Z2 Ma, Mĕ, k' Góa | 媽, 妹 k' 我 / by Manlajo, 1967
Saturday, April 18, 2026
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
5. 離別 ê 日子
5. Lī-pia̍t ê ji̍t-chí
Nn̄g lé-pài ê sî-kan chiâⁿ té, chi̍t-ē tō kòe-khì ah. Góa ê seng-lí lú chò lú ōng, ha̍k-hùi mā í-keng ū-kàu ah. Che sī le̍k-lâi tē-it kái kō͘ ka-tī thàn ê chîⁿ chù-chheh, góa kám-kak bô-hān ê hoaⁿ-hí kap an-ùi.
Lī-pia̍t ê hit-kang, a-bú thêng pòaⁿ-kang ê seng-lí, koh-chài chú hó-liāu hō͘ góa chia̍h, sàng góa lī-khui. Saⁿ-kang chêng, sió-mōe tō khì Hoa-liân chham-ka khó-chhì ah. Chit-pái yi bē-hù sàng góa khì chē hóe-chhia, hō͘ góa kám-kak chin bē koàn-sì. Ta̍k-pái góa chiūⁿ-pak, chóng-sī sió-mōe pang góa the̍h hêng-lí kàu chhia-thâu. Hóe-chhia boeh khui chìn-chêng, yi chóng-sī ài tùi góa chài-saⁿ teng-lêng che kap he, kap a-bú kāng-khoán kāng-khoán. Hóe-chhia chi̍t-ē khui-tāng, yi sèx ê chhiú tō it-ti̍t ia̍t, it-ti̍t kàu góa khòaⁿ bē-tio̍h yi ê hêng-iáⁿ, chin-chiàⁿ ín-lâng kám-kak bô-hān ê lī-pia̍t ai-chhiû.
Chit-kang, a-bú te̍k-pia̍t kā cha-hng lâu lo̍h-lâi ê phang-koe pau tī sè nâ-á ni̍h, kiò góa chah tio̍h.
"Chhùi-ta ê sî thang-hó chia̍h, kàu ha̍k-hāu mā thang-hó chhiáⁿ tông-o̍h chia̍h."
"Koh-ū," a-bú koh kau-tài chi̍t-kù ōe: "m̄-thang bē-kì-tit siá-phe tńg-lâi chhù. Sui-bong góa m̄-bat jī, tān-sī ta̍k-pái siu-tio̍h lí kià ê phe, góa tō kám-kak chin an-ùi."
Nn̄g-kò-goe̍h kòe-khì ah. Sió-mōe í-keng lo̍k-chhú Hoa-liân Su-choan, mā í-keng khai-ha̍k ah, lâu a-bú ka-tī chi̍t-lâng tī chhù. Góa khǹg yi mài koh bē peng-chúi ah, in-ūi yi tńg-se̍h bē kòe-lâi. Tī yi pài-thok lâng tāi-pit siá lâi ê phe ni̍h, a-bú án-ne kóng:
"... Kīn-lâi chhiâng-chāi lo̍h-hō͘; só͘-í góa kā seng-lí pàng-tiāu ah lah. Múi-ji̍t kan-ta thè lâng sé-saⁿ, soah kám-kak siuⁿ êng neh. Ji̍t-chêng, kap Ek-hoat Siang-hâng chiap-hia̍p hó-sè, thè in kô͘ chóa-a̍p-á, kô͘ 3-ê chi̍t-kak, í-keng chò kúi-nā kang ah, kám-kak sī khin-sang khin-sang. In-ūi sī kiam-chhai ê sèng-chit, bē kám-kak án-chóaⁿ thiám lah..."
Tha̍k liáu a-bú ê phe, góa put-kìm koh sióng-siōng khí, tī chhim-ia̍h ni̍h, a-bú tī ko͘-teng ē-bīn kô͘ chóa-a̍p-á; ū-sî taⁿ-thâu khòaⁿ piah-téng a-pa ê ûi-siōng kap goán choân-ke kì-liām-chiàu ê hit-chióng chêng-kéng...
(Soah)
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5. 離別 ê 日子
兩禮拜 ê 時間誠短, 一下 tō 過去 ah. 我 ê 生理 lú 做 lú 旺, 學費 mā 已經有夠 ah. 這是歷來第一改 kō͘ ka-tī 趁 ê 錢註冊, 我感覺無限 ê 歡喜 kap 安慰.
離別 ê 彼工, 阿母停半工 ê 生理, 閣再煮好料 hō͘ 我食, 送我離開. 三工前, 小妹 tō 去花蓮參加考試 ah. 這擺她袂赴送我去坐火車, hō͘ 我感覺真袂慣勢. 逐擺我上北, 總是小妹幫我提行李到車頭. 火車欲開進前, 她總是愛對我再三叮嚀 che kap he, kap 阿母仝款仝款. 火車一下開動, 她細細 ê 手 tō 一直擛, 一直到我看袂著她 ê 形影, 真正引人感覺無限 ê 離別哀愁.
這工, 阿母特別 kā 昨昏留落來 ê 芳瓜包 tī 細籃仔 ni̍h, 叫我扎著.
"喙焦 ê 時通好食, 到學校 mā 通好請同學食."
"閣有," 阿母 koh 交代一句話: "毋通袂記得寫批轉來厝. 雖罔我毋捌字, 但是逐擺收著你寄 ê 批, 我 tō 感覺真安慰."
兩個月過去 ah. 小妹已經錄取花蓮師專, mā 已經開學 ah, 留阿母 ka-tī 一人 tī 厝. 我勸她莫 koh 賣冰水 ah, 因為她轉踅袂過來. Tī 她拜託人代筆寫來 ê 批 ni̍h, 阿母 án-ne 講:
"... 近來常在落雨; 所以我 kā 生理放掉 ah lah. 每日 kan-ta 替人洗衫, 煞感覺 siuⁿ 閒 neh. 日前, kap 益發商行接洽好勢, 替 in 糊紙盒仔, 糊 3 个一角, 已經做幾若工 ah, 感覺是輕鬆輕鬆. 因為是兼差 ê 性質, 袂感覺按怎忝 lah..."
讀了阿母 ê 批, 我不禁 koh 想像起, 深夜 ni̍h, 阿母 tī 孤燈下面糊紙盒仔; 有時 taⁿ 頭看壁頂阿爸 ê 遺像 kap 阮全家紀念照 ê 彼種情境...
(煞)
--
5.
兩個禮拜的時間是那麼短促，一下子就過去了，我的生意越做越興隆，學費也籌足了，這是歷年來註冊時用自己賺的錢第一次，我感到無限的欣慰。
離別的那天，媽媽停止了半天的生意，又幫我餞別了一番。三天前妹妹就到花蓮去參加考試了。這回她沒來得及送我上火車，倒使我十分不習慣。每次我北上都是妹妹幫我拿行李到車站。車子臨開前，她總是要對我再三叮嚀些什麼的，就和媽媽完全一樣。車子一開，她的小手一直揮動，直到我看不清她的影子，真令人感到無限別離的哀愁。
這天，媽媽把昨天特地留下的香瓜包在小籃中，叫我帶著。
「口渴了好吃，帶到學校也好請同學客。」
「還有，」媽媽又交代了一句：「別忘了寫信回家。我雖然不識字，但每當收到你寄回的信，我就感到很安慰。」
兩個月過去了。妹妹考上了花蓮師專，也已經開學了。留下媽媽一個人在家裡。我勸她不要再賣冷飲了，因為她是忙不過來的。在她托人寫的來信中，媽媽說：
「……近日常下雨；因此，我把生意放了。每日只替人洗衣，都覺太閒了些。目前，向益發商行洽妥，替他們粘紙盒，每三個一角。已工作數日，倒覺輕鬆。因為是兼業，在家中每粘到夜深，也不覺得累。……」
讀了她的信，我不禁又想像起深夜中，媽媽在孤燈下粘著紙盒；偶而抬頭望望壁上爸爸的遺像和我們全家紀念照的那種情景……
=
4. 兩禮拜 ê 實習
4. Nn̄g lé-pài ê si̍t-si̍p
"Ma" góa kóng, "góa ū nn̄g lé-pài ê kà-kî, chit nn̄g lé-pài seng-lí hō͘ góa lâi hōaⁿ, thang-hó hō͘ Ma hioh-khùn chi̍t-ē."
"Góa chiah bô-ài lí o̍h chò chit-khoán seng-lí. Ha̍k-seng mah, pàng-joa̍h tō hóx hioh-khùn, ū-êng chiah kā góa tàu kha-chhiú chi̍t-ē tō hó ah. Goa̍t-chu mā sī chi̍t-kang kàu àm boeh thè góa ê kha-chhiú, góa lóng m̄-khéng; taⁿ yi iáu-bōe khó-chhì, iáu-sī kong-khò khah iàu-kín lah. Sui-bóng góa bē-tàng hō͘ yi khì chham-ka pó͘-si̍p-pan, m̄-koh tī chhù tha̍k-chheh ê sî-kan, góa sī bē kā pak-toa̍t lah." a-bú án-ne kóng, ū kúi-hun ê siong-kám.
"Ma, lí ê koan-liām m̄-tio̍h; sú-ká hō͘ góa chò seng-lí, sī hō͘ góa chi̍t-ê chin hó ê si̍t-si̍p ki-hōe." Góa koh kóng: "Tī ha̍k-hāu, góa ū o̍h chin chē lí-lūn: chhin-chhiūⁿ kóng, khì-gia̍p koán-lí, kò͘-kheh sim-lí, téngx, m̄-koh lóng bô si̍t-chè èng-iōng kòe. Lí ē-sái hō͘ góa lī-iōng chit-ê sú-ká, ùi chò sió seng-lí khai-sí si̍t-si̍p." Góa poaⁿ-chhut ha̍k-hāu ê khò-têng, kā a-bú heh-kiaⁿ chi̍t-ē.
"Hiaⁿ khéng si̍t-si̍p tī o̍h-tn̂g só͘ o̍h ê lí-lūn, chin-chiàⁿ sī hó ha̍k-seng neh." Sió-mōe éngx khiā tī góa chit-pêng: "án-ne mā ē-tàng hō͘ i ū chi̍t-ê chhì-kek ê sú-ká, koh tńg-khì ha̍k-hāu hó-thang kā in tông-o̍h pûn-ke-kui, kóng i án-chóaⁿ tú án-chóaⁿ, bô lōng-hùi chit nn̄g lé-pài."
"Sī lah, Ma, nā bô tāi-chì chò, góa chin-chiàⁿ ē bô-liâu..sí. Li̍p-chì í-keng khì Sêng-kong Niá, kî-thaⁿ ê chho͘-tiong tông-o̍h kin-nî mā lóng teh bô-êng chún-pī tāi-ha̍k ê ji̍p-ha̍k khó-chhì, sûi-lâng bô-êng chhihx, kiò góa lâu tī chhù-lāi mài chò tāi-chì, chin-chiàⁿ m̄-sī chu-bī neh."
Lo̍h-bóe, góa kap a-bú ta̍t-sêng hia̍p-gī. Yi chú-tiuⁿ, seng-lí kè-sio̍k iû yi hōaⁿ, chí-sī koh poaⁿ chi̍t-tè toh-á kòe-lâi ke bē chi̍t-kóa chúi-kó, iû góa lâi pang-bâng bé-bē.
Chheng-chá, a-bú tú chún-pī boeh chú chá-tǹg, sió-mōe í-keng teh tha̍k-chheh, góa the̍h chi̍t-kha láng-á kiâⁿ chhut-mn̂g. A-bú hō͘ góa chi̍t-kóa chîⁿ, kiò góa khì chúi-kó-hâng bé kóa phang-koe kap keng-chio. In-ūi goán bô tiān peng-siuⁿ, a-bú bô hi-bāng bé siuⁿ chē, bián-tit bān-it bē bô liáu hùi-khì. Kî-si̍t goán mā bô hiah chho͘ ê pún-chîⁿ.
Chúi-kó-hâng ni̍h lāu-jia̍t kúnx, hoàn-á lóng chin chá tō chhut-mn̂g ah, sûi-lâng khai-sí chi̍t-kang ê sit-thâu. Góa bé chi̍t-kóa khah se̍k ê chúi-kó, chng-móa tī láng-á, giâ tńg-lâi.
A-bú chú nn̄g-tháng kún-chúi, khǹg leh tán i liâng. Góa kám-kak kî-koài, mn̄g yi sī án-chóaⁿ hiâⁿ kún-chúi koh khǹg-leh tán i liâng. Yi kóng: "Chúi nā bô hiâⁿ..kòe, hō͘ lâng lim tùi sin-thé bô hó; tio̍h seng hiâⁿ-kún..kòe, chiah koh khǹg peng-kak kap m̂-á koaⁿ, án-ne chiah khah ūi-seng."
Tán ji̍t-thâu chhut-lâi, thiⁿ-khì koh hip-joa̍h khí-lâi ê sî, góa í-keng kā tàⁿ-á ūi pâi hó-sè ah. In-ūi kin-á-ji̍t goán ke bē chúi-kó, ta̍k-ê lóng kō͘ hòⁿ-kî ê gán-kong khòaⁿ goán, góa chhiòx tùi múi chi̍t-ê khòaⁿ kòe-lâi ê lâng tìm-thâu, sío-mōe mā chin se̍k-liān, kap in phah chio-ho͘, mn̄g chá-an.
A-bú í-keng khì chhù-piⁿ keh-piah siu saⁿ-khò͘ tńg-lâi, tī chàu-kha khai-sí kang-chok.
"Obasán, chia̍h-liân."
"Hó lah, lâi chi̍t-poe."
"Keng-chio chi̍t-kin gōa-chē?"
"Kho͘-peh."
"Chit kúi-ngeh chhìnx leh."
"Sī lah, siăn-sé... Sì-kho͘ saⁿ-kak."
"Góa chiah kan-ta ū sì-kho͘."
"Bô būn-tê, bô būn-tê."
"Lí sī Lâi-hó Chím ê, tha̍k Bêng-chì ê, hit-ê hāu-seⁿ hioh?"
"Sī lah, obasán."
"Tńg-lâi teh hioh-joa̍h lah hoⁿh?"
"Sī lah, obasán."
"Lín a-bú khì tó-ūi ah?"
"Yi bô-êng teh sé-saⁿ neh!"
"Lín bó-á-kiáⁿ lóng kài kut-la̍t."
"Obasán, to-siā lah."
A-bú phah ê siong-gia̍p ki-chhó͘ chin chán, sìn-iōng chin hó, án-ne hō͘ góa chò bé-bē ke chiok sūn-sim, chhèng-ì.
Múi-pái tī a-bú sé hó saⁿ-á, yi tō lâi pang góa. Yi ê seng-lí pún-léng pí góa kiông chē loh, bô-lūn sī chio-ho͘ kò͘-kheh a̍h chhìn mi̍h-kiāⁿ, lóng chin ū hoat-tō͘.
Goán lûn-liû khì chia̍h-pn̄g.
Sió-mōe chú tiong-tàu hó, seng chia̍h-pá, tō lâi thè góa kap a-bú ê chhiú. Tán goán chia̍h-oân, siu-si̍p hó-sè, chiah koh chhut-lâi, hō͘ sió-mōe khai-sí un-si̍p kong-khò. Góa hoat-hiān, yi sī hiah-nī-á iōng-kong, chi̍t-hun chi̍t-bió to bô lōng-hùi. Só͘-tì, ū kúi-nā pái góa chū-tōng thê-gī boeh hū-chek chú-chia̍h, kiat-kó mā bô án-chóaⁿ sit-pāi leh. Chú-iàu sī, in-ūi goán ê hóe-si̍t kán-tan, chí-iàu chún-pī kúi-hāng sió-chhài tō ē-sái ah lah.
Múi-kang kap tìn-ni̍h ê lângx kau-e̍k, in ta̍k-ê lóng kó͘-ì phok-si̍t, góa tùi chit-chióng seng-oa̍h lú lâi lú kah-ì ah. Àm-sî ê seng-lí khah chha, góa tī tàⁿ-á kòa hó tiān-hóe, a-bú tiāⁿx kiò góa khì khòaⁿ tiān-iáⁿ, tān góa lêng-khó lâu tī a-bú sin-piⁿ, kap yi khai-káng, a̍h-sī tha̍k-chheh.
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4. 兩禮拜 ê 實習
"Ma," 我講, "我有兩禮拜 ê 假期, 這兩禮拜生理 hō͘ 我來扞, 通好 hō͘ Ma 歇睏一下."
"我才無愛你學做這款生理. 學生 mah, 放熱 tō 好好歇睏, 有閒才 kā 我鬥跤手一下 tō 好 ah. 月珠 mā 是一工到暗欲替我 ê 跤手, 我 lóng 毋肯; 今她猶未考試, 猶是功課較要緊 lah. 雖罔我袂當 hō͘ 她去參加補習班, 毋過 tī 厝讀冊 ê 時間, 我是袂 kā 剝奪 lah." 阿母 án-ne 講, 有幾分 ê 傷感.
"Ma, 你 ê 觀念毋著; 暑假 hō͘ 我做生理, 是 hō͘ 我一个真好 ê 實習機會." 我 koh 講: "Tī 學校, 我有學真濟理論: 親像講, 企業管理, 顧客心理, 等等, 毋過 lóng 無實際應用過. 你會使 hō͘ 我利用這个暑假, ùi 做小生理開始實習." 我搬出學校 ê 課程, kā 阿母嚇驚一下.
"兄肯實習 tī 學堂所學 ê 理論, 真正是好學生 neh." 小妹往往徛 tī 我這爿: "án-ne mā 會當 hō͘ 伊有一个刺激 ê 暑假, koh 轉去學校好通 kā in 同學歕雞胿, 講伊按怎 tú 按怎, 無浪費這兩禮拜."
"是 lah, Ma, 若無代誌做, 我真正會無聊..死. 立志已經去成功嶺, 其他 ê 初中同學今年 mā lóng teh 無閒準備大學 ê 入學考試, 隨人無閒 chhihx, 叫我留 tī 厝內莫做代誌, 真正毋是滋味 neh."
落尾, 我 kap 阿母達成協議. 她主張, 生理繼續由她扞, 只是 koh 搬一塊桌仔過來加賣一寡水果, 由我來幫忙買賣.
清早, 阿母 tú 準備欲煮早頓, 小妹已經 teh 讀冊, 我提一跤籠仔行出門. 阿母 hō͘ 我一寡錢, 叫我去水果行買寡芳瓜 kap 弓蕉. 因為阮無電冰箱, 阿母無希望買 siuⁿ 濟, 免得萬一賣無了費氣. 其實阮 mā 無 hiah 粗 ê 本錢.
水果行 ni̍h 鬧熱滾滾, 販仔 lóng 真早 tō 出門 ah, 隨人開始一工 ê 穡頭. 我買一寡較熟 ê 水果, 裝滿 tī 籠仔, 夯轉來.
