C56 Hoe-tiâu-bé Kóng-kó͘ | 花條馬講古

The Zebra Story Teller /by Spencer Holst

http://www.archipelago.org/vol3-1/holst.htm

Hoe-tiâu-bé Kóng-kó͘ | 花條馬講古

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Kó͘-chá kó͘-chá, chi̍t-chiah Siâm-lô niau, ké chò chi̍t-chiah sai, koh ē-hiáu kóng Hoe-tiâu-bé ōe ê gō͘-sì-saⁿ.

Hit-chióng ōe sī Afrika hoe-tiâu-bé hit-cho̍k teh kóng ê.

Tāi-chì lâi ah: Chi̍t-phit bû-ko͘ ê hoe-tiâu-bé kiâⁿ tī chhiū-nâ lāi, tùi-bīn kiâⁿ lâi ê sī hit-chiah sió-niau; in sio-tú.

"Halo, lí hó!" Siâm-lô niau kóng, kō͘ hoat-im piau-chún ê Hoe-thâiu-bé ōe. "Che tiāⁿ-tio̍h sī jû-khoài ê chi̍t-kang, kám m̄-sī? Ji̍t-thâu kng-iāⁿ-iāⁿ, chiáu-á chhiùⁿ-koa, kin-á-ji̍t ê sè-kài kám m̄-sī chi̍t-ê chin hó seng-oa̍h ê khó-ài só͘-chāi?"

Hoe-tiâu-bé thiaⁿ tio̍h chi̍t-chiah Siâm-lô niau ē-hiáu kóng Hoe-tiâu-bé ōe, hui-siông tio̍h kiaⁿ, ai-ah, i chù-tiāⁿ tio̍h hông kā pa̍k.

Chū án-ne, sió-niau tō kā i pa̍k, koh kā thâi sí, kā sí-thé khah hó ê pō͘-hūn thoa tńg ka-tī ê siū.

Chit-chiah niau kō͘ chit-chióng hong-sek, seng-kong phah-lia̍h hoe-tiâu-bé kúi-ā kò goe̍h, ta̍k-àm lóng chia̍h hoe-tiâu-bé bah, kō͘ he khah hó ê phôe, i koh chò ia̍h-á-kat nekutái hām khoah phôe-tòa, tòe Lāu Siâm-lô kiong-têng tūi-lo̍h ông-chú hit-sî ê sî-kiâⁿ.

I khai-sí kā in pêng-iú chhàu-tōaⁿ, kóng i sī chi̍t-chiah sai, koh chèng-bêng i ū phah-lia̍h hoe-tiâu-bé ê sū-si̍t.

Hoe-tiâu-bé ê iù-tì ê phīⁿ kā in kóng, chit hū-kīn chin-chiàⁿ bô sai. Hoe-tiâu-bé sí-bông ê àn-kiāⁿ hō͘ chē-chē hoe-tiâu-bé phiah-khui chit-ê tē-khu. In-ūi bê-sìn, in jīn-tēng chit-ê chhiū-nâ hoān-tio̍h sai ê kúi-hûn.

Chi̍t-kang, chi̍t-phit kóng-kó͘ ê hoe-tiâu-bé teh sàn-pō͘, i ê sim-lāi siám-kòe chi̍t-kóa kò͘-sū chêng-chiat, he ē-tàng gô͘-lo̍k kî-thaⁿ hoe-tiâu-bé, i ê ba̍k-chiu hut-jiân hoat-kng, i kóng, "Án-ne tō tio̍h lah! Góa boeh kóng chi̍t-chiah Siâm-lô niau o̍h kóng lán ê ōe ê kò͘-sū! Chiâⁿ hó ê siūⁿ-hoat! Che ē hō͘ lâng tōa-chhiò!"

Tú-tú hit-sî, hit-chiah Siâm-lô niau chhut-hiān tī i bīn-chêng, kóng, "Halo, lí hó! Kin-á-ji̍t sī hoaⁿ-hí ê chi̍t-kang, kám m̄-sī!"

Kóng-kó͘ ê hoe-tiâu-bé thiaⁿ-tio̍h niau kóng i ê ōe, kap hông pa̍k bô ha̍h, in-ūi i it-ti̍t teh siūⁿ hit-chân sū.

I chim-chiok kā khòaⁿ hit-chiah niau, mā m̄-chai sī án-chóaⁿ, to̍k-to̍k i khòaⁿ khí-lâi ê khoán hō͘ i bô kah-ì, só͘-í i kō͘ kha-tê kā that, tō kā that sí.

Che tō sī kóng-kó͘ lâng ê lō͘-iōng lah.

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古早古早, 一隻 Siâm-lô 貓, 假做一隻獅, koh 會曉講花條馬話 ê 五四三.

彼種話是 Afrika 花條馬彼族 teh 講 ê.

代誌來 ah: 一匹無辜 ê 花條馬行 tī 樹林內, 對面行來 ê 是彼隻小貓; in 相拄.

"Halo, 你好!" Siâm-lô 貓講, kō͘ 發音標準 ê 花條馬話. "這定著是愉快 ê 一工, 敢毋是? 日頭光焱焱, 鳥仔唱歌, 今仔日 ê 世界敢毋是一个真好生活 ê 可愛所在?"

花條馬聽著一隻 Siâm-lô 貓會曉講花條馬話, 非常著驚, ai-ah, 伊註定著 hông kā 縛.

自 án-ne, 小貓 tō kā 伊縛, koh kā 刣死, kā 死體較好 ê 部份拖轉家己 ê 岫.

這隻貓 kō͘ 這種方式, 成功拍掠花條馬幾若個月, 逐暗 lóng 食花條馬肉, kō͘ he 較好 ê 皮, 伊 koh 做蝶仔結 nekutái 和闊皮帶, 綴老 Siâm-lô 宮廷墮落王子彼時 ê 時行.

伊開始 kā in 朋友臭彈, 講伊是一隻獅, koh 證明伊有拍掠花條馬 ê 事實.

花條馬幼致 ê 鼻 kā in 講, 這附近真正無獅. 花條馬死亡 ê 案件予濟濟花條馬避開這个地區. 因為迷信, in 認定這个樹林犯著獅 ê 鬼魂.

一工, 一匹講古 ê 花條馬 teh 散步, 伊 ê 心內閃過一寡故事情節, 彼會當娛樂其他花條馬, 伊 ê 目睭忽然發光, 伊講, "Án-ne tō 著 lah! 我欲講一隻 Siâm-lô 貓學講咱 ê 話 ê 故事! 誠好 ê 想法! 這會予人大笑!"

拄拄彼時, 彼隻 Siâm-lô 貓出現 tī 伊面前, 講, "Halo, 你好! 今仔日是歡喜 ê 一工, 敢毋是!"

講古 ê 花條馬聽著貓講伊 ê 話, kap hông 縛無合, 因為伊一直 teh 想彼層事.

伊斟酌 kā 看彼隻貓, mā 毋知是按怎, to̍k-to̍k 伊看起來 ê 款予伊無佮意, 所以伊 kō͘ 跤蹄 kā 踢, tō kā 踢死.

這 tō 是講古人 ê 路用 lah.

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Once upon a time there was a Siamese cat who pretended to be a lion and spoke inappropriate Zebraic.

That language is whinnied by the race of striped horses in Africa.

Here now: An innocent zebra is walking in a jungle, and approaching from another direction is the little cat; they meet.

“Hello there!” says the Siamese cat in perfectly pronounced Zebraic. “It certainly is a pleasant day, isn’t it? The sun is shining, the birds are singing, isn’t the world a lovely place to live today!”

The zebra is so astonished at hearing a Siamese cat speaking like a zebra, why, he’s just fit to be tied.

So the little cat quickly ties him up, kills him, and drags the better parts of the carcass back to his den. 

The cat successfully hunted zebras many months in this manner, dining on filet mignon of zebra every night, and from the better hides he made bow neckties and wide belts after the fashion of the decadent princes of the Old Siamese court.

He began boasting to his friends he was a lion, and he gave them as proof the fact that he hunted zebras.

The delicate noses of the zebras told them there was really no lion in the neighborhood. The zebra deaths caused many to avoid the region. Superstitious, they decided the woods were haunted by the ghost of a lion.

One day the storyteller of the zebras was ambling, and through his mind ran plots for stories to amuse the other zebras, when suddenly his eyes brightened, and he said, “That’s it! I’ll tell a story about a Siamese cat who learns to speak our language! What an idea! That’ll make ’em laugh!”

Just then the Siamese cat appeared before him, and said, “Hello there! Pleasant day today, isn’t it!”

The zebra storyteller wasn’t fit to be tied at hearing a cat speaking his language, because he’d been thinking about that very thing.

He took a good look at the cat, and he didn’t know why, but there was something about his looks he didn’t like, so he kicked him with a hoof and killed him.

That is the function of the storyteller.

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// 2022-7-11

C55 Tâm Hoat-hiān | 談發現

On Discovery /by Maxine Hong Kingston

http://mrhowardspage.weebly.com/uploads/2/4/0/4/24047098/on_discovery.pdf

Tâm Hoat-hiān | 談發現

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Kó͘-chá kó͘-chá, ū chi̍t-ê cha-po͘ kiò Tang Ao, i boeh chhōe Kim Soaⁿ, tō kòe tōa hái, soah lâi kàu Cha-bó͘ Kok. Cha-bó͘ sûi kā i lia̍h, thàn i bô thê-hông lú-sū. Yin kiò Tang Ao tòe yin kiâⁿ, i tō tòe; ká-sú i ū cha-po͘ phōaⁿ, i tiāⁿ-tio̍h ē ǹg keng-thâu kā in sái ba̍k-chiu.

"Goán tio̍h táⁿ-tia̍p lí khì kìⁿ ông-hiō," hiah-ê cha-bó͘ kóng. Yin kā i koaiⁿ tī chi̍t-keng tah-phâng ê pâng-keng, lāi-bīn ū hòa-chong-phín kan-á, kiàⁿ, hām cha-bó͘-lâng saⁿ. "Goán lâi thè lí thǹg-lo̍h lí ê khue-kah hām tn̂g-hia," cha-bó͘ tīn kóng. Yin kā i ê gōa-saⁿ liu lo̍h keng-thâu, lut lo̍h i ê chhiú-kut, kō͘ chhiú-khàu kā i ê chhiú khàu iap-āu. Kūi lo̍h-lâi thǹg i ê tn̂g-hia ê cha-bo͘, kō͘ liān-á kā i ê kha-ba̍k liān chò-hóe. Chi̍t-sìⁿ mn̂g khui--kui, i kiò-sī boeh kìⁿ tio̍h hó phōaⁿ-lū, m̄-koh ji̍p-lâi ê kan-ta sī nn̄g-ê the̍h chiam-sòaⁿ a̍p-á ê lāu cha-bó͘. "Lú mài kún-liòng, lí tō lú bē kan-khó͘," chi̍t-ê án-ne kóng, ná thīⁿ chiam-sòaⁿ, ná bî kim sih-sih ê ba̍k-chiu. Lia̍h i--ê, nn̄g-ê chē tī i sin-khu téng, iáu chi̍t-ê hōaⁿ i ê thâu. I kám-kak chi̍t-ê lāu cha-bó͘ ê ta chéng-thâu-á teh so i ê hīⁿ-á; yi he bóe-cháiⁿ ê tn̂g chéng-kah khau kòe i ê ām-kún. "Lí teh chhòng-siáⁿ?" i mn̄g. "Kā lí ê chhùi-tûn thīⁿ chò-hóe," yi án-ne kóng-chhiò kóng, ná kō͘ la̍h-chek hóe kā chiam hun o͘. Chē tī i sin-khu téng hiah-ê, chhiò kah khí-tiô. M̄-koh lāu cha-bó͘ bô kā i ê chhùi-tûn thīⁿ chò-hóe. Yin kā i ê hīⁿ-chu giú ân, kā chha̍k chi̍t-ki chiam. Yin tio̍h seng tu̍h koh thuh, chiah ē-tit chèng-khak tōng kòe phôe-hu, hō͘ hīⁿ-chu chêng kap āu ê khang sio tú, phôe-hu ē-tit tī khang-lāi ku̍t-tāng. Yin kā chiam chhng kòe-khì -- chiam-phīⁿ chhng-kòe ê sî, chòe-āu koh tiuh chi̍t-ē.

