13.5 車仔停 tī 遐袂振動

13.5 Chhia-á thêng tī hia bē tín-tāng

Yi ùi chhiū-oe the̍h chi̍t-ê hûi-á poe, oan-io té chi̍t-poe chúi hō͘ i. I sip chi̍t-kóa. Yi koh oan-io té-chúi, ka-tī mā lim chi̍t-kóa.

"Chiâⁿ peng!" yi kóng, ná suh-khùi.

"Chiâⁿ hó, kám m̄-sī! Lí kám ū hē-goān?"

"Lí neh?"

"Ū, góa ū hē-goān. M̄-koh, góa m̄ kóng."

Yi thiaⁿ tio̍h chi̍t chiah tok-chhiū-chiáu ê siaⁿ, koh ū khin-jiû, sîn-kî ê hong chhoe-kòe lo̍h-hio̍h-siông. Yi gia̍h-thâu khòaⁿ. Pe̍h-hûn phiau-kòe nâ-sek ê thiⁿ.

"Hûn!" yi kóng.

"He chí sī pe̍h-sek ê mî-iûⁿ," i ìn.

Chi̍t-ê hûn-iáⁿ kiâⁿ-kòe sió khang-tē. Hit chiah bùn-chhí í-keng bùn chhut-lâi tī n̂g-thô͘ téng.

"Thó-ià ê sió tōng-bu̍t, lán tio̍h kā phah sí," Clifford kóng.

"Khòaⁿ! i ná-chhiūⁿ bo̍k-su tī sèng-tôaⁿ," yi kóng.

Yi bán kúi ki hiang-chhia-hio̍h-chháu (香車葉草) ki, the̍h hō͘ i.

"Sin koah ê bo̍k-chháu!" i kóng. "Phīⁿ tio̍h ná téng sè-kí ê romantik kùi-hū, kám m̄-sī, hit-sî yin ê thâu-khak iáu chin chheng-chhó!"

Yi teh khòaⁿ pe̍h hûn.

"M̄-chai sī m̄-sī boeh lo̍h-hō͘ ah," yi kóng.

"Lo̍h-hō͘! Ná ē! Lí ài lo̍h-hō͘ sioh?"

In khai-sí kiâⁿ hoan-thâu, Clifford sió-sim khok lo̍h-kiā. In lâi-kàu im-àm ê soaⁿ-o té, oat chiàⁿ-pêng, kòe chi̍t-pah bí liáu, oat hiòng peh-chhiūⁿ soaⁿ-phiâⁿ ê lō͘-kha, soaⁿ-phiâⁿ ê nâ-lêng-hoe khiā tī ji̍t tiong-ng.

"Taⁿ tio̍h khòaⁿ lí loh, góa ê koai chhia!" Clifford kā chhia-á kóng.

Che soaⁿ-phiâⁿ kiā koh khám-khia̍t. Chhia-á bān-bān khia̍t, ká-ná peh kah m̄-chêng-goān. M̄-koh iáu-sī iô-tāng hiòng chêng, it-ti̍t lâi kàu sì-kè lóng sī hong-sìn-chú ê só͘-chāi, hioh chi̍t-ē, tùn chi̍t-ē, koh kauh kòe chi̍t-kóa hoe, chū án-ne thêng tī hia bē tín-tāng.

"Lán siōng-hó chhi̍h lá-pah, khòaⁿ khàn-siú sī m̄-sī ē lâi," Connie kóng. "I ē-tàng sak chi̍t-ē. Góa mā ē-sái lâi sak. Án-ne ū pang-chō͘."

"Lán seng hō͘ chhia-á hioh chi̍t-ē," Clifford kóng. "Chhiáⁿ lí kā khǹg chi̍t-ê tòng lián ê, hó bô?"

Connie kā seh chi̍t-lia̍p chio̍h-thâu, nn̄g lâng teh tán. Kòe chi̍t khùn, Clifford koh hoat-tōng chhia-á, khí tāng. Chhia-á chīn-la̍t khia̍t, ná-chhiūⁿ phòa-pēⁿ, hoat-chhut kî-koài ê siaⁿ.

"Góa lâi sak!" Connie kóng, ná kiâⁿ kàu chhia-á āu-bīn.

