A Conversation From the Third Floor /by Mohamed El-Bisatie /Eng trans Denys Johnson-Davies
https://1960shistory.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/african-short-stories.pdf
Saⁿ-lâu ê Tùi-ōe | 三樓 ê 對話
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1. Yi kā gín-á gia̍h kàu thâu-khak téng
Yi tē-jī pái lâi hit-ê só͘-chāi. Kéng-chhat ùi bé-téng kim-kim khòaⁿ yi.
Hit-sî sī ē-tàu. N̂g-sek ê chhiûⁿ iân lō͘ khiā. Chhiûⁿ-lāi sī chi̍t-tòng tn̂g-ti hêng ê saⁿ-chàn lâu; i he sio-kāng ê sè-sè ê thang-á, khòaⁿ tio̍h kài sêng sī àm-khang. Hit-ê cha-bó͘ khiā tī lī bé kúi-pō͘ ê só͘-chāi. Kéng-chhat seng khòaⁿ i āu-piah ê thang-á, koh khòaⁿ hit-ê cha-bó͘. I kā siang-chhiú khǹg tī bé-an-thâu, jiân-āu ba̍k-chiu kheh lo̍h. Kòe chi̍t-ē-á, bé sóa-tāng. I khiā khì ke-lō͘ ê pòaⁿ-tô͘. Jiân-āu, kòe chi̍t-khùn, i se̍h pòaⁿ-liàn, koh khiā tńg-lâi ke-lō͘ ê thâu-kàu.
Hit-ê cha-bó͘-lâng hiòng chêng nn̄g-pō͘. Bé gia̍h chi̍t-ki chêng kha, jiân-āu koh bān-bān pàng lo̍h.
"Kéng-koaⁿ, chhiáⁿ hō͘ góa kap i kóng nn̄g-kù ōe."
I ê ba̍k-chiu iáu kheh-kheh, i ê siang-chhiú khǹg tī bé-an-thâu bô tāng. Chhiûⁿ téng pho͘ chi̍t-têng ū chhì ê thih-sòaⁿ-bāng, chhiûⁿ-bóe ū chi̍t-ê chhâ ê tián-bōng thah. Lāi-bīn khiā chi̍t-ê bú-chong sū-peng.
Cha-bó͘-lâng koh hiòng chêng chi̍t-pō͘.
"Lí khòaⁿ, i í-keng hông sóa cháu ah..."
Ji̍t-thâu í-keng chhiau-kòe thiⁿ tiong-ng. Sui-bóng án-ne, thiⁿ-khì iáu sī joa̍h. Chhiûⁿ ē-bīn ū chi̍t-liau e̍h-e̍h ê iáⁿ.
Cha-bó͘-lâng kā gín-á sóa kàu yi ê keng-kah-thâu téng.
Tán yi koh khòaⁿ kéng-chhat ê bīn ê sî, yi chù-ì tio̍h, i ê hia̍h-thâu ū sè-sè nn̄g-chōa kōaⁿ-chúi.
Yi chēng-chēng ùi bé thâu-chêng sóa khui, iân chhiûⁿ kiâⁿ. Kiâⁿ kàu chi̍t-pòaⁿ hia, yi chē lo̍h tī kiàn-bu̍t tùi-bīn ê chi̍t-tui chio̍h-thâu téng.
Thang-á gōa ê thih lân-kan, ū khòaⁿ-e siû-hoān sé ê saⁿ, kō͘ saⁿ-ńg a̍h khò͘-kha kòa tio̍h. Sui-bóng ū sî-chūn ū bî-hong, m̄-koh he saⁿ tōa pō͘-hūn bô tín-tāng.
Cha-bó͘ khin-siaⁿ tùi ka-tī kóng: "In it-tēng sī iáu tâm-tâm."
Yi kā gín-á khǹg tī kha-thúi. Ū chi̍t-khùn, yi ê ba̍k-chiu tèng tī chi̍t-niá tòe bî-hong khin-khin iô-tāng ê djellaba tn̂g-saⁿ. Yi chhun kha, khòaⁿ kha chéng-thâu-á kap kiap tio̍h ê ta thô͘. Yi kā siang-kha sio lù, liáu-āu koh lia̍h in siòng.
