2. Chit-kái liân pòng siaⁿ to bô
Taⁿ, Marta khòaⁿ tio̍h ê m̄-nā kan-ta bô hoân-ló ê lâng-tīn, ū-sî sīm-chì ū chi̍t-kóa khì-gia̍p oân-kang, in chhēng o͘-sek a̍h nâ-sek ê ûi-kûn, chē tī tn̂g-pâi ê pān-kong-toh. Kî-tiong ū kúi-ê siàu-liân-ke nî-kí kap yi sio-kāng, a̍h pí yi khah tōa, hō͘ chi̍t-ji̍t ê khang-khòe thiám kàu taⁿ, múi keh chi̍t-ē-á in tō ùi khang-khòe hām phah-jī-ki gia̍h ba̍k-chiu khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē.
In-ūi án-ne, in mā khòaⁿ tio̍h yi, kî-tiong kúi-ê cháu kàu thang-á. "Lí boeh khì tó? Ná-ē hiah kín? Lí sī siáng?" in án-ne kā hiu. Khòaⁿ ē-chhut, in ê ōe tang-tiong ū him-siān ê ì-bī.
"Ē-bīn ū-lâng teh tán góa," yi án-ne kā ìn. "Góa bē-tàng thêng-khùn. Pháiⁿ-sè oh." Chū-án-ne yi koh chhiò chi̍t-ē, ná iô-tāng chi̍t-lō͘ tūi-lo̍h, m̄-koh kap thâu-tú-á ê chhiò-siaⁿ bô kāng-khoán. Àm-mê í-keng chin kî-khá lâi kàu-ūi, Marta khai-sí kám-kak ē-kôaⁿ.
Hit-sî, yi khòaⁿ ē-bīn, khòaⁿ tio̍h chit-tòng tōa-lâu ê ji̍p-kháu ū chi̍t-khian bêng-liāng ê kng. Tn̂g-tn̂g ê o͘-thâu-á chhia tī hia thêng lo̍h-lâi (hn̄g-hn̄g khòaⁿ, he ná-chhiūⁿ káu-hiā), lâm-lâm lú-lú lo̍h-chhia, kip-chhiat boeh ji̍p tōa-lâu. Yi ká-ná ū khòaⁿ tio̍h hit-tīn lâng ê chu-pó teh siám-sih. Ji̍p-kháu ê téng-bīn ū kî-á teh phiau-tāng.
Chin bêng-hián, in tng-teh kí-hêng chi̍t-ê tōa party, chiàⁿ-chiàⁿ sī Marta chū sè-hàn tō bōng-sióng ê hit-chióng. Lāu-thiⁿ tio̍h pó-pì, m̄-thang hāi yi bē-hù. Ē-bīn hia, ki-hōe teh tán yi, ūn-tô͘, romance, che sī yi sèⁿ-miā ê chèng-sek khai-sí.
Yi ē-tit chún-sî kàu-ūi bô?
Yi kàng tio̍h lēng-gōa chi̍t-ê ko͘-niû tī yi téng-koân liōng-iok 30 bí hia teh tūi-lo̍h. Yi tiāⁿ-tio̍h khah súi kòe Marta, jî-chhiáⁿ yi chhēng chi̍t-su chám-jiân ko-sióng ê àm-lé-ho̍k. Mā m̄-chai siáⁿ in-toaⁿ, yi kàng-lo̍h ê sok-tō͘ kín Marta chin chē, chū án-ne, bô chi̍t-ē-á yi chhiau-kòe yi, í-keng bô khòaⁿ-e iáⁿ, chhut-chāi Marta kā yi hiu. Bián hoâi-gî, yi tiāⁿ-tio̍h tāi-seng Marta kàu-ūi party; hoān-sè yi ū chi̍t-ê kè-ōe boeh chhú-tāi yi.
Jiân-āu, yi ì-sek tio̍h, in pēng m̄-sī ko͘-toaⁿ. Tī tú-thiⁿ tōa-lâu ê sì-piⁿ ū chē-chē kî-thaⁿ ê siàu-liân cha-bó͘ teh tūi-lo̍h, yin ê bīn in-ūi hui-hêng ê chhì-kek peⁿ ân-ân, yin ê chhiú chin hoaⁿ-hí teh ia̍t, bē-su teh kóng: lí khòaⁿ, goán lâi ah, hām goán chò-hóe sńg, sè-kài kám m̄-sī goán ê?
