4.1 Raymond 修理 in 搭頭

4

4.1 Raymond siu-lí in tah-thâu

Góa kui lé-pài lóng jīn-chin siōng-pan. Raymond kòe-lâi kā góa kóng, phe i í-keng kià chhut-khì ah. Góa ū nn̄g-kái hām Emmanuel khì khòaⁿ tiān-iáⁿ, i ū-sî khòaⁿ bô tiān-iáⁿ teh ián ê ì-sù. Án-ne lí tio̍h kā i kái-soeh. Cha-hng sī pài-la̍k, Marie chiàu iok-sok lâi góa chia. Yi chhēng âng-tah-pe̍h tiâu-bûn ê iûⁿ-chong hām phôe ê sandál, hō͘ góa khòaⁿ kah khí giàn-thâu. Yi kiat-si̍t ê leng ê gōa-hêng khòaⁿ kah bêng-bêng, yi he pha̍k âng ê bīn ná chhiūⁿ chi̍t-lúi hoe. Goán tah básuh khì lī Algiers kúi-ā kilo ê só͘-chāi, hia ê hái-than siang-thâu lóng sī gâm-hōaⁿ, soa-po͘ piⁿ ê lio̍k-tē ū chheⁿ-chháu. Sì-tiám ê ji̍t-thâu í-keng bē siuⁿ joa̍h, m̄-koh hái-chúi sio-sio, hái-éng bān koh un-jiû.

Marie kà góa chi̍t-ê sńg-hoat. Siû-chúi ê sî lí tio̍h kā hái-éng téng ê chúi-pho kâm ji̍p chhùi, jiân-āu péng-pak, kā chúi-pho bū hiòng thiⁿ. Án-ne tō ū chē-chē ê sè-lia̍p chúi-pho tī khong-tiong phòa khì, a̍h-sī piàn-chò chi̍t-chūn sio-sio ê chúi-bū lak tī ka-tī ê bīn. M̄-koh sńg bô kú, góa ê chhùi tō hō͘ kiâm koh siap ê hái-chúi sīⁿ kah khí-bâ. Hit-sî, Marie siû lâi góa chia, tī chúi ni̍h iōng sin-khu ân-ân kēng góa. Yi kā chhùi-tûn bak góa ê, kō͘ liâng-liâng ê chi̍h nā góa ê chhùi, goán tō tī chúi-éng ni̍h kún-lâi kún-khì.

Tán goán koh tī hái-than kā saⁿ chhēng hó, Marie iōng yi he kim-sih-sih ê ba̍k-chiu khòaⁿ góa. Góa tō kā chim. Goán chū án-ne tiām-tiām bô koh kóng siáⁿ. Góa kā lám tio̍h, nn̄g-lâng kín-kín kóaⁿ khì tah básuh, tńg-lâi kàu goán tau, tō kín-kín siàng chiūⁿ bîn-chhn̂g. Góa ê thang-á khui-khui, joa̍h-thiⁿ àm-mê ê hong chhoe tio̍h goán pha̍k âng ê sin-khu, kám-kak chiâⁿ hó.

Keh-kang chá-khí, Marie bô lī-khui, góa kā kóng, lán tio̍h tâng-chê chia̍h-tàu. Góa lo̍h-lâu khì bé kóa bah. Tī tńg-lâi lâu-téng ê sî, góa thiaⁿ tio̍h Raymond ê pâng-keng ni̍h ū cha-bó͘-lâng siaⁿ. Bô gōa kú, lāu Salamano koh teh liām i ê káu; goán thiaⁿ tio̍h chhâ lâu-thui ê kha-pō͘ kap kha-jiáu siaⁿ, iáu ū thiaⁿ-e "Thái-ko chhàu káu," in tō khi-khi kho̍k-kho̍k lo̍h-lâu, kiâⁿ chiūⁿ ke-lō͘ khì. Góa kā Marie kóng hit-ê lāu-lâng ê tāi-chì, yi tōa chhiò. Yi chhēng góa ê khùn-saⁿ kap khùn-khò͘, tio̍h kā chhiú-ńg pih khí-lâi. Khòaⁿ yi chhiò, góa iū-koh khí giàn-thâu. Kòe chi̍t-khùn liáu, yi mn̄g góa ū ài yi bô. Góa kā kóng, he bô siáⁿ ì-gī, m̄-koh góa siūⁿ góa bô. Yi khòaⁿ tio̍h chin siong-sim. M̄-koh tán goán teh khoán tiong-tàu ê sî, mā m̄-chai sī án-chóaⁿ, yi chhùi-chhiò-ba̍k-chhiò, góa jím-put-chū kā lia̍h khí-lâi chim. Iā tō sī hit-sî, goán thiaⁿ tio̍h ùi Raymond ê pâng-keng ū sio-phah ê siaⁿ.

