My Lucy Friend Who Smells Like Corn /by Sandra Cisneros
https://xpressenglish.com/our-stories/my-lucy-friend/
Phīⁿ-tio̍h ná Hoan-be̍h ê Goán Pêng-iú Lucy | 鼻著 ná 番麥 ê 阮朋友 Lucy
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Goán pêng-iú Lucy Anguiano, Texas chă gín-á, phīⁿ khí-lâi ná hoan-be̍h, ná Frito Bandito hoan-be̍h iù-piáⁿ, ná hoan-be̍h chian-piáⁿ (tortilla), yi ê thâu ū chi̍t-chióng ná chú hoan-be̍h-lia̍p a̍h pháng ê sio-sio ê khì-bī, tī yi khò óa lí, khòaⁿ ka chóa ang-á ê sî, a̍h khû tī cháu-lông kau-ōaⁿ po-lê chu ê sî, he súi chúi-chiⁿ tī lí chhiú-téng ē hiàn-chhut chi̍t-ê nâ chheⁿ, hit-lō tōa-lia̍p niau-ba̍k-chiu tī tiong-ng ū chi̍t-ê chháu-meh-á le̍k ê kńg-lê, ná chhiūⁿ sái-chhia khì pian-kéng ê sî, cha̍h-hong po-lê téng ê thâng-á chiap, ná chhiūⁿ ia̍h-á ê n̂g-sek ê hoeh.
Lí bat chia̍h káu chhī-liāu bô? Góa bat. Ná pō͘ peng-kak án-ne liáu, yi chhùi peh khui-khui chèng-bêng, kan-ta chi̍t-ê hún-âng ê chi̍h sì-kho͘-liàn-tńg se̍h, ná chi̍t-bóe chheⁿ-mê thâng, Janey kā khòaⁿ, in-ūi yi kóng, Chèng-bêng hō͘ góa khòaⁿ. M̄-koh, góa kah-ì hit-ê Lucy, hoan-be̍h bī, he chhián-nâ gia̍p-thoa-á kap góa ê kāng-khoán, goán tâng-chê tī K-mart bé, kan-ta 79-sén.
Góa boeh chē tī ji̍t-thâu-ē, m̄-koán gōa-kháu sī m̄-sī pah-bān, ek-bān tō͘, án-ne góa ê phôe-hu chiah ē piàn o͘, o͘ kah ná chhiūⁿ Lucy ê, tī áu-oan ê ūi piàn nâ. Yin kui ke-hóe lóng án-ne. Ba̍k-chiu ná to-bóe-chiam. Lucy hām yin chí-mōe. Morma, Margarita, Ofelia, Herminia, Nancy, Olivia, Cheli, á-ū Amber Sue.
Se-mn̂g bô se-bāng. BANG! Sió o͘ káu kā ka-tī ê mo͘. Gîm-chîⁿ-kha hit-tè pûi phòng-í. Ū kúi-ê thang-á chhat nâ-sek, ū-ê chhat hún-âng, in-ūi hit-kang yin pâ siuⁿ thiám, a̍h sī bē-kì-tit. Mama tī chàu-kha tng-teh kā saⁿ khǹg ji̍p hit-tâi ká-saⁿ-ki, saⁿ-á ká chhut-lâi tō ngē-ngē, chiù-chiù, koh píⁿ kah ná chóa. Lucy chi̍t-pái chhiú khì hō͘ ká ji̍p-khì, tio̍h tōa-siaⁿ hoah Maaa! iá yin lāu-bú tio̍h kā ke-khì lia̍h tò-péng, án-ne yi ê chhiú chiah koh lak lo̍h-lâi, chéng-thâu-á o͘-khì, āu-lâi, yi ê chéng-kah lak-tiāu. M̄-koh, lí ê chhiú-kut kám ū píⁿ kah ná saⁿ? Lí ê chhiú-kut án-chóaⁿ ah? In kám tio̍h kō͘ thiu-hong-ki lâi khiú? Bô, kan-ta chéng-thâu-á, iá yi mā bô khàu.