Nā án-ne, che tō-sī chi̍t-tiûⁿ pí-sài. M̄-koh, yi chhēng ê kan-ta sī phòa koh kū ê saⁿ-liân kûn, iá kî-thaⁿ hiah-ê ko͘-niû lóng chhēng kah chin lè-táu, ná-chhiūⁿ sī sî-chong model, ū-ê sīm-chì kō͘ tiau-phôe moa-kin pau yin hián-lō͘ ê keng-thâu. Tú khai-sí thiàu ê sî yi sī hiah-nī ū chū-sìn, Marta taⁿ soah kám-kak sim-lāi teh khí-chùn; hoān-sè he put-kò sī in-ūi hân-léng; m̄-koh he mā ū khó-lêng sī in-ūi kiaⁿ-hiâⁿ, kiaⁿ ka-tī í-keng hoān tio̍h chi̍t-chióng bô hoat-tō͘ pó͘-kiù ê chhò-gō͘.
Taⁿ ká-ná í-keng sī chhim-iā ah. Thang-á chi̍t-ê chi̍t-ê àm lo̍h-lâi, im-ga̍k ê hôe-im piàn khah chió, pān-kong-sek khang-khang, bô koh ū siàu-liân-ke ùi thang-tâi chhun-chhiú chhut-lâi. Taⁿ sī kúi-tiám ah? Tī ē-bīn tōa-lâu ji̍p-kháu hit-ê só͘-chāi -- chit-sî ê tōa-lâu í-keng piàn khah tōa, kiàn-bu̍t ê sè-chiat í-keng ē-tàng khòaⁿ siông-sè -- teng-hóe iáu to̍h leh, m̄-koh í-keng bô e-e kheh-kheh ê chhia. Sū-si̍t-siōng, put-sî iáu sī ū sió-sió ê lâng-tīn ùi lâu-kha chhut-lâi, thoa in thiám-thiám ê sin-khu kiâⁿ-khui. Jiân-āu, ji̍p-kháu ê teng-hóe mā hoa khì ah.
Marta kám-kak yi ê sim-koaⁿ teh bán-ân. Hāi ah, yi í-keng bē-hù bú-hōe. Gia̍h-ba̍k khòaⁿ koân, yi khòaⁿ tio̍h tōa-lâu chiam-téng ê chân-khok ui-le̍k. He chha-put-to sī oân-choân o͘-àm. Téng-bīn kúi-chàn iáu-ū sì-sòaⁿ chi̍t-kóa thang-á kng-kng. Tī chhù-téng-bīn, chá-sî ê phú-kng í-keng teh seⁿ-thòaⁿ.
Tī 28-lâu ê chi̍t-ê pn̄g-thiaⁿ, chi̍t-ê liōng-iok 40-hòe ê cha-po͘-lâng tng-teh lim i ê chá-tǹg kapi, ná teh khòaⁿ pò-chóa, in bó͘ tng-teh chéng-lí pâng-keng. Piah-kūi téng ê sî-cheng hián-sī 8:45. Thang-á chêng hut-jiân ū chi̍t-ê o͘-iáⁿ keng-kòe.
"Alberto!" in bó͘ kiò chhut-lâi. "Lí ū khòaⁿ tio̍h he bô? Ū chi̍t-ê cha-bó͘ keng-kòe."
"He sī siáng ah?" i án-ne kóng, ba̍k-chiu bô lī-khui pò-chóa.
"Chi̍t-ê lāu cha-bó͘," in bó͘ ìn. "Chi̍t-ê lāu khok-khok ê lāu cha-bó͘. Yi ká-ná chin tio̍h-kiaⁿ."
"Tāi-chì lóng mā sī án-ne," hit-lâng nauh chi̍t-ē. "Tī chit-chióng kē-chàn ê só͘-chāi, keng-kòe ê chóng-sī lāu cha-bó͘. Tio̍h kàu 100-lâu téng-bīn, lí chiah khòaⁿ ē-tio̍h súi ko͘-niû. Hiah-koân ê lâu, kè-siàu koân m̄-sī bô tō-lí."
"Siōng-bô tī chia mā ū hó-chhù," in bó͘ tòe leh kóng, "lí ē-tàng thiaⁿ tio̍h yin lo̍h-tē ê pòng siaⁿ."
"M̄-koh chit-kái liân he mā bô," tī thêng kúi bió-cheng chù-ì thiaⁿ liáu-āu, i ná iô-thâu ná án-ne kóng. Jiân-āu i koh chip chi̍t-chhùi kapi.