Kā thâu taⁿ khí, yi ba̍k-chiu bui-bui khòaⁿ saⁿ-lâu ê thang-á.
Thah-téng ê sū-peng hiòng chêng ta̍h chi̍t-hoa̍h. I kā thâu khò tī chhâ piah.
I khòaⁿ thiⁿ, khòaⁿ chhù-téng, khòaⁿ ke-lō͘, jiân-āu khòaⁿ pe̍h-bé ê thâu.
Hut-jiân, chi̍t-ê hoah-siaⁿ phah-phòa che̍k-chēng. Cha-bó͘ kín kiu kha. Yi khòaⁿ tio̍h chi̍t-ki kng chhiú-kut tī saⁿ-lâu chi̍t-ê thang-á ê thih lân-kan tiong-kan teh ia̍t.
"Aziza! Aziza! Sī Ashour lah."
Yi kiâⁿ chi̍t-pō͘ óa chhiûⁿ, tiām-tiām khòaⁿ thang-á.
"Sī Ashour, Aziza. Ashour."
Yi khòaⁿ tio̍h i lēng-ki chhiú-kut chhun chhut thang-á. Yi kō͘ ba̍k-chiu tī hit nn̄g-ki chhiú-kut tiong-kan chhōe, chóng-sǹg khòaⁿ tio̍h chi̍t-ê bīn pà tī thih-ki tiong-kan. Tī i ê téng-koân hām piⁿ-á mā ū kî-thaⁿ ê bīn.
"Aziza, góa boeh hông sóa cháu ah. Lí ū chiap tio̍h góa ê phe bô? Koh sì-kang góa tō ē hông sóa cháu. Lí ū siu-chián hit nn̄g-châng hái-chó chhiū bô? Hamid hām Saniyya tī tó-ūi? Lí thái-ē bô chhōa in lâi? Góa tit-boeh hông sóa cháu ah. Hamid tī tó-ūi?"
I hut-jiân oa̍t-sin,tōa-siaⁿ jiáng:
"Mài án-ne, m̄-chiâⁿ-kiáⁿ!"
Yi thiaⁿ tio̍h i teh jiáng, khòaⁿ tio̍h hiah-ê bīn ùi thang-á siau-sit. Kòe chi̍t-khùn, i ê bīn koh ùi thih-ki khòaⁿ chhut-lâi, jiân-āu kî-thaⁿ ê bīn tī téng-koân khòaⁿ.
"Aziza!"
Yi khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē bé téng ê kéng-chhat, koh khòaⁿ thah nih ê sū-peng.
"Lí phō he sī siáng? Shakir? Aziza!" yi iô-thâu nn̄g kái.
"Kā gia̍h koân. Kā i gia̍h koân-koân."
Yi siang-chhiú hû gín-á, kā i gia̍h kàu thâu-khak téng.
Yi chù-ì tio̍h, i ê chhiú-kut hut-jiân kiu ji̍p-khì, chhun siang-chhiú lia̍h thang-á ê thih lân-kan. Jiân-āu i ê bīn khòaⁿ bē-tio̍h ah. Ū chi̍t-khùn, yi ùi hiah-ê khòaⁿ lo̍h-lâi ê bīn tiong-kan chhōe i ê. Yi kā chhiú-kut sió pàng kē, thiaⁿ tio̍h ùi thang-á lâi ê chhiò siaⁿ. Yi koh khòaⁿ tio̍h i ê chhiú-kut chhun chhut-lâi, jiân-āu i ê bīn chin chheng-chhó chhut-hiān tī tiong-ng.
"Gia̍h koân, Aziza. Gia̍h koân. Kā i àⁿ hiòng ji̍t-thâu, hó-thang hō͘ góa khòaⁿ i." Yi kā chhiú-kut pàng kē chi̍t-khùn, jiân-āu koh kā i gia̍h koân, kā i ê bīn se̍h hiòng ji̍t-thâu. Gín-á kā ba̍k-chiu kheh khí-lâi, khai-sí tōa-siaⁿ khàu."
"I teh khàu ah."
I se̍h chi̍t-ē, teh chhiò.