Khò tī gîm-chîⁿ-kha ê lân-kan, kā iù-eⁿ Amber Sue ê hún-âng boe̍h-á gia̍p tī Cheli ê hoe siatchuh téng-bīn, koh kā Ofelia ê phah-thih-á khò͘, gia̍p tī Olivia téng-bīn saⁿ lāi-bīn ê pô͘, koh gia̍p tī Margarita ê jiông-á khùn-phâu téng-koân, án-ne i tō bē làu-làu, koh-lâi lí the̍h yin pâ ê kang-chok siatchuh, chhiūⁿ án-ne kā tò-thâu kòa, án-ne só͘-ū ê saⁿ-á lóng bē jiâu-jiâu, koh khah séng khong-kan, tō bián hiah chē gia̍p-á. Ko͘-niû lóng hō͘-siong chhēng tùi-hong ê saⁿ, Olivia lē-gōa, yi chin ko͘-sng. Chia bô cha-po͘ gín-á. Kan-ta ū cha-bó͘ gín-á hām lāu-pē he chha-put-to m̄-bat tńg-chhù, hām chi̍t-ê lāu-bú he chóng-sī kóng, Ay! góa chiâⁿ thiám koh hiah chē chí-mōe, chē kah bô sî-kan sǹg. Góa taⁿ chē tī ji̍t-thâu-ē, sui-bóng chit-sî sī ji̍t-sî siōng joa̍h, chit-sî joa̍h kah ke-lō͘ teh tuh-ku, chit-sî sio-khì ná chi̍t-téng bō-á tī lí ê thâu-khak-téng, kā thô͘-hún hām cha̍p-chháu hām kōaⁿ-chúi lóng hang kah kàu-hun, hang kah chhèng-ian, phīⁿ tio̍h ná tiⁿ hoan-be̍h.
Góa siūⁿ boeh so yin ê thâu, hām chí-mōe khùn, ū-ê hiòng thâu, ū-ê hiòng kha. Góa siūⁿ hām chí-mōe chò-hóe khùn chin hó-sńg, lí ē-tàng chi̍t-kái hiu chi̍t-ê, a̍h lóng-chóng tâng-chê hiu, m̄-ài ko͘ chi̍t-lâng khùn kheh-thiaⁿ ê áu-í.
Tán góa kàu chhù, Amá ē kóng, Góa kám bô kā lí kóng kòe? án-ne góa tō chai ah, in-ūi bîn-á-chài góa tio̍h koh chhēng chit-su saⁿ. M̄-koh, siōng tāi-seng, góa boeh khì Anguiano chhù-tiâⁿ thiàu chi̍t-téng chhàu-jiō-hiam kū phòng-chhn̂g. Góa boeh jiàu lí hō͘ báng kā tio̍h ê ūi, Lucy, hō͘ lí khí-chiūⁿ, jiân-āu tī téng-bīn tah Mercurochrome chhiò-bīn [chi̍t-chióng io̍h-thiap]. Goán boeh kau-ōaⁿ ê-á, koh kā chhēng tī chhiú. Goán boeh kiâⁿ kàu Janey Ortiz yin tau, kóng: Goán éng-oán to bô-ài hām lí chò pêng-iú ah! Goán boeh tò-thè-lu cháu tńg chhù, jiân-āu goán boeh hiòng chêng cháu tńg chhù, nn̄g-pái khì khòaⁿ ē-bīn ū bih niáu-chhí ê hit-keng chhù, iá góa boeh kā chi̍t-ki kha chhun ji̍p-khì, in-ūi lí kek góa, thiⁿ hiah nâ, thian-tông tī hiah-ê pe̍h-hûn lāi-bīn. Góa boeh ùi kha-thâu-u liàm chi̍t-ê lia̍p-á phí lâi chia̍h, tùi niau-á phah kha-chhiùⁿ, hō͘ lí 3-lia̍p ùi cha-hng tō khiām boeh hō͘ lí ê M&M, kō͘ chéng-thâu-á loa̍h lí ê thâu-chang, kā pīⁿ chò chiâⁿ súi ê sió-sió thâu-chang-pīⁿ. Lán boeh tī bus /bá.suh/ téng ǹg bô sio-pat ê lú-sū ia̍t-chhiú. Halo! Góa boeh tī thâu-chêng gîm-chîⁿ-kha ê lân-kan chhia pha-lin, m̄-kiaⁿ hông khòaⁿ tio̍h lāi-khò͘. Lán ōe ka-ti lâi ka chóa ang-á, kō͘ la̍h-pit ōe in ê saⁿ, góa ê chhiú moa tī lí ê ām-kún.