Yin kō͘ si-sòaⁿ kǹg i ê bah; i kám-kak ē-tio̍h he chhiam-ûi. Chē tī i sin-khu ê cha-bó͘ oa̍t-sin, ōaⁿ chù-ì i ê kha. Yin kā i ê kha chéng-thâu-á chīn-liōng áu āu, áu kah kha-keng liah. Lāu cha-bó͘ chīn-liōng kā i ta̍k-ki kha tēⁿ óa, tēⁿ phòa kha nn̄g-pêng ê chi̍t-kóa sió kut. Yin kap óa i ê kha chéng-thâu-á, chi̍t-ki koân, chi̍t-ki kē, ná chhiūⁿ chíⁿ-kiuⁿ án-ne sio-kat. Tang Ao thiàⁿ kah ai chhut-siaⁿ. Ná kō͘ pa̍k-kha tòa tān i ê kha, lú tān lú ân ê sî, cha-bó͘ tīn ná chhiùⁿ pa̍k-kha koa, hō͘ i hun-sim: "Pa̍k-kha iōng lô͘-hōe, m̄-sī iōng ha̍k-chiá."

Tī chi̍t-kùi ê kúi kò goe̍h lāi, yin hō͘ i chia̍h cha-bó͘-lâng si̍t-bu̍t: pe̍h-kiok phàu ê kāu tê hō͘ i thé-lāi khí chheng-liâng ê cha-bó͘ hong; ke-si̍t hō͘ i thâu-mo͘ siám-kng; chhò͘-thng pó͘ i ê chú-kiong. Yin se̍h i hīⁿ-chu khang ê sòaⁿ-khian, hia ta̍k-kang lóng ē kian-phí. Chi̍t-kang, yin kā chhng kim-khoân. Ta̍k-àm yin tháu i ê kha, m̄-koh kha ê chēng-me̍h í-keng sok, hoeh chiⁿ kòe hia hō͘ i chin thiàⁿ, i kiû yin koh kā i ê kha pa̍k ân. Yin pek i sé i iōng kòe ê pa̍k-kha tòa, he téng-bīn siù hoe, ū chhàu-bī hām ná chhiz ê bī. I nê pa̍k-kha tòa hō͘ ta, tn̂g-tn̂g ê tòa sûi-sûi, ùi chi̍t-pêng piah kòa kàu hit-pêng. I kám-kak chin kiàn-siàu; he tòa ná chhiūⁿ lāi saⁿ-khò͘, sī i ê.

Chi̍t-kang, i ê khòaⁿ-kò͘-lâng kā i he kim-khoân ōaⁿ chò gio̍k-tūi, koh kā i ê kha pa̍k tī chi̍t-siang oan kah ná kiô ê ê-á. Yin kā i ê bīn-mo͘ bán kng-kng, koh kā phok pe̍h-hún, kā ba̍k-bâi ōe kah ná ia̍h-á si̍t, kā chhùi-phé hām chhùi-tûn boah âng. I tī ông-hiō ê kiong-têng ho̍k-sāi chi̍t-tǹg. In-ūi piàn-hêng ê siang-kha, i ê kha-chhng iô, i ê keng-thâu tńg-se̍h. "Yi chiâⁿ súi, lín kám bô tông-ì?" Chia̍h-pn̄g ê lâng kóng, tī i àⁿ-sin khǹg chhài tī in bīn-chêng ê sî, in koh ná ǹg i ê sió kha chip-chhùi.

Tī Cha-bó͘ Kok, bô sòe-siu, bô chiàn-cheng. Ū-ê ha̍k-chiá kóng, hit-ê kok-ka sī tī Wu Hiō thóng-tī ê sî-kî (A.D. 694 - 705) hoat-hiān ê, mā ū-ê kóng pí he khah chá 45 nî, A.D. 441, he sī tī Pak Amerika.

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古早古早, 有一个查埔叫 Tang Ao, 伊欲揣金山, tō 過大海, 煞來到查某國. 查某隨 kā 伊掠, 趁伊無提防女士. 姻叫 Tang Ao 綴姻行, 伊 tō 綴; 假使伊有查埔伴, 伊定著會 ǹg 肩頭 kā in 使目睭.

"阮著打揲你去見王后," hiah-ê 查某講. 姻 kā 伊關 tī 一間搭篷 ê 房間, 內面有化妝品矸仔, 鏡, 和查某人衫. "阮來替你褪落你 ê 盔甲和長靴," 查某陣講. 姻 kā 伊 ê 外衫溜落肩頭, 甪落伊 ê 手骨, kō͘ 手銬 kā 伊 ê 手銬揜後. 跪落來褪伊 ê 長靴 ê 查某, kō͘ 鍊仔 kā 伊 ê 跤目鍊做伙. 一扇門開--開, 伊叫是欲見著好伴侶, 毋過入來 ê 干焦是兩个提針線盒仔 ê 老查某. "Lú 莫滾躘, 你 tō lú 袂艱苦," 一个 án-ne 講, ná 紩針線, ná 眯金 sih-sih ê 目睭. 掠伊--ê, 兩个坐 tī 伊身軀頂, 猶一个扞伊 ê 頭. 伊感覺一个老查某 ê 焦指頭仔 teh 挲伊 ê 耳仔; 她 he 尾指 ê 長指甲剾過伊 ê 頷頸. "你 teh 創啥?" 伊問. "Kā 你 ê 喙唇紩做伙," 她 án-ne 講笑講, ná kō͘ 蠟燭火 kā 針薰烏. 坐 tī 伊身軀頂 hiah-ê, 笑甲起趒. 毋過老查某無 kā 伊 ê 喙唇紩做伙. 姻 kā 伊 ê 耳珠搝絚, kā 鑿一支針. 姻著先揬 koh thuh, 才會得正確 tōng 過皮膚, 予耳珠前 kap 後 ê 空相拄, 皮膚會得 tī 空內滑動. 姻 kā 針穿過去 -- 針鼻穿過 ê 時, 最後 koh 搐一下.

姻 kō͘ 絲線貫伊 ê 肉; 伊感覺會著 he 纖維. 坐 tī 伊身軀 ê 查某越身, 換注意伊 ê 跤. 姻 kā 伊 ê 跤指頭仔盡量拗後, 拗甲跤弓裂. 老查某盡量 kā 伊逐支跤捏倚, 捏破跤兩爿 ê 一寡小骨. 姻敆倚伊 ê 跤指頭仔, 一支懸, 一支低, ná 像茈薑 án-ne 相結. Tang Ao 疼甲哀出聲. Ná kō͘ 縛跤帶 tān 伊 ê 跤, lú tān lú 絚 ê 時, 查某陣 ná 唱縛跤歌, 予伊分心: "縛跤用蘆薈, 毋是用學者."

Tī 一季 ê 幾個月內, 姻予伊食查某人食物: 白菊泡 ê 厚茶予伊體內起清涼 ê 查某風; 雞翼予伊頭毛閃光; 醋湯補伊 ê 子宮. 姻踅伊耳珠空 ê 線圈, hia 逐工 lóng 會堅疕. 一工, 姻 kā 穿金環. 逐暗姻敨伊 ê 跤, 毋過跤 ê 靜脈已經縮, 血櫼過 hia 予伊真疼, 伊求姻 koh kā 伊 ê 跤縛絚. 姻迫伊洗伊用過 ê 縛跤帶, he 頂面繡花, 有臭味和 ná chhiz ê 味. 伊晾縛跤帶予焦, 長長 ê 帶垂垂, ùi 這爿壁掛到彼爿. 伊感覺真見笑; he 帶 ná 像內衫褲, 是伊 ê.

一工, 伊 ê 看顧人 kā 伊 he 金環換做玉墜, koh kā 伊 ê 跤縛 tī 一雙彎甲 ná 橋 ê 鞋仔. 姻 kā 伊 ê 面毛挽光光, koh kā 撲白粉, kā 目眉畫甲 ná 蝶仔翼, kā 喙䫌和喙唇抹紅. 伊 tī 王后 ê 宮廷服侍一頓. 因為變形 ê 雙跤, 伊 ê 尻川搖, 伊 ê 肩頭轉踅. "她誠媠, 恁敢無同意?" 食飯 ê 人講, tī 伊 àⁿ 身囥菜 tī in 面前 ê 時, in koh ná ǹg 伊 ê 小跤 chip 喙.

Tī 查某國, 無稅收, 無戰爭. 有 ê 學者講, 彼个國家是 tī Wu 后統治 ê 時期 (A.D. 694 - 705) 發現 ê, mā 有 ê 講比彼較早 45 年, A.D. 441, 彼是 tī 北 Amerika.

--

Once upon a time, a man, named Tang Ao, looking for the Gold Mountain, crossed an ocean, and came upon the Land of Women. The women immediately captured him not on guard against ladies. When they asked Tang Ao to come along, he followed; if he had had male companions, he would've winked over his shoulder.

"We have to prepare you to meet the queen," the women said. They locked him in a canopied apartment equipped with pots of makeup, mirrors, and a woman's clothes. "Let us help you off with your armour and boots, " said the women. They slipped his coat off his shoulders, pulled it down his arms, and shackled his wrists behind him. The women who kneeled to take off his shoes chained his ankles together. A door opened, and he expected to meet his match, but it was only two old women with sewing boxes in their hands. "The less you struggle, the less it'll hurt," one said, squinting a bright eye as she threaded her needle. Two captors sat on him while another held his head. He felt an old woman's dry fingers trace his ear; the long nail on her little finger scraped his neck. "What are you doing?" he asked. "Sewing your lips together," she joked, blackening needles in a candle flame. The ones who sat on him bounced with laughter. But the old women did not sew his lips together. They pulled his earlobes taut and jabbed a needle through each of them. They had to poke and probe before puncturing the layers of' skin correctly, the hole in the front of the lobe in line with the one in back, the layers of skin sliding about so. They worked the needle through -- a last jerk for the needle's wide eye ("needle's nose" in Chinese). They strung his raw flesh with silk threads; he could feel the fibres. The women who sat on him turned to direct their attention to his feet. They bent his toes so far backward that his arched foot cracked. The old ladies squeezed each foot and broke many tiny bones along the sides. They gathered his toes, toes over and under one another like a knot of ginger root. Tang Ao wept with pain. As they wound the bandages tight and tighter around his feet, the women sang footbinding songs to distract him: "Use aloe for binding feet and not for scholars. "

During the months of a season, they fed him on women's food: the tea was thick with white chrysanthemums and stirred the cool female winds inside his body; chicken wings made his hair shine; vinegar soup improved his womb. They drew the loops of thread through the scabs that grew daily over the holes in his earlobes. One day they inserted gold hoops. Every night they unbound his feet, but his veins had shrunk, and the blood pumping through them hurt so much, he begged to have his feet re-wrapped tight. They forced him to wash his used bandages, which were embroidered with flowers and smelled of rot and cheese. He hung the bandages up to dry, streamers that drooped and draped wall to wall. He felt embarrassed; the wrappings were like underwear, and they were his.

One day his attendants changed his gold hoops to jade studs and strapped his feet to shoes that curved like bridges. They plucked out each hair on his face, powdered him white painted his eyebrows like a moth's wings, painted his cheeks and lips red. He served a meal at the queen's court. His hips swayed and his shoulders swivelled because of his shaped feet. "She's pretty, don't you agree?" the diners said, smacking their lips at his dainty feet as he bent to put dishes before them.

In the Women's Land there are no taxes and no wars. Some scholars say that that country was discovered during the reign of Empress Wu (A.D. 694 - 705), and some say earlier 45 than that, A.D. 441, and it was in North America.

--

// 2022-7-10

C54b 我無愛 koh án-ne

2. Góa bô-ài koh án-ne

Tán chit-ê cha-bó͘ kiâⁿ óa góa, i tōa-la̍t lia̍h góa khòaⁿ, jiân-āu siang-chhiú gia̍h koân. I tiāⁿ-tio̍h chá-chêng bat tī tó-ūi khòaⁿ kòe góa, in-ūi i kóng, "Sī lí oh. Lí khòaⁿ, sī lí lah. Chòe-kīn lí lóng teh chhòng-siáⁿ?"

