So What Are You, Anyway? /by Lawrence Hill
http://edge-integrity.weebly.com/uploads/6/8/9/0/6890635/so_what_are_you_anyway_short_story.pdf
Lí Tàu-té Sī Siáⁿ? | 你到底是啥
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1. Pē-bú pàng lí ko͘-lâng lí-hêng?
Carole chē lo̍h tī 12A chē-ūi, óa thang-á piⁿ, kā yi ê pò͘-ang-á khǹg tī chi̍t-ê khang-ūi, jiân-āu tiak-khui yi ê chhiú-thê-pau. Yi the̍h chhut chi̍t-ê kiàⁿ. Yi khòaⁿ ka-tī ê o͘-sek ba̍k-chiu. Yi koan-chhat ka-tī hit kúi-lia̍p chhiok-pan, hun-pò͘ tī chhùi-phé ê sió o͘-tiám. Yi kiám-cha thiāu-á-chí, m̄-koh bô khòaⁿ tio̍h. Kan-ta khòaⁿ tio̍h chheng-iu ê bīn-phôe, in lāu-pē teh chim yi ām-kún ê sî, ū-sî ē kóng he sek sī "gû-leng gû-leng gû-leng gû-leng chokolat."
"Góa siūⁿ, che sī lí ê." Chi̍t-ê bīn hō͘ ji̍t pha̍k o͘ ê tōa-hàn cha-po͘-lâng tò-tiàu the̍h yi ê pò͘-ang-á.
"Chhiáⁿ kau hō͘ góa, hó bô?" Carole kóng.
I kā pò͘-ang-á se̍h chiàⁿ. "O͘-sek ê pò͘-ang-á! Góa m̄-bat khòaⁿ kòe chit-lō mi̍h!"
"Yi hō-chò Amy. Chhiáⁿ hêng góa hó bô?"
"Henry Norton!" hit-lâng in bó͘ hoah-siaⁿ. "Kín kā pò͘-ang-á hêng yi!"
Carole kā pò͘-ang-á that tī thang-á piⁿ.
Hit-lâng chē tī Carole sin-piⁿ. Cha-bó͘ chē óa kòe-tō ê ūi.
"Mài kòa-ì i," cha-bó͘ kóng, àⁿ hiòng Carole. "Tio̍h, góa sī Betty Norton, iá i sī goán ang, Henry."
Carole piⁿ-á hit-ê lâng pà-chiàm hû-chhiú. I ê kha chhun kàu yi hit-pêng lâi. I iū-koh tiu-tiu khòaⁿ yi.
Khong-chiá kiâⁿ kòe, kiám-cha an-choân tòa. "Ū būn-tê bô?"
"Góa ē-sái khì piān-só͘ chi̍t-ē bô?" Carole mn̄g.
"Lí ē-sái sió jím chi̍t-ē bô? Lán tō boeh khí-poe ah."
"Ē-sái."
Carole khòaⁿ thang-á gōa, khòaⁿ tio̍h Toronto ki-tiûⁿ ê tōa-lâu hiòng āu-bīn tò-thè, m̄-chai yin pē-bú kám ū teh khòaⁿ. Kóng chài-hōe, yi kà Amy, ná iô pò͘-ang-á ê chhiú, kā Mă hām Pă kóng chài-hōe.
Enjín khí-pōng. Yi ê chē-ūi chhut hiⁿ siaⁿ. In tī pháu-tō chhu-kiâⁿ. Tán in seng kàu khong-tiong ê sî, yi kám-kak ūi khang-khang. Yi ê hīⁿ-á āng-āng, it-ti̍t kàu hoe-lêng-ki lia̍h pêⁿ, poe tī chi̍t-thoân chi̍t-thoân ê mî-hoe téng-koân. In siám-sih kah ná ji̍t-thâu hiah mé. He tō sī hûn iáu chi̍t-pêng khòaⁿ khí-lâi ê khoán-iūⁿ.
"Pháiⁿ-sè. Pháiⁿ-sè!" hit-lâng teh tùi yi kóng-ōe. "Lí taⁿ ē-sái khì piān-só͘ ah, lí chai lah hoⁿh."
"Bián, bô tāi-chì ah," Carole kóng.
"Lí chi̍t-lâng lí-hêng, sī bô?"
Carole chia̍h-la̍t thun chi̍t-ē chhùi-nōa.
"Lí tòa tó-ūi?" i mn̄g.