Thâu-khí-seng, goán thiaⁿ tio̍h ū cha-bó͘ tōa-siaⁿ teh jiáng, koh-lâi thiaⁿ tio̍h Raymond kóng, "Lí lī-iōng góa, lí lī-iōng góa. Góa ài hō͘ lí chi̍t-ê kàu-hùn." Ū kúi-ê-á lòng siaⁿ, hit-ê cha-bó͘ tōa-siaⁿ ai, ai kah chiâⁿ khióng-pò͘, lâu-thui thâu sûi kheh kah chiâu sī lâng. Marie hām góa mā cháu-kòe khòaⁿ. Hit-ê cha-bó͘ iáu teh ai, Raymond iáu teh kā bok. Marie kóng chin khióng-pò͘, góa siáⁿ to bô kóng. Yi kiò góa khì chhōe chi̍t-ê kéng-chhat, m̄-koh góa kā kóng, góa thó-ià kéng-chhat. Chóng-sī, ū chi̍t-ê saⁿ-lâu ê chúi-tiān-kang khì chhōe chi̍t-ê kéng-chhat lâi. Kéng-chhat khok-mn̂g, goán tō bô koh thiaⁿ tio̍h siáⁿ-mih siaⁿ. I koh khok khah tōa-la̍t, kòe chi̍t-khùn hit-ê cha-bó͘ khai-sí khàu, iah Raymond kā mn̂g phah-khui. I ê chhùi kā chi̍t-ki hun, kui-bīn bô nāi-hô. Hit-ê cha-bó͘ cháu kàu mn̂g kā kéng-chhat kóng, Raymond phah yi.

"Lí kiò siáⁿ miâ?" kéng-chhat mn̄g. Raymond kóng i ê miâ. "Kap góa kóng-ōe ê sî, kā hun the̍h-khui lí ê chhùi," kéng-chhat kóng. Raymond tiû-tû chi̍t-ē, lia̍h góa khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē, iū-koh kā hun suh chi̍t-ē. Hit-sî, kéng-chhat siàn i ê bīn -- tōa-la̍t koh kiat-si̍t. Hit-ki hun poe chhut chhùi, lak tī thô͘-kha. Raymond ê bīn piàn ah, m̄-koh i chi̍t-khùn bô kóng-ōe, āu-lâi chiah sè-siaⁿ mn̄g kóng, i sī-m̄-sī ē-sái khì khioh i ê hun.

Kéng-chhat kiò i khì khioh, koh kóng, "Í-āu lí tio̍h chai-iáⁿ, m̄-thang kap kéng-chhat tèⁿ-gōng."

Kāng hit-sî, hit-ê cha-bó͘ iáu teh khàu, it-ti̍t kóng, "I phah góa! I sī sam-chhit-á!"

"Tāi-jîn ah," Raymond mn̄g, "án-ne lōa kóng góa sī sam-chhit-á, kám tio̍h?"

M̄-koh kéng-chhat kiò i tiām khì.

Raymond tō oa̍t-thâu kā cha-bó͘ kóng, "Lí tán leh, cha-bó͘ ah -- lán iáu bōe soah leh."

Kéng-chhat kiò i tiām-tiām, kā cha-bó͘ kóng yi ē-sái lī-khui, koh kiò Raymond tiàm chhù tán kéng-kio̍k ê thoân-phiò. I koh kā Raymond kóng, lí tio̍h kiàn-siàu ka-tī lim-chiú-chùi, kui-sin phi̍h-phi̍h chhoah.

Raymond kái-soeh kóng, "Góa bô lim chiú-chùi, tāi-jîn ah. Sī in-ūi góa tī chia, lí tī hia, góa chiah ē phi̍h-phi̍h chhoah. Che góa mā bô hoat-tō͘."

I kā mn̂g koaiⁿ khí-lâi, chiòng-lâng tō lī-khui. Marie hām góa khoán hó tiong-tàu-tǹg. M̄-koh yi bē iau; mi̍h-kiāⁿ chha-put-to lóng sī góa chia̍h ê. Yi tī chi̍t-tiám ê sî lī-khui, góa tō khì khùn chi̍t-khùn.

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4

4.1 Raymond 修理 in 搭頭

我規禮拜 lóng 認真上班. Raymond 過來 kā 我講, 批伊已經寄出去 ah. 我有兩改和 Emmanuel 去看電影, 伊有時看無電影 teh 演 ê 意思. Án-ne 你著 kā 伊解說. 昨昏是拜六, Marie 照約束來我遮. 她穿紅搭白條紋 ê 洋裝和皮 ê sandál, 予我看 kah 起癮頭. 她結實 ê 奶 ê 外形看 kah 明明, 她 he 曝紅 ê 面 ná 像一蕊花. 阮搭 básuh 去離 Algiers 幾 ā kilo ê 所在, 遐 ê 海灘雙頭 lóng 是岩岸, 沙埔邊 ê 陸地有青草. 四點 ê 日頭已經袂 siuⁿ 熱, m̄-koh 海水燒燒, 海湧慢 koh 溫柔.