"Mài! Bián sak!" i siū-khì kóng. "Bô-lō͘-iōng mi̍h-kiāⁿ chiah tio̍h lâng sak! Kā chio̍h-thâu seh tī chhia-lián kha!"

Koh thêng lo̍h-lâi, jiân-āu koh hoat-tōng; m̄-koh pí téng-kái khah bô hāu-lu̍t.

"Lí tio̍h hō͘ góa lâi sak," yi kóng. "Nā bô, tio̍h chhi̍h lá-pah kiò khàn-siú."

"Tán chi̍t-ē!"

Yi tán leh; i koh chhì chi̍t-kái, lú pìⁿ lú hāi.

"Lí nā bô ài góa sak, tō chhi̍h lá-pah hó lah," yi kóng.

"Bián lí koán! Tiām-tiām lah!"

Yi tiām-tiām: i piàⁿ-miā iô hit-lia̍p mohtà.

"Lí ē kā he hut pháiⁿ khì, Clifford," yi khǹg i; "án-ne lí mā ke liáu khùi-la̍t."

"Góa nā ē-tàng lo̍h-lâi khòaⁿ chit ê àu-hòe tō hó lah!" i kóng, khì phut-phut. I tōa-la̍t chhi̍h lá-pah. "Hoān-sè Mellors ē chai sī tó-ūi m̄-tú-hó."

In tī teh-tó ê hoe-châng tiong-kan tán, thiⁿ-téng chiām-chiām khàm tio̍h hûn. Tiām-chēng tiong-kan, chi̍t-chiah pan-kah khai-sí kiò: ku-ru-hu-hu! ru-hu-hu! Clifford chhi̍h chi̍t-ē lá-pah, kā heh-tiām khì.

Khàn-siú chek-sî chhut-hiān, tōa-pō͘ lâi kàu piⁿ-á khòaⁿ sī siáⁿ-tāi. I kiâⁿ chi̍t-ê lé.

"Lí ē-hiáu mohtà bô?" Clifford tōa-siaⁿ mn̄g.

"Khióng-kiaⁿ góa bē-hiáu. Chhia pháiⁿ-khì sioh?"

"Khòaⁿ mā chai!" Clifford hoah kóng.

Hit-lâng sió-sim khû tī lián-á piⁿ, thàm khòaⁿ hit ê sió enjín.

"Chit-chióng ke-khì ê mi̍h-kiāⁿ, khióng-kiaⁿ góa siáⁿ mā bē-hiáu, Clifford Sià," i léng-chēng kóng. "Chí-iàu i ū gasolín kap iû tō..."

"Siông-sè kā khòaⁿ-māi, khòaⁿ ū tó-ūi hāi-khì bô," Clifford phah-tng i ê ōe.

Hit-lâng kā chhèng khòe tī chhiū-á, thǹg tiāu gōa-thò phiaⁿ tī piⁿ-á. Chang-sek ê káu chē-lo̍h kò͘ tio̍h. Koh-lâi i chē tī kha-āu-teⁿ, chù-ì khòaⁿ chhia-á ē-bīn, iōng chéng-thâu-á chhi̍h he iû-sé-sé ê enjín, he chheng-khì ê chò-lé-pài ê siatchuh soah khì poàn tio̍h iû, chiâⁿ hóe-to̍h.

"Bô khòaⁿ tio̍h siáⁿ hāi-khì," i kóng. I koh khiā khí-lâi, kā bō-á thuh āu, ná jôe ba̍k-bâi, ná teh gián-kiù.

"Lí ū khòaⁿ ē-bīn ê chhia-sim bô?" Clifford mn̄g. "Khòaⁿ he sī m̄-sī ū būn-tê!"

--

13.5 車仔停 tī 遐袂振動

她 ùi 樹椏提一个瓷仔杯, 彎腰貯一杯水予伊. 伊 sip 一寡. 她 koh 彎腰貯水, 家己 mā 啉一寡.

"誠冰!" 她講, ná suh 氣.

"誠好, 敢毋是! 你敢有下願?"

"你 neh?"

"有, 我有下願. M̄-koh, 我毋講."