阿母煮兩桶滾水, 囥 leh 等伊涼. 我感覺奇怪, 問她是按怎燃滾水 koh 囥 leh 等伊涼. 她講: "水若無燃過, hō͘ 人啉對身體無好; 著先燃滾過, 才 koh 囥冰角 kap 梅仔乾, án-ne 才較衛生."
等日頭出來, 天氣 koh 翕熱起來 ê 時, 我已經 kā 擔仔位排好勢 ah. 因為今仔日阮加賣水果, 逐个 lóng kō͘ 好奇 ê 眼光看阮, 我笑笑對每一个看過來 ê 人頕頭, 小妹 mā 真熟練, kap in 拍招呼, 問早安.
阿母已經去厝邊隔壁收衫褲轉來, tī 灶跤開始工作.
"Obasán, 食涼."
"好 lah, 來一杯."
"弓蕉一斤偌濟?"
"箍八."
"Chit 幾 ngeh 秤秤 leh."
"是 lah, siăn-sé... 四箍三角."
"我才干焦有四箍."
"無問題, 無問題."
"你是來好嬸 ê, 讀明志 ê, 彼个後生 hioh?"
"是 lah, obasán."
"轉來 teh 歇熱 lah hoⁿh?"
"是 lah, obasán."
"恁阿母去佗位 ah?"
"她無閒 teh 洗衫 neh!"
"恁母仔囝 lóng kài 骨力."
"Obasán, 多謝 lah."
阿母拍 ê 商業基礎真讚, 信用真好, án-ne hō͘ 我做買賣加足順心, 稱意.
每擺 tī 阿母洗好衫仔, 她 tō 來幫我. 她 ê 生理本領比我強濟 loh, 無論是招呼顧客 a̍h 秤物件, lóng 真有法度.
阮輪流去食飯.
小妹煮中晝好, 先食飽, tō 來替我 kap 阿母 ê 手. 等阮食完, 收拾好勢, 才 koh 出來, hō͘ 小妹開始溫習功課. 我發現, 她是 hiah-nī-á 用功, 一分一秒 to 無浪費. 所致, 有幾若擺我自動提議欲負責煮食, 結果 mā 無按怎失敗 leh. 主要是, 因為阮 ê 伙食簡單, 只要準備幾項小菜 tō 會使 ah lah.
每工 kap 鎮 ni̍h ê 人人交易, in 逐个 lóng 古意樸實, 我對這種生活 lú 來 lú 佮意 ah. 暗時 ê 生理較差, 我 tī 擔仔掛好電火, 阿母定定叫我去看電影, 但我寧可留 tī 阿母身邊, kap 她開講, a̍h 是讀冊.
--
4.
「媽，」我說：「我有兩個禮拜的假期，這兩個禮拜生意由我來做，讓媽休息休息。」
「我才不願你學著做生意。學生嘛，放暑假就休息休息，有空幫媽一點忙也就夠了。月珠還不是一天到晚幫我，但是我不肯，目前她還沒有投考，還是功課比較要緊。我雖然沒讓她參加補習班，但在家自修的時間我是決對不會剝奪的。」媽媽說著，有幾分的傷感。
「媽，妳觀念錯了；暑假讓我做做生意，該是給我一個學以致用的機會。」我說：「在學校裡，我學了許多企業管理，顧客心理，……的理論，但都沒有實際應用過。還是讓我利用這個暑假，從做小生意起實習實習。」我搬出了學校的科目，唬了媽一下。
「哥哥肯實習在課堂裡所學的理論，真是個好學生。」妹妹往往是站在我這邊的：「這也好使他有個富於刺激的暑假；回學校去更好向他的同學吹吹他是如何地沒虛度這兩個禮拜的牛。」
「是的，媽，如果不做事，我真會無聊死了。立志到成功嶺受訓去了，其他初中的同學今年也都忙著準備投考大專，個個都在忙，要我呆在家中不做事，真不是味道。」
最後，我和母親取得了協議。她主張，生意還是由她做，只是再搬一張桌子加賣一點水果，由我幫忙買賣。
清晨，媽媽正在準備早餐，妹妹已在讀書，我提個簍子走出門。母親給了我一些錢，要我去水果行買些香瓜和香蕉。因為我們沒有冰箱，媽不希望買太多，免得萬一賣不了麻煩，其實也沒那麼大的本錢。
水果行內熱熱鬧鬧，小販們都起身早，大家紛紛開始一天的工作。我買了一些較為成熟的水果，裝滿簍子，扛著回來。
母親煮了兩桶開水，放著等它涼，我覺得奇怪，問她何以煮了開水又放著等它涼。她說：「水未煮開給人喝了對身體不好；煮過了，再放入冰塊和酸梅，就衛生多了。」
當太陽出來，天氣又悶熱起來；我已擺好了攤位。由於今天我們加賣水果，大家都好奇地看著我們，我向看我們的每個人點頭微笑，妹妹卻熟稔地和他們打招呼，問早安。
媽媽也已去隣家收了衣服，在櫥房裡開始工作。
「歐巴桑，呷涼。」
「厚啦，來一杯。」
「香蕉一斤多少？」
「一塊八。」
「這幾條稱稱。」
「是的，……先生，四塊三。」
「我才只有四塊。」
「沒問題，沒問題。」
「你是來好嬸的讀明志的那孩子吧？」
「是的，歐巴桑。」
「回來過暑假嗎？」
「是的，歐巴桑。」
「你媽媽哪裡去了？」
「忙著洗衣呢！」
「你們母子都真勤勞。」
「歐巴桑，謝謝。」
媽媽打的商業基礎真棒，信譽很好，因此我做起買賣來十分稱意。
媽每當洗完衣服，就來幫我。她的生意能力比我強多了，無論招呼顧客或稱量東西都很有一手。
我們是輪流著進餐的：
妹妹煮好午飯，先吃飽就來替我和媽的手，等我們吃完，收拾好，再出來；妹妹才開始溫習功課。我發現她是那麼用功，一分一秒也不浪費，因此我會自告奮勇地煮了好幾餐，還算沒多大失敗。主要是我們伙食簡單，只須備幾樣小菜就夠了。
每天和鎮上的人們交易，他們個個忠誠樸實，我對這種生活越感興趣了。晚上的時候，生意較差，我們把燈掛在攤子上，母親每每叫我去看看電影，但我卻寧可留在母親身旁和她聊天，或看看書。
--
3. 冰水擔
3. Peng-chúi tàⁿ
Seng-lí sǹg sī bē-bái, khó-lêng in-ūi thiⁿ-khì khak-si̍t chin joa̍h. Sui-bóng hū-kīn ū bē-chió kēng-cheng ê tùi-siōng, goán ê seng-lí m̄-nā bô khah su-lâng, tian-tò pí-lâng khah siū hoan-gêng. Che tiāⁿ-tio̍h sī in-ūi a-bú pêng-sî tùi lâng sêng-khún ê iân-kò͘.
"Tú khai-sí thâu nn̄g-kang," a-bú kóng, "seng-lí chin bái, góa mā bô koàn-sì chò chit-chióng seng-lí, kám-kak kài sit-bōng; tān kòe kúi-kang liáu-āu, tō lóng koàn-sì ah, seng-lí mā chi̍t-kang chi̍t-kang hó khí-lâi."
"Ma, chit-má iáu-koh ū thè-lâng sé-saⁿ..bô?" góa bêng-kî chai koh án-ne mn̄g.
"Bô sé ná ē-sái? Pa̍t-lâng khòaⁿ lán sàn, siūⁿ boeh kā lán pang-chān, sé-saⁿ ê kang-chîⁿ hō͘ lán khah chē. Lán ná ē-sái chò chi̍t-ê sió seng-lí, tō m̄ thè-lâng sé? Iáu-ū, bān-it seng-lí chò bē khí-lâi, lán bó-á-kiáⁿ boeh án-chóaⁿ seng-oa̍h ah?"
"Án-ne kám bē siuⁿ-kòe thiám, Ma?"
"Thiám sī bē lah..." a-bú thêng chi̍t-ē, the̍h chi̍t-poe m̂-á thng hō͘ chi̍t-ūi lâng-kheh, tán i lim-liáu koh hù-chîⁿ liáu, chiah koh kè-sio̍k kóng: "Thiám sī bē lah, kan-ta sī khah bô-êng niâ. Ūi-tio̍h kò͘ seng-lí, chá-khí-sî góa sé-saⁿ, seng-lí kau hō͘ Goa̍t-chu koán. Tán góa sé-saⁿ liáu, chiah ū-êng kā yi chiap-chhiú, hō͘ yi tha̍k kóa chheh, thang chún-pī khó-chhì..."
"Sī lah, Ma, Mĕ bô pò-miâ khó ko-tiong, sī boeh khó siáⁿ-khoán ha̍k-hāu?"
"Su-Choan!" sió-mōe thêng-chí tha̍k-chheh, taⁿ-thâu kō͘ kiông-tiāu ê kháu-khì án-ne kóng. Góa put-kìm chhiò chhut-lâi: "Góa sī teh mn̄g Ma, lí chit-ê sió mama soah chhiúⁿ tāi-seng hôe-tap chhut-lâi."
A-bú chhiòx kóng: "lán-tau sàn, tha̍k su-choan kài lí-sióng. Lín ha̍k-hāu bô chio cha-bó͘ ha̍k-seng, nā-bô góa mā hi-bāng yi khì chhì khòaⁿ-māi leh neh."
"Téng lé-pài Tiuⁿ Li̍p-chì tńg-lâi, khì Sêng-kong Niá siū kun-hùn chìn-chêng, ū kā Ma kóng, bān-it góa kin-nî bô khó-tio̍h su-choan, mê-nî tō ē-sái pò-khó Bêng-chì ah, in-ūi Bêng-chì tng-teh tiû-pī boeh chio cha-bó͘ ha̍k-seng neh."
"Hah! Lí hông koái..khì ah!"
Ūi-tio̍h khèng-chiok góa tńg-lâi, a-bú kin-á-ji̍t thê-chá siu-tàⁿ, 5 tiám gōa tō siu ah, àm-sî mā bô boeh bē.
A-bú te̍k-pia̍t chú kúi-hāng chhiú-lō͘ chhài. Góa siōng kah-ì chia̍h chhiat sam-chân, che tī ha̍k-hāu kui pòaⁿ-nî to lân-tit chia̍h tio̍h.
Chia̍h-pn̄g pá, 3 lâng kè-sio̍k khai-káng. A-bú kóng, seng-lí nā ē-tàng ûi-chhî kàu góa khai-ha̍k, án-ne góa āu ha̍k-kî ê chù-chheh chîⁿ tō ū hoa̍t-lo̍h ah. Í-óng góa ê chù-chheh chîⁿ chóng-sī tio̍h seng kâng chioh, sòa-lo̍h a-bú chiah ta̍k-kò-goe̍h kō͘ sé-saⁿ chîⁿ hông tú-siàu.
--
3. 冰水擔
生理算是袂䆀, 可能因為天氣確實真熱. 雖罔附近有袂少競爭 ê 對象, 阮 ê 生理毋但無較輸人, 顛倒比人較受歡迎. 這定著是因為阿母平時對人誠懇 ê 緣故.
"拄開始頭兩工," 阿母講, "生理真䆀, 我 mā 無慣勢做這種生理, 感覺 kài 失望; 但過幾工了後, tō lóng 慣勢 ah, 生理 mā 一工一工好起來."
"Ma, 這馬猶閣有替人洗衫..無?" 我明其知 koh án-ne 問.
"無洗那會使? 別人看咱 sàn, 想欲 kā 咱幫贊, 洗衫 ê 工錢 hō͘ 咱較濟. 咱那會使做一个小生理, tō 毋替人洗? 猶有, 萬一生理做袂起來, 咱母仔囝欲按怎生活 ah?"
"Án-ne 敢袂 siuⁿ 過忝, Ma?"
"忝是袂 lah..." 阿母停一下, 提一杯梅仔湯 hō͘ 一位人客, 等伊啉了 koh 付錢了, 才 koh 繼續講: "忝是袂 lah, 干焦是較無閒 niâ. 為著顧生理, 早起時我洗衫, 生理交 hō͘ 月珠管. 等我洗衫了, 才有閒 kā 她接手, hō͘ 她讀寡冊, thang 準備考試..."
"是 lah, Ma, Mĕ 無報名考高中, 是欲考啥款學校?"
"師專!" 小妹停止讀冊, taⁿ 頭 kō͘ 強調 ê 口氣 án-ne 講. 我不禁笑出來: "我是 teh 問 Ma, 你這个小 mama 煞搶代先回答出來."
阿母笑笑講: "咱兜 sàn, 讀師專 kài 理想. 恁學校無招查某學生, 若無我 mā 希望她去試看覓 leh neh."
"頂禮拜張立志轉來, 去成功嶺受軍訓進前, 有 kā Ma 講, 萬一我今年無考著師專, 明年 tō 會使報考明志 ah, 因為明志 tng-teh 籌備欲招查某學生 neh."
"Hah! 你 hông 拐..去 ah!"
為著慶祝我轉來, 阿母今仔日提早收擔, 5 點外 tō 收 ah, 暗時 mā 無欲賣.
阿母特別煮幾項手路菜. 我上佮意食切三層, 這 tī 學校規半年 to 難得食著.
食飯飽, 3 人繼續開講. 阿母講, 生理若會當維持到我開學, án-ne 我後學期 ê 註冊錢 tō 有發落 ah. 以往我 ê 註冊錢總是著先 kâng 借, 紲落阿母才逐個月 kō͘ 洗衫錢 hông 拄數.
--
3.
生意相當不錯，可能是因為天氣十分炎熱的緣故。雖然這附近還有許多競爭的對象，而我們卻不但不比別人遜色，反而較受顧客歡迎；這必然是母親平時待人誠懇的原因。
「剛開始的頭兩天，」母親說：「生意十分差，而我也不習慣於做這種生意，因此難免感到失望；但過些日子，就都習慣了，生意也一天比一天好多了。」
「媽，現在還幫人洗衣服嗎？」我明知故問。
「不洗怎麼行？別人家看我們生活苦，想幫助我們，洗衣工資給得多。我們怎可做一點小生意就不幫人洗了？還有萬一生意做不成了，咱母子怎麼生活呢？」
「那不太累了嗎，媽？」
「累倒不會，……」媽媽停了一下，遞一杯酸梅湯給一位客人，等他喝完付了錢，媽媽接著說：「累倒不會，只是忙了一些。為了照顧生意，早晨我洗衣，生意由月珠管。我洗完衣才有空跟她替手，好讓她讀點書，以準備考試……」
「是啊，媽，月珠沒投考高中，是想考什麼學校？」
「『師專』！」妹妹停了看書，抬起頭用很強的語氣說。我不禁笑了出來：「我問媽，妳這小媽子倒搶先答了出來。」
母親笑著說：「我們家中窮，讀師專最理想不過了。你們學校不招女生，否則我也頗希望她去碰碰運氣。」
「上星期張立志回家來，去成功嶺受訓以前，還跟媽說，萬一我今年沒考取師專，明年就可以報考明志了，因為明志正籌備招收女生。」
「哈！妳被蓋了！」
為了慶祝我回來，媽媽今天提前打烊，五點多就收了，晚上也不準備賣啦。
母親特地燙了幾道好菜。鮮豬肉倒是合我胃口，在學校裡半年難得吃一次。
飯後，三個人繼續談著，媽媽說如果生意繼續維持到我開學，那麼下學期的註冊費就可以籌足了。以往我註冊總是先向鄰人借貸，然後媽媽才逐月以洗衣費和人抵消。
--
2. 阿母 ê 辛苦
2. A-bú ê sin-khó͘
Kā lí-hêng-tē ōaⁿ keng-kah-thâu, góa hut-jiân siūⁿ-khí chi̍t-ê būn-tê:
"Lí siá-phe kóng, Ma tî-liáu chá-khí thè lâng sé-saⁿ í-gōa, koh kiam chò bē peng-chúi ê sió seng-lí, tàu-té sī siáⁿ chōng-hóng?"
Tú tī kî-boa̍t khó-chhì ê sî, siu-tio̍h sió-mōe ê phe án-ne kóng, góa chin-chiàⁿ siūⁿ bē-kàu a-bú bô-êng ê thêng-tō͘; hit-sî in-ūi koh kúi-kang tō boeh pàng-joa̍h ah, só͘-í góa it-ti̍t bô kā tāi-chì hut chheng-chhó.
Yi oa̍t-thâu kòe-lâi, kek chi̍t-ê bo̍k-bêng ê piáu-chêng. "Siōng-hó sī mài kóng," siaⁿ-im kui-ê tîm-lo̍h, yi kóng: "Ma si̍t-chāi ū-kàu sin-khó͘ lah, thàu-chá tō thè-lâng sé-saⁿ, sé kàu 8/9 tiám koh khai-sí bē peng-chúi, it-ti̍t kàu àm-sî."
"Yi ná m̄ sî-tiāu sé-saⁿ ê khang-khòe?"
"Iáu m̄-sī kóng jîn-chêng-siōng kóng bē-kòe. Hô-hóng, bē peng-chúi ê lī-sûn pēng bô chē, pēng bô-kàu ûi-chhî seng-oa̍h. Kàu chhiu/tang-thiⁿ bô seng-lí thang chò ê sî, iū-koh boeh án-chóaⁿ?"
Góa put-kìm siūⁿ khí a-bú ê tàⁿ-á: eng-kai ū chi̍t-ê tōa po-lê kng, lāi-bīn té móax ê peng-chúi, chhāi tī joa̍h hopx ê ji̍t-thâu-ē, a-bú khiā tī tàⁿ-á āu-bīn, bô-êng teh sé lâng-kheh tú iōng-kòe ê poe-á, iū-koh bô-êng teh kā hō͘ chúi phùn-tâm ê toh-á téng chhit chheng-khì; tông-sî iáu-koh tio̍h chù-ì lō͘-ni̍h ê kòe-lō͘-lâng, chio-ho͘ in lâi jia-ji̍t, lim peng-chúi. A-bú it-hiòng tō-sī kut-la̍t. Chū-chiông a-pa bô-tī-leh liáu-āu, yi tō hū-khí chhiâⁿ-ióng sió-mōe kap góa ê chek-jīm. Chit-tōaⁿ sî-kan í-lâi, yi thè-lâng sé-saⁿ, hō͘ góa kap sió-mōe tha̍k-chheh, koh hêng-chheng pān-lí song-sū só͘ khiàm ê chè-bū, bó-á-kiáⁿ tō͘-kòe chheng-khó͘ ê ji̍t-chí.
