https://cyc-net.org/cyc-online/cycol-0401-paton.html
Ha'penny
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1. Che sī Kok-ka hō͘ góa ê jīm-bū
Tī kiáu-chèng-só͘ ê 600-ê cha-po͘ gín-á tiong-kan, ū tāi-iok 100-ê sī 10- chì 14-hòe ê gín-á.
Goán Pō͘-mn̂g put-sî piáu-sī, phah-sǹg boeh kā in chhōa cháu, boeh te̍k-pia̍t ūi in siat chi̍t-ê tan-ūi, pí kiáu-chèng-só͘ khah sêng chi̍t-keng kang-gia̍p ha̍k-hāu. Che goân-pún sī chi̍t-kiāⁿ hó-sū, in-ūi in só͘ hoān ê sī khin-chōe, hō͘ in ùi chia hun-khui mā tùi in khah hó. Nā siat-li̍p chit-chióng ha̍k-hāu, góa goān-ì khì tam-jīm hāu-tiúⁿ, in-ūi án-ne khang-khòe tō khah khin-khó; sè-hàn cha-po͘ gín-á ê pún-sèng khah tiōng kám-chêng, án-ne tō khah hó kō͘ chū-jiân, khin-sang ê hong-sek lâi éng-hióng in.
In tiong-kan ū chi̍t-kóa lâng, tī góa óa-kīn in ê sî, bô-lūn sī iû-hêng, a̍h tī hāu-lāi a̍h that kha-kiû ê sî, ē chim-chiok chù-ì góa, m̄-sī ti̍t-chiap a̍h chhim-ji̍p ê koan-chhat, sī siâ-siâ, thau-thau-á teh koan-chhat; ū-sî góa kek hō͘ in kiaⁿ chi̍t-tiô, koh piáu-sī góa chai in teh koan-chhat góa, án-ne tō hō͘ in kám-kak móa-ì, tō bô koh koan-chhat góa, tō choan-sim tī hit-sî ê sū-hāng téng-bīn. M̄-koh, góa chai-iáⁿ, góa ê khoân-ui tī chia tit-tio̍h khak-jīn hām ka-kiông.
Hām in ê chit-chióng pì-bi̍t koan-hē, tùi góa lâi kóng, sī put-toān ê khoài-lo̍k lâi-goân. Jû-kó in sī góa ka-tī ê gín-á, góa tiāⁿ-tio̍h tùi che ē ū koh-khah tōa ê hoán-èng. M̄-koh, góa tiāⁿ-tiāⁿ nǹg-kòe chēng-chēng, sūn-sī ê iû-hêng tūi-ngó͘, khiā tī in tiong-kan chi̍t-lâng sin-piⁿ. I tō ba̍k-thâu sió-khóa kat-kat, choan-sim ti̍t-ti̍t khòaⁿ i thâu-chêng hit-lâng, tùi góa ê chiap-kīn hián-sī chi̍t-ê gín-á ê tì-kak, koh kek chi̍t-ê tōa-lâng ê m̄-chhap. Ū-sî, góa kā i ê hīⁿ-á giú chi̍t-ē, i tō tùi góa kek chi̍t-ê piáu-sī hó-ì ê chhiò-bīn, a̍h ba̍k-thâu kat koh-khah ân, piáu-sī i ê choan-sim. Góa siūⁿ, kā chiah-ê gōa-chāi ê piáu-ta̍t hān-chè tī sè-sè ê sū-hāng, hō͘ in kan-ta sī chi̍t-chióng siōng-teng, chi̍t-kóa khah tōa ê gín-á tō ē-hiáu koan-chhat che, chai che piáu-sī in tit-tio̍h chiap-siū. Tī kiáu-chèng-só͘ keng-le̍k iô-tāng hām mâ-hoân ê sî, koh tī tong-kio̍k hām gín-á tiong-kan ū sán-seng so͘-oán ê hûi-hiám ê sî, chò chit-chióng kán-tan koh chū-jiân ê tōng-chok sī chi̍t-ê kái-thoat, che tùi góa hām in lóng sī chi̍t-chióng pó-chèng: bô siáⁿ-mih tiōng-iàu ê piàn-hòa.