"Don Mills."
"Oh, chin ê?" i kóng. "Lí tī hia chhut-sì hioh?"
"Sī ah."
"Lín pē-bú neh?"
"Goán lāu-bú chhut-sì tī Chicago, iá goán lāu-pē chhut-sì tī Tuscan."
"Lí sī boeh khì thàm lín a-kong hām a-má?"
Yi tìm-thâu.
"Lín pē-bú pàng lí ko͘-lâng lí-hêng?"
"Che kan-ta sī chi̍t-chōa hoe-lêng-ki! Góa í-keng sī chi̍t-ê tōa ko͘-niû ah."
Hit-lâng kā í-pōe pàng khah kē, ná ko̍k-ko̍k chhiò. I sè-siaⁿ hām in bó͘ kóng-ōe.
"M̄-chai!" Carole thiaⁿ tio̍h yi khin-siaⁿ ìn, "Lí mn̄g yi!"
Carole peh-hah, khan Amy ê chhiú, chū án-ne khùn khì. Gîn-khì ê khin-khiang siaⁿ hō͘ yi chhéⁿ lâi, m̄-koh yi thiaⁿ tio̍h hit-tùi ang-bó͘ teh kóng yi, só͘-í yi ba̍k-chiu pó-chhî kheh-kheh.
"Góa m̄-chai lah, Henry," cha-bó͘ kóng. "Mài mn̄g góa. Mn̄g yi."
"Góa chí-sī hòⁿ-kî," i kóng. "Lí kám bē?"
Carole thiaⁿ bē-chin cha-bó͘ ê hôe-tap. M̄-koh, āu-lâi yi thiaⁿ tio̍h yi kóng:
"Góa khòaⁿ bē chhut. Án-ne tùi gín-á bô kong-pêng. Góa bô kòa-ì in ê lām-hoeh, m̄-koh chit-ê sè-kài iáu-bōe chún-pī hó-sè. In m̄-sī che, mā m̄-sī he, Henry, kiò chhéⁿ hit-ê gín-á, khòaⁿ yi boeh chia̍h bô."
Tán hit-lâng phok yi ê keng-thâu ê sî, Carole ba̍k-chiu peh-kim. "Góa tio̍h khì piān-só͘," yi kóng.
"M̄-koh, in boeh sàng chhài-pn̄g lâi ah." hit-lâng kóng.
"Henry, yi nā boeh chhut-lâi, pàng yi chhut-lâi. Yi iáu-sī chi̍t-ê gín-á."
Carole kek chi̍t-ê koài-bīn. Yi tong-jiân m̄-sī gín-á. Yi sī chi̍t-ê siàu-lú! Kō͘ phīⁿ ê, yi ū hoat-tō͘ hun-pia̍t Drambuie, Kahloa, hām Grand Marnier [* 3-chióng kāu-chiú]!
Chi̍t-ē kàu kòe-tō, Carole hoat-kak yi bē-kì-tit Amy.
Henry Norton kā pò͘-ang-á kau hō͘ yi. "Tī chia. Taⁿ, m̄-thang poa̍h-lo̍h hoe-lêng-ki. Piān-só͘ ū chi̍t-ê tōa khang."
"Chiah bô leh!" Carole kóng. "Chiah bô hit-lō tāi-chì!" M̄-koh, iân kòe-tō kiâⁿ, yi iáu sī chù-ì khòaⁿ, bián-tit chin-chiàⁿ ū khang.
Ùi piān-só͘ chhut-lâi, Carole khì chhōe khong-chiá. "Sió-chiá, pháiⁿ-sè, góa ē-sái chē pa̍t-ūi bô?"
Hit-ê cha-bó͘ kat ba̍k-thâu, "Sī án-chóaⁿ?"
"Góa bô kah-ì thang-á."
"Sī án-ne? Kan-ta chit-ê goân-in?"
"Hmh... sī lah."
"Chin put-chū, m̄-koh taⁿ goán bô sî-kan kā lí ōaⁿ-ūi. Goán tng-teh chhut chhài-pn̄g. Lí nā boeh, khah-thêng leh chiah mn̄g góa."
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1. 爸母放你孤人旅行?