Chho͘-tiong pit-gia̍p, góa bat oàn-thàn ka-tī pháiⁿ-miā, bô ki-hōe seng-ha̍k, lâu tī chhù-ni̍h, chhōe chi̍t-ê sai-á kang, chi̍t-goe̍h-ji̍t thàn 400-thóng kho͘, pó͘-thiap ka-têng khai-siau. Ū chi̍t-kang, chhù-piⁿ Tiuⁿ A-ḿ kóng, yin kiáⁿ tī Tâi-pak ê Bêng-chì Kang-choan tha̍k-chheh, hit-keng ha̍k-hāu sui-jiân chù-chheh ê sî ài chheng-gōa kho͘, tān chi̍t-ē ji̍p-ha̍k, tō tòa tī ha̍k-hāu ni̍h, chi̍t-pòaⁿ sî-kan chò-kang, chi̍t-pòaⁿ sî-kan tha̍k-chheh, só͘ thàn ê kang-chîⁿ ū-kàu chò ka-tī ê seng-oa̍h-hùi. Kàu hân-ká ê sî, Tiuⁿ Li̍p-chì tông-o̍h chhēng chè-ho̍k tńg-lâi, chhù-piⁿ keh-piah lóng kóng i thiu khah lò ah, chia̍h khah tōa-kho͘ ah. Góa mā kā i thàm-thiaⁿ chēx iú-koan Bêng-chì Kang-choan ê siau-sit, kó-jiân hō͘ lâng him-siān hiàng-óng. Chū án-ne góa tō it-ti̍t bāng-sióng ka-tī ū ki-hōe khó-tiâu chit-keng ha̍k-hāu...
"Hiaⁿ!"
Hut-leh góa ùi bāng-tiong chhéⁿ kòe-lâi. "Siáⁿ-hòe?"
"Se̍h-oan lah! Lí sī teh siūⁿ siáⁿ, siūⁿ kah gāng..khì."
"Ma... Hiaⁿ tńg-lâi ah."
Sió-mōe chhia̍kx tiô cháu hiòng chêng khì, góa mā kiâⁿ khah tōa hoa̍h leh:
"Ma!"
A-bú khiā khí-lâi, móa-bīn chhiò-iông, kóng:
"Oh! Tú kàu-ūi lah hoⁿh? Tú-chiah Goa̍t-chu tha̍k-chheh tha̍k kah sîn..khì, hiám-á bē-kì-tit khì chiap lí. Ka-chài góa ē kì-tit lí tī phe lāi-bīn siá ê sî-kan, chiah kā yi thê-chhéⁿ." Yi ná kóng ná the̍h-khí chi̍t-ê po-lê poe-á: "Lim..chi̍t-poe! Chhì khòaⁿ góa chè-chō ê liâng-chúi."
Kó-jiân, kap góa só͘ siūⁿ ê it-poaⁿ lō͘-piⁿ-tàⁿ kāng-khoán, toh-á téng ū nn̄g-ê tōa po-lê kng, chēx po-lê poe, thô͘-kha koh ū chi̍t-tháng iōng lâi sé poe-á ê chheng-chúi. Nn̄g-chiah í-tiâu ti̍t-kak ûi tī tàⁿ-á ê nn̄g-pêng. Po-lê kng lāi-bīn phû chin chē peng-kak, kî-tiong chi̍t-kng té chang-sek ê m̂-á thng, lēng-ê sī kam-á sek ê kiat-á chúi.
Góa kap sió-mōe sûi-lâng lim chi̍t-poe, khak-si̍t chin liâng-sóng. Goán kiâⁿ-ji̍p chhù-lāi, a-bú kè-sio̍k lâu tī lîm-sî tah ê jia-pêⁿ ē-bīn chò seng-lí.
Kā hêng-lí khǹg hó-sè, kā gōa-saⁿ thǹg-tiāu, góa cháu chhut-lâi kā a-bú tàu kha-chhiú. Sió-mōe mā chhut-lâi ah, chē-leh teh tha̍k-chheh.
--
2. 阿母 ê 辛苦
Kā 旅行袋換肩胛頭, 我忽然想起一个問題:
"你寫批講, Ma 除了早起替人洗衫以外, koh 兼做賣冰水 ê 小生理, 到底是啥狀況?"
拄 tī 期末考試 ê 時, 收著小妹 ê 批 án-ne 講, 我真正想袂到阿母無閒 ê 程度; 彼時因為 koh 幾工 tō 欲放熱 ah, 所以我一直無 kā 代誌 hut 清楚.
她越頭過來, 激一个莫名 ê 表情. "上好是莫講," 聲音規个沉落, 她講: "Ma 實在有夠辛苦 lah, 透早 tō 替人洗衫, 洗到 8/9 點 koh 開始賣冰水, 一直到暗時."
"她那毋辭掉洗衫 ê 工課?"
"猶毋是講人情上講袂過. 何況, 賣冰水 ê 利純並無濟, 並無夠維持生活. 到秋/冬天無生理通做 ê 時, 又閣欲按怎?"
我不禁想起阿母 ê 擔仔: 應該有一个大玻璃缸, 內面貯滿滿 ê 冰水, chhāi tī 熱 hopx ê 日頭下, 阿母徛 tī 擔仔後面, 無閒 teh 洗人客拄用過 ê 杯仔, 又閣無閒 teh kā hō͘ 水噴澹 ê 桌仔頂拭清氣; 同時猶閣著注意路 ni̍h ê 過路人, 招呼 in 來遮日, 啉冰水. 阿母一向 tō 是骨力. 自從阿爸無 tī-leh 了後, 她 tō 負起晟養小妹 kap 我 ê 責任. 這段時間以來, 她替人洗衫, hō͘ 我 kap 小妹讀冊, koh 還清辦理喪事所欠 ê 債務, 母仔囝度過清苦 ê 日子.
初中畢業, 我 bat 怨嘆 ka-tī 歹命, 無機會升學, 留 tī 厝 ni̍h, 揣一个師仔工, 一月日趁 400 捅箍, 補貼家庭開銷. 有一工, 厝邊張阿姆講, 姻囝 tī 台北 ê 明志工專讀冊, 彼間學校雖然註冊 ê 時愛千外箍, 但一下入學, tō 蹛 tī 學校 ni̍h, 一半時間做工, 一半時間讀冊, 所趁 ê 工錢有夠做 ka-tī ê 生活費. 到寒假 ê 時, 張立志同學穿制服轉來, 厝邊隔壁 lóng 講伊抽較躼 ah, 食較大箍 ah. 我 mā kā 伊探聽濟濟有關明志工專 ê 消息, 果然 hō͘ 人欣羨向往. 自 án-ne 我 tō 一直夢想 ka-tī 有機會考牢這間學校...
"兄!"
忽 leh 我 ùi 夢中醒過來. "啥貨?"
"踅彎 lah! 你是 teh 想啥, 想 kah 愣..去."
"Ma... 兄轉來 ah."
小妹嚓嚓趒走向前去, 我 mā 行較大伐 leh:
"Ma!"
阿母徛起來, 滿面笑容, 講:
"Oh! 拄到位 lah hoⁿh? 拄才月珠讀冊讀 kah 神..去, 險仔袂記得去接你. 佳哉我會記得你 tī 批內面寫 ê 時間, 才 kā 她提醒." 她 ná 講 ná 提起一个玻璃杯仔: "啉..一杯! 試看我製造 ê 涼水."
果然, kap 我所想 ê 一般路邊擔仝款, 桌仔頂有兩个大玻璃缸, 濟濟玻璃杯, 塗跤 koh 有一桶用來洗杯仔 ê 清水. 兩隻椅條直角圍 tī 擔仔 ê 兩爿. 玻璃缸內面浮真濟冰角, 其中一缸貯棕色 ê 梅仔湯, 另个是柑仔色 ê 桔仔水.
我 kap 小妹隨人啉一杯, 確實真涼爽. 阮行入厝內, 阿母繼續留 tī 臨時搭 ê 遮棚下面做生理.
Kā 行李囥好勢, kā 外衫褪掉, 我走出來 kā 阿母鬥跤手. 小妹 mā 出來 ah, 坐 leh teh 讀冊.
--
2.
把旅行袋換個肩，我忽然想起了個問題：
「妳來信說，媽媽除了早晨替人家洗衣服外，又兼營冰水小攤，到底是怎麼個情形？」正期末考時，收到妹妹的信如此說，我真難想像母親的繁忙，當時由於再幾天就放暑假，所以一直沒弄清楚真况。
她轉過頭來，一副莫名的表情。「不說倒好，」聲音低沈了許多，她說：「媽媽也夠辛苦啦，一大早便忙著替人家洗衣服，洗到八九點又開賣冰水，直到晚上。」
「她怎麼不辭掉洗衣服的工作呢？」
「還不是說人情上說不過去。何況，只賣冰水利潤又不大，不見得就能維持生活。一到秋冬生意做不成時，又怎麼辦？」
我不禁想像起母親的小攤子：該有個大玻璃缸，裡頭泡滿冰涼的冷飲，在猛烈的陽光中，母親站在攤子後，忙著洗客人剛用完的杯子，又忙著拭淨濺濕了的桌面；一面還兼顧街上路過的人，招呼他們乘涼飲冰。母親向來是勤快的。自從爸爸不在以後，她就負起了扶養妹妹和我的責任。那些日子中，媽媽替人洗衣，供我和妹妹上學，還償還了辦理喪事的一些債務，母子們度著清苦的日子。
初中畢業，我曾怨自己命薄，沒有機會升學，呆在家中，找了一份差事，一個月賺四百多塊錢補貼家計。一天聽隔壁的張伯母說，她兒子在台北明志工專讀書，那所學校雖然註冊時需一千多塊，但一經入學，便住在學校裡，半工半讀，所得工資足供自己一切生活費用。到寒假時，張立志同學穿著制服回來，鄰人都說他長高了，養胖了。我又向他打聽了許多關於明志工專的消息，果然令人嚮往，從此我就一直夢想著自己有機會投考這所學校……
「哥哥！」
我猛從夢中醒來。「什麼？」
「轉彎呀，看你想什麼都想呆了。」
「媽媽，哥哥回來了。」
妹妹蹦蹦跳跳地向前跑去，我也快了腳步。
「媽媽！」
母親站起了身，滿臉笑容說：
「哦！剛到吧？剛才月珠看書看入神了，差點忘了去接你。還不是我記起了你信中的時間，才提醒她。」她一面拿起一個玻璃杯說：「喝杯吧！嚐嚐我製造的冷飲。」
果然，正如我所想像的和一般小販一樣, 攤子上有兩個大玻璃缸，許多小玻璃杯，還有地上的一桶洗杯子用的清水。兩張板凳成直角圍著攤子旁。玻璃缸中裝滿冰塊，一缸是盛棕色的酸梅湯，另一缸是橙色的桔子水。
我和妹妹各喝了一杯，果然涼爽。我們走進家中，母親仍然在臨時搭的棚子下做生意。
我安置好了行李，脫了上衣。我跑出來幫助媽媽，妹妹也出來，坐著看她的書。
--
Ma, Mĕ, k' Góa | 媽, 妹 k' 我 / 1. 轉厝
Ma, Mĕ, k' Góa | 媽, 妹 k' 我 / by Manlajo, 1967
1. Tńg-chhù
Chi̍t-ē lo̍h chhia, góa tō khòaⁿ tio̍h Mĕ khiā tī chhut-kháu, khòaⁿ hiòng ùi chhia-siuⁿ kheh lo̍h-lâi ê lâng-tīn, kip-chhiat teh chhōe. Góa gia̍h chhiú hiòng yi it-ti̍t ia̍t; yi khòaⁿ tio̍h ah, hoaⁿ-hí kah thiàu khí-lâi.
Mĕ pang góa kōaⁿ góa chah tńg-lâi ê chi̍t-khún chheh, nn̄g-lâng kiâⁿ chhut chhia-thâu. Pe̍h siatchuh, o͘ té-kûn, pe̍h pò͘-ê phòe pe̍h boe̍h-á, yi kāng-khoán sī ha̍k-seng táⁿ-pān, chí-sī thâu-chang pí kòe-khì khah tn̂g chi̍t-kóa, bīn-téng ê chhiò-iông kap lī-pia̍t ê sî oân-choân kāng-khoán, hit-ê thian-chin oa̍h-phoat ê kò-sèng oân-choân bô piàn.
"Hiaⁿ, lí piàn kah chiâⁿ o͘ neh." kimx siòng góa chi̍t-khùn, ká-ná hoat-hiān tio̍h siáⁿ, yi án-ne kóng.
"O͘? Hah, joa̍h-thiⁿ mah! Iû-kî sī cha-po͘ kiáⁿ, o͘ chiah-sī ióng-kiāⁿ ê piáu-hiān neh." Góa kā chiàⁿ-chhiú áu-khiau, hō͘ yi khòaⁿ chhiú téng-chat ê tōa-tè kin-bah, kóng: "góa tī kî-boat khó-chhì chêng ê nn̄g/saⁿ ê lé-pài-ji̍t, liân-sòa kap tông-o̍h khì siû-chúi, pha̍k kah thǹg chi̍t-iân phôe leh."
"Chiâⁿ tōa-táⁿ! Khó-chhì chêng koh káⁿ khì siû-chúi?" yi kek chi̍t-ê sim támx ê khoán-sè.
"Lí hòng-sim lah, sió-chiá. Sui-bóng pêng-sî bô án-chóaⁿ jīn-chin, tān ta̍k-kái khó-chhì góa iáu m̄-sī ta̍k kho-bo̍k lóng pass. Góa kā lí kóng, lí tō-sī siuⁿ kiaⁿ tāi-chì, ta̍k-hôe khó-chhì chêng chi̍t-kò-goe̍h tō khai-sí kín-tiuⁿ, lo̍h-bóe lí ê sêng-chek mā bô án-chóaⁿ pí góa hó gōa chē neh!"
"Hó ah, hó ah. Mài koh hiah cha̍p-liām ah lah!"
Oat-kòe chi̍t-tiâu ke, góa giâu-gî khiā tiāⁿ tī hia, bīn-chêng khòaⁿ-tio̍h ê sī chi̍t-phiàn sin ê kéng-siōng: chi̍t-chō tōa-lâu koânx khiā tī bīn-chêng, koh ū kúi-nā keng sin chhù; ke-lō͘ ū chng lō͘-teng. Hiôngx khòaⁿ tio̍h, góa sīm-chì hoâi-gî góa sī m̄-sī kiâⁿ m̄-tio̍h lō͘ ah.
"Chiah-ê lóng sī tang-sî chiah ū ê?" góa kí thâu-chêng ê lâu-á chhù kap lō͘-piⁿ ê lō͘-teng, giâu-gî mn̄g sió-mōe.
"Hiah-ê lóng sī Lîm Tìn-tiúⁿ tī kū-nî chiū-jīm liáu ê tiōng-tāi chhī-iông chéng-tùn. Lông-hōe sī tī 4-goe̍h lo̍k-sêng; thiaⁿ-kóng Tìn Kong-só͘ bô keng-hùi, Tìn-tiúⁿ hùi chin-chē kang-hu chiah hiòng Koān Chèng-hú tāi-khoán lâi khí. Lō͘-teng sī chòe-kīn chit kò͘-goe̍h chiah oân-sêng ê; chng lō͘-teng liáu-āu, àm-sî tī tìn-siōng ke chiok lāu-jia̍t ê."
"Lîm Tìn-tiúⁿ chin-chiàⁿ sī chi̍t-ê hó tìn-tiúⁿ, kám m̄-sī?"
Tiām chi̍t-khùn, góa khòaⁿ kiâⁿ-lō͘ ê lâng bô-êng chhihx, lō͘-ni̍h ê chhia mā chi̍t-tâi koh chi̍t-tâi lâix khìx. Góa gián-kiù múi chi̍t-ê lō͘-lâng ê piáu-chêng, ū-ê móa-bīn chhiò-iông, ū-ê kui-bīn chhiong-móa kin-tiuⁿ ê khì-hun, iáu-ū chi̍t-kóa lâng, bīn bô piáu-chêng, kan-ta sī hiongx kôngx bô-êng teh kóaⁿ-lō͘. Mĕ kō͘ siang-chhiú lám hit-khún chheh, ná kiâⁿ-lō͘ ná khòaⁿ lō͘-piⁿ siong-tiàm ê po-lê-tû.
--
1. 轉厝
一下落車, 我 tō 看著 Mĕ 徛 tī 出口, 看向 ùi 車箱 kheh 落來 ê 人陣, 急切 teh 揣. 我攑手向她一直擛; 她看著 ah, 歡喜 kah 跳起來.
Mĕ 幫我捾我扎轉來 ê 一捆冊, 兩人行出車頭. 白 siatchuh, 烏短裙, 白布鞋配白襪仔, 她仝款是學生打扮, 只是頭鬃比過去較長一寡, 面頂 ê 笑容 kap 離別 ê 時完全仝款, 彼个天真活潑 ê 個性完全無變.
"兄, 你變 kah 誠烏 neh." 金金相我一睏, ká-ná 發現著啥, 她 án-ne 講.
"烏? Hah, 熱天 mah! 尤其是查埔囝, 烏才是勇健 ê 表現 neh." 我 kā 正手拗曲, hō͘ 她看手頂節 ê 大塊筋肉, 講: "我 tī 期末考試前 ê 兩/三个禮拜日, 連紲 kap 同學去泅水, 曝 kah 褪一沿皮 leh."
"誠大膽! 考試前 koh káⁿ 去泅水?" 她激一个心 támx ê 款勢.
"你放心 lah, 小姐. 雖罔平時無按怎認真, 但 逐改考試我猶毋是逐科目 lóng pass. 我 kā 你講, 你 tō 是 siuⁿ 驚代誌, 逐回考試前一個月 tō 開始緊張, 落尾你 ê 成績 mā 無按怎比我好偌濟 neh!"
"好 ah, 好 ah. 莫 koh hiah 雜唸 ah lah!"
斡過一條街, 我憢疑徛定 tī hia, 面前看著 ê 是一片新 ê 景象: 一座大樓懸懸徛 tī 面前, koh 有幾若間新厝; 街路有裝路燈. 雄雄看著, 我甚至懷疑我是毋是行毋著路 ah.
"Chiah-ê lóng 是 tang-sî 才有 ê?" 我 kí 頭前 ê 樓仔厝 kap 路邊 ê 路燈, 憢疑問小妹.
"Hiah-ê lóng 是林鎮長 tī 舊年就任了 ê 重大市容整頓. 農會是 tī 4 月落成; 聽講鎮公所無經費, 鎮長費真濟工夫才向縣政府貸款來起. 路燈是最近這個月才完成 ê; 裝路燈了後, 暗時 tī 鎮上加足鬧熱 ê."
"林鎮長真正是一个好鎮長, 敢毋是?"