Góa goân-pún ē-sái kóng, "Góa it-ti̍t teh kî-tó mài koh khah lò ah."

Góa goân-pún ē-sái kóng, "Góa it-ti̍t hó-hó-á thiaⁿ a-niâ ê ōe, hó-thang o̍h ē-hiáu chò hàu-sūn ê lú-jî."

Góa goân-pún ē-sái kóng, "Chi̍t-tīn káu, móa siâⁿ-lāi cháu sio-jiok thiám ah, khùn tī goe̍h-kng hā."

M̄-koh, góa kóng, "Góa chòe-kīn teh chhòng-siáⁿ: Góa thán-chhiò tó tī bîn-chhn̂g, chhiú gia̍h koân, chéng-thâu-á tī ām-kún niā sió-khóa sio kau-chhah. Ū lâng chhi̍h mn̂g-lêng. Góa lo̍h-lâu, khui mn̂g, m̄-koh bô lâng tī hia. Góa ta̍h chhut-lâi. Nā m̄-sī lo̍h sap-sap-á hō͘, tō sī khong-khì kāu eng-ia, eng-ia sip-sip. Góa chhun chi̍h, he hō͘-chúi a̍h sip eng-ia chīⁿ tio̍h ná kong-ha̍k-hāu ê ba̍k-chúi. Góa khòaⁿ ǹg pak, góa khòaⁿ ǹg lâm. Góa khai-sí kiâⁿ ǹg pak. Ná ǹg pak kiâⁿ, góa boeh kóaⁿ-kín, tō thǹg kha chhēng ê ê-á. Ná kiâⁿ ǹg pak, góa khòaⁿ koân, khòaⁿ tio̍h Kim-chheⁿ, góa tō kóng, "Nā ji̍t-thâu chhut-lâi, tio̍h kòe 8 hun-cheng góa chiah ē chai." Góa khòaⁿ tio̍h chi̍t-chiah kâu chē tī chi̍t-châng bô hio̍h-á ê chhiū-á téng, góa tō kóng, "Chi̍t-chiah kâu. Lí khòaⁿ hia. Chi̍t-chiah kâu." Góa khioh chi̍t-lia̍p chio̍h-thâu, góa kā khian ǹg kâu. Khòaⁿ tio̍h chio̍h-thâu, kâu kín sóa-khui i ê ūi. Góa ǹg kâu khian 3-kái chio̍h-thâu, i 3-kái sóa-ūi. Tē-sì kái góa khian chio̍h-thâu, kâu kā chiap-tio̍h, koh khian góa. Chio̍h-thâu kòng tio̍h góa chiàⁿ-pêng ba̍k-chiu téng ê hia̍h-thâu, chō-sêng chi̍t-ê chhim ê khang-chhùi. Khang-chhùi sûi hó, m̄-koh góa hia̍h-thâu ê phôe kám-kak ná chhiūⁿ ké phôe. góa m̄-chai kiâⁿ gōa-hn̄g chiah tú tio̍h chi̍t-ê tōa chúi-bīn. góa boeh kòe khì, só͘-í tán chûn lâi ê sî, góa la̍p chîⁿ. Tán góa kàu hit-pêng, góa khòaⁿ tio̍h chē-chē lâng chē tī hái soa-po͘, in teh iá-chhan. In sī góa khòaⁿ kòe siōng súi ê lâng. In ê ta̍k-hāng mi̍h lóng sī o͘ koh kim. In ê phôe-hu o͘ koh kim. In ê ê-á o͘ koh kim. In ê thâu-chang o͘ koh kim. Góa ē-tit thiaⁿ tio̍h in ná chhiò ná khai-káng, góa tō kóng, Góa boeh hām chiah-ê lâng chò-tīn, góa tō khai-sí kiâⁿ hiòng in, m̄-koh tán góa kiâⁿ óa in ê sî, góa hoat-hiān in m̄-sī teh iá-chhan, in bô súi, in bô teh ná khai-káng ná chhiò.Góa sì-chiu-ûi lóng sī o͘-thô͘, hiah-ê lâng khòaⁿ tio̍h lóng ká-ná sī o͘-thô͘ chò ê. Góa khòaⁿ koân, khòaⁿ tio̍h thiⁿ koân koh hn̄g, bô mi̍h-kiāⁿ góa ē-tàng khiā khí-khì kō͘ chéng-thâu-á bóe khì bong thiⁿ. Góa siūⁿ, Chí-iàu góa ē-tàng lī-khui chia tō hó, só͘-í góa khai-sí kiâⁿ. Góa tiāⁿ-tio̍h kiâⁿ chin kú, in-ūi góa kha thiàⁿ, kám-kak in ná-chhiūⁿ boeh lut--khì. Góa siūⁿ, Chí-iàu tī oat-kak ê ūi góa ē-tàng khòaⁿ tio̍h goán tau, ji̍p-chhù góa tō ē chhōe tio̍h góa ê chhn̂g, tú pho͘ hó-sè ê bîn-chhn̂g, tī chàu-kha góa tō ē-tàng chhōe tio̍h a-niâ, a̍h jīm-hô góa ài ê lâng ūi góa só͘ chò ê custard /kás.ta/ tiám-sim. Góa siūⁿ, Chí-iàu che sī lé-pài-ji̍t, góa chē tī kàu-tn̂g, góa tú-chiah thiaⁿ tio̍h ū-lâng chhiùⁿ sèng-si tō hó. Góa kám-kak chin siong-sim, só͘-í góa chē lo̍h-lâi. Góa kám-kak chiok siong-sim, tō kā thâu khò tī kha-thâu-u, ná so ka-tī ê thâu-chang. Góa kám-kak siong-sim kah bô hoat-tō͘ koh siūⁿ kî-thaⁿ ê kám-kak. Góa kóng, Góa bô-ài án-ne. Góa bô-ài koh án-ne chò. Góa tńg-khì tó tī chhn̂g, jiân-āu thiaⁿ tio̍h mn̂g-lêng hiáng.

[Soah]

--

2. 我無愛 koh án-ne

等這个查某行倚我, 伊大力掠我看, 然後雙手攑懸. 伊定著早前 bat tī 佗位看過我, 因為伊講, "是你 oh. 你看, 是你 lah. 最近你 lóng teh 創啥?"

我原本會使講, "我一直 teh 祈禱莫 koh 較躼 ah."

我原本會使講, "我一直好好仔聽阿娘 ê 話, 好通學會曉做孝順 ê 女兒."

我原本會使講, "一陣狗, 滿城內走相逐忝 ah, 睏 tī 月光下."

毋過, 我講, "我最近 teh 創啥: 我坦笑倒 tī 眠床, 手攑懸, 指頭仔 tī 頷頸陵小可相交插. 有人揤門鈴. 我落樓, 開門, 毋過無人 tī hia. 我踏出來. 若毋是落霎霎仔雨, tō 是空氣厚坱埃, 坱埃濕濕. 我伸舌, he 雨水 a̍h 濕坱埃舐著 ná 公學校 ê 墨水. 我看 ǹg 北, 我看 ǹg 南. 我開始行 ǹg 北. Ná ǹg 北行, 我欲趕緊, tō 褪跤穿 ê 鞋仔. Ná 行 ǹg 北, 我看懸, 看著金星, 我 tō 講, "若日頭出來, 著過 8 分鐘我才會知." 我看著一隻猴坐 tī 一叢無葉仔 ê 樹仔頂, 我 tō 講, "一隻猴. 你看 hia. 一隻猴." 我抾一粒石頭, 我 kā 掔 ǹg 猴. 看著石頭, 猴緊徙開伊 ê 位. 我 ǹg 猴掔 3 改石頭, 伊 3 改徙位. 第 4 改我掔石頭, 猴 kā 接著, koh 掔我. 石頭摃著我正爿目睭頂 ê 額頭, 造成一个深 ê 空喙. 空喙隨好, 毋過我額頭 ê 皮感覺 ná 像假皮. 我毋知行偌遠才拄著一个大水面. 我欲過去, 所以等船來 ê 時, 我納錢. 等我到彼爿, 我看著濟濟人坐 tī 海沙埔, in teh 野餐. In 是我看過上媠 ê 人. In ê 逐項物 lóng 是烏 koh 金. In ê 皮膚烏 koh 金. In ê 鞋仔烏 koh 金. In ê 頭鬃烏 koh 金. 我會得聽著 in ná 笑 ná 開講, 我 tō 講, 我欲和 chiah-ê 人做陣, 我 tō 開始行向 in, 毋過等我行倚 in ê 時, 我發現 in 毋是 teh 野餐, in 無媠, in 無 teh ná 開講 ná 笑.我四周圍 lóng 是烏塗, hiah-ê 人看著 lóng ká-ná 是烏塗做 ê. 我看懸, 看著天懸 koh 遠, 無物件我會當徛起去 kō͘ 指頭仔尾去摸天. 我想, 只要我會當離開 chia tō 好, 所以我開始行. 我定著行真久, 因為我跤疼, 感覺 in ná 像欲甪去. 我想, 只要 tī 斡角 ê 位我會當看著阮兜, 入厝我 tō 會揣著我 ê 床, 拄鋪好勢 ê 眠床, tī 灶跤我 tō 會當揣著阿娘, a̍h 任何我愛 ê 人為我所做 ê custard /kás.ta/ 點心. 我想, 只要這是禮拜日, 我坐 tī 教堂, 我拄才聽著有人唱聖詩 tō 好. 我感覺真傷心, 所以我坐落來. 我感覺足傷心, tō kā 頭靠 tī 跤頭趺, ná 挲家己 ê 頭鬃. 我感覺傷心甲無法度 koh 想其他 ê 感覺. 我講, 我無愛 án-ne. 我無愛 koh án-ne 做. 我轉去倒 tī 床, 然後聽著門鈴響.

[煞]

--

2.

When this woman got closer to me, she looked at me hard and then she threw up her hands. She must have seen me somewhere before because she said, “It’s you. Just look at that. It’s you. And just what have you been doing lately?”

I could have said, “I have been praying not to grow any taller.”

I could have said, “I have been listening carefully to my mother’s words, so as to make a good imitation of a dutiful daughter.”

I could have said, “A pack of dogs, tired from chasing each other all over  town, slept in the moonlight.”

Instead, I said, “What I have been doing lately: I was lying in bed on my back, my hands drawn up, my fingers interlaced lightly at the nape of my neck. Someone rang the doorbell. I went downstairs and opened the door but there was no one there. I stepped outside. Either it was drizzling or there was a lot of dust in the air and the dust was damp. I stuck out my tongue and the drizzle or the damp dust tasted like government school ink. I looked north and I looked south. I started walking north. While walking north, I wanted to move fast, so I removed the shoes from my feet. While walking north, I looked up and saw the planet Venus and I said, “If the sun went out, it would be eight minutes before I would know it.” I saw a monkey sitting in a tree that had no leaves and I said, “A monkey. Just look at that. A monkey.” I picked up a stone and I threw it at the monkey. The monkey, seeing the stone, quickly moved out of its way. Three times I threw a stone at the monkey and three times it moved away. The fourth time I threw the stone, the monkey caught it and threw it me. The stone struck me on my forehead over my right eye, making a deep gash. The gash healed immediately but now the skin on my forehead felt false to me. I walked for I don’t know how long before I came to a big body of water. I wanted to get across, so when the boat came I paid my fare. When I got to the other side, I saw a lot of people sitting on the beach and they were having a picnic. They were the most beautiful people I had ever seen. Everything about them was black and shiny. Their skin was black and shiny. Their shoes were black and shiny. Their hair was black and shiny. The clothes they wore were black and shiny. I could hear them laughing and chatting and I said, I would like to be with these people, so I started to walk toward them, but when I got up close to them I saw that they weren’t at a picnic and they weren’t beautiful and they weren’t chatting and laughing. All around me was black mud and the people all looked as if they had been made up out of the black mud. I looked up and saw that the sky seemed far away and nothing I could stand on would make me able to touch it with my fingertips. I thought, If only I could get out of this, so I started to walk. I must have walked for a long time because my feet hurt and felt as if they would drop off. I thought, If only just around the bend I would see my house and inside my house I would find my bed, freshly made at that, and in the kitchen I would find my mother or anyone else that I loved making me a custard. I thought, If only it was a Sunday and I was sitting in a church and I had just heard someone sing a psalm. I felt very sad so I sat down. I felt so sad that I rested my head on my own knees and smoothed my own head. I felt so sad I couldn’t imagine feeling any other way again. I said, I don’t like this. I don’t want to do this anymore. And I went back to lying in bed just before the doorbell rang.