Marie 教我一个耍法. 泅水 ê 時你著 kā 海湧頂 ê 水泡 kâm 入喙, 然後 péng 腹, kā 水泡 bū 向天. Án-ne tō 有濟濟 ê 細粒水泡 tī 空中破去, a̍h 是變做一陣燒燒 ê 水霧 lak tī 家己 ê 面. M̄-koh 耍無久, 我 ê 喙 tō 予鹹 koh 澀 ê 海水豉 kah 起麻. 彼時, Marie 泅來我遮, tī 水 ni̍h 用身軀絚絚 kēng 我. 她 kā 喙唇沐我 ê, kō͘ 涼涼 ê 舌 nā 我 ê 喙, 阮 tō tī 水湧 ni̍h 滾來滾去.

等阮 koh tī 海灘 kā 衫穿好, Marie 用她 he 金 sih-sih ê 目睭看我. 我 tō kā 唚. 阮自 án-ne 恬恬無 koh 講啥. 我 kā 攬著, 兩人緊緊趕去搭 básuh, 轉來到阮兜, tō 緊緊 siàng 上眠床. 我 ê 窗仔開開, 熱天暗暝 ê 風吹著阮曝紅 ê 身軀, 感覺誠好.

隔工早起, Marie 無離開, 我 kā 講, 咱著同齊食晝. 我落樓去買寡肉. Tī 轉來樓頂 ê 時, 我聽著 Raymond ê 房間 ni̍h 有查某人聲. 無偌久, 老 Salamano koh teh 念伊 ê 狗; 阮聽著柴樓梯 ê 跤步 kap 跤爪聲, 猶有聽 e "Thái-ko 臭狗," in tō khi-khi kho̍k-kho̍k 落樓, 行上街路去. 我 kā Marie 講彼个老人 ê 代誌, 她大笑. 她穿我 ê 睏衫 kap 睏褲, 著 kā 手䘼 pih 起來. 看她笑, 我又 koh 起癮頭. 過一睏了, 她問我有愛她無. 我 kā 講, he 無啥意義, m̄-koh 我想我無. 她看著真傷心. M̄-koh 等阮 teh 款中晝 ê 時, mā 毋知是按怎, 她喙笑目笑, 我忍不住 kā 掠起來唚. 也 tō 是彼時, 阮聽著 ùi Raymond ê 房間有相拍 ê 聲.

頭起先, 阮聽著有查某大聲 teh 嚷, koh 來聽著 Raymond 講, "你利用我, 你利用我. 我愛予你一个教訓." 有幾个仔挵聲, 彼个查某大聲哀, 哀 kah 誠恐怖, 樓梯頭隨 kheh kah chiâu 是人. Marie 和我 mā 走過看. 彼个查某猶 teh 哀, Raymond 猶 teh kā bok. Marie 講真恐怖, 我啥 to 無講. 她叫我去揣一个警察, m̄-koh 我 kā 講, 我討厭警察. 總是, 有一个三樓 ê 水電工去揣一个警察來. 警察 khok 門, 阮 tō 無 koh 聽著啥物聲. 伊 koh khok 較大力, 過一睏彼个查某開始哭, iah Raymond kā 門拍開. 伊 ê 喙咬一支薰, 規面無奈何. 彼个查某走到門 kā 警察講, Raymond 拍她.

"你叫啥名?" 警察問. Raymond 講伊 ê 名. "Kap 我講話 ê 時, kā 薰提開你 ê 喙," 警察講. Raymond tiû-tû 一下, 掠我看一下, 又 koh kā 薰欶一下. 彼時, 警察搧伊 ê 面 -- 大力 koh 結實. 彼支薰飛出喙, lak tī 塗跤. Raymond ê 面變 ah, m̄-koh 伊一睏無講話, 後來才細聲問講, 伊是毋是會使去抾伊 ê 薰.

警察叫伊去抾, koh 講, "以後你著知影, 毋通 kap 警察 tèⁿ 戇."

仝彼時, 彼个查某猶 teh 哭, 一直講, "伊拍我! 伊是三七仔!"

"大人 ah," Raymond 問, "án-ne 賴講我是三七仔, 敢著?"

M̄-koh 警察叫伊恬去.