恬一睏, 我看行路 ê 人無閒 chhihx, 路 ni̍h ê 車 mā 一台 koh 一台來來去去. 我研究每一个路人 ê 表情, 有 ê 滿面笑容, 有 ê 規面充滿緊張 ê 氣氛, 猶有一寡人, 面無表情, 干焦是兇兇狂狂無閒 teh 趕路. Mĕ kō͘ 雙手攬彼捆冊, ná 行路 ná 看路邊商店 ê 玻璃櫥.
--
1.
剛下車，我便看見妹妹站在出口處，向一群由車箱中擠出來的人們著急地尋找著。我向她揮了揮手，她看見了；高興得跳了起來。
妹妹幫我提著我帶回來的一捆書，兩人走出車站。白襯衫、黑裙子、白襪、力士鞋，她還是一個學生的打扮，只是頭髮比以往稍留長了些。臉龐上的笑容和離別時完全一樣，那份天真活潑的個性依樣如前。
「哥哥，你變得好黑喔。」向我打量了一會，像是發現了什麼似的，她說。
「黑？哈！夏天嘛！尤其是男孩子，黑才是強健的表現！」我曲起右臂，讓她瞧瞧我的大塊肌肉，說：「我在期末考前兩三個禮拜天，連續和同學們去游泳，曬得都脫了皮。」
「好大的膽子！期末考前還去游泳？」一片擔心的樣子。
「放心好啦，小姐。雖然平時不太用功，但每到考試我還不是每科 Pass。我就是說，妳太怕事情，每回考試前一個月就開始緊張，到頭來妳的成績並不見得比我高明多少！」
「好啦，好啦。別訓起人來啦！」
轉過一個街角，我猶疑地停住了腳步，面前展現的是一片新的景象：一座大樓高聳在面前，還有幾棟新房子；街道上安裝了路燈。猛然看見，我甚至懷疑我是不是走錯了路。
「這些都是什麼時候才有的？」我指著前面的樓房和路邊的路燈，猶疑地問妹妹。
「這些都是林鎮長在去年就任後的重大市容整頓。農會是在四月落成的；聽說鎮公所沒有經費，鎮長費了許多工夫才向縣政府貸款來建築的。路燈是最近這個月才完成的；裝了路燈以後，晚上在鎮上加倍地熱鬧。」
「林鎮長確實是一個好鎮長，不是嗎？」
沈默了一會，我看行路的人忙碌異常，馬路上的車輛也一輛接一輛地川流不息。我研究每個路人的表情，有的滿面笑容，有的滿臉充滿緊張的氣氛，還有一些人，面無表情，只是行色匆匆地趕路。
妹妹用雙手攬著那捆書，邊走邊瞧著路邊商店的玻璃櫥。
--
Monday, January 9, 2023
Chin Té-phiⁿ II Bo̍k-lo̍k | 真短篇二 目錄
Chin Té-phiⁿ II Bo̍k-lo̍k | 真短篇二 目錄
(Sek-ha̍p Tiong-ha̍k-seng | 適合中學生)
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C41 Chi̍t-ê Óng-seng Cha-bó͘ ê Pì-bi̍t | 一个往生查某 ê 秘密 [Gí-im | 語音]
(A Dead Woman’s Secret /by Guy de Maupassant)
C42 Hoe-lêng-ki | 飛行機 (The Flying Machine /by Ray Bradbury)
C43 Hái-éng | 海湧 (The Wave /by Liam O’Flaherty)
C44 Lé-pài tī Kong-hn̂g | 禮拜 tī 公園 (Sunday in the Park /by Bel Kaufman)
C45 Chi̍t-ê Kong-bū-oân ê Sí-bông | 一个公務員 ê 死亡
(The Death of a Government Clerk /by Anton Chekhov, 1883 /Eng tran Constance Garnett)
C46 Ha̍k-hāu | 學校 (The School /by Donald Barthelme)
C47 Anne Hj ê Tiām-chēng | Anne 夫人 ê 恬靜
(The Reticence of Lady Anne /by H.H. Munro (SAKI))
C48 Walter Mitty ê Pì-bi̍t Seng-oa̍h | Walter Mitty ê 秘密生活
(The Secret Life of Walter Mitty /by James Thurber)
C49 Brill Sió-chiá | Brill 小姐 (Miss Brill /by Katherine Mansfield)
C50 Ūn-khì | 運氣 (Luck /by Mark Twain)
C51 Tui-kiû-chiá | 追求者 (The Chaser /by John Collier)
C52 Phīⁿ-tio̍h ná Hoan-be̍h ê Goán Pêng-iú Lucy | 鼻著 ná 番麥 ê 阮朋友 Lucy
(My Lucy Friend Who Smells Like Corn /by Sandra Cisneros)
C53 Khoan-hān Kî | 寬限期 (Grace Period /by Will Baker)
C54 Góa Sī teh Chhòng-siàⁿ | 我是 teh 創啥
(What I Have Been Doing Lately /by Jamaica Kincaid)
C55 Tâm Hoat-hiān | 談發現 (On Discovery /by Maxine Hong Kingston)
C56 Hoe-tiâu-bé Kóng-kó͘ | 花條馬講古 (The Zebra Story Teller /by Spencer Holst)
C57 Sim hām Chhiú | 心和手 (Hearts And Hands /by O. Henry)
C58 Hō͘ Thiⁿ-kong ê Phe | 予天公 ê 批
(A Letter to God /by Gregorio Lopez y Fuentes /Eng tran. Donald A. Yates)
C59 Chu-sè | 姿勢 (The Pose /by Anwer Khan)
C60 Pí He Koh-khah Koân | 比 He 閣較懸 (If Not Higher /by I.L. Peretz /trans Ruth Wisse)
C61 Ha'penny | 夏平年 (Ha'penny /by Alan Paton)
C62 Nâ-sek ê Koàn-á | 藍色 ê 罐仔 (The Blue Jar /by Isak Dinesen)
C63 Chhēng Chang-sek Gōa-thò ê Cha-pō͘ Lâng | 穿棕色外套 ê 查埔人
(The Man in the Brown Coat /by Sherwood Anderson)
C64 Sàng-lé ê Sim-ì | 送禮 ê 心意 (The Spirit of Giving /by Maxine Chernoff)
C65 Ji̍t-pún Bo̍k-lâi | 日本木梨 (The Japanese Quince /by John Galsworthy)
C66 Lí Tàu-té Sī Siáⁿ? | 你到底是啥 (So What Are You, Anyway? /by Lawrence Hill)
C67 Hó Ba̍k-sek | 好目識 (20/20 /by Linda Brewer)
C68 O͘-m̂ | 烏莓 (Blackberries /by Ellen Hunnicutt)
C69 Seh | 雪 (Snow /by Julia Alvarez)
C70 In Hit-sî ê Lo̍k-tiòng | In 彼時 ê 樂暢 (The Fun They Had /by Isaac Asimov)
C71 Hn̄g hām Kīn | 遠和近 (The Far and the Near /by Thomas Wolfe)
C72 Chun-hî | 鱒魚 (The Trout /by Sean O’Faolain)
C73 Bô-chêng | 無情 (Ruthless /byWilliam de Mille)
C74 Tī Samarra ê iok-sok | Tī Samarra ê 約束
(The Appointment in Samarra /by W. Somerset Maugham)
C75 Bōng-á-po͘ Lō͘ | 墓仔埔路 (Cemetery Path /by Leonard Q. Ross)
--
Pún hē-lia̍t ê kî-thaⁿ pō͘-hūn | 本系列 ê 其他部份
Té-phiⁿ Kò͘-sū | 短篇故事
https://tephinnkoosu.blogspot.com/2021/07/te-phi-ko-su-bok-lok.html
Té-phiⁿ Kò͘-sū II | 短篇故事二
https://tephinnkoosu.blogspot.com/2022/05/te-phi-ko-su-ii-bok-lok.html
Chin Té-phiⁿ | 真短篇
https://tephinnkoosu.blogspot.com/2022/09/chin-te-phi-bok-lok.html
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Sunday, January 8, 2023
C75 Bōng-á-po͘ Lō͘ | 墓仔埔路 (Cemetery Path /by Leonard Q. Ross)
Cemetery Path /by Leonard Q. Ross
http://cmsnorthstar.weebly.com/uploads/5/6/6/3/56635067/cemetery_path__by_leonard_q__1_.pdf
Bōng-á-po͘ Lō͘ | 墓仔埔路
--
Ivan sī chi̍t-ê bô-táⁿ ê sè-hàn cha-po͘ -- bô-táⁿ kah chng-lāi ê lâng lóng kiò i "Hún-chiáu," a̍h keng-thé kóng i sī "Khióng-pò͘ ê Ivan." Ta̍k-àm Ivan lóng tī bōng-á-po͘ piⁿ ê chiú-tiàm thêng-khùn. Ivan m̄-bat kiâⁿ bōng-á-po͘ ê sió-lō͘, tńg hit-pêng-thâu in tau hit-keng ko͘-to̍k ê sió chhù-liâu. Keng-kòe bōng-á-po͘ ê lō͘ ē-tàng ūi i chiat-séng chin chē sî-kan, m̄-koh i m̄-bat án-ne kiâⁿ -- sīm-chì tī goe̍h-îⁿ ê àm-mê.
Chi̍t-ê kôaⁿ-thiⁿ chhim-iā, chiú-tiàm gōa-bīn hong chhoe seh sàu, lāi-bīn ê kò͘-kheh iū-koh khai-sí in se̍k-sāi ê chiàⁿ-khau tò-siah.
Ivan bô-la̍t ê khòng-gī kan-ta cheng-ka in ê chhòng-tī, tán hit-ê siàu-liân Cossack tiong-ùi hiòng i thê-chhut khó-phà ê thiau-chiàn ê sî, in koh-khah sī hoat-chhut chân-jím ê thí-chhiò.
"Ivan, lí put-kò sī chi̍t-chiah hún-chiáu mah. Chiah-nī kôaⁿ, lí iû-goân se̍h kòe bōng-á-po͘ -- m̄-koh, lí m̄-káⁿ kiâⁿ kòe bōng-á-po͘."
Ivan án-ne nauh kóng, "Kiâⁿ kòe bōng-á-po͘ ná ū siáⁿ, Tiong-ùi. He put-kò sī thô͘, hām pa̍t-ūi ê thô͘ kāng-khoán."
Tiong-ùi hoah siaⁿ, "Nā án-ne, lâi thiau-chiàn! E-àm lí kiâⁿ kòe bōng-á-po͘, Ivan, góa tō hō͘ lí 5 ruble* -- gō͘-ê kim ruble!" [* ruble: Rusia ê kim-chîⁿ.]
Hoān-sè sī in-ūi vodka* ê iân-kò͘. Hoān-sè sī hō͘ gō͘-ê kim ruble siâⁿ tio̍h. Bô-lâng chai, sī án-chóaⁿ Ivan, chīⁿ-tâm i ê chhùi-tûn, hut-jiân kóng: "Hó, Tiong-ùi. Góa boeh kiâⁿ kòe bōng-á-po͘!" [* vodka: Rusia ê kāu chiú.]
Chiú-tiàm lāi hiáng-khí in m̄-siong-sìn ê hoah-siaⁿ. Tiong-ùi tùi chiòng-lâng sái chi̍t-ê ba̍k-sek, tháu lo̍h i ê kun-to. "Ivan, the̍h che. Tán lí kàu bōng-á-po͘ tiong-ng ê sî, tī siōng tōa hit-mn̂g bōng-á hia, kā chit-ki kun-to chhah ji̍p thô͘-kha. Thiⁿ-kng liáu, goán ē khì hia. Kun-to nā ū chhah tī thô͘-kha -- tō hō͘ lí gō͘-ê kim ruble!"
Ivan chiap kòe kun-to. Chiòng-lâng kan-poe hoah-hiu: "Kèng Khióng-pò͘ ê Ivan!" Hoah kah ta̍k-ê chhiò hai-hai.
Ivan koaiⁿ hó chiú-tiàm ê mn̂g, sin-piⁿ ê hong siù-siù kiò. Léng kah bē-su to teh koah. I kā tn̂g gōa-thò liú hó, ta̍h chiūⁿ thô͘ lō͘. I thiaⁿ ē-tio̍h tiong-ùi ê siaⁿ, pí pa̍t-lâng khah tōa siaⁿ, tī i āu-bīn hoah, "Hún-chiáu, gō͘ ruble! Jû-kó lí iáu oa̍h leh!"
Ivan tháⁿ-khui bōng-á-po͘ ê tōa-mn̂g. I kín-kín kiâⁿ. "Thô͘, che put-kò sī thô͘... chhiūⁿ jīm-hô kî-thaⁿ ê thô͘." M̄-koh, o͘-àm sī ke̍k-tōa ê khióng-pò͘. "Gō͘-ê kim ruble..." Hong léng sih-sih, chhiú tiong ê kun-to ná peng-ki. Ivan tī tn̂g koh kāu ê gōa-thò lāi-bīn khū-khū chùn, khai-sí kho̍k-kho̍k phiân khí-pō͘ cháu.
I jīn-chhut hit-mn̂g tōa bōng. I tiāⁿ-tio̍h ū chheh-khùi -- in-ūi hō͘ hong cha̍k kah bē chhoán-khùi.
I kūi lo̍h-lâi, kôaⁿ koh kiaⁿ, kā kun-to tu̍h ji̍p tēng thô͘. Koh kō͘ kûn-thâu-bó kā tûi-lo̍h kàu pèⁿ ê ūi. Hó-sè ah. Bōng-á-po͘... thiau-chiàn... gō͘-ê kim ruble.
Ivan khai-sí sóa kha-thâu-u boeh peh khí-lâi. M̄-koh, i bô hoat-tō͘ tín-tāng. Ū mi̍h-kiāⁿ kā i lia̍h tio̍h.
Ū mi̍h-kiāⁿ kā i lia̍h tiâu-tiâu, m̄ pàng-khui. Ivan la̍k koh chhoah koh khiú -- chheⁿ -kông suh chhim-khùi, kiaⁿ kah kui-sin phi̍h-phi̍h chhoah. M̄-koh, ū mi̍h-kiāⁿ kā Ivan lia̍h tio̍h. I tio̍h-kiaⁿ kah háu chhut-siaⁿ, jiân-āu hoat-chhut bô ì-gī ê gor-gor siaⁿ.
Keh-kang chá-khí, in hoat-hiān Ivan tó tī bōng-á-po͘ tiong-ng hit-mn̂g bōng ê thâu-chêng. I ê bīn bô sêng sī kôaⁿ sí, khah sêng sī in-ūi bo̍k-bêng ê khióng-pò͘ só͘ kiaⁿ sí ê. Tiong-ùi ê kun-to chhah tī Ivan tu̍h lo̍h ê thô͘-kha -- chhah kòe i he tn̂g gōa-thò thoa-thô͘ ê ē-pô͘.
--
Ivan 是一个無膽 ê 細漢查埔 -- 無膽 kah 庄內 ê 人 lóng 叫伊 "粉鳥," a̍h 供體講伊是 "恐怖 ê Ivan." 逐暗 Ivan lóng tī 墓仔埔邊 ê 酒店停睏. Ivan 毋捌行墓仔埔 ê 小路, 轉彼爿頭 in 兜彼間孤獨 ê 小厝寮. 經過墓仔埔 ê 路會當為伊節省真濟時間, 毋過伊毋捌 án-ne 行 -- 甚至 tī 月圓 ê 暗暝.
一个寒天深夜, 酒店外面風吹雪掃, 內面 ê 顧客又閣開始 in 熟似 ê 正剾倒削.
Ivan 無力 ê 抗議干焦增加 in ê 創治, 等彼个少年 Cossack 中尉向伊提出可怕 ê 挑戰 ê 時, in 閣較是發出殘忍 ê 恥笑.
"Ivan, 你不過是一隻粉鳥 mah. Chiah-nī 寒, 你猶原踅過墓仔埔 -- 毋過, 你毋敢行過墓仔埔."
Ivan án-ne 喃講, "行過墓仔埔那有啥, 中尉. 彼不過是塗, 和別位 ê 塗仝款."
中尉喝聲, "若 án-ne, 來挑戰! 下暗你行過墓仔埔, Ivan, 我 tō 予你 5 ruble* -- 五个金 ruble!" [* ruble: Rusia ê 金錢.]
凡勢是因為 vodka* ê 緣故. 凡勢是 hō͘ 五个金 ruble 唌著. 無人知, 是按怎 Ivan, 舐澹伊 ê 喙唇, 忽然講: "好, 中尉. 我欲行過墓仔埔!" [* vodka: Rusia ê 厚酒.]
酒店內響起 in 毋相信 ê 喝聲. 中尉對眾人使一个目色, 敨落伊 ê 軍刀. "Ivan, 提這. 等你到墓仔埔中央 ê 時, tī 上大彼門墓仔 hia, kā 這支軍刀插入塗跤. 天光了, 阮會去 hia. 軍刀若有插 tī 塗跤 -- tō 予你五个金 ruble!"
Ivan 接過軍刀. 眾人乾杯喝咻: "敬恐怖 ê Ivan!" 喝 kah 逐个笑咍咍.
Ivan 關好酒店 ê 門, 身邊 ê 風 siù-siù 叫. 冷 kah 袂輸刀 teh 割. 伊 kā 長外套鈕好, 踏上塗路. 伊聽會著中尉 ê 聲, 比別人較大聲, tī 伊後面喝, "粉鳥, 五 ruble! 如果你猶活 leh!"
Ivan 挺開墓仔埔 ê 大門. 伊緊緊行. "塗, 這不過是塗... 像任何其他 ê 塗." 毋過, 烏暗是極大 ê 恐怖. "五个金 ruble..." 風冷 sih-sih, 手中 ê 軍刀 ná 冰支. Ivan tī 長 koh 厚 ê 外套內面懼懼顫, 開始 kho̍k-kho̍k 蹁起步走.
伊認出彼門大墓. 伊定著有 chheh 氣 -- 因為 hō͘ 風嗾 kah 袂喘氣.
伊跪落來, 寒 koh 驚, kā 軍刀揬入 tēng 塗. Koh kō͘ 拳頭母 kā 捶落到柄 ê 位. 好勢 ah. 墓仔埔... 挑戰... 五个金 ruble.
Ivan 開始徙跤頭趺欲 peh 起來. 毋過, 伊無法度振動. 有物件 kā 伊掠著.
有物件 kā 伊掠牢牢, 毋放開. Ivan 搦 koh 掣 koh 搝 -- 青狂欶深氣, 驚 kah 規身咇咇掣. 毋過, 有物件 kā Ivan 掠著. 伊著驚 kah 吼出聲, 然後發出無意義 ê gor-gor 聲.
隔工早起, in 發現 Ivan 倒 tī 墓仔埔中央彼門墓 ê 頭前. 伊 ê 面無成是寒死, 較成是因為莫名 ê 恐怖所驚死 ê. 中尉 ê 軍刀插 tī Ivan 揬落 ê 塗跤 -- 插過伊 he 長外套拖塗 ê 下裒.