Lé-pài-ji̍t ē-po͘ góa ti̍t-pan ê sî, góa kā chhia sái kàu kiáu-chèng-só͘, khòaⁿ chū-iû ê gín-á chhiam-miâ chhut-gōa. bē-tàng chū-iû chhut-khì ê gín-á mā teh koan-khòaⁿ chit-ê chhiú-sio̍k, in tō hō͘-siong án-ne kóng, "koh bô kúi lé-pài, góa tō ē-tàng ka-tī chhiam-miâ chhut-gōa." Tī koan-khòaⁿ ê tiong-kan, chóng-sī ū chi̍t-kóa sè-hàn gín-á, chiah-ê góa tō lûn-liû hō͘ in chē góa ê chhia. Goán tō chhut-khì Potchefstroom Lō͘, hia ū lâu bô-thêng ê chhia-tīn, jiân-āu khì Baragwanath kau-chhe lō͘, jiân-āu sūn Van Wyksrus Lō͘ tńg-lâi kiáu-chèng-só͘. Góa ē thàm-mn̄g in ka-têng, in pē-bú, in hiaⁿ-tī chí-mōe ê chêng-hêng, góa mā ē ké-kúi góa tùi Durban, Port Elizabeth, Potchefstroom, hām Clocolan bô siáⁿ kài-liām, tō mn̄g in hiah-ê só͘-chāi kám ē pí Johannesburg khah tōa.
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Kî-tiong chi̍t-ê sè-hàn gín-á kiò Ha'penny, tāi-khài 12 hòe. I ùi Bloemfontein lâi, sī in tiong-kan siōng ài kóng-ōe ê lâng. In lāu-bú tī chi̍t-ê pe̍h-lâng ka-têng kang-chok, i ū nn̄g-ê hiaⁿ-tī hām nn̄g-ê chí-mōe. In hiaⁿ-tī hō-chò Richard hām Dickie, chí-mōe hō-chò Anna hām Mina.
"Richard hām Dickie?" góa mn̄g.
"Sī, lāu-su."
"Tī Eng-gí lâi kóng, Richard hām Dickie sī kāng chi̍t-ê miâ."
Tán goán tńg kàu kiáu-chèng-só͘ ê sî, góa niá chhut Ha'penny ê bûn-kiāⁿ; hia bêng-bêng án-ne siá; Ha'penny sī chi̍t-ê liû-lōng-jî, kin-pún bô chhin-chiâⁿ. I hông ùi chi̍t-ê ka-têng sóa kàu lēng-gōa chi̍t-ê, m̄-koh i chin gia̍t, bô hó koán-chè, lo̍h-bóe in-ūi tī chhī-tiûⁿ thau mi̍h-kiāⁿ hông chang tio̍h. Jiân-āu góa khì tiàu thong-sìn-phō͘, hoat-hiān Ha'penny chin chia̍p siá-phe, a̍h sī kóng, ū pa̍t-lâng thè i siá-phe, it-ti̍t kàu i ē-hiáu ka-tī siá, i siá-phe kià kàu Bloemfontein, Vlak Ke 48 Hō, hō͘ Betty Maarman Tt [thài-thài]. M̄-koh Maarman Tt m̄-bat kā hôe-phe, chi̍t-pái mā bô. Tán góa kā mn̄g ê sî, i kóng, "Hoān-sè yi lâng phòa-pēⁿ." Góa chē lo̍h-lâi, má-siōng siá-phe hō͘ Bloemfontein ê Siā-hōe Hok-lī Kio̍k, chhiáⁿ in tiâu-cha chi̍t-ē.