Lán sio tùi-khòaⁿ ê sî, lán ê chhiú-kut hō͘ kam-á ki-á peng phùn kah liâm kô͘-kô͘, lán ē-sái sī chí-mōe, tio̍h bô? Lán ē-sái, lí hām góa, tán lán ê chhùi-khí lak, kim-chîⁿ lâi. Lí tùi góa ê hīⁿ-khang chhiò, chhiò kah góa chiâⁿ ngiau, góa tō Ha Ha Ha Ha. Yi hām góa, goán pêng-iú Lucy phīⁿ-tio̍h ná hoan-be̍h.
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阮朋友 Lucy Anguiano, Texas cha̋ 囡仔, 鼻起來 ná 番麥, ná Frito Bandito 番麥幼餅, ná 番麥煎餅 (tortilla), 她 ê 頭有一種 ná 煮番麥粒 a̍h pháng ê 燒燒 ê 氣味, tī 她靠倚你, 看鉸紙尪仔 ê 時, a̍h 跍 tī 走廊交換玻璃珠 ê 時, he 媠水晶 tī 你手頂會現出一个藍星, 彼號大粒貓目睭 tī 中央有一个草蜢仔綠 ê 捲螺, ná 像駛車去邊境 ê 時, 閘風玻璃頂 ê 蟲仔汁, ná 像蝶仔 ê 黃色 ê 血.
你 bat 食狗飼料無? 我 bat. Ná 哺冰角 án-ne 了, 她喙 peh 開開證明, 干焦一个粉紅 ê 舌四箍輾轉踅, ná 一尾青盲蟲, Janey kā 看, 因為她講, 證明予我看. 毋過, 我佮意彼个 Lucy, 番麥味, he 淺藍挾拖仔 kap 我 ê 仝款, 阮同齊 tī K-mart 買, 干焦 79-sén.
我欲坐 tī 日頭下, 毋管外口是毋是百萬, 億萬度, án-ne 我 ê 皮膚才會變烏, 烏甲 ná 像 Lucy ê, tī 拗彎 ê 位變藍. 姻規家伙 lóng án-ne. 目睭 ná 刀尾尖. Lucy 和姻姊妹. Morma, Margarita, Ofelia, Herminia, Nancy, Olivia, Cheli, á 有 Amber Sue.
紗門無紗網. BANG! 小烏狗咬家己 ê 毛. 砛簷跤彼塊肥膨椅. 有幾个窗仔漆藍色, 有 ê 漆粉紅, 因為彼工姻 pâ siuⁿ 忝, a̍h 是袂記得. Mama tī 灶跤 tng-teh kā 衫囥入彼台絞衫機, 衫仔絞出來 tō 硬硬, chiù-chiù, koh 扁甲 ná 紙. Lucy 一擺手去予絞入去, 著大聲喝 Maaa! iá 姻老母著 kā 機器掠倒反, án-ne 她 ê 手才 koh lak 落來, 指頭仔烏去, 後來, 她 ê 指甲 lak 掉. 毋過, 你 ê 手骨敢有扁甲 ná 衫? 你 ê 手骨按怎 ah? In 敢著 kō͘ 抽風機來搝? 無, 干焦指頭仔, iá 她 mā 無哭.