--

// 2022-7-9

C54 Góa Sī teh Chhòng-siàⁿ | 我是 teh 創啥 - a 我決定 ǹg 北行

What I Have Been Doing Lately /by Jamaica Kincaid

https://moam.info/what-i-have-been-doing-lately_5a1774b51723ddde30180e2d.html

 

Góa Sī teh Chhòng-siàⁿ | 我是 teh 創啥

--

1. Góa koat-tēng ǹg pak kiâⁿ

Góa chòe-kīn it-ti̍t teh chhòng-siáⁿ: Góa tó tī chhn̂g, mn̂g-lêng hiáng. Góa lo̍h-lâu. Kín. Góa khui mn̂g. Bô lâng tī hia. Góa ta̍h chhut-khì. Nā m̄-sī lo̍h sap-sap-á hō͘, tō sī khong-khì kāu eng-ia, eng-ia sip-sip. Góa chhun chi̍h, he hō͘-sap a̍h sip eng-ia chīⁿ-tio̍h ná kong-ha̍k-hāu ê ba̍k-chúi. Góa khòaⁿ ǹg pak. Góa khòaⁿ ǹg lâm. Góa koat-tēng boeh khai-sí ǹg pak kiâⁿ. Ná kiâⁿ ǹg pak, góa chù-ì tio̍h góa chhiah-kha. Ná kiâⁿ ǹg pak, góa khòaⁿ koân, khòaⁿ tio̍h kim-chheⁿ. Góa kóng "Tiāⁿ-tio̍h tit-boeh thiⁿ-kng ah." Góa khòaⁿ tio̍h chi̍t-chiah kâu tī chhiū-téng. Hit-châng chhiū bô hio̍h-á. Góa kóng, "Ah, kâu. Lí khòaⁿ he. Chi̍t-chiah kâu." Góa kiâⁿ m̄-chai gōa-kú, góa lâi kàu chi̍t-ê tōa chúi-bīn. Góa boeh kòe khì, m̄-koh góa bē-hiáu siû-chúi. Góa boeh kòe khì, m̄-koh tio̍h kúi-ā nî chiah ū hoat-tō͘ chō chi̍t-tâi chûn. Góa boeh kòe khì, m̄-koh m̄-chai góa tio̍h gōa kú chiah ū hoat-tō͘ chō chi̍t-chō kiô. Keng-kòe kúi-ā nî, jiân-āu ū chi̍t-kang, kám-kak ná sī án-ne, góa peh chiūⁿ góa ê chûn, kò chûn kòe. Tán góa kòe kàu hit-pêng, hit-sî sī tiong-tàu, góa ê iáⁿ té-té, lo̍h tī góa ê ē-kha. Góa óng chi̍t-tiâu ti̍t-ti̍t chhun óng-chêng ê sió-lō͘. Góa keng-kòe chi̍t-keng chhù, ū chi̍t-chiah káu chē tī gîm-chîⁿ-kha, m̄-koh, tán i khòaⁿ tio̍h góa kòe-lâi, i khòaⁿ ǹg pa̍t-ūi khì. Góa keng-kòe chi̍t-ê ǹg khong-tiong phau kiû ê cha-po͘ gín-á, m̄-koh tán hit-ê gín-á khòaⁿ tio̍h góa kòe-lâi, i khòaⁿ ǹg pa̍t-ūi khì. Góa kiâⁿ koh kiâⁿ, m̄-koh góa m̄-chai góa sī-m̄-sī kiâⁿ chin kú, in-ūi góa ê kha bô kám-kak ká-ná boeh lut--khì. Góa oa̍t-sin khòaⁿ góa lâu tī āu-bīn ê mi̍h, m̄-koh bô siáⁿ-mi̍h sī se̍k-sāi ê. M̄-sī ti̍t lō͘, góa khòaⁿ tio̍h soaⁿ-niá. M̄-sī hit-ê sńg kiû ê cha-po͘ gín-á, góa khòaⁿ tio̍h chi̍t-kóa koân koh khui-hoe ê chhiū-á. Góa khòaⁿ koân, thiⁿ bô hûn, ká-ná chin kīn, ká-ná sī chhù-lāi ê thian-pông, nā khiā tī í-á téng, góa ū khó-lêng kō͘ chéng-thâu-á bóe kā bong tio̍h. Góa koh oa̍t-sin, koh-chài khòaⁿ thâu-chêng. Chi̍t-ê chhim khang í-keng khui tī góa bīn-chêng. Góa khòaⁿ lo̍h-khì. Hit-ê khang chhim koh àm, góa khòaⁿ bē kàu té. Góa siūⁿ, Ē-té sī siáⁿ? chū án-ne, góa thiau-kang lak lo̍h-khì. Góa lak koh lak, lo̍h koh lo̍h, bē-su góa sī chi̍t-kha kū phôe-siuⁿ. Tī chhim-khang ê piⁿ-á, góa ē-tàng khòaⁿ tio̍h ū siá-jī, m̄-koh hoān-sè he sī gōa-kok gí, in-ūi góa tha̍k bē-lâi. Góa iáu teh lak, m̄-chai keng-kòe gōa kú. Ná teh lak ê sî, góa khai-sí hoat-hiān góa bô-ài chit-chióng lak-lo̍h ê kám-kak. Lak-lo̍h hō͘ góa kám-kak boeh thò͘, góa su-liām só͘-ū góa ài kòe ê lâng. Góa kóng, Góa bô-ài koh lak-lo̍h ah, án-ne góa hoán tò-tńg lâi. Góa koh khiā tī chhim khang ê kîⁿ. Góa khòaⁿ he chhim khang, góa kóng, Lí taⁿ ē-sái ha̍p khí-lâi ah, iá he tō ha̍p khí-lâi. Góa koh kiâⁿ chi̍t-kóa, m̄-chai kiâⁿ gōa hn̄g. Góa kan-ta chai-iáⁿ góa keng-kòe kúi-ā mê koh ji̍t, góa kan-ta chai góa keng-kòe lo̍h-hō͘ koh hó-thiⁿ, àm koh kng. Góa m̄-bat chhùi-ta, góa bē kan-khó͘. Ná khòaⁿ tē-pêng-sòaⁿ, góa ná kap ka-tī kún-sńg: tō kóng, "Tē-kiû chhùi-tûn po̍h," góa chhiò chhut-lâi.

Koh khòaⁿ tē-pêng-sòaⁿ, góa khòaⁿ tio̍h chi̍t-ê ko͘-to̍k ê sin-iáⁿ ǹg góa kiâⁿ lâi, m̄-koh góa bô tio̍h-kiaaⁿ, in-ūi góa khak-tēng he sī goán a-niâ. Tán góa khah óa hit-ê sin-iáⁿ, góa khòaⁿ chhut he m̄-sī a-niâ, m̄-koh góa iáu sī bô tio̍h-kiaⁿ, in-ūi góa khòaⁿ chhut he sī chi̍t-ê hū-jîn lâng. 

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1. 我決定 ǹg 北行

我最近一直 teh 創啥: 我倒 tī 床, 門鈴響. 我落樓. 緊. 我開門. 無人 tī hia. 我踏出去. 若毋是落霎霎仔雨, tō 是空氣厚坱埃, 坱埃濕濕. 我伸舌, he 雨霎 a̍h 濕坱埃舐著 ná 公學校 ê 墨水. 我看 ǹg 北. 我看 ǹg 南. 我決定欲開始 ǹg 北行. Ná 行 ǹg 北, 我注意著我赤跤. Ná 行 ǹg 北, 我看懸, 看著金星. 我講 "定著得欲天光 ah." 我看著一隻猴 tī 樹頂. 彼叢樹無葉仔. 我講, "Ah, 猴. 你看 he. 一隻猴." 我行毋知偌久, 我來到一个大水面. 我欲過去, 毋過我袂曉泅水. 我欲過去, 毋過著幾若年才有法度造一台船. 我欲過去, 毋過毋知我著偌久才有法度造一座橋. 經過幾若年, 然後有一工, 感覺 ná 是 án-ne, 我 peh 上我 ê 船, 划船過. 等我過到彼爿, 彼時是中晝, 我 ê 影短短, 落 tī 我 ê 下跤. 我往一條直直伸往前 ê 小路. 我經過一間厝, 有一隻狗坐 tī 砛簷跤, 毋過, 等伊看著我過來, 伊看 ǹg 別位去. 我經過一个 ǹg 空中拋球 ê 查埔囡仔, 毋過等彼个囡仔看著我過來, 伊看 ǹg 別位去. 我行 koh 行, 毋過我毋知我是毋是行真久, 因為我 ê 跤無感覺 ká-ná 欲甪去. 我越身看我留 tī 後面 ê 物, 毋過無啥物是熟似 ê. 毋是直路, 我看著山嶺. 毋是彼个耍球 ê 查埔囡仔, 我看著一寡懸 koh 開花 ê 樹仔. 我看懸, 天無雲, ká-ná 真近, ká-ná 是厝內 ê 天篷, 若徛 tī 椅仔頂, 我有可能 kō͘ 指頭仔尾 kā 摸著. 我 koh 越身, 閣再看頭前. 一个深空已經開 tī 我面前. 我看落去. 彼个空深 koh 暗, 我看袂到底. 我想, 下底是啥? 自 án-ne, 我刁工 lak 落去. 我 lak koh lak, 落 koh 落, 袂輸我是一跤舊皮箱. Tī 深空 ê 邊仔, 我會當看著有寫字, 毋過凡勢 he 是外國語, 因為我讀袂來. 我猶 teh lak, 毋知經過偌久. Ná teh lak ê 時, 我開始發現我無愛這種 lak 落 ê 感覺. Lak 落予我感覺欲吐, 我思念所有我愛過 ê 人. 我講, 我無愛 koh lak 落 ah, án-ne 我反倒轉來. 我 koh 徛 tī 深空 ê 墘. 我看 he 深空, 我講, 你今會使合起來 ah, iá he tō 合起來. 我 koh 行一寡, 毋知行偌遠. 我干焦知影我經過幾若暝 koh 日, 我干焦知我經過落雨 koh 好天, 暗 koh 光. 我 m̄-bat 喙焦, 我袂艱苦. Ná 看地平線, 我 ná kap 家己滾耍: tō 講, "地球喙唇薄," 我笑出來.

Koh 看地平線, 我看著一个孤獨 ê 身影 ǹg 我行來, 毋過我無著驚, 因為我確定 he 是阮阿娘. 等我較倚彼个身影, 我看出 he 毋是阿娘, 毋過我猶是無著驚, 因為我看出 he 是一个婦人 lâng. 

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1.