--
2. 這改連 pòng 聲 to 無
今, Marta 看著 ê 毋但干焦無煩惱 ê 人陣, 有時甚至有一寡企業員工, in 穿烏色 a̍h 藍色 ê 圍裙, 坐 tī 長排 ê 辦公桌. 其中有幾个少年家年紀 kap 她相仝, a̍h 比她較大, hō͘ 一日 ê 工課忝到今, 每隔一下仔 in tō ùi 工課和拍字機攑目睭看一下.
因為 án-ne, in mā 看著她, 其中幾个走到窗仔. "你欲去佗? 那會 hiah 緊? 你是 siáng?" in án-ne kā 咻. 看會出, in ê 話當中有欣羨 ê 意味.
"下面有人 teh 等我," 她 án-ne kā 應. "我袂當停睏. 歹勢 oh." 自 án-ne 她 koh 笑一下, ná 搖動一路墜落, 毋過 kap 頭拄仔 ê 笑聲無仝款. 暗暝已經真奇巧來到位, Marta 開始感覺會寒.
彼時, 她看下面, 看著這棟大樓 ê 入口有一圈明亮 ê 光. 長長 ê 烏頭仔車 tī hia 停落來 (遠遠看, he ná 像狗蟻), 男男女女落車, 急切欲入大樓. 她 ká-ná 有看著彼陣人 ê 珠寶 teh 閃爍. 入口 ê 頂面有旗仔 teh 飄動.
真明顯, in tng-teh 舉行一个大 party, 正正是 Marta 自細漢 tō 夢想 ê 彼種. 老天著保庇, 毋通害她袂赴. 下面 hia, 機會 teh 等她, 運途, romance, 是她性命 ê 正式開始.
她會得準時到位無?
她 kàng 著另外一个姑娘 tī 她頂懸量約 30 米 hia teh 墜落. 她定著較媠過 Marta, 而且她穿一軀 chiám-jiân 高尚 ê 暗禮服. Mā 毋知啥因端, 她降落 ê 速度緊 Marta 真濟, 自 án-ne, 無一下仔她超過她, 已經無看 e 影, 出在 Marta kā 她咻. 免懷疑, 她定著代先 Marta 到位 party; 凡勢她有一个計畫欲取代她.
然後, 她意識著, in 並毋是孤單. Tī 拄天大樓 ê 邊仔有濟濟其他 ê 少年查某 teh 墜落, 姻 ê 面因為飛行 ê 刺激繃絚絚, 姻 ê 手真歡喜 teh 擛, 袂輸 teh 講: 你看, 阮來 ah, 和阮做伙耍, 世界敢毋是阮 ê?
若 án-ne, 這就是一場比賽. 毋過, 她穿 ê 干焦是破 koh 舊 ê 衫連裙, iá 其他 hiah-ê 姑娘攏穿甲真 lè-táu, ná 像是時裝 model, 有 ê 甚至 kō͘ 貂皮幔巾包姻顯露 ê 肩頭. 拄開始跳 ê 時她是 hiah-nī 有自信, Marta 今煞感覺心內 teh 起顫; 凡勢彼不過是因為寒冷; 毋過彼 mā 有可能是因為驚惶, 驚家治已經犯著一種無法度補救 ê 錯誤.
今 ká-ná 已經是深夜 ah. 窗仔一个 koh 一个暗落來, 音樂 ê 回音變較少, 辦公室空空, 無閣有少年家 ùi 窗台伸手出來. 今是幾點 ah? Tī 下面大樓入口彼个所在 -- 這時 ê 大樓已經變較大, 建物 ê 細節已經會當看詳細 -- 燈火猶 to̍h leh, 毋過已經無車 ê 挨挨 kheh-kheh. 事實上, 不時猶是有小小 ê 人陣 ùi 樓跤出來, 拖 in 忝忝 ê 身軀行開. 然後, 入口 ê 燈火 mā hoa 去 ah.
Marta 感覺她 ê 心肝 teh 挽絚. 害 ah, 她已經袂赴舞會. 攑目看懸, 她看著大樓尖頂 ê 殘酷威力. 彼差不多是完全烏暗. 頂面幾層猶有四散一寡窗仔光光. Tī 厝頂面, 早時 ê 殕光已經 teh 生湠.
Tī 28 樓 ê 一个飯廳, 一个量約 40 歲 ê 查埔人 tng-teh 啉伊 ê 早頓 kapi ná teh 看報紙, in 某 tng-teh 整理房間. 壁櫃頂 ê 時鐘顯示 8:45. 窗仔前忽然有一个烏影經過.