她聽著一隻啄樹鳥 ê 聲, koh 有輕柔, 神奇 ê 風吹過落葉松. 她攑頭看. 白雲飄過藍色 ê 天.

"雲!" 她講.

"彼只是白色 ê 綿羊," 伊應.

一个雲影行過小空地. 彼隻鼢鼠已經 bùn 出來 tī 黃塗頂.

"討厭 ê 小動物, 咱著 kā 拍死," Clifford 講.

"看! 伊 ná 像牧師 tī 聖壇," 她講.

她挽幾枝香車葉草 (hiang-chhia-hio̍h-chháu) 枝, 提予伊.

"新割 ê 牧草!" 伊講. "鼻著 ná 頂世紀 ê romantik 貴婦, 敢毋是, 彼時姻 ê 頭殼猶真清楚!"

她 teh 看白雲.

"毋知是毋是欲落雨 ah," 她講.

"落雨! 那會! 你愛落雨 sioh?"

In 開始行翻頭, Clifford 小心 khok 落崎. In 來到陰暗 ê 山窩底, 斡正爿, 過一百米了, 斡向 peh 上山坪 ê 路跤, 山坪 ê 藍鈴花徛 tī 日中央.

"今著看你 loh, 我 ê 乖車!" Clifford kā 車仔講.

這山坪崎 koh 坎坷. 車仔慢慢 khia̍t, ká-ná peh kah 毋情願. M̄-koh 猶是搖動向前, 一直來到四界攏是風信子 ê 所在, 歇一下, 頓一下, koh 軋過一寡花, 自 án-ne 停 tī 遐袂振動.

"咱上好揤喇叭, 看看守是毋是會來," Connie 講. "伊會當捒一下. 我 mā 會使來捒. Án-ne 有幫助."

"咱先予車仔歇一下," Clifford 講. "請你 kā 囥一个擋輪 ê, 好無?"

Connie kā seh 一粒石頭, 兩人 teh 等. 過一睏, Clifford koh 發動車仔, 起動. 車仔盡力 khia̍t, ná 像破病, 發出奇怪 ê 聲.

"我來捒!" Connie 講, ná 行到車仔後面.

"莫! 免捒!" 伊受氣講. "無路用物件才著人捒! Kā 石頭 seh tī 車輪跤!"

Koh 停落來, 然後 koh 發動; m̄-koh 比頂改較無效率.

"你著予我來捒," 她講. "若無, 著揤喇叭叫看守."

"等一下!"

她等 leh; 伊 koh 試一改, lú pìⁿ lú 害.

"你若無愛我捒, tō 揤喇叭好 lah," 她講.

"免你管! 恬恬 lah!"

她恬恬: 伊拚命搖彼粒 mohtà.

"你會 kā 彼 hut 歹去, Clifford," 她勸伊; "án-ne 你 mā 加了氣力."

"我若會當落來看這个漚貨 tō 好 lah!" 伊講, 氣 phut-phut. 伊大力揤喇叭. "凡勢 Mellors 會知是佗位毋拄好."

In tī 硩倒 ê 花叢中間等, 天頂漸漸崁著雲. 恬靜中間, 一隻斑鴿開始叫: ku-ru-hu-hu! ru-hu-hu! Clifford 揤一下喇叭, kā 嚇恬去.

看守即時出現, 大步來到邊仔看是啥代. 伊行一个禮.

"你會曉 mohtà 無?" Clifford 大聲問.

"恐驚我袂曉. 車歹去 sioh?"

"看 mā 知!" Clifford 喝講.

彼人小心跍 tī 輪仔邊, 探看彼个小 enjín.

"這種機器 ê 物件, 恐驚我啥 mā 袂曉, Clifford Sià," 伊冷靜講. "只要伊有 gasolín kap 油 tō..."

"詳細 kā 看覓, 看有佗位害去無," Clifford 拍斷伊 ê 話.

彼人 kā 銃 khòe tī 樹仔, 褪掉外套 phiaⁿ tī 邊仔. 棕色 ê 狗坐落顧著. Koh 來伊坐 tī 跤後蹬, 注意看車仔下面, 用指頭仔揤彼油洗洗 ê enjín, 彼清氣 ê 做禮拜 ê siatchuh 煞去 poàn 著油, 誠火 to̍h.