What I have been doing lately: I was lying in bed and the doorbell rang. I ran downstairs. Quick. I opened the door. There was no one there. I stepped outside. Either it was drizzling or there was a lot of dust in the air and the dust was damp. I stuck out my tongue and the drizzle or the damp dust tasted like government school ink. I looked north. I looked south. I decided to start walking north. While walking north, I noticed that I was barefoot. While walking north, I looked up and saw the planet Venus. I said “It must be almost morning.” I saw a monkey in the tree. The tree had no leaves. I said, “Ah, a monkey. Just look at that. A monkey.” I walked for I don’t know how long before I came to a big body of water. I wanted to get across it but I couldn’t swim. I wanted to get across it but it would take me years to build a boat. I wanted to get across it but it would take me I didn’t know how long to build a bridge. Years passed and then one day, feeling like it, I got into my boat and rowed across. When I got to the other side, it was noon and my shadow was small and fell beneath me. I set out on a path that stretched out straight ahead. I passed a house, and a dog was sitting on the verandah but it looked the other way when it saw me coming. I passed a boy tossing a ball in the air but the boy looked the other way when he saw me coming. I walked and I walked but I couldn’t tell if I walked a long time because my feet didn’t feel as if they would drop off. I turned around to see what I had left behind me but nothing was familiar. Instead of the straight path, I saw hills. Instead of the boy with his ball, I saw tall flowering trees. I looked up and the sky was without clouds and seemed near, as if it were the ceiling in my house and, if I stood on a chair, I could touch it with the tips of my fingers. I turned around and looked ahead of me again. A deep hole had opened up before me. I looked in. The hole was deep and dark and I couldn’t see the bottom. I thought, What’s down there?, so on purpose I fell in. I fell and I fell, over and over, as if I were an old suitcase. On the sides of the deep hole I could see things written, but perhaps it was in a foreign language because I couldn’t read them. Still I fell, for I don’t know how long. As I fell I began to see that I didn’t like the way falling made me feel. Falling made me feel sick and I missed all the people I had loved. I said, I don’t want to fall anymore, and I reversed myself. I was standing again on the edge of the deep hole. I looked at the deep hole and I said, You can close up now, and it did. I walked some more without knowing distance. I only knew that I passed through days and nights, I only knew that I passed through rain and shine, light and darkness. I was never thirsty and I felt no pain. Looking at the horizon, I make a joke for myself: I said, “The earth has thin lips,” and I laughed.

Looking at the horizon again, I saw a lone figure coming toward me, but I wasn’t frightened because I was sure it was my mother. As I got closer to the figure, I could see that it wasn’t my mother, but still I wasn’t frightened because I could see that it was a woman.

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C53 Khoan-hān Kî | 寬限期

Grace Period /by Will Baker

http://msescher.weebly.com/uploads/5/9/0/9/59097255/grace-period.pdf

Khoan-hān Kî | 寬限期

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Lí siōng tāi-seng kak-chhat tio̍h khong-kan ê chit-sò͘ bô kāng. Ji̍t-kng iáu sī kim iāⁿ-iāⁿ chhng-kòe phû tī chhia-tō téng ê eng-ia, lín bó͘ tú-chiah ùi hia sái Celica kóaⁿ boeh khì chhâ sìn-siuⁿ, thiⁿ iáu sī pêng-siông ê nâ, m̄-koh, kám-kak ná chhiūⁿ hut-jiân kan, ta̍k-hāng mi̍h-kiāⁿ lóng chhun chi̍t-ē, chhun kúi mili*, jiân-āu koh kiu tńg-lâi. [* mili = millimeter]

Lí koaiⁿ tiāu tiān-tōng chhiū-lî siu-chián-ki, siūⁿ-kóng hoān-sè he chùn-tāng éng-hióng tio̍h lí ê lāi-hīⁿ. Jiân-āu lí tì-kak tio̍h káu-á tī gîm-chîⁿ-kha teh hiⁿ. Lēng-gōa neh, liân chi̍t-siaⁿ lí to bô thiaⁿ-tio̍h chiáu-á kiò. Tī 400-bí gōa ê kok-tō, chi̍t-tâi liân-kiat-á (semi) ōaⁿ kē-sok gear /gi.á/, pàng chi̍t-chōa tn̂g-tn̂g ê phùi-ian. Chi̍t-chiah khòaⁿ bē-tio̍h ê phùn-siā-ki, tī lī tē-pêng-sòaⁿ kúi inch koân ê thiⁿ-téng, ōe chi̍t-tiâu pe̍h sòaⁿ.

Tú boeh koh khui siu-chián-ki hit-sî, lí tio̍h chi̍t-kiaⁿ, kám-kak kha-té ê thô͘-kha ká-ná chhiong-kòe tiān. Pēng m̄-sī siáⁿ tōa chùn-tōng, sī ná chhiūⁿ tī chin hn̄g ê só͘-chāi, ū chi̍t-tâi hoat-tiān-ki teh tiuh-tāng. Kāng hit-sî, ū chi̍t-ê kng ê khí-lo̍h, ná sió-sió ê me̍h teh thiàu, ùi soaⁿ ê hit-pêng kòe-lâi. Kòe chi̍t-ē-á, koh chi̍t-ē, koh chi̍t-ē. Koh chi̍t-kái, lí oa̍t-lú ū chi̍t-ê hàm-kó͘ ê kám-kak, bān-bu̍t lóng hut-leh tiùⁿ-tōa, chiah koh sok tńg-lâi.

Chit-sî, lí ê sim-chōng lòng lí ê heng-khám, lí sûi siūⁿ tio̍h tōng-me̍h-liû (aneurysm)! Lí ê hoeh-ap sī 135/80, nn̄g kò goe̍h chêng eng-kai tio̍h khì kiám-cha ah. M̄-koh, m̄-sī, hit-chiah káu taⁿ teh chhoe-lê, m̄-nā kan-ta i teh chhoe. Chhù-piⁿ ê o͘ lab* mā tōa-siaⁿ teh hô͘ⁿ, hn̄g-hn̄g ê só͘-chāi, mā ū cha̍p-thóng chiah khai-sí teh hoah-hiu. [* lab = labrador, chi̍t-chióng káu]

Lí tōa-pō͘ kiâⁿ-ji̍p chhù, bô kóaⁿ-kín, mā m̄-sī bān sô-sô, chhi̍h chi̍t-ê pêng-iú in tau ê tiān-ōe hō-má, i tòa tī soaⁿ hit-pêng ê to͘-chhī, koān-hú tī hia. Thê-sī siaⁿ thiàu-oân liáu tō tiām-siaⁿ chin-kú, koh-lâi sī sòaⁿ-lō͘ bô-êng ê siaⁿ. Lí khó-lī chi̍t-ē, jiân-āu poah hō͘ pún-tē ê gī-siau tūi-tiúⁿ, lí bat i. Mā sī sòaⁿ bô-êng.

Chhiú tēⁿ hit-tiâu 20 chhioh tn̂g ê tiān-ōe sòaⁿ, lí thàm ǹg thang-á gōa. Chit-kái, me̍h ê kám-kak bē m̄-tio̍h, sai-pêng ê thiⁿ bêng-khak piàn khah kng, tòe he, chhù-lāi ê bó͘ chi̍t-ki chhâ chhut chi̍t-ê kīⁿ-koāiⁿ siaⁿ. Lí chhi̍h hō͘ Kéng-kio̍k Kio̍k-tiúⁿ. Sòaⁿ bô-êng. Hō͘ Kong-lō͘ Sûn-lô Tūi, Bô-êng. 911. Bô-êng. Puh-chhut chi̍t-kù lo̍k-im, siaⁿ-im chiam koh chhâ-chhâ, kóng: só͘-ū ê sòaⁿ-lō͘ lóng bô-êng.

Lí koh khòaⁿ gōa-kháu, taⁿ tī khong-khì tiong ū bî-bî-á siam-kng. Gōa-bīn ê thang-tâi, ū kúi-nā jiah thô͘-hún tah tī po-lê. KVTX [tiān-sī-tâi]. Bô-êng. The Courier [pò-siā]. Bô-êng. Kō͘ bó͘-chióng bo̍k-bêng ê hiông-kông siūⁿ-hoat, lí poah kàu gōa-tē, hō͘ lín tiūⁿ-lâng (Lín bó͘ tī hia, taⁿ yi eng-kai í-keng the̍h tio̍h phe ah?), i tú-hó sī chi̍t-ê chhut-miâ ha̍k-mn̂g ê tē-chit-ha̍k kàu-siū. Chit-kái ū liang ê sìn-hō siaⁿ. Chi̍t-siaⁿ. Nn̄g-siaⁿ. Saⁿ-siaⁿ. Khiak.

"Si̍t-thé kang-tiûⁿ."

Abendsachs Phok-sū, lí nauh siaⁿ kóng, lí boeh chhōe Abendsachs Phok-sū.

"Chia sī si̍t-thé kang-tiûⁿ, iú-ê. Chia goán bô hoat-tō͘ kā lí choán tiān-ōe."

Hoat-seng siáⁿ tāi-chì ah, lí tōa-siaⁿ hoah, kóng, tāi-khì-chân sī hoat-seng siáⁿ tāi-chì ah...

I m̄-chai. In sī tī bô thang-á ê tē-hā-sek. Hia it-chhè chèng-siông. Chit-chūn sī chia̍h-tàu ê sî-kan, in teh pìⁿ múi lé-pài ê kan-á-kiû chhái-kǹg.

Chit-sî gōa-kháu sió-khóa teh lo̍h-seh, lo̍h tī chhia-tō, chháu-po͘ hām thêng-chhia ūi. Lí khòaⁿ ē-tio̍h lí ê chián-á bô-lám bô-ne khòe tī chhiū-lî. Koh chi̍t-kái, lí kín-sok chhi̍h lín tiūⁿ-lâng ê hō-má. Koh sī liang ê siaⁿ. Khiak.

Chit-kái, lo̍k-im ê siaⁿ kā lí kóng, só͘-ū chiap-sòaⁿ-oân lóng bô-êng, ū-êng ē sûi chiap lí ê tiān-ōe. Lo̍k-im ōe-kù kiat-sok, khai-sí pò-sàng im-ga̍k. He sī tōa-hêng ê pò-im-sek kau-hiáng-ga̍k, violin /bai.o.lín/ ûi chú, teh ián-chàu "Hard Day's Night (Kan-lân Hit-kang ê Àm-mê)." Tī koa-sû sī "khùn kah ná chhâ-kho͘" hit-ūi, siaⁿ thiàu chi̍t-ē, iô chi̍t-ē, koh thiàu chi̍t-ē, tō ná chhiūⁿ lāu-sek khek-pôaⁿ teh thiàu-chiam kāng-khoán.

Lí koh chi̍t-kái khòaⁿ thang-á gōa, hit-sî chhù khai-sí chùn, khòaⁿ tio̍h lú lâi lú kng, lú kng, lú kng.

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你上代先覺察著空間 ê 質素無仝. 日光猶是金 iāⁿ-iāⁿ 穿過浮 tī 車道頂 ê 坱埃, 恁某拄才 ùi hia 駛 Celica 趕欲去查信箱, 天猶是平常 ê 藍, 毋過, 感覺 ná 像忽然間, 逐項物件 lóng 伸一下, 伸幾 mili*, 然後 koh 勼轉來. [* mili = millimeter]

你關掉電動樹籬修剪機, 想講凡勢 he 顫動影響著你 ê 內耳. 然後你致覺著狗仔 tī 砛簷跤 teh hiⁿ. 另外 neh, 連一聲你 to 無聽著鳥仔叫. Tī 400 米外 ê 國道, 一台聯結仔 (semi) 換低速 gear /gi.á/, 放一逝長長 ê 屁煙. 一隻看袂著 ê 噴射機, tī 離地平線幾 inch 懸 ê 天頂, 畫一條白線.

拄欲 koh 開修剪機彼時, 你著一驚, 感覺跤底 ê 塗跤 ká-ná 充過電. 並毋是啥大顫動, 是 ná 像 tī 真遠 ê 所在, 有一台發電機 teh 搐動. 仝彼時, 有一个光 ê 起落, ná 小小 ê 脈 teh 跳, ùi 山 ê 彼爿過來. 過一下仔, koh 一下, koh 一下. Koh 一改, 你越愈有一个譀古 ê 感覺, 萬物 lóng 忽 leh 脹大, 才 koh 縮轉來.

這時, 你 ê 心臟挵你 ê 胸坎, 你隨想著動脈瘤 (aneurysm)! 你 ê 血壓是 135/80, 兩個月前應該著去檢查 ah. 毋過, 毋是, 彼隻狗今 teh 吹螺, 毋但干焦伊 teh 吹. 厝邊 ê 烏 lab* mā 大聲 teh hô͘ⁿ, 遠遠 ê 所在, mā 有十捅隻開始 teh 喝咻. [* lab = labrador, 一種狗]

你大步行入厝, 無趕緊, mā 毋是慢 sô-sô, 揤一个朋友 in 兜 ê 電話號碼, 伊蹛 tī 山彼爿 ê 都市, 縣府 tī hia. 提示聲跳完了 tō 恬聲真久, 閣來是線路無閒 ê 聲. 你考慮一下, 然後撥予本地 ê 義消隊長, 你 bat 伊. Mā 是線無閒.