Carole 坐落 tī 12A 坐位, 倚窗仔邊, kā 她 ê 布尪仔囥 tī 一个空位, 然後 tiak 開她 ê 手提包. 她提出一个鏡. 她看家己 ê 烏色目睭. 她觀察家己 hit 幾粒雀斑, 分布 tī 喙䫌 ê 小烏點. 她檢查柱仔子, 毋過無看著. 干焦看著清幽 ê 面皮, in 老爸 teh 唚她頷頸 ê 時, 有時會講 he 色是 "牛奶牛奶牛奶牛奶 chokolat."
"我想, 這是你 ê." 一个面 hō͘ 日曝烏 ê 大漢查埔人倒吊提她 ê 布尪仔.
"請交 hō͘ 我, 好無?" Carole 講.
伊 kā 布尪仔踅正. "烏色 ê 布尪仔! 我 m̄-bat 看過這號物!"
"她號做 Amy. 請還我好無?"
"Henry Norton!" 彼人 in 某喝聲. "緊 kā 布尪仔還她!"
Carole kā 布尪仔窒 tī 窗仔邊.
彼人坐 tī Carole 身邊. 查某坐倚過道 ê 位.
"莫掛意伊," 查某講, àⁿ 向 Carole. "著, 我是 Betty Norton, iá 伊是阮翁, Henry."
Carole 邊仔彼个人霸佔扶手. 伊 ê 跤伸到她彼爿來. 伊又閣 tiu-tiu 看她.
空姐行過, 檢查安全帶. "有問題無?"
"我會使去便所一下無?" Carole 問.
"你會使小忍一下無? 咱 tō 欲起飛 ah."
"會使."
Carole 看窗仔外, 看著 Toronto 機場 ê 大樓向後面倒退, 毋知姻爸母敢有 teh 看. 講再會, 她教 Amy, ná 搖布尪仔 ê 手, kā Mă 和 Pă 講再會.
Enjín 起磅. 她 ê 坐位出 hiⁿ 聲. In tī 跑道趨行. 等 in 升到空中 ê 時, 她感覺胃空空. 她 ê 耳仔 āng-āng, 一直到飛行機掠平, 飛 tī 一團一團 ê 棉花頂懸. In 閃爍 kah ná 日頭 hiah 猛. 彼 tō 是雲猶一爿看起來 ê 款樣.
"歹勢. 歹勢!" 彼人 teh tùi 她講話. "你今會使去便所 ah, 你知 lah hoⁿh."
"免, 無代誌 ah," Carole 講.
"你一人旅行, 是無?"
Carole 食力吞一下喙瀾.
"你蹛佗位?" 伊問.
"Don Mills."
"Oh, 真 ê?" 伊講. "你 tī hia 出世 hioh?"
"是 ah."
"恁爸母 neh?"
"阮老母出世 tī Chicago, iá 阮老爸出世 tī Tuscan."
"你是欲去探恁阿公和阿媽?"
她頕頭.
"恁爸母放你孤人旅行?"
"這干焦是一逝飛行機! 我已經是一个大姑娘 ah."
彼人 kā 椅背放較低, ná ko̍k-ko̍k 笑. 伊細聲和 in 某講話.
"毋知!" Carole 聽著她輕聲應, "你問她!"
Carole peh-hah, 牽 Amy ê 手, 自 án-ne 睏去. 銀器 ê khin-khiang 聲 hō͘ 她醒來, 毋過她聽著彼對翁某 teh 講她, 所以她目睭保持瞌瞌.
"我毋知 lah, Henry," 查某講. "莫問我. 問她."
"我只是好奇," 伊講. "你敢袂?"
Carole 聽袂真查某 ê 回答. 毋過, 後來她聽著她講:
"我看袂出. Án-ne 對囡仔無公平. 我無掛意 in ê 濫血, 毋過這个世界猶未準備好勢. In 毋是這, mā 毋是彼, Henry, 叫醒彼个囡仔, 看她欲食無."
等彼人撲她 ê 肩頭 ê 時, Carole 目睭擘金. "我著去便所," 她講.
"毋過, in 欲送菜飯來 ah." 彼人講.
"Henry, 她若欲出來, 放她出來. 她猶是一个囡仔."
Carole 激一个怪面. 她當然毋是囡仔. 她是一个少女! Kō͘ 鼻 ê, 她有法度分別 Drambuie, Kahloa, hām Grand Marnier [* 3 種厚酒]!
一下到過道, Carole 發覺她袂記得 Amy.
Henry Norton kā 布尪仔交 hō͘ 她. "Tī chia. 今, 毋通跋落飛行機. 便所有一个大空."