"Gín-á teh khàu! Chit-ê sió-kiáⁿ! Aziza, cha-bó͘, pàng hō͘ khì khàu lah!"
I kō͘ chhiú tàu chhùi hoah, "Hō͘ khàu lah!"
I koh chhiò. I ê sin-piⁿ chhut-hiān kúi-ā siaⁿ hoah-hiu. Yi ū thiaⁿ-e in ê ōe kap hoah-siaⁿ. Jiân-āu yi khòaⁿ tio̍h i ê tōa phīⁿ thàm chhut thih lân-kan.
"Cha-bó͘! Mài gōng ah, án-ne tō hó ah! Kā gín-á am tio̍h -- i ē tio̍h-soa!"
Yi kā gín-á lám kàu heng-chêng, khòaⁿ tio̍h hit-ê sū-peng thè ji̍p-khì thah nih,
"Lí ū siu-chián hit nn̄g-châng hái-chó chhiū bô?"
Yi iô-thâu.
"Ná m̄-chò? Lí ná m̄ kóng-ōe? Góa tit-boeh hông sóa cháu ah. Tú tio̍h Abu Ismail ê sî, kā i kóng góa tùi i ê chiok-hok. I ē lâi tàu kha-chhiú, siu-chián chhiū-á, án-ne lí tō ū hái-chó thang siu-sêng. Lí ū chah hun lâi bô?"
Yi pí chi̍t-ē chhiú-sè.
"Khui-chhùi kóng. Lí boeh kóng siáⁿ?"
"Lí chiap tio̍h ah."
"Khah tōa-siaⁿ leh, cha-bó͘."
"Lí chiap tio̍h ah, góa í-keng kià hō͘ lí ah."
"Tang-sî?"
"Tú-chiah."
"Tú-chiah? Hó, tán chi̍t-ē -- m̄-thang lī-khui."
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1. 她 kā 囡仔攑到頭殼頂
她第二擺來彼个所在. 警察 ùi 馬頂金金看她.
彼時是下晝. 黃色 ê 牆沿路徛. 牆內是一棟長 ti 形 ê 三層樓; 伊 he 相仝 ê 細細 ê 窗仔, 看著蓋成是暗空. 彼个查某徛 tī 離馬幾步 ê 所在. 警察先看伊後壁 ê 窗仔, koh 看彼个查某. 伊 kā 雙手囥 tī 馬鞍頭, 然後目睭瞌落. 過一下仔, 馬徙動. 伊徛去街路 ê 半途. 然後, 過一睏, 伊踅半輾, koh 徛轉來街路 ê 頭到.
彼个查某人向前兩步. 馬攑一支前跤, 然後 koh 慢慢放落.
"警官, 請予我 kap 伊講兩句話."
伊 ê 目睭猶瞌瞌, 伊 ê 雙手囥 tī 馬鞍頭無動. 牆頂鋪一重有刺 ê 鐵線網, 牆尾有一个柴 ê 展望塔. 內面徛一个武裝士兵.
查某人 koh 向前一步.
"你看, 伊已經 hông 徙走 ah..."
日頭已經超過天中央. 雖罔 án-ne, 天氣猶是熱. 牆下面有一 liau 狹狹 ê 影.
查某人 kā 囡仔徙到她 ê 肩胛頭頂.
等她 koh 看警察 ê 面 ê 時, 她注意著, 伊 ê 額頭有細細兩逝汗水.
她靜靜 ùi 馬頭前徙開, 沿牆行. 行到一半遐, 她坐落 tī 建物對面 ê 一堆石頭頂.
窗仔外 ê 鐵欄杆, 有看 e 囚犯洗 ê 衫, kō͘ 衫䘼 a̍h 褲跤掛著. 雖罔有時陣有微風, 毋過 he 衫大部份無振動.
查某輕聲對家己講: "In 一定是猶澹澹."
她 kā 囡仔囥 tī 跤腿. 有一睏, 她 ê 目睭釘 tī 一領綴微風輕輕搖動 ê djellaba 長衫. 她伸跤, 看跤指頭仔 kap 夾著 ê 焦塗. 她 kā 雙跤 sio 鑢, 了後 koh 掠 in 相.