靠 tī 砛簷跤 ê 欄杆, kā 幼嬰 Amber Sue ê 粉紅襪仔挾 tī Cheli ê 花 siatchuh 頂面, koh kā Ofelia ê 拍鐵仔褲, 挾 tī Olivia 頂面衫內面 ê pô͘, koh 挾 tī Margarita ê 絨仔睏袍頂懸, án-ne 伊 tō 袂 làu-làu, 閣來你提姻 pâ ê 工作 siatchuh, 像 án-ne kā 倒頭掛, án-ne 所有 ê 衫仔 lóng 袂皺皺, koh 較省空間, tō 免 hiah 濟挾仔. 姑娘 lóng 互相穿對方 ê 衫, Olivia 例外, 她真孤霜. Chia 無查埔囡仔. 干焦有查某囡仔和老爸 he 差不多毋捌轉厝, 和一个老母 he 總是講, Ay! 我誠忝 koh hiah 濟姊妹, 濟甲無時間算. 我今坐 tī 日頭下, 雖罔這時是日時上熱, 這時熱甲街路 teh 盹龜, 這時燒氣 ná 一頂帽仔 tī 你 ê 頭殼頂, kā 塗粉和雜草和汗水 lóng 烘甲夠分, 烘 kah 熗煙, 鼻著 ná 甜番麥.
我想欲挲姻 ê 頭, 和姊妹睏, 有 ê 向頭, 有 ê 向跤. 我想和姊妹做伙睏真好耍, 你會當一改咻一个, a̍h lóng 總同齊咻, 毋愛孤一人睏客廳 ê 拗椅.
等我到厝, Amá 會講, 我敢無 kā 你講過? án-ne 我 tō 知 ah, 因為明仔載我著 koh 穿這軀衫. 毋過, 上代先, 我欲去 Anguiano 厝埕跳一頂臭尿薟舊膨床. 我欲抓你予蠓咬著 ê 位, Lucy, 予你起癢, 然後 tī 頂面貼 Mercurochrome 笑面 [一種藥帖]. 阮欲交換鞋仔, koh kā 穿 tī 手. 阮欲行到 Janey Ortiz 姻兜, 講: 阮永遠 to 無愛和你做朋友 ah! 阮欲倒退攄走轉厝, 然後阮欲向前走轉厝, 兩擺去看下面有覕鳥鼠 ê 彼間厝, iá 我欲 kā 一支跤伸入去, 因為你激我, 天 hiah 藍, 天堂 tī hiah-ê 白雲內面. 我欲 ùi 跤頭趺捻一个粒仔疕來食, 對貓仔拍咳啾, 予你 3 粒 ùi 昨昏 tō 儉欲予你 ê M&M, kō͘ 指頭仔捋你 ê 頭鬃, kā 辮做誠媠 ê 小小頭鬃辮. 咱欲 tī bus /bá.suh/ 頂 ǹg 無相捌 ê 女士擛手. Halo! 我欲 tī 頭前砛簷跤 ê 欄杆車拋 lin, 毋驚 hông 看著內褲. 咱畫 ka-tī 來鉸紙尪仔, kō͘ 蠟筆畫 in ê 衫, 我 ê 手幔 tī 你 ê 頷頸.
咱相對看 ê 時, 咱 ê 手骨予柑仔枝仔冰噴甲黏糊糊, 咱會使是姊妹, 著無? 咱會使, 你和我, 等咱 ê 喙齒 lak, 金錢來. 你對我 ê 耳空笑, 笑甲我誠 ngiau, 我 tō Ha Ha Ha Ha. 她和我, 阮朋友 Lucy 鼻著 ná 番麥.