Koh loeh hit-kái, góa hō͘ Ha'penny chē-chhia chhut-khì ê sî, góa koh mn̄g i ê ka-têng. I kă kóng ê hām téng-hôe kāng-khoán, in lāu-bú, Richard hām Dickie, Anna hām Mina. M̄-koh, i kā Dickie ê "D" kóng kah chin khin, só͘-í thiaⁿ khí-lâi kài sêng Tickie.
"Góa kiò-sī lí kóng Dickie," góa kóng.
"Góa kóng ê sī Tickie," i kóng.
I lia̍h góa khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē, am-khàm i ê sim-kiaⁿ, góa ê kiat-lūn sī: chit-ê Bloemfontein liû-lōng-jî sī chi̍t-ê khiáu gín-á, i só͘ kóng ê kò͘-sū lóng sī i pian ê, kan-ta kái-piàn kî-tiong chi̍t-ê jī-bó, án-ne tō bô lâng ē hoâi-gî. Góa mā siūⁿ-kóng góa oân-choân liáu-kái it-chhè, i kiàn-siàu ka-tī bô ka-têng, tō ka-tī hoat-bêng chhù-lāi lâng, án-ne tō bô-lâng chai i bô-pē bô-bú, sè-kan bô-lâng koan-sim i ê sí-oa̍h. Che hō͘ góa tùi i sán-seng tōa kám-chêng, góa chīn-la̍t tùi i piáu-hiān lāu-pē ê koan-hoâi, che sī Kok-ka kau-tài hō͘ góa ê jīm-bū, sui-bóng bûn-jī siōng m̄-sī án-ne siá.
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1. 這是國家 hō͘ 我 ê 任務
Tī 矯正所 ê 600 个查埔囡仔中間, 有大約 100 个是 10 至 14 歲 ê 囡仔.
阮部門不時表示, 拍算欲 kā in chhōa 走, 欲特別為 in 設一个單位, 比矯正所較成一間工業學校. 這原本是一件好事, 因為 in 所犯 ê 是輕罪, hō͘ in ùi chia 分開 mā tùi in 較好. 若設立這種學校, 我願意去擔任校長, 因為 án-ne 工課 tō 較輕可; 細漢查埔囡仔 ê 本性較重感情, án-ne tō 較好 kō͘ 自然, 輕鬆 ê 方式來影響 in.
In 中間有一寡人, tī 我倚近 in ê 時, 無論是遊行, a̍h tī 校內 a̍h 踢跤球 ê 時, ē 斟酌注意我, 毋是直接 a̍h 深入 ê 觀察, 是斜斜, 偷偷仔 teh 觀察; 有時我激 hō͘ in 驚一趒, koh 表示我知 in teh 觀察我, án-ne tō hō͘ in 感覺滿意, tō 無 koh 觀察我, tō 專心 tī 彼時 ê 事項頂面. 毋過, 我知影, 我 ê 權威 tī chia 得著確認和加強.
和 in ê 這種祕密關係, tùi 我來講, 是不斷 ê 快樂來源. 如果 in 是我家己 ê 囡仔, 我定著 tùi 這 ē 有閣較大 ê 反應. 毋過, 我定定軁過靜靜, 順序 ê 遊行隊伍, 徛 tī in 中間一人身邊. 伊 tō 目頭小可結結, 專心直直看伊頭前彼人, tùi 我 ê 接近顯示一个囡仔 ê 致覺, koh 激一个大人 ê 毋插. 有時, 我 kā 伊 ê 耳仔搝一下, 伊 tō tùi 我激一个表示好意 ê 笑面, a̍h 目頭結閣較絚, 表示伊 ê 專心. 我想, kā chiah-ê 外在 ê 表達限制 tī 細細 ê 事項, hō͘ in 干焦是一種象徵, 一寡較大 ê 囡仔 tō 會曉觀察這, 知這表示 in 得著接受. Tī 矯正所經歷搖動和麻煩 ê 時, koh tī 當局和囡仔中間有產生疏遠 ê 危險 ê 時, 做這種簡單 koh 自然 ê 動作是一个解脫, 這 tùi 我和 in lóng 是一種保證: 無啥物重要 ê 變化.