--
Ivan was a timid little man – so timid that the villagers called him “Pigeon,” or mocked him with the title “Ivan the Terrible.” Every night Ivan stopped at the tavern which was on the edge of the village cemetery. Ivan never crossed the cemetery to get to his lonely shack on the other side. The path through the cemetery would save him many minutes, but he had never taken it – not even in the full light of the moon.
Late one winter’s night, when bitter wind and snow beat against the tavern, the customers took up their familiar mockery.
Ivan’s sickly protest only fed their taunts, and they jeered cruelly when the young Cossack lieutenant flung his horrid challenge at their quarry.
“You are a pigeon, Ivan. You’ll walk all around the cemetery in this cold – but you dare not cross the cemetery.”
Ivan murmured, “The cemetery is nothing to cross, Lieutenant. It is nothing but earth, like all the other earth.”
The lieutenant cried, “A challenge, then! Cross the cemetery tonight, Ivan, and I’ll give you five rubles – five gold rubles!”
Perhaps it was the vodka. Perhaps it was the temptation of the five gold rubles. No one ever knew why Ivan, moistening his lips, said suddenly: “Yes, Lieutenant. I’ll cross the cemetery!”
The tavern echoed with their disbelief. The lieutenant winked to the men and unbuckled his saber. “Here, Ivan. When you get to the center of the cemetery, in front of the biggest tomb, stick the saber into the ground. In the morning we shall go there. And if the saber is in the ground – five gold rubles to you!”
Ivan took the saber. The men drank a toast: “To Ivan the Terrible!” They roared with laughter.
The wind howled around Ivan as he closed the door of the tavern behind him. The cold was knife-sharp. He buttoned his long coat and crossed the dirt road. He could hear the lieutenant’s voice, louder than the rest, yelling after him, “Five rubles, pigeon! If you live!”
Ivan pushed the cemetery gate open. He walked fast. “Earth, just earth…like any other earth.” But the darkness was a massive dread. “Five gold rubles…” The wind was cruel and the saber was like ice in his hands. Ivan shivered under the long, thick coat and broke into a limping run.
He recognized the large tomb. He must have sobbed – that was drowned in the wind.
And he kneeled, cold and terrified, and drove the saber into the hard ground. With his fist, he beat it down to the hilt. It was done. The cemetery…the challenge…five gold rubles.
Ivan started to rise from his knees. But he could not move. Something held him.
Something gripped him in an unyielding and implacable hold. Ivan tugged and lurched and pulled – gasping in his panic, shaken by a monstrous fear. But something held Ivan. He cried out in terror, then made senseless gurgling noises.
They found Ivan, next morning, on the ground in front of the tomb that was in the center of the cemetery. His face was not that of a frozen man’s, but of a man killed by some nameless horror. And the lieutenant’s saber was in the ground where Ivan had pounded it – through the dragging folds of his long coat.
--
// 2022-8-29
Saturday, January 7, 2023
C74 Tī Samarra ê Iok-sok | Tī Samarra ê 約束 (The Appointment in Samarra /by W. Somerset Maugham)
The Appointment in Samarra /by W. Somerset Maugham
https://www.k-state.edu/english/baker/english320/Maugham-AS.htm
Tī Samarra ê Jīm-bū | Tī Samarra ê 任務
--
Tī Bagdad ū chi̍t-ê seng-lí-lâng, i phài sin-lô khì chhī-tiûⁿ bé ji̍t-iōng-phín, kòe chi̍t-khùn, sin-lô tńg-lâi, bīn pe̍h chhi-chhi koh khū-khū chùn, kóng, Thâu-ke ah, tú-chiah góa tī chhī-tiûⁿ, góa hō͘ lâng-tīn ê chi̍t-ê cha-bó͘ kheh tio̍h, tán góa oa̍t kòe khòaⁿ yi ê sî, góa hoat-hiān kheh-tio̍h góa ê sī Sí-sîn. Yi kim-kim siòng góa, koh kek chi̍t-ê ui-hia̍p ê chhiú-sè, taⁿ, chhiáⁿ kín kā lí ê bé chioh góa, góa tio̍h cháu lī chit-ê siâⁿ-chhī, thang-hó tô-pī góa ê miā-ūn. Góa boeh khì Samarra, tī hia Sí-sîn tō bē chhōe tio̍h góa.
Seng-lí-lâng kā bé chioh i, sin-lô chiūⁿ bé, kō͘ bé-chhì tōa-la̍t that bé ê pak-tó͘ piⁿ, bé-á tō khí-lōng chài i cháu. Jiân-āu seng-lí-lâng khì chhī-tiûⁿ, khòaⁿ tio̍h góa khiā tī lâng-tīn tiong-kan, i kòe-lâi góa chia, kóng, Chá-khí lí khòaⁿ tio̍h góa ê sin-lô ê sî, sī án-chóaⁿ lí tùi i chò ui-hia̍p ê chhiú-sè?
He m̄-sī ui-hia̍p ê chhiú-sè, góa kóng, he sī in-ūi góa kiaⁿ-chi̍t-tiô. Tī Bagdad khòaⁿ tio̍h i, hō͘ góa tio̍h chi̍t-kiaⁿ, in-ūi e-àm tī Samarra, góa kap i ū sio iok-sok.
--
Tī Bagdad 有一个生理人, 伊派辛勞去市場買日用品, 過一睏, 辛勞轉來, 面白 chhi-chhi koh khū-khū 顫, 講, 頭家 ah, 拄才我 tī 市場, 我 hō͘ 人陣 ê 一个查某 kheh 著, 等我越過看她 ê 時, 我發現 kheh 著我 ê 是死神. 她金金相我, koh 激一个威脅 ê 手勢, 今, 請緊 kā 你 ê 馬借我, 我著走離這个城市, 通好逃避我 ê 命運. 我欲去 Samarra, tī hia 死神 tō 袂揣著我.
生理人 kā 馬借伊, 辛勞上馬, kō͘ 馬刺大力踢馬 ê 腹肚邊, 馬仔 tō 起 lōng 載伊走. 然後生理人去市場, 看著我徛 tī 人陣中間, 伊過來我 chia, 講, 早起你看著我 ê 辛勞 ê 時, 是按怎你對伊做威脅 ê 手勢?
彼毋是威脅 ê 手勢, 我講, 彼是因為我驚一趒. Tī Bagdad 看著伊, hō͘ 我著一驚, 因為下暗 tī Samarra, 我 kap 伊有 sio 約束.
--
There was a merchant in Bagdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, Master, just now when I was in the marketplace I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was Death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture, now, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there Death will not find me.
The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went. Then the merchant went down to the marketplace and he saw me standing in the crowd and he came to me and said, Why did you make a threating getsture to my servant when you saw him this morning?
That was not a threatening gesture, I said, it was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Bagdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.
--
// 2022-8-27
Friday, January 6, 2023
C73b 這啉落, 一切 tō 好勢
2. Che lim lo̍h, it-chhè tō hó-sè
"Hoat-lu̍t siōng lâi-kóng, góa nā tōaⁿ-sí chhim-ji̍p goán chhù ê chha̍t-á, he bô sǹg bô͘-sat," i giâm-lē án-ne kóng. "Koh-kóng, pēng bô kìm-chí sú-iōng niáu-chhí io̍h-á. Tio̍h phò-hoāi, niáu-chhí chiah ū khó-lêng chìn-ji̍p chit-ê piah-tû. Jiân-āu hoat-seng siáⁿ tāi-chì, he tō bô góa ê koan-hē."
"Judson, m̄-thang án-ne chò," yi khún-kiû, "hoat-lu̍t bē phòaⁿ chha̍t-thau sí-hêng; lí ná-ū hit-ê khoân-lī?"
"Iú-koan pó-hō͘ góa ê châi-sán ê tāi-chì, iû góa lâi tēng ka-tī ê hoat-lu̍t." I kóng-ōe ê kē-im, kài sêng tōa-chiah káu in-ūi khó-lêng sit-khì kut-thâu teh ngāu-siaⁿ.
"M̄-koh, in put-kò sī thau chi̍t-sut-á chiú," yi kiû-chêng, hoān-sè sī gín-á chi̍t-sî ê hó-sńg. In pēng bô chō-sêng chin-chiàⁿ ê sún-hāi."
"Che m̄-sī tiōng-tiám," i kóng. "Nā ū-lâng lia̍h góa chhiúⁿ 5 kho͘ bí-kim, he hām i the̍h 100 kho͘ hō͘ góa pêⁿ sim-thiàⁿ. Chha̍t tō sī chha̍t."
Yi chīn chòe-āu ê khó͘-khǹg. "Lán tio̍h kàu mê-nî chhun-thiⁿ chiah ē koh lâi. Siūⁿ tio̍h hit-ê sí-bông ki-koan it-ti̍t tī hia, góa bē an-sim. Ká-sú lán ū siáⁿ tāi-chì -- che mā chin pháiⁿ kóng."
Thiaⁿ yi ê ōe, i koh chhiò-chhiò. "Che, lán tio̍h tó͘ khòaⁿ-māi," i kóng. "Góa sī khò ki-un thàn chiah-ê ke-hóe. Góa nā sí, it-chhè tō sûi-chāi lí. Ke-hóe lóng kui hō͘ lí ah."
Koh chèⁿ mā bô-hāu -- yi chai-iáⁿ. I chò seng-lí, nā ū siáⁿ bô sūn-ì, it-hiòng chin bô-chêng. Tāi-chì chóng tio̍h chiàu i ê ì-sù. Yi thó͘ chi̍t-ē khùi, oa̍t hiòng mn̂g-kháu.
"Góa kiâⁿ-lō͘ khì lông-sià kóng chài-hōe," yi khin-siaⁿ kóng, "lí tán-leh lâi hia chài góa." Yi koat-ì boeh kā Alec in bó͘ kóng. Tio̍h ài ū-lâng chai.
"Hó lah, chhin-ài ê," i chhiò-chhiò, "m̄-bián ūi hit-ê sió chha̍t-thau hoân-ló. Kap i bô tī-tāi ê lâng, bô-lâng ē siū siong-hāi."
Tán yi kiâⁿ lo̍h sió-lō͘ ê sî, i khai-sí boeh koaiⁿ piah-tû ê mn̂g, koh hut-leh tòng-tiām, in-ūi i siūⁿ-tio̍h phah-la̍h ê tn̂g-hia iáu tī gîm-chîⁿ-kha. He tio̍h siu lâi piah-tû lāi. Chū án-ne, mn̂g bô koaiⁿ, i khì hit-tè chho͘-ióng ê toh-á téng the̍h tn̂g-hia, iáu-ū phāiⁿ-pau hām gōa-thò.
Alec ùi ô͘-piⁿ kòe-lâi, hn̄g-hn̄g ǹg i ia̍t-chhiú.
Chi̍t-chiah hoe-la̍t chhí, thiaⁿ tio̍h Judson chho͘-tāng ê kha-pō͘ siaⁿ, pàng lo̍h chi̍t-lia̍p i boeh chhàng tī sió-chhù piah-lāi ê chhiūⁿ-chí, cháu kah bô iáⁿ-jiah.
Judson chhun-chhiú khì the̍h tn̂g-hia ê sî, ta̍h tio̍h hit-lia̍p chhiūⁿ-chí. I ê kha-té chhu khì, thâu-khak khok tio̍h tāng toh, koh poa̍h-tó.
Kúi hun-cheng liáu-āu, i khai-sí hôe-ho̍k ì-sek. I ê thâu-khak khòe tī Alec ê chho͘ chhiú-kut, lâng tó tī gîm-chîⁿ-kha, chi̍t-ê chhin-chhiat ê siaⁿ-im kóng, "M̄-sī giâm-tiōng ê poa̍h-tó, Webb Ss. Lí bô gōa-siong; chí-sī khok hūn khì chi̍t-ē-á. Chia, che lim lo̍h. It-chhè tō lóng hó-sè ah."
Chi̍t-ê sè-sè ê wiski poe-á tu tī i ê chhùi-tûn. Thâu hîn-hîn koh sió-khóa bô chheng-chhéⁿ, i kā lim lo̍h.
[Soah]
--
2. 這啉落, 一切 tō 好勢
"法律上來講, 我若彈死侵入阮厝 ê 賊仔, 彼無算謀殺," 伊嚴厲 án-ne 講. "閣講, 並無禁止使用鳥鼠藥仔. 著破壞, 鳥鼠才有可能進入這个壁櫥. 然後發生啥代誌, 彼 tō 無我 ê 關係."
"Judson, 毋通 án-ne 做," 她懇求, "法律袂判賊偷死刑; 你那有彼个權利?"
"有關保護我 ê 財產 ê 代誌, 由我來訂家己 ê 法律." 伊講話 ê 低音, 蓋成大隻狗因為可能失去骨頭 teh ngāu 聲.
"毋過, in 不過是偷一屑仔酒," 她求情, 凡勢是囡仔一時 ê 好耍. In 並無造成真正 ê 損害."
"這毋是重點," 伊講. "若有人掠我搶 5 kho͘ 美金, 彼和伊提 100 kho͘ hō͘ 我平心疼. 賊 tō 是賊."
她盡最後 ê 苦勸. "咱著到明年春天才會 koh 來. 想著彼个死亡機關一直 tī hia, 我袂安心. 假使咱有啥代誌 -- 這 mā 真歹講."
聽她 ê 話, 伊 koh 笑笑. "這, 咱著賭看覓," 伊講. "我是靠機運趁 chiah-ê 家伙. 我若死, 一切 tō 隨在你. 家伙 lóng 歸予你 ah."
Koh 諍 mā 無效 -- 她知影. 伊做生理, 若有啥無順意, 一向真無情. 代誌總著照伊 ê 意思. 她吐一下氣, 越向門口.
"我行路去農舍講再會," 她輕聲講, "你等 leh 來 hia 載我." 她決意欲 kā Alec in 某講. 著愛有人知.
"好 lah, 親愛 ê," 伊笑笑, "毋免為彼个小賊偷煩惱. Kap 伊無底代 ê 人, 無人會受傷害."
等她行落小路 ê 時, 伊開始欲關壁櫥 ê 門, koh 忽 leh 擋恬, 因為伊想著拍獵 ê 長靴猶 tī 砛簷跤. 彼著收來壁櫥內. 自 án-ne, 門無關, 伊去彼塊粗勇 ê 桌仔頂提長靴, 猶有揹包和外套.
Alec ùi 湖邊過來, 遠遠 ǹg 伊擛手.
一隻花栗鼠, 聽著 Judson 粗重 ê 跤步聲, 放落一粒伊欲藏 tī 小厝壁內 ê 橡子, 走 kah 無影跡.
Judson 伸手去提長靴 ê 時, 踏著彼粒橡子. 伊 ê 跤底趨去, 頭殼硞著重桌, koh 跋倒.
幾分鐘了後, 伊開始回復意識. 伊 ê 頭殼蹶 tī Alec ê 粗手骨, 人倒 tī 砛簷跤, 一个親切 ê 聲音講, "毋是嚴重 ê 跋倒, Webb Ss. 你無外傷; 只是硞昏去一下仔. Chia, 這啉落. 一切 tō lóng 好勢 ah."
一个細細 ê wiski 杯仔 tu tī 伊 ê 喙唇. 頭眩眩 koh 小可無清醒, 伊 kā 啉落.
[煞]
--
2.
“The law doesn’t call it murder if I shoot a thief who is entering my house by force,” he said harshly. “Also, the use of rat poison is not forbidden. The only way any rat can get into this closet is to break in. What happens then has nothing to do with me.”
“Don’t do it, Judson,” she begged, “the law doesn’t punish burglary by death; so what right have you?”
“When it comes to protecting my property, I make my own laws.” His deep voice was like that of a big dog growling at the possible loss of a bone.
“But all they did was to steal a little liquor,” she pleaded, “probably some boys off on a lark. They didn’t do any real damage.”
“That’s not the point,” he said. “If a man holds me up and robs me of five dollars, it makes me just as sore as if he took a hundred. A thief’s a thief.”
She made one last effort. “We won’t be here till next spring. I can’t bear to think of that death-trap waiting there all the time. Suppose something happens to us – and no one knows.”
He chuckled once more at her words. “We’ll take a chance on that,” he said. “I’ve made my pile by taking chances. If I should die, you can do as you please. The stuff will be yours.”
It was useless to argue – she knew. He had always been ruthless in business and whenever anything crossed him. Things had to be done his way. She turned towards the door with a sigh.
“I’ll walk down the road and say good bye at the farmhouse,” she said quietly, “you can pick me up there.” She had made up her mind to tell Alec’s wife. Someone had to know.
“Okay, my dear,” he smiled, “and don’t worry about your poor little burglar. No one is going to get hurt who hasn’t got it coming to him."
As she went down the path, he started to close the closet door, and then paused as he remembered his hunting boots outside on the porch. They belonged in the closet. So, leaving the door open, he went to fetch them from the heavy, rustic table on which they stood, along with his bag and top coat.
Alec was coming up from the lake and waved to him from a distance.
A chipmunk, hearing Judson’s heavy tread, left the acorn it was about to add to its store within the cabin wall and disappeared.
When reaching for his boots, Judson stepped upon that acorn. His foot slid from under him and his head struck the massive table as he fell.
Several minutes later, he began to regain his senses. Alec’s strong arm was supporting his head as he lay on the porch, and a kindly voice was saying, “It wasn’t much of a fall, Mr. Webb. You aren’t cut none; just knocked out for a minute. Here, take this. It’ll pull you together.”
A small whiskey glass was pressed to Judson’s lips. Dazed and half-conscious he drank.
--
// 2022-8-26
Thursday, January 5, 2023
C73 Bô-chêng | 無情 - a 不准別人動伊 ê 酒
https://my23.sd23.bc.ca/class/jlimk66/AnalyticsReports/Story%202%20-%20Ruthless.pdf
Bô-chêng | 無情
--
1. Put-chún pa̍t-lâng tāng i ê chiú
Tī gōa-bīn. chhiū-nâ tó tī cha̍p-goe̍h chheng-lóng ê ji̍t-kng ē: chhiu-thiⁿ ê khong-khì chhiong-móa lo̍h-hio̍h khàm tio̍h ê tâm-sip thó͘-tē ê chhak-phīⁿ, chhì-kek khì-bī. Tī lāi-bīn, chi̍t-ê lâng chhùi gi-gi bô piáu-chêng, ùi e̍k-keng chhut-lâi, chìn-ji̍p soaⁿ-téng iâⁿ-tē ê goân-sí khí-ki-sek, kiâⁿ-hiòng siông-lô piah ê tû-á.