Raymond tō 越頭 kā 查某講, "你等 leh, 查某 ah -- 咱猶未煞 leh."

警察叫伊恬恬, kā 查某講她會使離開, koh 叫 Raymond 踮厝等警局 ê 傳票. 伊 koh kā Raymond 講, 你著見笑家己啉酒醉, 規身 phi̍h-phi̍h 掣.

Raymond 解說講, "我無啉酒醉, 大人 ah. 是因為我 tī 遮, 你 tī 遐, 我才會 phi̍h-phi̍h 掣. Che 我 mā 無法度."

伊 kā 門關起來, 眾人 tō 離開. Marie 和我款好中晝頓. M̄-koh 她袂枵; 物件差不多 lóng 是我食 ê. 她 tī 一點 ê 時離開, 我 tō 去睏一睏.

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4

4-1

I worked hard all week. Raymond stopped by and told me he'd sent the letter. I went to the movies twice with Emmanuel, who doesn't always understand what's going on on the screen. So you have to explain things to him. Yesterday was Saturday, and Marie came over as we'd planned. I wanted her so bad when I saw her in that pretty red-and-white striped dress and leather sandals. You could make out the shape of her firm breasts, and her tan made her face look like a Hower. We caught a bus and went a few kilometers outside Algiers, to a beach with rocks at either end, bordered by shore grass on the land side. The four o'clock sun wasn't too hot, but the water was warm, with slow, gently lapping waves." Marie taught me a game. As you swam, you had to skim off the foam from the crest of the waves with your mouth, hold it there, then roll over on your back and spout it out toward the sky. This made a delicate froth which disappeared into the air or fell back in a warm spray over my face. But after a while my mouth was stinging with the salty bitterness. Then Marie swam over to me and pressed herself against me in the water.

She put her lips on mine. Her tongue cooled my lips and we tumbled in the waves for a moment.

When we'd gotten dressed again on the beach, Marie looked at me with her eyes sparkling. I kissed her. We didn't say anything more from that point on. I held her to me and we hurried to catch a bus, get back, go to my place, and throw ourselves onto my bed. I'd left my window open, and the summer night air Rowing over our brown bodies felt good.

That morning Marie stayed and I told her that we would have lunch together. I went downstairs to buy some meat. On my way back upstairs I heard a woman's voice in Raymond's room. A little later old Salamano growled at his dog; we heard the sound of footsteps and claws on the wooden stairs and then "Lousy, stinking bastard" and they went down into the street. I told Marie all about the old man and she laughed. She was wearing a pair of my pajamas with the sleeves rolled up. When she laughed I wanted her again. A minute later she asked me if I loved her. I told her it didn't mean anything but that I didn't think so. She looked sad. But as we were fixing lunch, and for no apparent reason, she laughed in such a way that I kissed her. It was then that we heard what sounded like a fight break out in Raymond's room.

First we heard a woman's shrill voice and then Raymond saying, "You used me, you used me. I'll teach you to use me." There were some thuds and the woman screamed, but in such a terrifying way that the landing immediately filled with people. Marie and I went to see, too. The woman was still shrieking and Raymond was still hitting her. Marie said it was terrible and I didn't say anything. She asked me to go find a policeman, but I told her I didn't like cops. One showed up anyway with the tenant from the third floor, who's a plumber. The cop knocked on the door and we couldn't hear anything anymore. He knocked harder and after a minute the woman started crying and Raymond opened the door. He had a cigarette in his mouth and an innocent look on his face. The girl rushed to the door and told the policeman that Raymond had hit her. "What's your name?" the cop said. Raymond told him. "Take that cigarette out of your mouth when you're talking to me," the cop said. Raymond hesitated, looked at me, and took a drag on his cigarette. Right then the cop slapped him-a thick, heavy smack right across the face. The cigarette went flying across the landing. The look on Raymond's face changed, but he didn't say anything for a minute, and then he asked, in a meek voice, if he could pick up his cigarette. The cop said to go ahead and added, "Next time you'll know better than to clown around with a policeman." Meanwhile the girl was crying and she repeated, "He beat me up! He's a pimp!" "Officer," Raymond asked, "is that legal, calling a man a pimp like that?" But the cop ordered him to shut his trap. Then Raymond turned to the girl and said, "You just wait, sweetheart--we're not through yet." The cop told him to knock it off and said that the girl was to go and he was to stay in his room and wait to be summoned to the police station. He also said that Raymond ought to be ashamed to be so drunk that he'd have the shakes like that. Then Raymond explained, ''I'm not drunk, officer. It's just that I'm here, and you're there, and I'm shaking, I can't help it." He shut his door and everybody went away. Marie and I finished fixing lunch. But she wasn't hungry; I ate almost everything. She left at one o'clock and I slept awhile.

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