"才無 leh!" Carole 講. "才無彼號代誌!" 毋過, 沿過道行, 她猶是注意看, 免得真正有空.
Ùi 便所出來, Carole 去揣空姐. "小姐, 歹勢, 我會使坐別位無?"
彼个查某結目頭, "是按怎?"
"我無佮意窗仔."
"是 án-ne? 干焦這个原因?"
"Hmh... 是 lah."
"真不住, 毋過今阮無時間 kā 你換位. 阮 tng-teh 出菜飯. 你若欲, khah 停 leh 才問我."
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1.
Carole settles in Seat 12A, beside the window, puts her doll on a vacant seat and snaps open her purse. She holds up a mirror. She looks into her own dark eyes. She examines her handful of freckles, which are tiny ink spots dotting her cheeks. She checks for pimples, but finds none. Only the clear complexion that her father sometimes calls “milk milk milk milk chocolate” as he burrows into her neck with kisses.
“This is yours, I believe.” A big man with a sunburnt face is holding her doll upside down.
“May I have her please?” Carole says.
He turns the doll right side up. “A black doll! I never saw such a thing!”
“Her name’s Amy. May I have her please?”
“Henry Norton!” cries the man’s wife. “Give that doll back this instant!”
Carole tucks the doll close to the window.
The man sits beside Carole. The woman takes the aisles seat.
“Don’t mind him,” the woman says, leaning towards Carole. “By the way, I’m Betty Norton, and he’s my husband, Henry.”
The man next to Carole hogs the armrest. His feet sprawl onto her side. And he keeps looking at her.
The stewardess passes by, checking seat belts. “Everything okay?”
“May I go to the bathroom?” Carole asks.
“Do you think you could wait? We’re about to take off.”
“Okay.”
Carole looks out the window, sees the Toronto airport buildings fall behind and wonders if her parents are watching. Say goodbye, she instructs Amy, waving the doll’s hand, say goodbye to Mom and Dad.
The engines charge to life. Her seat hums. They taxi down the runway. She feels a hollowness in her stomach when they lift into the air. Her ears plug and stay that way until the plane levels out over pillows of cotton. They burn as bright as the sun. So that is what the other side of the clouds look like!
“Excuse me. Excuse me!” The man is talking to her. “You can go to the bathroom now, you know.”
“No, that’s all right,” Carole says.
“Traveling all alone, are you?”
Carole swallows with difficulty.
“Where do you live?” he asks.
“Don Mills.”
“Oh, really?” he says. “Were you born there?”
“Yes.”
“And your parents?”
“My mother was born in Chicago and my father was born in Tuscan.”
“And you’re going to visit your grandparents?”
She nods.
“And your parents let you travel alone!”
“It’s only an airplane ride! And I’m a big girl.”
The man lowers the back of his seat, chuckling. He whispers to his wife. “No!” Carole hears her whisper back, “You ask her!”
Carole yawns, holds Amy’s hand and goes to sleep. The clinking of silverware wakens her, but she hears the man and woman talking about her, so she keeps her eyes shut.
“I don’t know, Henry,” says the woman. “Don’t ask me. Ask her.”
“I’m kind of curious,” he says. “Aren’t you?”
Carole can’t make out the woman’s answer. But then she hears her say:
“I just can’t see. It’s not fair to children. I don’t mind them mixed, but the world isn’t ready for it. They’re neither one thing nor the other, Henry, wake that child and see if she wants to eat.”
When the man taps her shoulder, Carole opens her eyes. “I have to go to the bathroom,” she says.
“But they’re going to serve the meal,” the man says.
“Henry! If she wants out, let her out. She’s only a child.”
Carole grimaces. She is definitely not a child. She is a young lady! She can identify Drambuie, Kahlua, and Grand Marnier by smell!
Once in the aisle, Carole realizes she has forgotten Amy.
Henry Norton hands her the doll. “There you go. And don’t fall out of the plane, now. There’s a big hole down by the toilet.”
“There is not!” Carole says. “There isn’t any such thing!” She heads down the aisle with an eye out just in case there is a hole, after all.
Coming out of the toilet, Carole finds the stewardess. “Excuse me, miss. Could I sit somewhere else?”
The woman frowns, “Why?”
“I don’t like the window.”
“Is that it? Is that the only reason?”
“Well…yes.”
“I’m sorry, but we don’t have time to move you now. We’re serving a meal. Ask me later, if you like.”
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