Che sī i choan-iōng ê piah-tû, phòe chi̍t-ê keng-á só, lāi-bīn khǹg chhèng, chhèng-chí, hî-tiò-á hām chiú. Liân in bó͘ mā bô só-sî, in-ūi Judson Webb ài ka-tī ê ke-hóe, ài kah put-chún jīm-hô pa̍t-lâng ê chhiú kā bong chi̍t-ē.
Piah-tû ê mn̂g pó-chhî khui-khui: i it-ti̍t teh khoán kôaⁿ-thiⁿ ê mi̍h-kiāⁿ, koh kúi hun-cheng i tō boeh sái-chhia tńg-khì bûn-bêng siā-hōe.
Tán i khòaⁿ tio̍h chhāi chiú ê kè-á ê sî, i ê chhiò-iông chiâⁿ pháiⁿ-khòaⁿ. Só͘-ū ê kan-á lóng bô khui, kan-ta chi̍t-kan Bourbon chiú sóa kàu thâu-chêng, piⁿ-á khǹg chi̍t-ê wiski po-lê poe. Kan-á lāi-bīn ê chiú bô kàu chi̍t-pòaⁿ. I ùi kè-á kā the̍h ê sî, in bó͘ ê ōe ùi keh-piah ê khùn-pâng thoân kòe-lâi. "It-chhè lóng khoán hó-sè ah, Judson," yi kóng. "Alec kám iáu-bōe lâi chhiat-chúi sòa the̍h só-sî?"
Alec tòa tī lō͘-ē chi̍t-mai ê só͘-chāi, tī in bô tī chia ê sî, thè in koán-kò͘.
"I tī ô͘-piⁿ khiú chûn-á chhut chúi. i kóng, koh pòaⁿ tiám-cheng tō ē tńg-lâi."
Mabel chah yi ê thê-siuⁿ lâi kàu pâng-keng. M̄-koh, khòaⁿ tio̍h yin ang chhiú ni̍h ê kan-á ê sî, yi kiaⁿ chi̍t-tiô. "Judson!" yi hoah-siaⁿ, "Lí chá-khí 10 tiám tō teh lim-chiú ah, kám án-ne?"
"M̄-sī án-ne, chhin-ài ê," i chhiò-chhiò kóng, "góa bô ùi kan-á lāi the̍h mi̍h-kiāⁿ; góa kan-ta boeh khǹg kóa mi̍h-kiāⁿ ji̍p-khì." I kā tēⁿ-tio̍h ê chhiú chhun-khui, kā nn̄g-phìⁿ pe̍h io̍h-phìⁿ khǹg tī toh-téng, jiân-āu khui wiski kan-á ê chhó that-á.
Yi ba̍k-chiu bui-bui khòaⁿ i. Yi í-keng o̍h ē-hiáu kiaⁿ i hit-chióng khùi-kháu; he sī i tī seng-lí tiûⁿ phah-sǹg boeh "kái-koat tāi-chì" ê kháu-khì.
"M̄-koán sī siáng, kū-nî kôaⁿ-thiⁿ ji̍p piah-tû thau góa ê chiú, tī lán lī-khui chia ê sî, i khó-lêng ē koh lâi," i kè-sio̍k kóng, "m̄-koh, chit-pái i siōng hó sī mài."
Yi hō͘ chit-ê chân-jím ê pò-ho̍k cha̍k kah bē chhoán-khùi, ná khòaⁿ i chi̍t-phìⁿ chi̍t-phìⁿ kā io̍h-phìⁿ khǹg ji̍p kan-á, koh gia̍h koân khòaⁿ in iûⁿ khì.
"He sī siáⁿ-mi̍h?" yi mn̄g, "hō͘ i phòa-pēⁿ ê mi̍h-kiāⁿ?"
"Ná-ē ah!" I ká-ná chin tio̍h-bê, ná khòaⁿ he Bourbon piàn-chò tì-miā ê ím-liāu.
"Siōng-bô, bô lâng ū kái-io̍h: it-tàn lim lo̍h, it-chhè kiat-sok."
I kā kan-á that hó-sè, liân sè wiski poe-á tâng-chê khǹg tńg kè-á téng.
"It-chhè lóng chin hó, chin sūn-sī," i kóng, "taⁿ, Chha̍t-á Ss ah, tán lí thau ji̍p-lâi, hó-hó lim chi̍t-poe; góa bē tàng-sng hō͘ lí lim chit-poe."
Cha-bó͘ lâng ê bīn hoán-pe̍h. "M̄-thang án-ne chò, Judson," yi ná chhoán ná kóng, "che chiâⁿ khióng-pò͘ -- che sī bô͘-sat."
--
1. 不准別人動伊 ê 酒
Tī 外面. 樹林倒 tī 十月清朗 ê 日光下: 秋天 ê 空氣充滿落葉崁著 ê 澹濕土地 ê 鑿鼻, 刺激氣味. Tī 內面, 一个人喙 gi-gi 無表情, ùi 浴間出來, 進入山頂營地 ê 原始起居室, 行向松蘿壁 ê 櫥仔.
這是伊專用 ê 壁櫥, 配一个弓仔鎖, 內面囥銃, 銃子, 魚釣仔和酒. 連 in 某 mā 無鎖匙, 因為 Judson Webb 愛家己 ê 家伙, 愛 kah 不准任何別人 ê 手 kā 摸一下.
壁櫥 ê 門保持開開: 伊一直 teh 款寒天 ê 物件, koh 幾分鐘伊 tō 欲駛車轉去文明社會.
等伊看著 chhāi 酒 ê 架仔 ê 時, 伊 ê 笑容誠歹看. 所有 ê 矸仔 lóng 無開, 干焦一矸 Bourbon 酒徙到頭前, 邊仔囥一个 wiski 玻璃杯. 矸仔內面 ê 酒無夠一半. 伊 ùi 架仔 kā 提 ê 時, in 某 ê 話 ùi 隔壁 ê 睏房傳過來. "一切 lóng 款好勢 ah, Judson," 她講. "Alec 敢猶未來切水紲提鎖匙?"
Alec 蹛 tī 路下一 mai ê 所在, tī in 無 tī chia ê 時, 替 in 管顧.
"伊 tī 湖邊搝船仔出水. 伊講, koh 半點鐘 tō 會轉來."
Mabel 扎她 ê 提箱來到房間. 毋過, 看著姻翁手 ni̍h ê 矸仔 ê 時, 她驚一趒. "Judson!" 她喝聲, "你早起 10 點 tō teh 啉酒 ah, 敢 án-ne?"
"毋是 án-ne, 親愛 ê," 伊笑笑講, "我無 ùi 矸仔內提物件; 我干焦欲囥寡物件入去." 伊 kā 捏著 ê 手伸開, kā 兩片白藥片囥 tī 桌頂, 然後開 wiski 矸仔 ê chhó 窒仔.
她目睭 bui-bui 看伊. 她已經學會曉驚伊彼種氣口; 彼是伊 tī 生理場拍算欲 "解決代誌" ê 口氣.
"毋管是 siáng, 舊年寒天入壁櫥偷我 ê 酒, tī 咱離開 chia ê 時, 伊可能會 koh 來," 伊繼續講, "毋過, 這擺伊上好是莫."
她 hō͘ 這个殘忍 ê 報復嗾 kah 袂喘氣, ná 看伊一片一片 kā 藥片囥入矸仔, koh 攑懸看 in 溶去.
"彼是啥物?" 她問, "hō͘ 伊破病 ê 物件?"
"那會 ah!" 伊 ká-ná 真著迷, ná 看 he Bourbon 變做致命 ê 飲料.
"上無, 無人有解藥: 一旦啉落, 一切結束."
伊 kā 矸仔窒好勢, 連細 wiski 杯仔同齊囥轉架仔頂.
"一切 lóng 真好, 真順序," 伊講, "今, 賊仔 Ss ah, 等你偷入來, 好好啉一杯; 我袂凍霜 hō͘ 你啉這杯."
查某人 ê 面反白. "毋通 án-ne 做, Judson," 她 ná 喘 ná 講, "這誠恐怖 -- 這是謀殺."
--
1.
Outside, the woods lay in clear October sunlight: the autumn air was full of the sharp, exciting smell of moist, leaf-covered earth. Inside, a man smiled grimly as he turned from the bathroom cabinet, entered the primitive living room of his mountain camp, and crossed to a closet set in the pine wall.
It was his special closet with a spring lock, and in it he kept guns, ammunition, fishing rods and liquor. Not even his wife was allowed to have a key, for Judson Webb loved his personal possessions and became furious if they were touched by any hand but his own.
The closet door stood open: he had been packing his things away for the winter, and in a few minutes he would be driving back to civilization.
As he looked at the shelf on which the liquor stood, his smile was not attractive. All the bottles were unopened, except one quart of Bourbon which was placed invitingly in front, a whiskey glass by its self. The bottle was less than half full. As he took it from the shelf, his wife spoke from the next bedroom. “Everything is packed, Judson,” she said. “Hasn’t Alec come to turn the water off and get the keys?”
Alec lived about a mile down the road and acted as a caretaker for the city folks when they were away.
“He’s down at the lake taking the boats out of the water. He said he’d be back in half an hour.”
Mabel came into the room carrying her suitcase. But she paused in surprise as she saw the bottle in her husband’s hand. “Judson!” she exclaimed, “You’re not taking a drink at ten o’clock in the morning, are you?”
“You’re wrong, my dear,” he chuckled, “I’m not taking anything out of this bottle; I’m only putting something into it.” His closed hand opened, and he put two tiny white tablets on the table as he started to uncork the whiskey.
Her eyes narrowed as she watched him. She had learned to dread that tone of his voice; it was the tone he used when he was planning to “put something over” in business.
“Whoever broke into my closet last winter and stole my liquor will probably try it again once we are out of here,” he went on, “only this time he’ll wish he hadn’t.”
She caught her breath at this cruel vindictiveness as one by one he dropped the tablets into the bottle and held it up to watch them dissolve.
“What are they?” she asked, “something to make him sick?”
“And how!” He seemed fascinated as he saw the Bourbon changing into a deadly drink.
“At least no one has found an antidote: once it’s down, it’s the end.”
He corked the bottle and set it back on the shelf alongside the little whiskey glass.
“Everything nice and handy,” he remarked, “now, Mr. Thief, when you break in, have a good drink; I won’t begrudge you this one.”
The woman’s face was pale. “Don’t do it, Judson,” she gasped, “it’s horrible – it’s murder.”
--
Wednesday, January 4, 2023
C72b 我想, 彼是仙姑 pah
2. Góa siūⁿ, he sī Sian-ko͘ pah
Hō͘ yi put-an ê sī, chun-hî chóng-sī kāng chi̍t-ê chu-sè; i bô ūi thang sóa-tāng; gîn-sek pak-tó͘ it-ti̍t téng-ē khí-lo̍h; nā bô, tō sī tāng to bô tāng. Yi m̄-chai i ū chia̍h siáⁿ bô, tī yi khì hóng-būn Joey Pony, khì kò-chûn, khì sé-e̍k lâm-liâng ê tiong-kan, yi tiu-tiu siūⁿ tio̍h i ê ki-iau. Yi chah mī-chhè sap-á lâi hō͘ i; ū chi̍t-pái yi chah chi̍t-bóe thâng lâi. I bô kha̍p yi chah ê si̍t-bu̍t. I kan-ta sī teh chhoán. Àⁿ lo̍h khòaⁿ i, yi án-ne siūⁿ, ná ū khó-lêng kui-ê kôaⁿ-thiⁿ, yi tī ha̍k-hāu ê sî, i tō í-keng tī chia ah. Kui-ê kôaⁿ-thiⁿ, tī O͘-àm Lō͘, ji̍t hām mê, ko͘ chi̍t-ê tī chia phiau-phû. Yi kā bō-á kîⁿ ah-lo̍h, khàm kàu hīⁿ-á hām chhùi-phé, kim-kim khòaⁿ i. Tng yi tó tī bîn-chhn̂g ê sî, yi mā iáu teh siūⁿ che.
Hit-sî sī la̍k-goe̍h bóe, chi̍t-nî tang-tiong ji̍t siōng tn̂g ê sî-chūn. Ji̍t-thâu tn̂g ló-ló í-keng chiò chi̍t lé-pài, sè-kài tit-boeh tio̍h hóe-sio ah. Sui-bóng àm-sî 10 tiám gōa, ji̍t-thâu iáu-sī kng koh iām. Yi tó thán-chhiò, kah chi̍t-niá chhn̂g-toaⁿ, siang-kha khui khui, chhì boeh pó-chhî liâng-sóng. Yi ē-tàng thàng-kòe léng-sam khòaⁿ tio̍h pòaⁿ-goe̍h -- in khùn tī it-lâu. In chiūⁿ-chhn̂g chìn-chêng, mama koh kā Stephen kóng chun-hî ê kò͘-sū, yi tó tī chhn̂g, koat-ì kō͘ kha-chiah-āu hiòng in, tha̍k ka-tī ê chheh. M̄-koh yi mā giàng chi̍t-pêng hīⁿ-á teh thiaⁿ.
"Chū án-ne, lo̍h-bóe, chit-bóe bô-ài lâu tī chhù ê gia̍t-thiok hî-á lú lâi lú tōa, chúi lú lâi lú sè..."
Yi kek-tōng kah that koh kiò, "Mama, mài kā he kóng chò chi̍t-ê khó-phà ê kó͘-chá tō-tek kò͘-sū!" Yin mama tō chhòng-chō chi̍t-ê Sian-ko͘, hit-ê Sian-ko͘ chah-lâi chē-chē ê chúi, kā chúi-khut té tīⁿ-tīⁿ, chúi lâu chhut-lâi piàn-chò chi̍t-tiâu sió khe, chun-hî tòe chúi phiau kàu ē-bīn ê hô khì. Ba̍k-chiu lia̍h goe̍h khòaⁿ, yi chai-iáⁿ bô Sian-ko͘ chit-lō tāi-chì, hit-bóe tī O͘-àm Lō͘ ê chun-hî iáu-sī chhoán kah ná chhiūⁿ chi̍t-tâi enjín. Yi thiaⁿ tio̍h ū-lâng teh ká thâng-si. Sī m̄-sī ū tōng-bu̍t boeh khì tiò hit-bóe hî?
Yi chē khí-lâi. Stephen chi̍t-oân sio-sio, khùn kah giān-giān. O͘-àm Lō͘ eng-kai ū chē-chē ê goe̍h-kng sap-á. Yi thiàu khí-lâi, khòaⁿ thang-á gōa-kháu, m̄-chai án-chóaⁿ chit-sî ká-ná bô hiah kng, yi khòaⁿ tio̍h hn̄g-hn̄g ê soaⁿ-iáⁿ hām o͘-sek léng-sam khiā tī chhoán-khùi tiong ê thó͘-tē téng, koh thiaⁿ tio̍h chi̍t-chiah káu teh pūi: bark-bark. Yi chēng-chēng the̍h chúi-ô͘, peh chhut thang-á, iân liâng koh chhak ê chio̍h-lia̍p-á chông hiòng pōng-khang kháu. Yi ê khùn-saⁿ chin té, só͘-tì yi chhoat-chúi ê sî, chúi lâm-tâm yi ê kha-ba̍k. Yi khòaⁿ ji̍p pōng-khang. Ū oa̍h-bu̍t tī lāi-bīn si-si sā-sā. Yi kín cháu ji̍p-khì, chông koh chhiong, koh tōa-siaⁿ kiò, "Oh, Thiⁿ ah, góa chhōe bô i," jiân-āu yi chhōe tio̍h. Kūi lo̍h tī hit-ê tâm só͘-chāi, yi chhun chhiú ji̍p hit-ê ku̍t-liu ê tōng. Hî-sin phia̍t-tāng ê sî, in nn̄g-ê lóng kiaⁿ kah boeh khí-siáu. M̄-koh, yi kā i teⁿ tio̍h, koh kā i that ji̍p chúi-ô͘ lāi, tō chhùi-khí kā ân, sûi khí-kha cháu kàu pōng-khang iáu chi̍t-thâu, koh iân lo̍h-kiā ê sió-lō͘ cháu kàu hô piⁿ.
Yi it-ti̍t kám-kak ē-tio̍h, i kō͘ bóe phia̍t chúi-ô͘ ê piⁿ. Yi kiaⁿ i khó-lêng ē thiàu chhut-lâi. Chio̍h-lia̍p-á chhak yi ê kha-té, it-ti̍t kàu yi lâi-kàu hô hōaⁿ ê liâng nńg-thô͘, chúi-bīn ê goe̍h-chhí (moon-mice) chǹg kàu yi ê kha khì. Yi tò-chúi ná khòaⁿ, it-ti̍t kàu i tóm chi̍t-siaⁿ lo̍h-chúi. Ū chi̍t bió-cheng, iáu ū khòaⁿ-e i tī chúi ni̍h. Yi hi-bōng i bô iûⁿ-hîn. Koh-lâi, yi kan-ta khòaⁿ tio̍h goe̍h kng tī chēng-chēng lâu-tāng ê chúi-chhiò siám-sih, khòaⁿ tio̍h o͘ léng-sam, àm soaⁿ-iáⁿ, hām tī khòng-tōa thiⁿ-téng chhiò-bīn khòaⁿ yi ê hit-ê oan-khiau hoat-kng ê bīn.
Yi cháu peh-kiā, ji̍p thang-á, phiaⁿ-lo̍h chúi-ô͘, koh ná chiáu-á án-ne poe chiūⁿ bîn-chhn̂g. Káu bark-bark pūi. Yi thiaⁿ tio̍h thâng-si s-s ê siaⁿ. Yi siang-chhiú sio-siâm, ki-ki chhiò.
Yi ê ká-kî ná chhiūⁿ chi̍t-tiâu hoaⁿ-hí ê hô tī yi bīn-chêng tián-khui.
Keh-kang chá-khí, Stephen chông lâi yi bīn-chêng, tōa-siaⁿ hoah, "i" cháu khì ah, koh mn̄g kóng "khì tó-ūi" hām "ná-ē án-ne." Yi kā phīⁿ giâ koân, kek chi̍t-ê hong-sîn-khùi, kóng, "Góa siūⁿ, he sī Sian-ko͘ pah?" tō ná phah pho̍k-á ná kiâⁿ-khui.
[Soah]
--
2. 我想, 彼是仙姑 pah
Hō͘ 她不安 ê 是, 尊魚總是仝一个姿勢; 伊無位通徙動; 銀色腹肚一直頂下起落; 若無, tō 是動 to 無動. 她毋知伊有食啥無, tī 她去訪問 Joey Pony, 去划船, 去洗浴淋涼 ê 中間, 她 tiu-tiu 想著伊 ê 饑枵. 她扎麵粞屑仔來 hō͘ 伊; 有一擺她扎一尾蟲來. 伊無磕她扎 ê 食物. 伊干焦是 teh 喘. Àⁿ 落看伊, 她 án-ne 想, 那有可能規个寒天, 她 tī 學校 ê 時, 伊 tō 已經 tī chia ah. 規个寒天, tī 烏暗路, 日和暝, 孤一个 tī chia 漂浮. 她 kā 帽仔墘壓落, 崁到耳仔和喙䫌, 金金看伊. Tng 她倒 tī 眠床 ê sî, 她 mā 猶 teh 想這.