"無看著啥害去," 伊講. 伊 koh 徛起來, kā 帽仔 thuh 後, ná 挼目眉, ná teh 研究.

"你有看下面 ê 車心無?" Clifford 問. "看彼是毋是有問題!"

--

13.5

She took an enamel mug from a twig on a tree, and stooped to fill it for him. He drank in sips. Then she stooped again, and drank a little herself.

’So icy!’ she said gasping.

’Good, isn’t it! Did you wish?’

’Did you?’

’Yes, I wished. But I won’t tell.’

She was aware of the rapping of a woodpecker, then of the wind, soft and eerie through the larches. She looked up. White clouds were crossing the blue.

’Clouds!’ she said.

’White lambs only,’ he replied.

A shadow crossed the little clearing. The mole had swum out on to the soft yellow earth.

’Unpleasant little beast, we ought to kill him,’ said Clifford.

’Look! he’s like a parson in a pulpit,’ she said.

She gathered some sprigs of woodruff and brought them to him.

’New-mown hay!’ he said. ‘Doesn’t it smell like the romantic ladies of the last century, who had their heads screwed on the right way after all!’

She was looking at the white clouds.

’I wonder if it will rain,’ she said.

’Rain! Why! Do you want it to?’

They started on the return journey, Clifford jolting cautiously downhill. They came to the dark bottom of the hollow, turned to the right, and after a hundred yards swerved up the foot of the long slope, where bluebells stood in the light.

’Now, old girl!’ said Clifford, putting the chair to it.

It was a steep and jolty climb. The chair pugged slowly, in a struggling unwilling fashion. Still, she nosed her way up unevenly, till she came to where the hyacinths were all around her, then she balked, struggled, jerked a little way out of the flowers, then stopped

’We’d better sound the horn and see if the keeper will come,’ said Connie. ‘He could push her a bit. For that matter, I will push. It helps.’

’We’ll let her breathe,’ said Clifford. ‘Do you mind put- ting a scotch under the wheel?’

Connie found a stone, and they waited. After a while Clifford started his motor again, then set the chair in motion. It struggled and faltered like a sick thing, with curious noises.

’Let me push!’ said Connie, coming up behind.

’No! Don’t push!’ he said angrily. ‘What’s the good of the damned thing, if it has to be pushed! Put the stone under!’

There was another pause, then another start; but more ineffectual than before.

’You MUST let me push,’ said she. ‘Or sound the horn for the keeper.’

’Wait!’

She waited; and he had another try, doing more harm than good.

’Sound the horn then, if you won’t let me push,’ she said.

‘Hell! Be quiet a moment!’

She was quiet a moment: he made shattering efforts with the little motor.

’You’ll only break the thing down altogether, Clifford,’ she remonstrated; ‘besides wasting your nervous energy.’

’If I could only get out and look at the damned thing!’ he said, exasperated. And he sounded the horn stridently. ‘Perhaps Mellors can see what’s wrong.’

They waited, among the mashed flowers under a sky softly curdling with cloud. In the silence a wood-pigeon began to coo roo-hoo hoo! roo-hoo hoo! Clifford shut her up with a blast on the horn.

The keeper appeared directly, striding inquiringly round the corner. He saluted.

’Do you know anything about motors?’ asked Clifford sharply.

’I am afraid I don’t. Has she gone wrong?’

’Apparently!’ snapped Clifford.

The man crouched solicitously by the wheel, and peered at the little engine.

’I’m afraid I know nothing at all about these mechanical things, Sir Clifford,’ he said calmly. ‘If she has enough petrol and oil—’

’Just look carefully and see if you can see anything broken,’ snapped Clifford.

The man laid his gun against a tree, took off his coat, and threw it beside it. The brown dog sat guard. Then he sat down on his heels and peered under the chair, poking with his finger at the greasy little engine, and resenting the grease-marks on his clean Sunday shirt.

’Doesn’t seem anything broken,’ he said. And he stood up, pushing back his hat from his forehead, rubbing his brow and apparently studying.

’Have you looked at the rods underneath?’ asked Clifford. ‘See if they are all right!’

--