64. Lú-tiong lâi, góa bih tī piah-tû | 女中來, 我覕 tī 壁櫥

64. Lú-tiong lâi, góa bih tī piah-tû

"Chi̍t-ê lâng, hó khùn bô?"

"Hmh."

"Lí iáu-sī bô lâu chhùi-chhiu neh."

"Sī ah, sī ah. Téng-kái lī-khui sî, lí ū án-ne kóng, kiò góa lâu chhùi-chhiu."

"Bē-kì-lih mā bô iàu-kín. Lí chóng-sī thì kah chheⁿ chhìn-chhìn, kuiⁿ liu-liu."

"Iah lí bīn ê pe̍h-hún nā sé-tiāu, mā ká-ná bīn tú-tú thì kòe."

"Bīn ū khah phòng-phôe hoⁿh? Bīn pe̍h, bô chhùi-chhiu bô hó-khòaⁿ. Îⁿ kùn-kùn."

"Án-ne, kám m̄-sī chin jiû-hô?"

"M̄-koh bô khó-khò."

"Kiaⁿ tio̍h! Lí kim-kim khòaⁿ góa khùn hioh?"

"Tio̍h!" Komako chhiò-chhiò tìm-thâu, hut-leh koh ná hóe sio tio̍h, tōa siaⁿ chhiò chhut-lâi, put-ti-put-kak liân tēⁿ i chéng-thâu-á ê chhiú mā koh-khah chhut-la̍t:

"Góa bih tī piah-tû lāi. Lú-tiong chi̍t-tiám-á to bô chù-ì tio̍h."

"Tang-sî? Tang-sî bih ji̍p-khì ê?"

"Tú-chiah lah. Sī lú-tiong lâi thiⁿ hóe-thòaⁿ ê sî lah."

Siūⁿ tio̍h che, yi iū-koh chhiò bē-thêng. Hut leh, bīn âng kàu hīⁿ-kin, ná-chhiūⁿ boeh am-khàm kòe, yi ná iōng phōe-kak ia̍t hong:

"Khí-chhn̂g loh. Chhiáⁿ lí khí-chhn̂g."

"Kôaⁿ neh!" Shimamura mo͘h tiâu mî-phōe:

"Kheh-chàn ê lâng lóng khí-lâi bōe?"

"M̄-chai neh. Góa sī ùi āu-piah ji̍p-lâi ê."

"Ùi āu-piah?"

"Ùi sam-nâ hit-pêng peh khí-lâi ê."

"Hit-pêng ū lō͘?"

"Bô lō͘, m̄-koh khah kīn."

Shimamura tio̍h chi̍t-kiaⁿ, khòaⁿ Komako.

"Góa lâi, lóng bô lâng chai. Chàu-kha ū thiaⁿ-e siaⁿ, m̄-koh chiàⁿ-mûi iáu koaiⁿ tio̍h."

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64. 女中來, 我覕 tī 壁櫥

"一个人, 好睏無?"

"Hmh."

"你猶是無留喙鬚 neh."

"是 ah, 是 ah. 頂改離開時, 你有 án-ne 講, 叫我留喙鬚."

"袂記 lih mā 無要緊. 你總是剃 kah 青凊凊, kuiⁿ 溜溜."

"Iah 你面 ê 白粉若洗掉, mā ká-ná 面拄拄剃過."

"面有較膨皮 hoⁿh? 面白, 無喙鬚無好看. 圓棍棍."

"Án-ne, 敢毋是真柔和?"

"毋過無可靠."

"驚著! 你金金看我睏 hioh?"

"著!" Komako 笑笑 tìm 頭, 忽 leh koh ná 火燒著, 大聲笑出來, 不知不覺連捏伊指頭仔 ê 手 mā 閣較出力: "我覕 tī 壁櫥內. 女中一點仔 to 無注意著."

"當時? 當時覕入去 ê?"

"拄才 lah. 是女中來添火炭 ê 時 lah."

想著這, 她又閣笑袂停. 忽 leh, 面紅到耳根, ná 像欲掩崁過, 她 ná 用被角擛風:

"起床 loh. 請你起床."

"寒 neh!" Shimamura mo͘h 牢棉被: "客棧 ê 人攏起來未?"

"毋知 neh. 我是 ùi 後壁入來 ê."

"Ùi 後壁?"

"Ùi 杉林彼爿 peh 起來 ê."

"彼爿有路?"

"無路, m̄-koh 較近."

Shimamura 著一驚, 看 Komako.

"我來, 攏無人知. 灶跤有聽 e 聲, 毋過正 mûi 猶關著."

--

64.

"Did you sleep well by yourself?"

"Very well."

"You didn't grow a mustache after all."

"You did tell me to grow a mustache, didn't you?"

"It's all right. I knew you wouldn't. You always shave yourself nice and blue."

"And you always look as if you'd just shaved when you wash away that powder."

"Isn't your face a little fatter, though? You were very funny asleep, all round and plump with your white skin and no mustache."

"Sweet and gentle?"

"But unreliable."

"You were staring at me, then? I'm not sure I like having people stare at me when I'm asleep." Komako smiled and nodded. Then, like a glow that breaks into a flame, the smile became a laugh.

There was strength in the fingers that took his.

"I hid in the closet. The maid didn't suspect a thing."

"When? How long were you hidden?"

"Just now, of course. When the maid came to bring charcoal." She laughed happily at the prank, and suddenly she was red to the ears. As if to hide her confusion, she began fanning herself with the edge of his quilt. "Get up. Get up, please."

"It's cold." Shimamura pulled the quilt away from her. "Are the inn people up yet?"

"I have no idea. I came in from the back."

"The back?"

"I fought my way up from the cedar grove."

"Is there a path in back?"

"No. But it's shorrer."

Shimamura looked at her in surprise.

"No one knows I'm here. I heard someone in the kitchen, but the front door must still be locked."

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