ê 序細莫相信彼種思想."
"你講 ê 凡勢是著," 祭司應, "毋過, 阮是綴祖先 án-ne 做. 你若 koh 開放彼條小路, 咱 tō 無啥通相諍 ah. 我總是 án-ne 講: 予鴟鴞歇, mā 予鷹鳥歇*." 伊起身欲離開. [* 意思是: 別人 ê 信仰 mā 著尊重.]
"我真抱歉," 少年校長講. "毋過學園袂當做大路. 這違反阮 ê 規定. 我建議恁另外開一條路, 閃過阮校園. 阮甚至會使派查埔囡仔去鬥跤手. 我想, 祖先應當袂嫌彼條斡彎 ê 路歹行."
"我無話好 koh 講 ah," 老祭司講, 已經行到外口. 兩工了後, 庄 nih 一个少年查某因為生產死去. In 緊去問尪姨, 尪姨開列一大注 ê 牲禮, 著祭拜予路閘侮辱著 ê 祖先.
隔工早起 Obi 醒來, 看著伊 ê 建設受著大破壞. 美麗 ê 籬笆毋但 tī 小路邊仔被毁壞, 學校四界攏 án-ne, 花 hông thùn 踏死, mā 有一件建物 hông 捒倒... 彼工, 白人督學來視察學校, 對校園狀況 ê 報告寫甲真了然, 閣較嚴重 ê 是, 有關 "學校和村庄中間 tng-teh 發展 ê 部落戰爭 ê 局勢, 部份因端是因為新校長 ê 熱情走精去."
(煞)
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2.
"It amazes me," said Obi to one of his teachers who had been three years in the school, "that you people allowed the villagers to make use of this foot-path. It is simply incredible." He shook his head.
"The path," said the teacher apologetically, "appears to be very important to them. Although it is hardly used, it connects the village shrine with their place of burial."
"And what has that got to do with the school?" asked the headmaster.
"Well, I don't know," replied the other with a shrug of the shoulders. "But I remember there was a big row some time ago when we attempted to close it."
"That was some time ago. But it will not be used now," said Obi as he walked away. "What will the Government Education Officer think of this when he comes to inspect the school next week? The villagers might, for all I know, decide to use the schoolroom for a pagan ritual during the inspection."
Heavy sticks were planted closely across the path at the two places where it entered and left the school premises. These were further strengthened with barbed wire.
Three days later the village priest of Ani called on the headmaster. He was an old man and walked with a slight stoop. He carried a stout walking-stick which he usually tapped on the floor, by way of emphasis, each time he made a new point in his argument.
"I have heard," he said after the usual exchange of cordialities, "that our ancestral footpath has recently been closed . . . "
"Yes," replied Mr. Obi. "We cannot allow people to make a highway of our school compound."
"Look here, my son," said the priest bringing down his walking-stick, "this path was here before you were born and before your father was born. The whole life of this village depends on it. Our dead relatives depart by it and our ancestors visit us by it. But most important, it is the path of children coming in to be born . . . "
Mr. Obi listened with a satisfied smile on his face.
"The whole purpose of our school," he said finally, "is to eradicate just such beliefs as that. Dead men do not require footpaths. The whole idea is just fantastic. Our duty is to teach your children to laugh at such ideas."
"What you say may be true," replied the priest, "but we follow the practices of our fathers. If you reopen the path we shall have nothing to quarrel about. What I always say is: let the hawk perch and let the eagle perch." He rose to go.
"I am sorry," said the young headmaster. "But the school compound cannot be a thoroughfare. It is against our regulations. I would suggest your constructing another path, skirting our premises. We can even get our boys to help in building it. I don't suppose the ancestors will find the little detour too burdensome."
"I have no more words to say," said the old priest, already outside. Two days later a young woman in the village died in childbed. A diviner was immediately consulted and he prescribed heavy sacrifices to propitiate ancestors insulted by the fence.
Obi woke up next morning among the ruins of his work. The beautiful hedges were torn up not just near the path but right round the school, the flowers trampled to death and one of the school buildings pulled down . . . That day, the white Supervisor came to inspect the school and wrote a nasty report on the state of the premises but more seriously about the "tribal-war situation developing between the school and the village, arising in part from the misguided zeal of the new headmaster."
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// 2022-1-17
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