禮拜日下晡我值班 ê 時, 我 kā 車駛到矯正所, 看自由 ê 囡仔簽名出外. 袂當自由出去 ê 囡仔 mā teh 觀看這个手續, in tō 互相 án-ne 講, "koh 無幾禮拜, 我 tō 會當家己簽名出外." Tī 觀看 ê 中間, 總是有一寡細漢囡仔, chiah-ê 我 tō 輪流 hō͘ in 坐我 ê 車. 阮 tō 出去 Potchefstroom 路, hia 有流無停 ê 車陣, 然後去 Baragwanath 交叉路, 然後順 Van Wyksrus 路轉來矯正所. 我 ē 探問 in 家庭, in 爸母, in 兄弟姊妹 ê 情形, 我 mā ē 假鬼我 tùi Durban, Port Elizabeth, Potchefstroom, 和 Clocolan 無啥概念, tō 問 in hiah-ê 所在敢會比 Johannesburg 較大.
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其中一个細漢囡仔叫 Ha'penny, 大概 12 歲. 伊 ùi Bloemfontein 來, 是 in 中間上愛講話 ê 人. In 老母 tī 一个白人家庭工作, 伊有兩个兄弟和兩个姊妹. In 兄弟號做 Richard 和 Dickie, 姊妹號做 Anna 和 Mina.
"Richard 和 Dickie?" 我問.
"是, 老師."
"Tī 英語來講, Richard 和 Dickie 是仝一个名."
等阮轉到矯正所 ê 時, 我領出 Ha'penny ê 文件; hia 明明 án-ne 寫; Ha'penny 是一个流浪兒, 根本無親情. 伊 hông ùi 一个家庭徙到另外一个, 毋過伊真孽, 無好管制, 落尾因為 tī 市場偷物件 hông 㨑著. 然後我去調通信簿, 發現 Ha'penny 真捷寫批, a̍h 是講, 有別人替伊寫批, 一直到伊會曉家己寫, 伊寫批寄到 Bloemfontein, Vlak 街 48 號, hō͘ Betty Maarman Tt [thài-thài]. 毋過 Maarman Tt m̄-bat kā 回批, 一擺 mā 無. 等我 kā 問 ê 時, 伊講, "凡勢她人破病." 我坐落來, 馬上寫批 hō͘ Bloemfontein ê 社會福利局, 請 in 調查一下.
Koh loeh 彼改, 我 hō͘ Ha'penny 坐車出去 ê 時, 我 koh 問伊 ê 家庭. 伊 kă 講 ê 和頂回仝款, in 老母, Richard 和 Dickie, Anna 和 Mina. 毋過, 伊 kā Dickie ê "D" 講 kah 真輕, 所以聽起來蓋成 Tickie.
"我叫是你講 Dickie," 我講.
"我講 ê 是 Tickie," 伊講.
伊掠我看一下, 掩崁伊 ê 心驚, 我 ê 結論是: 這个 Bloemfontein 流浪兒是一个巧囡仔, 伊所講 ê 故事 lóng 是伊編 ê, 干焦改變其中一个字母, án-ne tō 無人 ē 懷疑. 我 mā 想講我完全了解一切, 伊見笑家己無家庭, tō 家己發明厝內人, án-ne tō 無人知伊無爸無母, 世間無人關心伊 ê 死活. 這 hō͘ 我 tùi 伊產生大感情, 我盡力 tùi 伊表現老爸 ê 關懷, 這是國家交代 hō͘ 我 ê 任務, 雖罔文字上毋是 án-ne 寫.
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1.