手捏彼條 20 呎長 ê 電話線, 你探 ǹg 窗仔外. 這改, 脈 ê 感覺袂毋著, 西爿 ê 天明確變較光, 綴 he, 厝內 ê 某一支柴出一个 kīⁿ-koāiⁿ 聲. 你揤予警局局長. 線無閒. 予公路巡邏隊, 無閒. 911. 無閒. Puh 出一句錄音, 聲音尖 koh 柴柴, 講: 所有 ê 線路 lóng 無閒.

你 koh 看外口, 今 tī 空氣中有微微仔閃光. 外面 ê 窗台, 有幾若跡塗粉貼 tī 玻璃. KVTX [電視台]. 無閒. The Courier [報社]. 無閒. Kō͘ 某種莫名 ê 雄狂想法, 你撥到外地, 予恁丈人 (恁某 tī hia, 今她應該已經提著批 ah?), 伊拄好是一个出名學門 ê 地質學教授. 這改有喨 ê 信號聲. 一聲. 兩聲. 三聲. Khiak.

"實體工場."

Abendsachs 博士, 你喃聲講, 你欲揣 Abendsachs 博士.

"Chia 是實體工場, 友 ê. Chia 阮無法度 kā 你轉電話."

發生啥代誌 ah, 你大聲喝, 講, 大氣層是發生啥代誌 ah...

伊毋知. In 是 tī 無窗仔 ê 地下室. Hia 一切正常. 這陣是食晝 ê 時間, in teh pìⁿ 每禮拜 ê 橄仔球彩券.

這時外口小可 teh 落雪, 落 tī 車道, 草埔和停車位. 你看會著你 ê 剪仔無攬無拈 khòe tī 樹籬. Koh 一改, 你緊速揤恁丈人 ê 號碼. Koh 是喨 ê 聲. Khiak.

這改, 錄音 ê 聲 kā 你講, 所有接線員 lóng 無閒, 有閒會隨接你 ê 電話. 錄音話句結束, 開始播送音樂. 彼是大型 ê 播音室交響樂, violin /bai.o.lín/ 為主, teh 演奏 "Hard Day's Night (艱難彼工 ê 暗暝)." Tī 歌詞是 "睏甲 ná 柴箍" 彼位, 聲跳一下, 搖一下, koh 跳一下, tō ná 像老式曲盤 teh 跳針仝款.

你 koh 一改看窗仔外, 彼時厝開始顫, 看著 lú 來 lú 光, lú 光, lú 光.

--

You notice first a difference in the quality of space. The sunlight is still golden through the dust hanging in the driveway, where your wife pulled out a few minutes ago in the Celica on a run to the mailbox, and the sky is still a regular blue, but it feels as if for an instant everything stretched just slightly, a few millimeters, then contracted again.

You shut off the electric hedge trimmers, thinking maybe vibration is affecting your inner ear. Then you are aware that the dog is whining from under the porch. On the other hand you don't hear a single bird song. A semi shifts down with a long backrap of exhaust on the state highway a quarter mile away. A few inches above one horizon an invisible jet is drawing a thln white llne across the sky,

You are about to turn the trimmers on again when you have the startling sense that the earth under your feet has taken on a charge. It is not quite a trembling, but something like the deep throb of a very large dynamo at a great distance. Simultaneously there ls a fluctuation of light, a tiny pulse, coming from behind the hills. In a moment another, and then another. Again and more strongly you have the absurd sense that everything inflates for a moment, then shrinks.

Your heart strikes you in the chest then, and you think instantly aneurysm!You are 135 over 80, and should have had a checkup two months ago. But no, the dog is howling now, and he's not alone. The neighbors' black lab is also in full cry, and in the distance a dozen others have begun yammering.

You stride into the house, not hurrying but not dawdling either, and punch in the number of a friend who lives in the city on the other side of the hills, the county seat. After the tone dance a long pause, then a busy signal. You consider for a moment, then dial the local volunteer fire chief, whom you know. Also busy.

Stratching the twenty-foot cord, you peer out the window. This time the pulse is unmistakable, a definite brightening of the sky to the west, and along with it a timber somewhere in the house creaks. You punch the Sheriff. Busy. Highway Patrol. Busy. 911. Busy. A recorded voice erupts, strident and edged with static, telllng you all circuits are busy.

You look outside again and now there is a faint shimmering in the air. On the windowsill outside, against the glass, a few flakes of ash have settled. KVTX. Busy. The Courier. Busy. On some inexplicable frantic whim you dial out of state, to your fathar-ln-law (Where is your wife, she should have the mail by now?) who happens to be a professor of geology on a distinguished faculty. The ringing signal this time. Once. Twice. Three times. A click.

"Physical plant."

Doctor Abendsachs, you babble, you wanted Doctor Abendsachs.

"This is physical plant, buddy. We can't connect you here."

What's going on, you shout what is happening with the atmosphere--

He doesn't know. They are in a windowless basement. Everything fine there. It's lunchtime and they are making up the weekly football pool.

It is snowing lightly now outside, on the driveway and lawn and garage. You can see your clippers propped pathetically against the hedge. Once more, at top speed, you punch your father-in-law's number. Again a ringing. A click.

This time a recording tells you that all operators are busy and your call will be answered by the first available. The voice track ends and a burst of music begins. It is a large studio orchestra, heavy on violins, playing a version of "Hard Day's Night." At the point where the lyrics would be "sleeping like a log" the sound skips, wobbles, and skips again as if an old-fashioned needle has been bumped from a record groove.

You look out the window once more, as the house begins to shudder, and see that it is growing brighter and brighter and brighter.

--

// 2022-7-8

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

https://xpressenglish.com/our-stories/my-lucy-friend/

Phīⁿ-tio̍h ná Hoan-be̍h ê Goán Pêng-iú Lucy | 鼻著 ná 番麥 ê 阮朋友 Lucy 

--

Goán pêng-iú Lucy Anguiano, Texas chă gín-á, phīⁿ khí-lâi ná hoan-be̍h, ná Frito Bandito hoan-be̍h iù-piáⁿ, ná hoan-be̍h chian-piáⁿ (tortilla), yi ê thâu ū chi̍t-chióng ná chú hoan-be̍h-lia̍p a̍h pháng ê sio-sio ê khì-bī, tī yi khò óa lí, khòaⁿ ka chóa ang-á ê sî, a̍h khû tī cháu-lông kau-ōaⁿ po-lê chu ê sî, he súi chúi-chiⁿ tī lí chhiú-téng ē hiàn-chhut chi̍t-ê nâ chheⁿ, hit-lō tōa-lia̍p niau-ba̍k-chiu tī tiong-ng ū chi̍t-ê chháu-meh-á le̍k ê kńg-lê, ná chhiūⁿ sái-chhia khì pian-kéng ê sî, cha̍h-hong po-lê téng ê thâng-á chiap, ná chhiūⁿ ia̍h-á ê n̂g-sek ê hoeh.

Lí bat chia̍h káu chhī-liāu bô? Góa bat. Ná pō͘ peng-kak án-ne liáu, yi chhùi peh khui-khui chèng-bêng, kan-ta chi̍t-ê hún-âng ê chi̍h sì-kho͘-liàn-tńg se̍h, ná chi̍t-bóe chheⁿ-mê thâng, Janey kā khòaⁿ, in-ūi yi kóng, Chèng-bêng hō͘ góa khòaⁿ. M̄-koh, góa kah-ì hit-ê Lucy, hoan-be̍h bī, he chhián-nâ gia̍p-thoa-á kap góa ê kāng-khoán, goán tâng-chê tī K-mart bé, kan-ta 79-sén.

Góa boeh chē tī ji̍t-thâu-ē, m̄-koán gōa-kháu sī m̄-sī pah-bān, ek-bān tō͘, án-ne góa ê phôe-hu chiah ē piàn o͘, o͘ kah ná chhiūⁿ Lucy ê, tī áu-oan ê ūi piàn nâ. Yin kui ke-hóe lóng án-ne. Ba̍k-chiu ná to-bóe-chiam. Lucy hām yin chí-mōe. Morma, Margarita, Ofelia, Herminia, Nancy, Olivia, Cheli, á-ū Amber Sue.

Se-mn̂g bô se-bāng. BANG! Sió o͘ káu kā ka-tī ê mo͘. Gîm-chîⁿ-kha hit-tè pûi phòng-í. Ū kúi-ê thang-á chhat nâ-sek, ū-ê chhat hún-âng, in-ūi hit-kang yin pâ siuⁿ thiám, a̍h sī bē-kì-tit. Mama tī chàu-kha tng-teh kā saⁿ khǹg ji̍p hit-tâi ká-saⁿ-ki, saⁿ-á ká chhut-lâi tō ngē-ngē, chiù-chiù, koh píⁿ kah ná chóa. Lucy chi̍t-pái chhiú khì hō͘ ká ji̍p-khì, tio̍h tōa-siaⁿ hoah Maaa! iá yin lāu-bú tio̍h kā ke-khì lia̍h tò-péng, án-ne yi ê chhiú chiah koh lak lo̍h-lâi, chéng-thâu-á o͘-khì, āu-lâi, yi ê chéng-kah lak-tiāu. M̄-koh, lí ê chhiú-kut kám ū píⁿ kah ná saⁿ? Lí ê chhiú-kut án-chóaⁿ ah? In kám tio̍h kō͘ thiu-hong-ki lâi khiú? Bô, kan-ta chéng-thâu-á, iá yi mā bô khàu.

Khò tī gîm-chîⁿ-kha ê lân-kan, kā iù-eⁿ Amber Sue ê hún-âng boe̍h-á gia̍p tī Cheli ê hoe siatchuh téng-bīn, koh kā Ofelia ê phah-thih-á khò͘, gia̍p tī Olivia téng-bīn saⁿ lāi-bīn ê pô͘, koh gia̍p tī Margarita ê jiông-á khùn-phâu téng-koân, án-ne i tō bē làu-làu, koh-lâi lí the̍h yin pâ ê kang-chok siatchuh, chhiūⁿ án-ne kā tò-thâu kòa, án-ne só͘-ū ê saⁿ-á lóng bē jiâu-jiâu, koh khah séng khong-kan, tō bián hiah chē gia̍p-á. Ko͘-niû lóng hō͘-siong chhēng tùi-hong ê saⁿ, Olivia lē-gōa, yi chin ko͘-sng. Chia bô cha-po͘ gín-á. Kan-ta ū cha-bó͘ gín-á hām lāu-pē he chha-put-to m̄-bat tńg-chhù, hām chi̍t-ê lāu-bú he chóng-sī kóng, Ay! góa chiâⁿ thiám koh hiah chē chí-mōe, chē kah bô sî-kan sǹg. Góa taⁿ chē tī ji̍t-thâu-ē, sui-bóng chit-sî sī ji̍t-sî siōng joa̍h, chit-sî joa̍h kah ke-lō͘ teh tuh-ku, chit-sî sio-khì ná chi̍t-téng bō-á tī lí ê thâu-khak-téng, kā thô͘-hún hām cha̍p-chháu hām kōaⁿ-chúi lóng hang kah kàu-hun, hang kah chhèng-ian, phīⁿ tio̍h ná tiⁿ hoan-be̍h.

Góa siūⁿ boeh so yin ê thâu, hām chí-mōe khùn, ū-ê hiòng thâu, ū-ê hiòng kha. Góa siūⁿ hām chí-mōe chò-hóe khùn chin hó-sńg, lí ē-tàng chi̍t-kái hiu chi̍t-ê, a̍h lóng-chóng tâng-chê hiu, m̄-ài ko͘ chi̍t-lâng khùn kheh-thiaⁿ ê áu-í.