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Lucy Anguiano, Texas girl who smells like corn, like Frito Bandito chips, like tortillas, something like that warm smell of nixtamal or bread the way her head smells when she’s leaning close to you over a paper cut-out doll or on the porch when we are squatting over marbles trading the pretty crystal that leaves a blue star on your hand for that giant cat-eye with a grasshopper green spiral in the center like the juice of bugs on the windshield when you drive to the border, like the yellow blood of butterflies.
Have you ever eated dog food? I have. After crunching like ice, she opens her big mouth prove it, only a pink tongue rolling around in there like a blind worm, and Janey looking in because she said, Show me. But me I like that Lucy, corn-smell hair and aqua flip-flops just like mine that we bought at the K-mart for only 79 cents same time.
I’m going to sit in the sun, don’t care if it’s a million trillion degrees outside, so my skin can get so dark it’s blue where it bends like Lucy’s. Her whole family like that. Eyes like knife slits. Lucy and her sisters. Norma, Margarita, Ofelia, Herminia, Nancy, Olivia, Cheli, y la Amber Sue.
Screen door with no screen. BANG! Little black dog biting his fur. Fat couch on the porch. Some of the windows painted blue, some pink because her daddy got tired that day or forgot. Mama in the kitchen feeding clothes into the wringer washer and clothes rolling out all stiff and twisted and flat like paper. Lucy got her arm stuck once and had to yell Maaa! and her mama had to put the machine in reverse and then her hand rolled back, the finger black and later, her nail fell off. But did your arm get flat like the clothes? What happened to your arm? Did they have to pump it with air? No, only the finger, and she didn’t cry neither.
Lean across the porch rail and pin the pink sock of the baby Amber Sue on top of Cheli’s flowered T-shirt, and the blue jeans of la Ofelia over the inside seam of Olivia’s blouse, over the flannel nightgown of Margarita so it don’t stretch out, and then you take the work shirts of their daddy and hang them upside down like this, and this way all the clothes don’t get so wrinkled and take up less space and you don’t waste pins. The girls all wear each other’s clothes, except Olivia, who is stingy. There ain’t no boys here. Only girls and one father who is never home hardly and one mother who says, Ay! I’m real tired and so many sisters there’s no time to count them.
I’m sitting in the sun even though it’s the hottest part of the day, the part that makes the streets dizzy, when the heat makes a little hat on the top of your head and bakes the dust and weed grass and sweat up good, all steamy and smelling like sweet corn.
I want to rub heads and sleep in a bed with little sisters, some at the top and some at the feets. I think it would be fun to sleep with sisters you could yell at one at a time or all together, instead of alone on the fold-out chair in the living room.
When I get home Abuelita will say, Didn’t I tell you? and I’ll get it because I was supposed to wear this dress again tomorrow. But first I’m going to jump off an old pissy mattress in the Anguiano yard. I’m going to scratch your mosquito bites, Lucy, so they’ll itch you, then put Mercurochrome smiley faces on them. We’re going to trade shoes and wear them on our hands. We’re going to walk over to Janey Ortiz’s house and say, We’re never ever going to be your friend again forever! We’re going to run home backwards and we’re going to run home frontwards, look twice under the house where the rats hide and I’ll stick one foot in there because you dared me, sky so blue and heaven inside those white clouds. I’m going to peel a scab from my knee and eat it, sneeze on the cat, give you three M & M’s I’ve been saving for you since yesterday, comb your hair with my fingers and braid it into teeny-tiny braids real pretty. We’re going to wave to a lady we don’t know on the bus. Hello! I’m going to somersault on the rail of the front porch even though my chones show. And cut paper dolls we draw ourselves, and color in their clothes with crayons, my arm around your neck.
And when we look at each other, our arms gummy from an orange Popsicle we split, we could be sisters, right? We could be, you and me waiting for our teeths to fall and money. You laughing something into my ear that tickles, and me going Ha Ha Ha Ha. Her and me, my Lucy friend who smells like corn.
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// 2022-7-7
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