Kā 頭 taⁿ 起, 她目睭 bui-bui 看三樓 ê 窗仔.
塔頂 ê 士兵向前踏一伐. 伊 kā 頭靠 tī 柴壁.
伊看天, 看厝頂, 看街路, 然後看白馬 ê 頭.
忽然, 一个喝聲拍破寂靜. 查某緊勼跤. 她看著一支光手骨 tī 三樓一个窗仔 ê 鐵欄杆中間 teh 擛.
"Aziza! Aziza! 是 Ashour lah."
她行一步倚牆, 恬恬看窗仔.
"是 Ashour, Aziza. Ashour."
她看著伊另支手骨伸出窗仔. 她 kō͘ 目睭 tī 彼兩支手骨中間揣, 總算看著一个面霸 tī 鐵支中間. Tī 伊 ê 頂懸和邊仔 mā 有其他 ê 面.
"Aziza, 我欲 hông 徙走 ah. 你有接著我 ê 批無? Koh 四工我 tō 會 hông 徙走. 你有修剪彼兩叢海棗樹無? Hamid 和 Saniyya tī 佗位? 你呔會無 chhōa in 來? 我得欲 hông 徙走 ah. Hamid tī 佗位?"
伊忽然越身,大聲嚷:
"莫 án-ne, 毋成囝!"
她聽著伊 teh 嚷, 看著 hiah-ê 面 ùi 窗仔消失. 過一睏, 伊 ê 面 koh ùi 鐵支看出來, 然後其他 ê 面 tī 頂懸看.
"Aziza!"
她看一下馬頂 ê 警察, koh 看塔 nih ê 士兵.
"你抱彼是 siáng? Shakir? Aziza!" 她搖頭兩改.
"Kā 攑懸. Kā 伊攑懸懸."
她雙手扶囡仔, kā 伊攑到頭殼頂.
她注意著, 伊 ê 手骨忽然勼入去, 伸雙手掠窗仔 ê 鐵欄杆. 然後伊 ê 面看袂著 ah. 有一睏, 她 ùi hiah-ê 看落來 ê 面中間揣伊 ê. 她 kā 手骨小放低, 聽著 ùi 窗仔來 ê 笑聲. 她 koh 看著伊 ê 手骨伸出來, 然後伊 ê 面真清楚出現 tī 中央.
"攑懸, Aziza. 攑懸. Kā 伊 àⁿ 向日頭, 好通予我看伊." 她 kā 手骨放低一睏, 然後 koh kā 伊攑懸, kā 伊 ê 面踅向日頭. 囡仔 kā 目睭瞌起來, 開始大聲哭."
"伊 teh 哭 ah."
伊踅一下, teh 笑.
"囡仔 teh 哭! 這个小囝! Aziza, 查某, 放予去哭 lah!"
伊 kō͘ 手鬥喙喝, "予哭 lah!"
伊 koh 笑. 伊 ê 身邊出現幾若聲喝咻. 她有聽 e in ê 話 kap 喝聲. 然後她看著伊 ê 大鼻探出鐵欄杆.
"查某! 莫戇 ah, án-ne tō 好 ah! Kā 囡仔掩著 -- 伊會著痧!"
她 kā 囡仔攬到胸前, 看著彼个士兵退入去塔 nih,
"你有修剪彼兩叢海棗樹無?"
她搖頭.
"那毋做? 你那毋講話? 我得欲 hông 徙走 ah. 拄著 Abu Ismail ê 時, kā 伊講我對伊 ê 祝福. 伊會來鬥跤手, 修剪樹仔, án-ne 你 tō 有海棗通收成. 你有扎薰來無?"
她比一下手勢.
"開喙講. 你欲講啥?"
"你接著 ah."
"較大聲 leh, 查某."
"你接著 ah, 我已經寄予你 ah."
"Tang 時?"
"拄才."
"拄才? 好, 等一下 -- 毋通離開."
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1.
She came to the place for the second time. The policeman stared down at her from his horse.
The time was afternoon. The yellow-coloured wall was stretched right along the road. Inside the wall was a large rectangular three-storey building; its small identical windows looked more like dark apertures. The woman stood a few paces away from the horse. The policeman looked behind him at the windows, then at the woman. He placed both hands on the pommel of the saddle and closed his eyes. After a while the horse moved. It was standing halfway down the street. Then, a moment later, it made a half-turn and once again stood itself at the top of the street.