Tán góa kàu chhù, Amá ē kóng, Góa kám bô kā lí kóng kòe? án-ne góa tō chai ah, in-ūi bîn-á-chài góa tio̍h koh chhēng chit-su saⁿ. M̄-koh, siōng tāi-seng, góa boeh khì Anguiano chhù-tiâⁿ thiàu chi̍t-téng chhàu-jiō-hiam kū phòng-chhn̂g. Góa boeh jiàu lí hō͘ báng kā tio̍h ê ūi, Lucy, hō͘ lí khí-chiūⁿ, jiân-āu tī téng-bīn tah Mercurochrome chhiò-bīn [chi̍t-chióng io̍h-thiap]. Goán boeh kau-ōaⁿ ê-á, koh kā chhēng tī chhiú. Goán boeh kiâⁿ kàu Janey Ortiz yin tau, kóng: Goán éng-oán to bô-ài hām lí chò pêng-iú ah! Goán boeh tò-thè-lu cháu tńg chhù, jiân-āu goán boeh hiòng chêng cháu tńg chhù, nn̄g-pái khì khòaⁿ ē-bīn ū bih niáu-chhí ê hit-keng chhù, iá góa boeh kā chi̍t-ki kha chhun ji̍p-khì, in-ūi lí kek góa, thiⁿ hiah nâ, thian-tông tī hiah-ê pe̍h-hûn lāi-bīn. Góa boeh ùi kha-thâu-u liàm chi̍t-ê lia̍p-á phí lâi chia̍h, tùi niau-á phah kha-chhiùⁿ, hō͘ lí 3-lia̍p ùi cha-hng tō khiām boeh hō͘ lí ê M&M, kō͘ chéng-thâu-á loa̍h lí ê thâu-chang, kā pīⁿ chò chiâⁿ súi ê sió-sió thâu-chang-pīⁿ. Lán boeh tī bus /ba.suh/ téng ǹg bô sio-pat ê lú-sū ia̍t-chhiú. Halo! Góa boeh tī thâu-chêng gîm-chîⁿ-kha ê lân-kan chhia pha-lin, m̄-kiaⁿ hông khòaⁿ tio̍h lāi-khò͘. Lán ōe ka-ti lâi ka chóa ang-á, kō͘ la̍h-pit ōe in ê saⁿ, góa ê chhiú moa tī lí ê ām-kún.

Lán sio tùi-khòaⁿ ê sî, lán ê chhiú-kut hō͘ kam-á ki-á peng phùn kah liâm kô͘-kô͘, lán ē-sái sī chí-mōe, tio̍h bô? Lán ē-sái, lí hām góa, tán lán ê chhùi-khí lak, kim-chîⁿ lâi. Lí tùi góa ê hīⁿ-khang chhiò, chhiò kah góa chiâⁿ ngiau, góa tō Ha Ha Ha Ha. Yi hām góa, goán pêng-iú Lucy phīⁿ-tio̍h ná hoan-be̍h.

--

阮朋友 Lucy Anguiano, Texas cha̋ 囡仔, 鼻起來 ná 番麥, ná Frito Bandito 番麥幼餅, ná 番麥煎餅 (tortilla), 她 ê 頭有一種 ná 煮番麥粒 a̍h pháng ê 燒燒 ê 氣味, tī 她靠倚你, 看鉸紙尪仔 ê 時, a̍h 跍 tī 走廊交換玻璃珠 ê 時, he 媠水晶 tī 你手頂會現出一个藍星, 彼號大粒貓目睭 tī 中央有一个草蜢仔綠 ê 捲螺, ná 像駛車去邊境 ê 時, 閘風玻璃頂 ê 蟲仔汁, ná 像蝶仔 ê 黃色 ê 血.

你 bat 食狗飼料無? 我 bat. Ná 哺冰角 án-ne 了, 她喙 peh 開開證明, 干焦一个粉紅 ê 舌四箍輾轉踅, ná 一尾青盲蟲, Janey kā 看, 因為她講, 證明予我看. 毋過, 我佮意彼个 Lucy, 番麥味, he 淺藍挾拖仔 kap 我 ê 仝款, 阮同齊 tī K-mart 買, 干焦 79-sén.

我欲坐 tī 日頭下, 毋管外口是毋是百萬, 億萬度, án-ne 我 ê 皮膚才會變烏, 烏甲 ná 像 Lucy ê, tī 拗彎 ê 位變藍. 姻規家伙 lóng án-ne. 目睭 ná 刀尾尖. Lucy 和姻姊妹. Morma, Margarita, Ofelia, Herminia, Nancy, Olivia, Cheli, á 有 Amber Sue.

紗門無紗網. BANG! 小烏狗咬家己 ê 毛. 砛簷跤彼塊肥膨椅. 有幾个窗仔漆藍色, 有 ê 漆粉紅, 因為彼工姻 pâ siuⁿ 忝, a̍h 是袂記得. Mama tī 灶跤 tng-teh kā 衫囥入彼台絞衫機, 衫仔絞出來 tō 硬硬, chiù-chiù, koh 扁甲 ná 紙. Lucy 一擺手去予絞入去, 著大聲喝 Maaa! iá 姻老母著 kā 機器掠倒反, án-ne 她 ê 手才 koh lak 落來, 指頭仔烏去, 後來, 她 ê 指甲 lak 掉. 毋過, 你 ê 手骨敢有扁甲 ná 衫? 你 ê 手骨按怎 ah? In 敢著 kō͘ 抽風機來搝? 無, 干焦指頭仔, iá 她 mā 無哭.

靠 tī 砛簷跤 ê 欄杆, kā 幼嬰 Amber Sue ê 粉紅襪仔挾 tī Cheli ê 花 siatchuh 頂面, koh kā Ofelia ê 拍鐵仔褲, 挾 tī Olivia 頂面衫內面 ê pô͘, koh 挾 tī Margarita ê 絨仔睏袍頂懸, án-ne 伊 tō 袂 làu-làu, 閣來你提姻 pâ ê 工作 siatchuh, 像 án-ne kā 倒頭掛, án-ne 所有 ê 衫仔 lóng 袂皺皺, koh 較省空間, tō 免 hiah 濟挾仔. 姑娘 lóng 互相穿對方 ê 衫, Olivia 例外, 她真孤霜. Chia 無查埔囡仔. 干焦有查某囡仔和老爸 he 差不多毋捌轉厝, 和一个老母 he 總是講, Ay! 我誠忝 koh hiah 濟姊妹, 濟甲無時間算. 我今坐 tī 日頭下, 雖罔這時是日時上熱, 這時熱甲街路 teh 盹龜, 這時燒氣 ná 一頂帽仔 tī 你 ê 頭殼頂, kā 塗粉和雜草和汗水 lóng 烘甲夠分, 烘 kah 熗煙, 鼻著 ná 甜番麥.

我想欲挲姻 ê 頭, 和姊妹睏, 有 ê 向頭, 有 ê 向跤. 我想和姊妹做伙睏真好耍, 你會當一改咻一个, a̍h lóng 總同齊咻, 毋愛孤一人睏客廳 ê 拗椅.

等我到厝, Amá 會講, 我敢無 kā 你講過? án-ne 我 tō 知 ah, 因為明仔載我著 koh 穿這軀衫. 毋過, 上代先, 我欲去 Anguiano 厝埕跳一頂臭尿薟舊膨床. 我欲抓你予蠓咬著 ê 位, Lucy, 予你起癢, 然後 tī 頂面貼 Mercurochrome 笑面 [一種藥帖]. 阮欲交換鞋仔, koh kā 穿 tī 手. 阮欲行到 Janey Ortiz 姻兜, 講: 阮永遠 to 無愛和你做朋友 ah! 阮欲倒退攄走轉厝, 然後阮欲向前走轉厝, 兩擺去看下面有覕鳥鼠 ê 彼間厝, iá 我欲 kā 一支跤伸入去, 因為你激我, 天 hiah 藍, 天堂 tī hiah-ê 白雲內面. 我欲 ùi 跤頭趺捻一个粒仔疕來食, 對貓仔拍咳啾, 予你 3 粒 ùi 昨昏 tō 儉欲予你 ê M&M, kō͘ 指頭仔捋你 ê 頭鬃, kā 辮做誠媠 ê 小小頭鬃辮. 咱欲 tī bus /ba.suh/ 頂 ǹg 無相捌 ê 女士擛手. Halo! 我欲 tī 頭前砛簷跤 ê 欄杆車拋 lin, 毋驚 hông 看著內褲. 咱畫 ka-tī 來鉸紙尪仔, kō͘ 蠟筆畫 in ê 衫, 我 ê 手幔 tī 你 ê 頷頸.

咱相對看 ê 時, 咱 ê 手骨予柑仔枝仔冰噴甲黏糊糊, 咱會使是姊妹, 著無? 咱會使, 你和我, 等咱 ê 喙齒 lak, 金錢來. 你對我 ê 耳空笑, 笑甲我誠 ngiau, 我 tō Ha Ha Ha Ha. 她和我, 阮朋友 Lucy 鼻著 ná 番麥.

--

Lucy Anguiano, Texas girl who smells like corn, like Frito Bandito chips, like tortillas, something like that warm smell of nixtamal or bread the way her head smells when she’s leaning close to you over a paper cut-out doll or on the porch when we are squatting over marbles trading the pretty crystal that leaves a blue star on your hand for that giant cat-eye with a grasshopper green spiral in the center like the juice of bugs on the windshield when you drive to the border, like the yellow blood of butterflies.

Have you ever eated dog food? I have. After crunching like ice, she opens her big mouth prove it, only a pink tongue rolling around in there like a blind worm, and Janey looking in because she said, Show me. But me I like that Lucy, corn-smell hair and aqua flip-flops just like mine that we bought at the K-mart for only 79 cents same time.

I’m going to sit in the sun, don’t care if it’s a million trillion degrees outside, so my skin can get so dark it’s blue where it bends like Lucy’s. Her whole family like that. Eyes like knife slits. Lucy and her sisters. Norma, Margarita, Ofelia, Herminia, Nancy, Olivia, Cheli, y la Amber Sue. 

Screen door with no screen. BANG! Little black dog biting his fur. Fat couch on the porch. Some of the windows painted blue, some pink because her daddy got tired that day or forgot. Mama in the kitchen feeding clothes into the wringer washer and clothes rolling out all stiff and twisted and flat like paper. Lucy got her arm stuck once and had to yell Maaa! and her mama had to put the machine in reverse and then her hand rolled back, the finger black and later, her nail fell off. But did your arm get flat like the clothes? What happened to your arm? Did they have to pump it with air? No, only the finger, and she didn’t cry neither.

Lean across the porch rail and pin the pink sock of the baby Amber Sue on top of Cheli’s flowered T-shirt, and the blue jeans of la Ofelia over the inside seam of Olivia’s blouse, over the flannel nightgown of Margarita so it don’t stretch out, and then you take the work shirts of their daddy and hang them upside down like this, and this way all the clothes don’t get so wrinkled and take up less space and you don’t waste pins. The girls all wear each other’s clothes, except Olivia, who is stingy. There ain’t no boys here. Only girls and one father who is never home hardly and one mother who says, Ay! I’m real tired and so many sisters there’s no time to count them.

I’m sitting in the sun even though it’s the hottest part of the day, the part that makes the streets dizzy, when the heat makes a little hat on the top of your head and bakes the dust and weed grass and sweat up good, all steamy and smelling like sweet corn.

I want to rub heads and sleep in a bed with little sisters, some at the top and some at the feets. I think it would be fun to sleep with sisters you could yell at one at a time or all together, instead of alone on the fold-out chair in the living room.

When I get home Abuelita will say, Didn’t I tell you? and I’ll get it because I was supposed to wear this dress again tomorrow. But first I’m going to jump off an old pissy mattress in the Anguiano yard. I’m going to scratch your mosquito bites, Lucy, so they’ll itch you, then put Mercurochrome smiley faces on them. We’re going to trade shoes and wear them on our hands. We’re going to walk over to Janey Ortiz’s house and say, We’re never ever going to be your friend again forever! We’re going to run home backwards and we’re going to run home frontwards, look twice under the house where the rats hide and I’ll stick one foot in there because you dared me, sky so blue and heaven inside those white clouds. I’m going to peel a scab from my knee and eat it, sneeze on the cat, give you three M & M’s I’ve been saving for you since yesterday, comb your hair with my fingers and braid it into teeny-tiny braids real pretty. We’re going to wave to a lady we don’t know on the bus. Hello! I’m going to somersault on the rail of the front porch even though my chones show. And cut paper dolls we draw ourselves, and color in their clothes with crayons, my arm around your neck.