彼時是六月尾, 一年當中日上長 ê 時陣. 日頭長 ló-ló 已經照一禮拜, 世界得欲著火燒 ah. 雖罔暗時 10 點外, 日頭猶是光 koh 炎. 她倒袒笑, 蓋一領床單, 雙跤開開, 試欲保持涼爽. 她會當迵過冷杉看著半月 -- in 睏 tī 一樓. In 上床進前, mama koh kā Stephen 講尊魚 ê 故事, 她倒 tī 床, 決意 kō͘ 尻脊後向 in, 讀家己 ê 冊. 毋過她 mā giàng 一爿耳仔 teh 聽.
"自 án-ne, 落尾, 這尾無愛留 tī 厝 ê gia̍t-thiok 魚仔 lú 來 lú 大, 水 lú 來 lú 細..."
她激動 kah 踢 koh 叫, "Mama, 莫 kā he 講做一个可怕 ê 古早道德故事!" 姻 mama tō 創造一个仙姑, 彼个仙姑扎來濟濟 ê 水, kā 水窟貯滇滇, 水流出來變做一條小溪, 尊魚綴水漂到下面 ê 河去. 目睭掠月看, 她知影無仙姑 chit-lō 代誌, 彼尾 tī 烏暗路 ê 尊魚猶是喘 kah ná 像一台 enjín. 她聽著有人 teh 絞蟲絲. 是毋是有動物欲去釣彼尾魚?
她坐起來. Stephen 一丸燒燒, 睏 kah giān-giān. 烏暗路應該有濟濟 ê 月光屑仔. 她跳起來, 看窗仔外口, 毋知按怎這時 ká-ná 無 hiah 光, 她看著遠遠 ê 山影和烏色冷杉徛 tī 喘氣中 ê 土地頂, koh 聽著一隻狗 teh 吠: bark-bark. 她靜靜提水壺, peh 出窗仔, 沿涼 koh 鑿 ê 石粒仔傱向磅空口. 她 ê 睏衫真短, 所致她 chhoat 水 ê 時, 水淋澹 她 ê 跤目. 她看入磅空. 有活物 tī 內面 si-si sā-sā. 她緊走入去, 傱 koh 衝, koh 大聲叫, "Oh, 天 ah, 我揣無伊," 然後她揣著. 跪落 tī 彼个澹所在, 她伸手入彼个滑溜 ê 洞. 魚身 phia̍t 動 ê 時, in 兩个 lóng 驚 kah 欲起痟. 毋過, 她 kā 伊捏著, koh kā 伊 that 入水壺內, tō 喙齒咬絚, 隨起跤走到磅空猶一頭, koh 沿落崎 ê 小路走到河邊.
她一直感覺會著, 伊 kō͘ 尾 phia̍t 水壺 ê 邊. 她驚伊可能會跳出來. 石粒仔鑿她 ê 跤底, 一直到她來到河岸 ê 涼軟塗, 水面 ê 月鼠 (moon-mice) 鑽到她 ê 跤去. 她倒水 ná 看, 一直到伊 tóm 一聲落水. 有一秒鐘, 猶有看 e 伊 tī 水 ni̍h. 她希望伊無羊眩. 閣來, 她干焦看著月光 tī 靜靜流動 ê 水面閃爍, 看著烏冷杉, 暗山影, 和 tī 曠大天頂笑笑看她 ê 彼个彎曲發光 ê 面.
她走 peh 崎, 入窗仔, 抨落水壺, koh ná 鳥仔 án-ne 飛上眠床. 狗 bark-bark 吠. 她聽著蟲絲 s-s ê 聲. 她雙手相尋, ki-ki 笑.
她 ê 假期 ná 像一條歡喜 ê 河 tī 她面前展開.
隔工早起, Stephen 傱來她面前, 大聲喝, "伊" 走去 ah, koh 問講 "去佗位" 和 "那會 án-ne." 她 kā 鼻夯懸, 激一个風神氣, 講, "我想, 彼是仙姑 pah?" tō ná 拍噗仔 ná 行開.
[煞]
--
2.
It troubled her that the trout was always in the same position; he had no room to turn; all the time the silver belly went up and down; otherwise he was motionless. She wondered what he ate and in between visits to Joey Pony, and the boat and a bathe to get cool, she thought of his hunger. She brought him down bits of dough; once she brought a worm. He ignored the food. He just went on panting. Hunched over him she thought how, all the winter, while she was at school he had been in there. All winter, in The Dark Walk, all day, all night, floating around alone. She drew the leaf of her hat down around her ears and chin and stared. She was still thinking of it as she lay in bed.
It was late June, the longest days of the year. The sun had sat still for a week, burning up the world. Although it was after ten o'clock it was still bright and still hot. She lay on her back under a single sheet, with her long legs spread, trying to keep cool. She could see the D of the moon through the fir-tree -- they slept on the ground floor. Before they went to bed her mummy had told Stephen the story of the trout again, and she, in her bed, had resolutely presented her back to them and read her book. But she had kept one ear cocked.
`And so, in the end, this naughty fish who would not stay at home got bigger and bigger, and the water got smaller and smaller. . . .'
Passionately she had whirled and cried, `Mummy, don't make it a horrible old moral story!' Her mummy had brought in a Fairy Godmother, then, who sent lots of rain, and filled the well, and a stream poured out and the trout floated away down to the river below. Staring at the moon she knew that there are no such things as Fairy Godmothers and that the trout, down in The Dark Walk, was panting like an engine. She heard somebody unwind a fishing-reel. Would the beasts fish him out!
She sat up. Stephen was a hot lump of sleep, lazy thing. The Dark Walk would be full of little scraps of moon. She leaped up and looked out the window, and somehow it was not so lightsome now that she saw the dim mountains far away and the black firs against the breathing land and heard a dog say, bark-bark. Quietly she lifted the ewer of water, and climbed out the window and scuttled along the cool but cruel gravel down to the maw of the tunnel. Her pyjamas were very short so that when she splashed water it wet her ankles. She peered into the tunnel. Something alive rustled inside there. She raced in, and up and down she raced, and flurried, and cried aloud, `Oh, Gosh, I can't find it,' and then at last she did. Kneeling down in the damp she put her hand into the slimy hole. When the body lashed they were both mad with fright. But she gripped him and shoved him into the ewer and raced, with her teeth ground, out to the other end of the tunnel and down the steep paths to the river's edge.
All the time she could feel him lashing his tail against the side of the ewer. She was afraid he would jump right out. The gravel cut into her soles until she came to the cool ooze of the river's bank where the moon-mice on the water crept into her feet. She poured out watching until he plopped. For a second he was visible in the water. She hoped he was not dizzy. Then all she saw was the glimmer of the moon in the silent-flowing river, the dark firs, the dim mountains, and the radiant pointed face laughing down at her out of the empty sky.
She scuttled up the hill, in the window, plonked down the ewer and flew through the air like a bird into bed. The dog said bark-bark. She heard the fishing-reel whirring. She hugged herself and giggled.
Like a river of joy her holiday spread before her.
In the morning Stephen rushed to her, shouting that `he' was gone, and asking `where' and `how'. Lifting her nose in the air she said superciliously, `Fairy Godmother, I suppose?' and strolled away patting the palms of her hands.
--
// 2022-8-21
Tuesday, January 3, 2023
C72 Chun-hî | 鱒魚 - a 一尾尊魚 tī hia 喘
http://mrdow.weebly.com/uploads/6/6/2/9/66297371/short_story_the_trout.pdf
Chun-hî | 鱒魚
--
1. Chi̍t-bóe chun-hî tī hia chhoán
In kàu-ūi G-- ê sî, Julia siōng tāi-seng cháu khì ê só͘-chāi tō sī O͘-àm Lō͘. Che sī chi̍t-tiâu goa̍t-kùi chhiū lō͘, chin kó͘-ló, bô-lâng koán-kò͘ ê chi̍t-tiâu iû ki-kut kng-ku̍t ê chhiū-oe só͘ hêng-sêng ê koân-tōa koh o͘-àm ê chhiū-á pōng-khang. Kha-té-ē ê kian-jūn chang-sek chhiū-hio̍h-á éng-oán bē ta kah chhut phòa-chhùi ê siaⁿ: chóng sī piáu-sī chia tâm-sip koh ū liâng chúi lâu-tāng.
Yi ti̍t-ti̍t cháu ji̍p-khì. Tī thâu-kàu hit kúi-bí, yi chóng ē-kì-tit ji̍t-thâu tī āu-bīn, jiân-āu yi chin kín kám-kak kng-sòaⁿ àm lo̍h-lâi, só͘-í yi tōa siaⁿ ki, koh kè-sio̍k cháu ǹg thâu-chêng hn̄g-hn̄g ê kng; m̄-koh he iū-koh hiah hn̄g, hō͘ yi chhut-lâi ê sî phīⁿ-phēⁿ chhoán, ná phah pho̍k-á, ná chhiò, ná hiáng-siū ji̍t-thâu kng. Tán yi koh suh-pá ji̍t-thâu ê kng hām jia̍t liáu-āu, yi tō koh oa̍t-sin, khó-lī koh chi̍t-pái ê khó-giām.
Kin-nî, yi ū chi̍t-ê cheng-ka ê lo̍k-thiòng, ē-tàng kā che hián-sī hō͘ sè-hàn sió-tī, thang-hó heh i mā heh ka-tī. I ê tio̍h-kiaⁿ ē ûi-chhî khah kú, in-ūi i ê kha-thúi khah té, tán yi cháu chhut-lâi ê sî, sió-tī iáu tī hn̄g-hn̄g ê āu-bīn ki-ki kiò.
Tán in án-ne sńg kúi-ā lûn liáu-āu, in tńg-lâi chhù, kā lâng kóng in ê hó-sńg tāi-chì. Sió-tī pûn ke-kui. Yi kā i chhiò. Nn̄g-lâng khí sio-chèⁿ.
"Ài khàu eⁿ-á!"
"Lí ka-tī mā ē-kiaⁿ, tō-sī án-ne!"
"Āu-kái m̄ hō͘ lí tòe."
"Lí sī tōa ti-bó."
"Góa thó-ià lí."
Ba̍k-sái kâm ba̍k-kîⁿ, só͘-tì ū lâng kóng, "Lí ū khòaⁿ tio̍h hit-kháu chúi-khut bô?" Yi peh-khui ba̍k-chiu khòaⁿ, chhun tn̂g khó-ài ê tn̂g ām-kún, kám-kak he bē sìn-tit. Yi 12 hòe, chit-ê nî-hòe ê sió ko͘-niû í-keng khai-sí hoâi-gî tōa pō͘-hūn ê kò͘-sū: yin í-keng hoat-hiān chē-chē, pau-koat Santa Klaus kap Sàng-kiáⁿ-chiáu. Ná khó-lêng ū chi̍t-ê chúi-khut ah! Tī O͘-àm Lō͘ lāi-bīn! Hit-ê só͘-chāi yi chi̍t-nî koh chi̍t-nî kiâⁿ kòe? "O͘-pe̍h kóng," yi kek-khùi án-ne kóng.
M̄-koh, yi iáu-sī koh khì kiâⁿ chi̍t-chōa, ké-kúi kóng boeh khì pa̍t-ūi, yi hoat-hiān tī lō͘-piⁿ ê chio̍h-thâu ū óe chi̍t-ê khang, téng-bīn khàm kah chiâu sī tâm hio̍h-á, sì chiu-ûi koh hō͘ koeh-niau khàm tio̍h, sī keng-kòe siông-sè ê chhiau-chhōe yi chiah hoat-hiān. Tī chio̍h-tōng lāi-bīn ū liōng-iok 1 liter ê chúi. Chúi ni̍h, yi hut-jiân hoat-hiān chi̍t-bóe chun-hî tī hia chhoán. Yi kín cháu khì chhōe Stephen, thoa i lâi khòaⁿ, nn̄g-lâng lóng hèng chhih-chhih, bô-koh kiaⁿ chhiū-á pōng-khang ê o͘-àm, khû lo̍h-lâi, in khòaⁿ hit-bóe hî tī i ê sió kaⁿ-lô chhoán, i ê gîn-sek pak-tó͘ ná enjín án-ne phòng chi̍t-ē, liap chi̍t-ē.
Bô-lâng chai, hit-bóe chun-hî sī án-chóaⁿ lâi kàu hia. Sīm-chì chàu-kha hoe-hn̂g ê Lāu Martin mā chhiò m̄ siong-sìn hia ū hî, a̍h-sī kóng, i ké-kúi i m̄-sìn, it-ti̍t kàu pek i kòe-lâi khòaⁿ. Kūi tī thô͘-kha, i thuh koân i hit-téng àu-kó͘ bō-á, bî ba̍k-chiu khòaⁿ ji̍p-khì.
"Thiⁿ ah, lí kóng ê bô m̄-tio̍h. Ok-mô͘ tàu-té sī án-nóa pìⁿ, kā chit-kho͘ hut lâi chia?"
Yi pòaⁿ-sìn pòaⁿ-gî khòaⁿ i.
"Lí chai-iáⁿ?" yi kā chí-chek; m̄-koh i kóng, "Kúi chiah chai," tō chhun chhiú boeh kā ko͘ khí-lâi.
Taⁿ siong-sìn ah, yi tō kā i khiú cháu. Nā kóng chit-bóe hî sī yi hoat-hiān ê, án-ne che tō sī yi ê chun-hî.
Yin lāu-bú ioh kóng, sī in-ūi chiáu-á chah lâi ê hî-nn̄g. Yin lāu-pē jīn-ûi tī kôaⁿ-thiⁿ ê sî, chúi hêng-sêng sió khe-lâu, kā hî-á kiáⁿ lâu kàu chia, tī chia i chin an-choân, it-ti̍t kàu joa̍h-thiⁿ chúi khai-sí ta. Yi kóng, "Góa bêng-pe̍k ah," tō koh cháu tńg-khì khòaⁿ, su-té-hā khó-lī chit-chân tāi-chì. Yin sió-tī tòe bô tio̍h, siūⁿ boeh thiaⁿ chun-hî ê kui-ê kò͘-sū, m̄-sī chin-chiàⁿ tùi si̍t-chè ê chun-hî ū chhù-bī, khah hèng-chhù ê sī thiaⁿ in mama khai-sí ūi i só͘ pian ê kò͘-sū, kóng, "Ū chi̍t-kang, Chun-hî Papa hām Chun-hî Mama..." Tán i kā he kóng hō͘ Julia thiaⁿ ê sî, yi kóng, "Sái lah."
--
1. 一尾尊魚 tī hia 喘
In 到位 G-- ê 時, Julia 上代先走去 ê 所在 tō 是烏暗路. 這是一條月桂樹路, 真古老, 無人管顧 ê 一條由枝骨光滑 ê 樹椏所形成 ê 懸大 koh 烏暗 ê 樹仔磅空. 跤底下 ê 堅韌棕色樹葉仔永遠袂焦 kah 出破碎 ê 聲: 總是表示 chia 澹濕 koh 有涼水流動.
她直直走入去. Tī 頭到 hit 幾米, 她總會記得日頭 tī 後面, 然後她真緊感覺光線暗落來, 所以她大聲吱, koh 繼續走 ǹg 頭前遠遠 ê 光; 毋過 he 又閣 hiah 遠, hō͘ 她出來 ê 時 phīⁿ-phēⁿ 喘, ná 拍噗仔, ná 笑, ná 享受日頭光. 等她 koh 欶飽日頭 ê 光和熱了後, 她 tō koh 越身, 考慮 koh 一擺 ê 考驗.
今年, 她有一个增加 ê 樂暢, 會當 kā 這顯示 hō͘ 細漢小弟, 通好嚇伊 mā 嚇家己. 伊 ê 著驚會維持較久, 因為伊 ê 跤腿較短, 等她走出來 ê 時, 小弟猶 tī 遠遠 ê 後面 ki-ki 叫.
等 in án-ne 耍幾若輪了後, in 轉來厝, kā 人講 in ê 好耍代誌. 小弟歕雞胿. 她 kā 伊笑. 兩人起相諍.
"愛哭嬰仔!"
"你家己 mā 會驚, 就是 án-ne!"
"後改毋 hō͘ 你綴."
"你是大豬母."
"我討厭你."
目屎含目墘, 所致有人講, "你有看著彼口水窟無?" 她擘開目睭看, 伸長可愛 ê 長頷頸, 感覺 he 袂信得. 她 12 歲, 這个年歲 ê 小姑娘已經開始懷疑大部份 ê 故事: 姻已經發現濟濟, 包括 Santa Klaus kap 送囝鳥. 那可能有一个水窟 ah! Tī 烏暗路內面! 彼个所在她一年 koh 一年行過? "烏白講," 她激氣 án-ne 講.
毋過, 她猶是 koh 去行一逝, 假鬼講欲去別位, 她發現 tī 路邊 ê 石頭有挖一个空, 頂面崁 kah chiâu 是澹葉仔, 四周圍 koh hō͘ 蕨貓崁著, 是經過詳細 ê 搜揣她才發現. Tī 石洞內面有量約 1 liter ê 水. 水 ni̍h, 她忽然發現一尾尊魚 tī hia 喘. 她緊走去揣 Stephen, 拖伊來看, 兩人 lóng 興 chhih-chhih, 無 koh 驚樹仔磅空 ê 烏暗, 跍落來, in 看彼尾魚 tī 伊 ê 小監牢喘, 伊 ê 銀色腹肚 ná enjín án-ne 膨一下, liap 一下.
無人知, 彼尾尊魚是按怎來到 hia. 甚至灶跤花園 ê 老 Martin mā 笑毋相信 hia 有魚, a̍h 是講, 伊假鬼伊毋信, 一直到迫伊過來看. 跪 tī 塗跤, 伊 thuh 懸伊彼頂漚古帽仔, 眯目睭看入去.
"天 ah, 你講 ê 無毋著. 惡魔到底是按怎 pìⁿ, kā 這箍 hut 來 chia?"
她半信半疑看伊.
"你知影?" 她 kā 指責; 毋過伊講, "鬼才知," tō 伸手欲 kā 罟起來.
今相信 ah, 她 tō kā 伊搝走. 若講這尾魚是她發現 ê, án-ne 這 tō 是她 ê 尊魚.