The woman came two steps forward. The horse bent one of its forelegs, then gently lowered it.
“Sergeant, please, just let me say two words to him.”
His eyes remained closed, his hands motionless on the pommel.
Above the wall stretched a fencing of barbed wire at the end of which was a wooden tower. Inside there stood an armed soldier.
The woman took another step forward.
“You see, he’s been transferred ...”
The sun had passed beyond the central point in the sky. Despite this the weather was still hot. A narrow patch of shade lay at the bottom of the wall.
The woman transferred the child to her shoulder.
When she again looked at the policeman’s face, she noticed two thin lines of sweat on his forehead.
Quietly she moved away from in front of the horse and walked beside the wall. About halfway along it she sat down on a heap of stones opposite the building.
The prisoners’ washing, hung by the arms and legs, could be seen outside bars of the windows. Mostly it was completely motionless, even with the breeze that blew from time to time.
The woman whispered to herself: "They must be wet."
She placed the child in her lap. For a moment her eyes fastened on a djellaba that gently swayed to the movement of the wind. She stretched out her leg and gazed at her toes and the dried mud that clung to them. She rubbed her feet together, then gazed at them once again.
Putting back her head, she looked up at the windows of the third floor with half-closed eyes.
The solder in the tower took a step forward. He rested his head against the edge of the wooden wall.
He looked at the sky, at the roofs of the houses, at the street, then at the head of the white horse.
Suddenly a shout broke the silence. The woman quickly drew back her leg. She caught sight of a bare arm waving from between the bars of a window on the third floor.
"Aziza! Aziza! It's Ashour."
She moved a step nearer to the wall and stared in silence at the window.
"It's Ashour, Aziza. Ashour."
She saw his other arm stretching out through the window. She searched with her eyes for something between the two arms and succeeded in making out a face pressed between the two bars. Other faces could be seen above and alongside him.
"Aziza, I've been transferred. Did you get my letter? In four days I'll be transfered. Did you prune the two date palms? Where are Hamid and Saniyya? Why didn't you bring them with you? I'm being transferred. Where's Hamid?"
He turned round suddenly, shouting:
"Stop it, you bastards!"
She heard him shouting and saw the faces disappear from the window. After a while his face was again looking out through the bars, then the other faces looked out above his.
"Aziza!"
She looked at the policeman on the horse, then at the soldier in the tower.
"Who are you holding? Shakir? Aziza!" She shook her head twice.
"Lift him up. Lift him up high."
She took the child between her hands and lifted him above her head.
She noticed his arms suddenly being withdrawn inside and his hands gripping the iron bars of the window. Then his face disappeared from view. For a while she searched for him among the faces that looked down. She lowered her arms a little and heard shouts of laughter from the window. She spotted his arm once again stretching outwards, then his face appeared clearly in the middle.
“Up, Aziza. Up. Face him towards the sun so I can see him.” She lowered her arms for a moment, then raised him up again, turning his face towards the sun. The child closed his eyes and burst out crying.
“He’s crying.”
He turned round, laughing.
“The boy’s crying! The little so-and-so! Aziza, woman, keep him crying!”
He cupped his hand round his mouth and shouted, “Let him cry!”
Again he laughed. A few shouts went up around him. She heard their words and shouting. Then she saw his large nose poking out through the bars.
“Woman! Don’t be silly, that’s enough! Cover tile boy- he’ll get sunstroke!”
She hugged the child to her chest and saw the soldier withdrawing inside the tower,
“Did you prune the two date palms?”
She shook her head.
“Why not? Why don’t you talk? I’m being transferred. Pass by Abu Ismail and tell him I send him my best wishes. He’ll do it as a favour and prune the trees, then you can bring along a few dates. Did you bring the cigarettes?”
She made a sign with her hand.
“Talk. What are you saying?”
“You’ve got ‘em.”
“Louder, woman.”
“You’ve got ‘em, I sent them to you.”
“When?”
“Just Now.”
"Juat now? Here, hang on--don't move."
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