"Alberto!" in 某叫出來. "你有看著 he 無? 有一个查某經過."
"彼是 siáng ah?" 伊 án-ne 講, 目睭無離開報紙.
"一个老查某," in 某應. "一个老硞硞 ê 老查某. 她 ká-ná 真著驚."
"代誌攏 mā 是 án-ne," 彼人 nauh 一下. "Tī 這種低層 ê 所在, 經過 ê 總是老查某. 著到 100 樓頂面, 你才看會著媠姑娘. Hiah 懸 ê 樓, 價數懸毋是無道理."
"上無 tī 遮 mā 有好處," in 某綴 leh 講, "你會當聽著姻落地 ê pòng 聲."
"毋過這改連 he mā 無," tī 停幾秒鐘注意聽了後, 伊 ná 搖頭 ná án-ne 講. 然後伊 koh chip 一喙 kapi.
--
2.
Now Marta no longer saw just groups of carefree people inside the-apartments; at times there were even some businesses where the employees, in black or blue aprons, were sitting at desks in long rows. Several of them were young people as old as or older than she, and weary of the day by now, every once in a while they raised their eyes from their duties and from typewriters.
In this way they too saw her, and a few ran to the windows. “Where are you going? Why so fast? Who are you?” they shouted to her. One could divine something akin to envy in their words.
“They’re waiting for me down there,” she answered. “I can’t stop. Forgive me.” And again she laughed, wavering on her headlong fall, but it wasn’t like her previous laughter anymore. The night had craftily fallen and Marta started to feel cold.
Meanwhile, looking downward, she saw a bright halo of lights at the entrance of a building. Here long blacks cars were stopping (from the great distance they looked as small as ants), and men and women were getting out, anxious to go inside. She seemed to make out the sparkling of jewels in that swarm. Above the entrance flags were flying.
They were obviously giving a large party, exactly the kind Marta dreamed of ever since she was a child. Heaven help her if she missed it. Down there opportunity was waiting for her, fate, romance, the true inauguration of her life.
Would she arrive in time?
She spitefully noticed that another girl was falling about thirty meters above her. She was decidedly prettier than Marta and she wore a rather classy evening gown. For some unknown reason she came down much faster than Marta, so that in a few moments she passed by her and disappeared below, even though Marta was calling her. Without doubt she would get to the party before Marta; perhaps she had a plan all worked out to supplant her.
Then she realized that they weren’t alone. Along the sides of the skyscraper many other young women were plunging downward, their faces taut with the excitement of the flight, their hands cheerfully waving as if to say: look at us, here we are, entertain us, is not the world ours?
It was a contest, then. And she only had a shabby little dress while those other girls were dressed smartly like high fashion models and some even wrapped luxurious mink stoles tightly around their bare shoulders. So self-assured when she began the leap, Marta now felt a tremor growing inside her; perhaps it was just the cold; but it may have been fear too, the fear of having made an error without remedy.
It seemed to be late at night now. The windows were darkened one after another, the echoes of music became more rare, the offices were empty, young men no longer leaned out from the windowsills extending their hands. What time was it? At the entrance to the building down below-- which in the meantime had grown larger, and one could now distinguish all the architectural details—the lights were still burning, but the bustle of cars had stopped. Every now and then, in fact, small groups of people came out of the main floor wearily drawing away. Then the lights of the entrance were also turned off.
Marta felt her heart tightening. Alas, she wouldn’t reach the ball in time. Glancing upwards she saw the pinnacle of the skyscraper in all its cruel power. It was almost completely dark. On the top floors a few windows here and there were still lit. And above the top the first glimmer of dawn was spreading.
In a dining recess on the twenty-eighth floor a man about forty years old was having his morning coffee and reading his newspaper while his wife tidied up the room. A clock on the sideboard indicated 8:45. A shadow suddenly passed before the window.
“Alberto!” the wife shouted. “Did you see that? A woman passed by.”
“Who was it?” he said without raising his eyes from the news paper.
“An old woman,” the wife answered. “A decrepit old woman. She looked frightened.”
“It’s always like that,” the man muttered. “At these low floors only falling old women pass by. You can see beautiful girls from the hundred floor up. Those apartments don’t cost so much for nothing.”
“At least down here there’s the advantage,” observed the wife, “that you can hear the thud when they touch the ground”
“This time not even that,” he said, shaking his head, after he stood listening for a few minutes. Then he had another sip of coffee.
--
// 2022-03-19
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