姻老母臆講, 是因為鳥仔扎來 ê 魚卵. 姻老爸認為 tī 寒天 ê 時, 水形成小溪流, kā 魚仔囝流到 chia, tī chia 伊真安全, 一直到熱天水開始焦. 她講, "我明白 ah," tō koh 走轉去看, 私底下考慮這層代誌. 姻小弟綴無著, 想欲聽尊魚 ê 規个故事, 毋是真正對實際 ê 尊魚有趣味, 較興趣 ê 是聽 in mama 開始為伊所編 ê 故事, 講, "有一工, 尊魚 Papa 和尊魚 Mama..." 等伊 kā he 講 hō͘ Julia 聽 ê 時, 她講, "屎 lah."
--
1.
One of the first places Julia always ran to when they arrived in G--- was The Dark Walk. It is a laurel walk, very old, almost gone wild, a lofty midnight tunnel of smooth, sinewy branches. Underfoot the tough brown leaves are never dry enough to crackle: there is always a suggestion of damp and cool trickle.
She raced right into it. For the first few yards she always had the memory of the sun behind her, then she felt the dusk closing swiftly down on her so that she screamed with pleasure and raced on to reach the light at the far end; and it was always just a little too long in coming so that she emerged gasping, clasping her hands, laughing, drinking in the sun. When she was filled with the heat and glare she would turn and consider the ordeal again.
This year she had the extra joy of showing it to her small brother, and of terrifying him as well as herself. And for him the fear lasted longer because his legs were so short and she had gone out at the far end while he was still screaming and racing.
When they had done this many times they came back to the house to tell everybody that they had done it. He boasted. She mocked. They squabbled.
`Cry babby!'
`You were afraid yourself, so there!'
`I won't take you any more.'
`You're a big pig.'
`I hate you.'
Tears were threatening so somebody said, `Did you see the well?' She opened her eyes at that and held up her long lovely neck suspiciously and decided to be incredulous. She was twelve and at that age little girls are beginning to suspect most stories: they have already found out too many, from Santa Claus to the Stork. How could there be a well! In The Dark Walk! That she had visited year after year? Haughtily she said, `Nonsense.'
But she went back, pretending to be going somewhere else, and she found a hole scooped in the rock at the side of the walk, choked with damp leaves, so shrouded by ferns that she only uncovered it after much searching. At the back of this little cavern there was about a quart of water. In the water she suddenly perceived a panting trout. She rushed for Stephen and dragged him to see, and they were both so excited that they were no longer afraid of the darkness as they hunched down and peered in at the fish panting in his tiny prison, his silver stomach going up and down like an engine.
Nobody knew how the trout got there. Even Old Martin in the kitchen-garden laughed and refused to believe that it was there, or pretended not to believe, until she forced him to come down and see. Kneeling and pushing back his tattered old cap he peered in.
`Be cripes, you're right. How the divil in hell did that fella get there?'
She stared at him suspiciously.
`You knew?' she accused; but he said, `The divil a know;' and reached down to lift it out.
Convinced she hauled him back. If she had found it then it was her trout.
Her mother suggested that a bird had carried the spawn. Her father thought that in the winter a small streamlet might have carried it down there as a baby, and it had been safe until the summer came and the water began to dry up. She said, `I see,' and went back to look again and consider the matter in private. Her brother remained behind, wanting to hear the whole story of the trout, not really interested in the actual trout but much interested in the story which his mummy began to make up for him on the lines of, `So one day Daddy Trout and Mammy Trout . . . .' When he retailed it to her she said, `Pooh.'
--
Monday, January 2, 2023
C71b 小宇宙 ê 角落永遠袂 koh 得著 ah
2. Sió ú-tiū ê kak-lo̍h éng-oán bē koh tit-tio̍h ah
Hit-kang lâi ah. Chòe-āu, ūn-choán ki-su ùi hóe-chhia ta̍h-lo̍h hit nn̄g-ê cha-bó͘ tòa ê sió-tìn ê chhia-thâu goa̍t-tâi. I ê thih-lō͘ sòe-goa̍t í-keng kiat-sok. I sī kong-si ê thè-hiu oân-kang, bián koh chò khang-khòe. Ki-su bān-bān kiâⁿ-kòe chhia-thâu, chhut kàu sió-tìn ê ke-lō͘. Sū-sū hāng-hāng tùi i lâi kóng lóng chin chheⁿ-hūn, bē-su i kòe-khì m̄-bat khòaⁿ kòe chit-ê sió-tìn. I lú hiòng-chêng kiâⁿ, i ê bê-bâng hām khùn-he̍k ê kám-kak oa̍t-lú chhim. Che kám ū khó-lêng sī i keng-kòe chi̍t-bān pái ê sió-tìn? Chiah-ê chhù kám sī i chhiâng-chāi ùi kà-sú chō ê koân-thang só͘ khòaⁿ ê chhù? Che it-chhè lóng chin chheⁿ-hūn, tō ná chhiūⁿ bāng tiong ê siâⁿ-chhī hiah-nī hō͘ lâng put-an, i cheng-sîn siōng ê khùn-he̍k mā tòe i lú kiâⁿ lú cheng-ka.
Chit-sî, lâi-kàu sió-tìn gōa-ûi chhù chiām-chiām piàn chió, ke-lō͘ piàn-sêng chng-kha lō͘ -- óng hit nn̄g-ê cha-bó͘ tòa ê lō͘. Hit-ê lâng tī joa̍h koh eng-ia ê lō͘ bān-bān kè-sio̍k kiâⁿ. Lo̍h-bóe, i khiā tī hit-keng i teh chhōe ê chhù ê bīn-thâu-chêng. I chi̍t-ē tō chai-iáⁿ, i í-keng lâi-kàu chèng-khak ê só͘-chāi. I khòaⁿ tio̍h chhù thâu-chêng khì-phài ê chhiūⁿ-chhiū, hoe tôaⁿ, hoe-hn̂g hām pô-tô kè, iáu ū koh khòaⁿ tio̍h hn̄g-hn̄g hia ū thih-ki-lō͘ teh siám-kng.
Tio̍h, che tō sī i boeh chhōe ê chhù, sī i bat chē-chē kái keng-kòe ê só͘-chāi, sī i kui-sim hoaⁿ-hí só͘ kî-bōng boeh kàu ê tē-tiám. M̄-koh, taⁿ i í-keng chhōe tio̍h, í-keng lâi-kàu chia, sī án-chóaⁿ i ê chhiú tī gōa-mn̂g tiû-tû; sī án-chóaⁿ chit-ê sió-tìn, chit-tiâu lō͘, che thó͘-tē, chìn-ji̍p i só͘ ài ê só͘-chāi ê ji̍p-kháu piàn kah chiah-nī chheⁿ-so͘, ná chhiūⁿ sī ok-bāng lāi-bīn ê kéng-tì? Sī án-chóaⁿ taⁿ i kám-kak chit-chióng khùn-he̍k, giâu-gî koh bô-bāng? Lo̍h-bóe, i chìn-ji̍p gōa-mn̂g, bān-bān iân sió-lō͘ kiâⁿ, kòe chi̍t-ē-á koh peh saⁿ-ê kē khám-á lâi-kàu gîm-chîⁿ-kha, taⁿ tng-teh khok mn̂g. Chit-sî, i thiaⁿ tio̍h lāi-bīn ê thiaⁿ-tn̂g ū kha-pō͘ siaⁿ, mn̂g khui--khui, chi̍t-ê hū-jîn lâng khiā tī i ê bīn-thâu-chêng.
Chek-sî, kám-kak thòng-khó͘ ê sit-lo̍h hām pi-siong, i hoán-hóe lâi chia. I má-siōng chai-iáⁿ, khiā tī hia kō͘ giâu-gî ba̍k-sek siòng i ê hit-ê cha-bó͘ tō sī hit-ê bat ǹg i ia̍t-chhiú kúi-ā chheng-pái ê cha-bó͘. M̄-koh, yi ê bīn bái-khòaⁿ, kiù-kat, koh ta-sán; bīn-bah jiâu-jiâu bô-sîn, sè-lúi ba̍k-chiu kiaⁿ-gî koh put-an, lia̍h i kim-kim siòng. It-chhè hiah-ê i ùi yi ê chhiú-sè só͘ tha̍k tio̍h ê ióng-kám chū-iû, un-loán hām chêng-ì, lóng tī i khòaⁿ tio̍h koh thiaⁿ tio̍h yi he bô iú-siān ê ōe-gí hit-khek phò-bia̍t, siau-sit.
Taⁿ, tng i chhì boeh kái-soeh ka-tī ê chhut-hiān, kā yi kóng i sī siáng, sī án-chóaⁿ boeh lâi chia ê sî, i ka-tī ê siaⁿ thiaⁿ-tio̍h bô chin-si̍t, chin khó-phà. M̄-koh, i iáu-sī ti-ti tū-tū kè-sio̍k kóng, hām giâ-khí tī sim-lāi ê khióng-pò͘ kian-kiông chhia-piàⁿ, he khióng-pò͘ sī in-ūi hoán-hóe, khùn-he̍k, bô sìn-sim, tng-teh im-khàm i chá-chêng ê hoaⁿ-hí, hō͘ chit-ê hi-bāng hām un-jiû ê kí-tōng hō͘ ka-tī khòaⁿ tio̍h chiâⁿ kiàn-siàu.
Lo̍h-bóe, chit-ê cha-bó͘ ē-sái kóng bô chin chêng-goān chiah chhiáⁿ i ji̍p chhù-lāi, koh kō͘ chi̍t-ê chhò-hīⁿ ê chho͘ siaⁿ kiò yin cha-bó͘-kiáⁿ. Jiân-āu, tī chi̍t-tōaⁿ té-chām ê thòng-khó͘ sî-kan ni̍h, tī hit nn̄g-ê cha-bó͘ kō͘ chi̍t-chióng im-thim, khùn-he̍k ê te̍k-ì, chi̍t-chióng bē sóng koh kiaⁿ-kiaⁿ ê ah-ut kim-kim siòng i ê sî, hit-ê lâng chē tī chi̍t-ê bái koh sè ê kheh-thiaⁿ, tī hia chhì-tô͘ hām yin kóng-ōe.
Kàu chòe-āu, ti-ti tū-tū kóng chhut kò-pia̍t ê ōe, i tō lī-khui. I kiâⁿ sió-lō͘ chhut-khì, jiân-āu iân chng-kha lō͘ kiâⁿ hiòng sió-tìn; hut-jiân, i chai-iáⁿ, taⁿ i sī chi̍t-ê lāu-lâng. I ê sim, kòe-khì iân se̍k-sāi ê thih-ki-lō͘ khòaⁿ chhut-khì ê sî, sī ióng-kám koh ū chū-sìn, taⁿ in-ūi giâu-gî hām kiaⁿ-hiâⁿ, soah khí-ùi, in-ūi i khòaⁿ tio̍h hiat chio̍h-thâu ē-kàu hoān-ûi lāi tē-bīn ê kî-koài koh ì-gōa ê bīn-bo̍k, he sī kòe-khì i só͘ m̄-bat khòaⁿ tio̍h mā m̄ chai-iáⁿ. Taⁿ i chai-iáⁿ, hit-tiâu bêng-liāng, bô koh chûn-chāi ê lō͘ ê kî-miāu, hit-ê kim sih-sih sòaⁿ-lō͘ ê sī-iá, hit-ê io̍k-bōng ê sió ú-tiū só͘ sióng-siōng ê kak-lo̍h, éng-oán lóng bē koh tit-tio̍h ah.
[Soah]
--
2. 小宇宙 ê 角落永遠袂 koh 得著 ah
彼工來 ah. 最後, 運轉技師 ùi 火車踏落彼兩个查某蹛 ê 小鎮 ê 車頭月台. 伊 ê 鐵路歲月已經結束. 伊是公司 ê 退休員工, 免 koh 做工課. 技師慢慢行過車頭, 出到小鎮 ê 街路. 事事項項對伊來講 lóng 真生份, 袂輸伊過去 m̄-bat 看過這个小鎮. 伊 lú 向前行, 伊 ê 迷茫和困惑 ê 感覺越愈深. 這敢有可能是伊經過一萬擺 ê 小鎮? Chiah-ê 厝敢是伊常在 ùi 駕駛座 ê 懸窗所看 ê 厝? 這一切 lóng 真生份, tō ná 像夢中 ê 城市 hiah-nī 予人不安, 伊精神上 ê 困惑 mā 綴伊 lú 行 lú 增加.
這時, 來到小鎮外圍厝漸漸變少, 街路變成庄跤路 -- 往彼兩个查某蹛 ê 路. 彼个人 tī 熱 koh 坱埃 ê 路慢慢繼續行. 落尾, 伊徛 tī 彼間伊 teh 揣 ê 厝 ê 面頭前. 伊一下 tō 知影, 伊已經來到正確 ê 所在. 伊看著厝頭前氣派 ê 橡樹, 花壇, 花園和葡萄架, 猶有 koh 看著遠遠 hia 有鐵支路 teh 閃光.
著, 這 tō 是伊欲揣 ê 厝, 是伊 bat 濟濟改經過 ê 所在, 是伊規心歡喜所期望欲到 ê 地點. 毋過, 今伊已經揣著, 已經來到 chia, 是按怎伊 ê 手 tī 外門躊躇; 是按怎這个小鎮, 這條路, 這土地, 進入伊所愛 ê 所在 ê 入口變 kah chiah-nī 生疏, ná 像是惡夢內面 ê 景致? 是按怎今伊感覺這種困惑, 憢疑 koh 無望? 落尾, 伊進入外門, 慢慢沿小路行, 過一下仔 koh peh 三个低坎仔來到砛簷跤, 今 tng-teh 硞門. 這時, 伊聽著內面 ê 廳堂有跤步聲, 門開--開, 一个婦人 lâng 徛 tī 伊 ê 面頭前.
即時, 感覺痛苦 ê 失落和悲傷, 伊反悔來 chia. 伊馬上知影, 徛 tī hia kō͘ 憢疑目色相伊 ê 彼个查某 tō 是彼个 bat ǹg 伊擛手幾若千擺 ê 查某. 毋過, 她 ê 面䆀看, 糾結, koh 焦瘦; 面肉皺皺無神, 細蕊目睭驚疑 koh 不安, 掠伊金金相. 一切 hiah-ê 伊 ùi 她 ê 手勢所讀著 ê 勇敢自由, 溫暖和情意, lóng tī 伊看著 koh 聽著她 he 無友善 ê 話語彼刻破滅, 消失.
今, tng 伊試欲解說 ka-tī ê 出現, kā 她講伊是 siáng, 是按怎欲來 chia ê 時, 伊 ka-tī ê 聲聽著無真實, 真可怕. 毋過, 伊猶是 ti-ti tū-tū 繼續講, 和夯起 tī 心內 ê 恐怖堅強捙拚, he 恐怖是因為反悔, 困惑, 無信心, tng-teh 淹崁伊早前 ê 歡喜, 予這个希望和溫柔 ê 舉動予 ka-tī 看著誠見笑.
落尾, 這个查某會使講無真情願才請伊入厝內, koh kō͘ 一个噪耳 ê 粗聲叫姻查某囝. 然後, tī 一段短站 ê 痛苦時間 ni̍h, tī 彼兩个查某 kō͘ 一種陰鴆, 困惑 ê 敵意, 一種袂爽 koh 驚驚 ê 壓鬱金金相伊 ê 時, 彼个人坐 tī 一个䆀 koh 細 ê 客廳, tī hia 試圖和姻講話.
到最後, ti-ti tū-tū 講出告別 ê 話, 伊 tō 離開. 伊行小路出去, 然後沿庄跤路行向小鎮; 忽然, 伊知影, 今伊是一个老人. 伊 ê 心, 過去沿熟似 ê 鐵支路看出去 ê 時, 是勇敢 koh 有自信, 今因為憢疑和驚惶, 煞起畏, 因為伊看著㧒石頭會到範圍內地面 ê 奇怪 koh 意外 ê 面目, 彼是過去伊所毋捌看著 mā 毋知影. 今伊知影, 彼條明亮, 無閣存在 ê 路 ê 奇妙, 彼个金 sih-sih 線路 ê 視野, 彼个慾望 ê 小宇宙所想像 ê 角落, 永遠 lóng 袂 koh 得著 ah.
[煞]
--
2.
That day came. At last the engineer stepped from a train onto the station platform of the town where these two women lived. His years upon the rail had ended. He was a pensioned servant of his company, with no more work to do. The engineer walked slowly through the station and out into the streets of the town. Everything was as strange to him as if he had never seen this town before. As he walked on, his sense of bewilderment and confusion grew. Could this be the town he had passed ten thousand times? Were these the same houses he had seen so often from the high windows of his cab? It was all as unfamiliar, as disquieting as a city in a dream, and the perplexity of his spirit increased as he went on.
Presently the houses thinned into the straggling outposts of the town, and the street faded into a country road—the one on which the women lived. And the man plodded on slowly in the heat and dust. At length he stood before the house he sought. He knew at once that he had found the proper place. He saw the lordly oaks before the house, the flower beds, the garden and the arbor, and farther off, the glint of rails.
Yes, this was the house he sought, the place he had passed so many times, the destination he had longed for with such happiness. But now that he had found it, now that he was here, why did his hand falter on the gate; why had the town, the road, the earth, the very entrance to this place he loved turned unfamiliar as the landscape of some ugly dream? Why did he now feel this sense of confusion, doubt and hopelessness? At length he entered by the gate, walked slowly up the path and in a moment more had mounted three short steps that led up to the porch, and was knocking at the door. Presently he heard steps in the hall, the door was opened, and a woman stood facing him.
And instantly, with a sense of bitter loss and grief, he was sorry he had come. He knew at once that the woman who stood there looking at him with a mistrustful eye was the same woman who had waved to him so many thousand times. But her face was harsh and pinched and meager; the flesh sagged wearily in sallow folds, and the small eyes peered at him with timid suspicion and uneasy doubt. All the brave freedom, the warmth and the affection that he had red into her gesture, vanished in the moment that he saw her and heard her unfriendly tongue.
And now his own voice sounded unreal and ghastly to him as he tried to explain his presence, to tell her who he was and the reason he had come. But he faltered on, fighting stubbornly against the horror of regret, confusion, disbelief that surged up in his spirit, drowning all his former joy and making his act of hope and tenderness seem shameful to him.
At length the woman invited him almost unwillingly into the house, and called her daughter in a harsh shrill voice. Then, for a brief agony of time, the man sat in an ugly little parlor, and he tried to talk while the two women stared at him with a dull, bewildered hostility, a sullen, timorous restraint.
And finally, stammering a crude farewell, he departed. He walked away down the path and then along the road toward town, and suddenly he knew that he was an old man. His heart, which had been brave and confident when it looked along the familiar vista of the rails, was now sick with doubt and horror as it saw the strange and unsuspected visage of the earth which had always been within a stone’s throw of him, and which he had never seen or known. And he knew that all the magic of that bright lost way, the vista of that shining line, the imagined corner of that small good universe of hope’s desire, could never be got again.
--
// 2022-8-16
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