Of the six hundred boys at the reformatory, about one hundred were from ten to fourteen years of age.
My Department had from time to time expressed the intention of taking them away, and of establishing a special institution for them, more like an industrial school than a reformatory. This would have been a good thing, for their offences were very trivial, and they would have been better by themselves. Had such a school been established, I should have liked to be Principal of it myself, for it would have been an easier job; small boys turn instinctively towards affection, and one controls them by it, naturally and easily.
Some of them, if I came near them, either on parade or in school or at football, would observe me watchfully, not directly or fully, but obliquely and secretly; sometimes I would surprise them at it, and make some small sign of recognition, which would satisfy them so that they would cease to observe me, and would give their full attention to the event of the moment. But I knew that my authority was thus confirmed and strengthened.
The secret relations with them were a source of continuous pleasure to me. Had they been my own children I would no doubt have given a greater expression to it. But often I would move through the silent and orderly parade, and stand by one of them. He would look straight in front of him with a little frown of concentration that expressed both childish awareness of and manly indifference to my nearness. Sometimes I would tweak his ear, and he would give me a brief smile of acknowledgement, or frown with still greater concentration. It was natural, I suppose, to confine these outward expressions to the very smallest, but they were taken as symbolic, and some older boys would observe them and take themselves to be included. It was a relief, when the reformatory was passing through times of turbulence and trouble, and when there was danger of estrangement between authority and boys, to make these simple and natural gestures, which were reassurances to both me and them that nothing important had changed.
On Sunday afternoons when I was on duty I would take my car to the reformatory and watch the free boys being signed out at the gate. The simple operation was also watched by many boys not free, who would tell each other, “In so many weeks I'll be signed out myself.” Among the watchers were always some of the small boys, and these I would take by turns in the car. We would go out to the Potchefstroom Road with its ceaseless stream of traffic, and to the Baragwanath crossroads, and come back by the Van Wyksrus road to the reformatory. I would talk to them about their families, their parents, their sisters and brothers, and I would pretend to know nothing of Durban, Port Elizabeth, Potchefstroom, and Clocolan, and ask them if these places were bigger than Johannesburg.
* * *
One of the small boys was Ha'penny, and he was about twelve years old. He came from Bloemfontein and was the biggest talker of them all. His mother worked in a white person's house, and he had two brothers and two sisters. His brothers were Richard and Dickie, and his sisters Anna and Mina.
"Richard and Dickie?" I asked.
"Yes, meneer."
"In English," I said, “Richard and Dickie are the same name."
When we returned to the reformatory, I sent for Ha'penny's papers; there it was plainly set down, Ha'penny was a waif, with no relatives at all. He had been taken from one home to another, but he was naughty and uncontrollable, and eventually had taken to pilfering at the market. I then sent for the Letter Book, and found that Ha'penny wrote regularly, or rather that others wrote for him till he could write himself, to Mrs Betty Maarman, of 48 Vlak Street, Bloemfontein. But Mrs Maarman had never once replied to him. When questioned, he had said, “Perhaps she is sick." I sat down and wrote at once to the Social Welfare Officer in Bloemfontein, asking him to investigate.
The next time I had Ha'penny out in the car I questioned him again about his family. And he told me the same as before, his mother, Richard and Dickie, Anna and Mina. But he softened the 'D' of Dickie, so that it sounded now like Tickie.
"I thought you said Dickie," I said.
"I said Tickie," he said.
He watched me with concealed apprehension, and I came to the conclusion that this waif of Bloemfontein was a clever boy, who had told me a story that was all imagination, and had changed one single letter of it to make it safe from any question. And I thought I understood it all too, that he was ashamed of being without a family and had invented them all, so that no one might discover that he was fatherless and motherless and that no one in the world cared whether he was alive or dead. This gave me a strong feeling for him, and I went out of my way to manifest towards him that fatherly care that the State, though not in those words, had enjoined upon me by giving me this job.
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