And when we look at each other, our arms gummy from an orange Popsicle we split, we could be sisters, right? We could be, you and me waiting for our teeths to fall and money. You laughing something into my ear that tickles, and me going Ha Ha Ha Ha. Her and me, my Lucy friend who smells like corn.

--

// 2022-7-7

C51b 彼 tō 是愛 lah!

2. He tō sī ài lah!

"Thiⁿ ah!" Alan kóng, kek chi̍t-ê kap kho-ha̍k bô tī-tāi ê piáu-chêng. "Chiâⁿ chhù-bī!"

"M̄-koh, lí tio̍h khó-lī cheng-sîn hit hong-bīn," lāu-lâng kóng.

"Góa ē, tek-khak ē," Alan kóng.

"Tùi léng-tām," lāu-lâng kóng, "tio̍h kō͘ khiân-sêng tāi-thè. Tùi biáu-sī, kō͘ chông-pài. Kā sió-liōng ê che hō͘ hit-ê siàu-liân lú-sū -- tī kam-á chiap, thng, a̍h ke-bóe-chiú ni̍h, che kháu-bī kak-chhat bē chhut-lâi -- m̄-koán yi gōa hèng-sńg a̍h khin-phû, yi ē kui-ê kái-piàn. Yi ē kan-ta ài ko͘-to̍k a̍h ài lí niā-niā."

"Góa lân-tit siong-sìn neh," Alan kóng. "Yi hiah-nī hèng party."

"Yi bē koh hèng he ah lah," lāu-lâng kóng. "Yi ē kiaⁿ lí khó-lêng tú-tio̍h súi ko͘-niû-á."

"Yi chin-chiàⁿ ē chia̍h-chhò͘?" Alan thiòng kah kiò chhut-siaⁿ. "Ūi tio̍h góa?"

"Tio̍h, yi ē boeh ài chiâⁿ-chò lí só͘ su-iàu ê lâng."

"Yi í-keng sī ah. Chí-sī, yi tùi che bô iàu-ì."

"Yi ē, ho̍k-iōng liáu-āu. Yi ē chhim-chhim iàu-ì. Lí ē chiâⁿ-chò yi seng-oa̍h ê ûi-it tiōng-sim"

"Chán lah!" Alan hoah siaⁿ.

"Yi ē siūⁿ boeh chai lí ê it-chhè," lāu-lâng kóng. "Kui-kang hoat-seng tī lí ê tāi-chì. Múi chi̍t-kù ōe. Yi ē siūⁿ boeh chai-iáⁿ lí teh siūⁿ siáⁿ, sī án-chóaⁿ lí hut-jiân teh chhiò, sī án-chóaⁿ lí khòaⁿ khí-lâi pi-siong."

"He tō sī ài lah!" Alan án-ne hoah.

"Tio̍h," lāu-lâng kóng. "Yi ē chiâⁿ sió-sim chiàu-kò͘ lí! Yi ē m̄-chún lí siuⁿ thiám, m̄-chún lí siàn léng hong, m̄-chún lí làng-tǹg bô chia̍h. Lí nā òaⁿ chi̍t tiám-cheng, yi ē khí chheⁿ-kiaⁿ. Yi ē siūⁿ-kóng lí hông thâi, a̍h sī hō͘ iau-chiaⁿ lia̍h khì."

"Góa àm-siūⁿ mā siūⁿ bē-kàu Diana ē chhin-chhiūⁿ án-ne!" Alan hoah-siaⁿ, thiòng kah boeh poa̍h-tó.

"Lí m̄-bián àm-siūⁿ lah," lāu-lâng kóng. "Hoán tò-tńg lâi kóng, sì-kè lóng mā ū iau-chiaⁿ, í-āu lí nā ū siáⁿ ki-hōe, sió-khóa oai-ko chi̍t-ē, lí mā bián kòa-ì. Chiong-kî-bóe, yi mā ē goân-liōng lí. Tong-jiân, yi ē siū tio̍h tōa-tōa ê siong-hāi, m̄-koh, yi mā ē goân liōng lí -- chiong-kî-bóe."

"He bē hoat-seng lah," Alan jia̍t-sim kóng, 

"Tong-jiân bē," lāu-lâng kóng. "M̄-koh, bān-it he hoat-seng, lí mā bián hoân-ló. Yi éng-oán to bē kap lí lī-hun. Oh, bē! Iáu-ū, tong-jiân, yi mā bē hō͘ lí ū chi̍t sut-á, ū chi̍t sut-sut-á li̍p-tiûⁿ khì -- put-an."

"Iá taⁿ, chit-chióng sian-tan," Alan kóng, "án-chóaⁿ bē ah?"

"Che bô kài kùi," lāu-lâng kóng, "bô chhiūⁿ chhiú-thò chheng-kiat-che, a̍h ū-sî góa kā kiò chò seng-oa̍h chheng-kiat-che, hiah kùi. He tio̍h 5000 kho͘, chi̍t-sén to bē kiám-tit. Tio̍h nî-hòe khah tōa kòe lí ê lâng, chiah ē bê-chùi hit-lō mi̍h. In tio̍h hó-hó-á khiām-chîⁿ chiah lâi bé."

"Iá he ài-chêng io̍h-chúi neh?" Alan kóng.

"Oh, he ah," lāu-lâng kóng, thoah khui chàu-kha toh ê thoah-á, the̍h chhut chi̍t-ê sè-sè, thái-ko thái-ko ê po-lê koàn-á. "He kan-ta bē chi̍t kho͘."

"Góa m̄-chai án-chóaⁿ piáu-ta̍t góa ê kám-kek," Alan kóng, ná khòaⁿ i thîn tīⁿ hit-ê koàn-á.

"Góa ê êng-hēng," lāu-lâng kóng. "Án-ne kò͘-kheh chiah ē koh tńg-lâi, tī í-āu ê seng-oa̍h tiong, tán in khah ū-chîⁿ, siūⁿ boeh khah kùi ê mi̍h-kiāⁿ. The̍h khì. Lí ē hoat-hiān, che put-chí-á ū-hāu."

"Koh-chài kám-siā lí," Alan kóng. "Chài-hōe."

"Bye-bye," hit-lâng kóng.

[Soah]

--

2. 彼 tō 是愛 lah!

"天 ah!" Alan 講, 激一个 kap 科學無 tī-tāi ê 表情. "誠趣味!"

"毋過, 你著考慮精神彼方面," 老人講.

"我會, 的確會," Alan 講.

"對冷淡," 老人講, "著 kō͘ 虔誠代替. 對藐視, kō͘ 崇拜. Kā 小量 ê 這予彼个少年女士 -- tī 柑仔汁, 湯, a̍h 雞尾酒 ni̍h, 這口味覺察袂出來 -- 毋管她偌興耍 a̍h 輕浮, 她會規个改變. 她會干焦愛孤獨 a̍h 愛你 niā-niā."

"我難得相信 neh," Alan 講. "她 hiah-nī 興 party."

"她袂 koh 興彼 ah lah," 老人講. "她會驚你可能拄著媠姑娘仔."

"她真正會食醋?" Alan 暢甲叫出聲. "為著我?"

"著, 她會欲愛成做你所需要 ê 人."

"她已經是 ah. 只是, 她對這無要意."

"她會, 服用了後. 她會深深要意. 你會成做她生活 ê 唯一重心"

"讚 lah!" Alan 喝聲.

"她會想欲知你 ê 一切," 老人講. "規工發生 tī 你 ê 代誌. 每一句話. 她會想欲知影你 teh 想啥, 是按怎你忽然 teh 笑, 是按怎你看起來悲傷."

"彼 tō 是愛 lah!" Alan án-ne 喝.

"著," 老人講. "她會誠小心照顧你! 她會毋准你 siuⁿ 忝, 毋准你搧冷風, 毋准你閬頓無食. 你若晏一點鐘, 她會起生驚. 她會想講你 hông 刣, a̍h 是予妖精掠去."

"我暗想 mā 想袂到 Diana 會親像 án-ne!" Alan 喝聲, 暢甲欲跋倒.

"你毋免暗想 lah," 老人講. "反倒轉來講, 四界 lóng mā 有妖精, 以後你若有啥機會, 小可歪哥一下, 你 mā 免掛意. 終其尾, 她 mā 會原諒你. 當然, 她會受著大大 ê 傷害, 毋過, 她 mā 會原諒你 -- 終其尾."

"彼袂發生 lah," Alan 熱心講, 

"當然袂," 老人講. "毋過, 萬一彼發生, 你 mā 免煩惱. 她永遠 to 袂 kap 你離婚. Oh, 袂! 猶有, 當然, 她 mā 袂予你有一屑仔, 有一屑屑仔立場去 -- 不安."

"Iá 今, 這種仙丹," Alan 講, "按怎賣 ah?"

"這無 kài 貴," 老人講, "無像手套清潔劑, a̍h 有時我 kā 叫做生活清潔劑, hiah 貴. 彼著 5000 kho͘, 一 sén to 袂減得. 著年歲較大過你 ê 人, 才會迷醉彼號物. In 著好好仔儉錢才來買."

"Iá 彼愛情藥水 neh?" Alan 講.

"Oh, 彼 ah," 老人講, 挩開灶跤桌 ê 屜仔, 提出一个細細, thái-ko thái-ko ê 玻璃罐仔. "彼干焦賣一 kho͘."

"我毋知按怎表達我 ê 感激," Alan 講, ná 看伊斟滇彼个罐仔.

"我 ê 榮幸," 老人講. "Án-ne 顧客才會 koh 轉來, tī 以後 ê 生活中, 等 in 較有錢, 想欲較貴 ê 物件. 提去. 你會發現, 這不止仔有效."

"閣再感謝你," Alan 講. "再會."

"Bye-bye," 彼人講.

[煞]

--

2.

"Dear me!" said Alan, attempting a look of scientific detachment. "How very interesting!"

"But consider the spiritual side," said the old man.

"I do, indeed," said Alan.

"For indifference," said the old man, they substitute devotion. For scorn, adoration. Give one tiny measure of this to the young lady--its flavour is imperceptible in orange juice, soup, or cocktails--and however gay and giddy she is, she will change altogether. She will want nothing but solitude and you."

"I can hardly believe it," said Alan. "She is so fond of parties."

"She will not like them any more," said the old man. "She will be afraid of the pretty girls you may meet."

"She will actually be jealous?" cried Alan in a rapture. "Of me?"

"Yes, she will want to be everything to you."

"She is, already. Only she doesn't care about it."

"She will, when she has taken this. She will care intensely. You will be her sole interest in life."

"Wonderful!" cried Alan.

"She will want to know all you do," said the old man. "All that has happened to you during the day. Every word of it. She will want to know what you are thinking about, why you smile suddenly, why you are looking sad."

"That is love!" cried Alan.

"Yes," said the old man. "How carefully she will look after you! She will never allow you to be tired, to sit in a draught, to neglect your food. If you are an hour late, she will be terrified. She will think you are killed, or that some siren has caught you."

"I can hardly imagine Diana like that!" cried Alan, overwhelmed with joy.

"You will not have to use your imagination," said the old man. "And, by the way, since there are always sirens, if by any chance you should, later on, slip a little, you need not worry. She will forgive you, in the end. She will be terribly hurt, of course, but she will forgive you--in the end."

"That will not happen," said Alan fervently.

"Of course not," said the old man. "But, if it did, you need not worry. She would never divorce you. Oh, no! And, of course, she will never give you the least, the very least, grounds for--uneasiness."

"And how much," said Alan, "is this wonderful mixture?"

"It is not as dear," said the old man, "as the glove-cleaner, or life-cleaner, as I sometimes call it. No. That is five thousand dollars, never a penny less. One has to be older than you are, to indulge in that sort of thing. One has to save up for it."

"But the love potion?" said Alan.

"Oh, that," said the old man, opening the drawer in the kitchen table, and taking out a tiny, rather dirty-looking phial. "That is just a dollar."

"I can't tell you how grateful I am," said Alan, watching him fill it.

"I like to oblige," said the old man. "Then customers come back, later in life, when they are better off, and want more expensive things. Here you are. You will find it very effective."

"Thank you again," said Alan. "Good-bye."

"Au revoir," said the man.

--

// 2022-7-6