45. 好好駛船欲轉厝

45. Hó-hó sái-chûn boeh tńg-chhù

Lāu lâng kiông-boeh bē chhoán-khùi, kám-kak chhùi ni̍h ū chi̍t-ê kî-koài ê bī. He ná tâng, koh tiⁿ-tiⁿ, i hoân-ló chi̍t-ē-á. Ka-chài bô chin chē.

I ǹg hái ni̍h phùi, kóng, "Hō͘ lí hàu-ko͘, hoe-phôe. Bîn-bāng kóng lí ū hāi-sí chi̍t-ê lâng."

I chai, chòe-āu i pāi ah, mā bô hoat-tō͘ ah, i tō tńg-khì chûn-bóe, khòaⁿ he tn̄g-khì ê tōa-pèⁿ iáu ē-sái tàu-ji̍p chûn-tōa ê chhah-chô, sái chûn bô būn-tê. I kā phò͘-tē kah hó tī keng-thâu, tō koh sái chûn chiūⁿ-lō͘.

Chûn taⁿ khin-khin sang-sang, i siáⁿ mā bô siūⁿ, mā bô siáⁿ-mi̍h kám-kak. I í-keng khòaⁿ-phòa it-chhè, i kan-ta hó-hó iōng-sim sái-chûn boeh tńg in chhù ê káng. Àm-sî ū soa-hî lâi khè tōa-hî ê kut, ná-chhiūⁿ ū lâng khioh toh-téng ê chhài-sap-á. Lāu lâng bô chhap --in, tî-liáu sái-chûn, siáⁿ lóng bô chhap. I kan-ta chù-ì tio̍h, taⁿ chûn-piⁿ bô thoa tāng ah, chûn kiâⁿ--khí-lâi ke chin khin-sang.

Chûn chin chán, i siūⁿ. I iáu hó-hó, tî-liáu tōa-pèⁿ, lóng bô án-chóaⁿ. M̄-koh he ōaⁿ leh tō ē-sái ah.

I kám-kak i í-keng kiâⁿ-ji̍p hái-lâu, khòaⁿ ē tio̍h hái-hōaⁿ hî-chhun ê teng-kng. I chai, chia sī tó-ūi, boeh tńg-chhù chin kan-tan.

Chóng-kóng, hong sī lán ê pêng-iú, i siūⁿ. M̄-koh i koh ke chi̍t-kù: ū sî-chūn sī. Tōa-hái ni̍h ū lán ê pêng-iú, mā ū lán ê te̍k-jîn. Iáu ū, bîn-chhn̂g, i siūⁿ. Bîn-chhn̂g sī góa ê pêng-iú. Bîn-chhn̂g tō hó, i siūⁿ. Bîn-chhn̂g thōng hó. Chiàn-pāi liáu, ta̍k-hāng lóng khin-sang, i siūⁿ. Kàu taⁿ góa chiah chai, sī chiah khin-sang. Lí hō͘ siáⁿ phah-pāi? i siūⁿ.

"Bô lah," i tōa-siaⁿ kóng. "Góa chhut-hái siuⁿ hn̄g."

I sái-chûn ji̍p sió-káng ê sî, Terrace bô teng-hóe ah, i chai, ta̍k-ê lóng teh khùn ah. Hong bān-bān piàn tōa, taⁿ chhoe-kah chin kiông ah. M̄-koh káng-ni̍h chin an-cheng, i it-ti̍t kā chûn sái kàu chio̍h-thâu-tui ē-kha ê hit-phiàn soa-chio̍h-á tē. Bô lâng pang-bâng, i chīn-liōng kā chûn lu hiòng-chêng. Jiân-āu i lo̍h-chûn, kā chûn pa̍k tī chi̍t-lia̍p chio̍h-thâu.

I pak-lo̍h ûi-koaiⁿ, kā pò͘-phâng kńg--khí-lâi, pa̍k hó, giâ tī keng-thâu, khai-sí peh-kiā. Chit-sî i chiah chai, ka-tī ū gōa thiám. I thêng-khùn, oa̍t-thâu khòaⁿ, khò lō͘-teng ê hoán-siā, khòaⁿ tio̍h hî ê tōa-bóe-liu thêng-thêng khiā tī sió-chûn chûn-bóe ê āu-bīn. I khòaⁿ tio̍h pe̍h-pe̍h ê kha-chiah-kut, àm-bông ê hî-thâu kap chhun-chhut ê tn̂g-chhùi, tiong-kan ê só͘-chāi khang-khang bô siáⁿ.

I koh peh-kiā, kàu téng-koân ê sî, poa̍h chi̍t-tó, chū-án-ne chûn-ûi giâ tī keng-thâu hioh chi̍t-khùn. I siūⁿ boeh peh khí-lâi, m̄-koh bô hoat-tō͘, tō chûn-ûi giâ tī keng-thâu koh chē hia, khòaⁿ lō͘. Chi̍t chiah niau-á hn̄g-hn̄g kiâⁿ--kòe, khì bô-êng i ê tāi-chì, lāu lâng khòaⁿ niau, koh-lâi tō kan-ta khòaⁿ hit tiâu lō͘.

-- 

45. 好好駛船欲轉厝

老人強欲袂喘氣, 感覺喙 ni̍h 有一个奇怪 ê 味. 彼 ná 銅, koh 甜甜, 伊煩惱一下仔. 佳哉無真濟.

伊 ǹg 海 ni̍h 呸, 講, "予你孝孤, 花皮. 眠夢講你有害死一个人."

伊知, 最後伊敗 ah, mā 無法度 ah, 伊 tō 轉去船尾, 看彼斷去 ê 舵柄猶會使 tàu 入船舵 ê 插槽, 駛船無問題. 伊 kā 布袋 kah 好 tī 肩頭, tō koh 駛船上路.

船今輕輕鬆鬆, 伊啥 mā 無想, mā 無啥物感覺. 伊已經看破一切, 伊干焦好好用心駛船欲轉 in 厝 ê 港. 暗時有鯊魚來 khè 大魚 ê 骨, ná 像有人抾桌頂 ê 菜屑仔. 老人無 chhap in, 除了駛船, 啥攏無 chhap. 伊干焦注意著, 今船邊無拖重 ah, 船行起來加真輕鬆.

船真 chán, 伊想. 伊猶好好, 除了舵柄, 攏無按怎. 毋過彼換 leh tō 會使 ah.

伊感覺伊已經行入海流, 看會著海岸漁村 ê 燈光. 伊知, 遮是 tó 位, 欲轉厝真簡單.

總講, 風是咱 ê 朋友, 伊想. 毋過伊 koh 加一句: 有時陣是. 大海 ni̍h 有咱 ê 朋友, mā 有咱 ê 敵人. 猶有, 眠床, 伊想. 眠床是我 ê 朋友. 眠床 tō 好, 伊想. 眠床 thōng 好. 戰敗了, 逐項攏輕鬆, 伊想. 到今我才知, 是 chiah 輕鬆. 你予啥拍敗? 伊想.

"無 lah," 伊大聲講. "我出海 siuⁿ 遠."

伊駛船入小港 ê 時, Terrace 無燈火 ah, 伊知, 逐个攏 teh 睏 ah. 風慢慢變大, 今吹甲真強 ah. 毋過港 ni̍h 真安靜, 伊一直 kā 船駛到石頭堆下跤 ê 彼片沙石仔地. 無人幫忙, 伊盡量 kā 船 lu 向前. 然後伊落船, kā 船縛 tī 一粒石頭.

伊剝落桅杆, kā 布帆捲起來, 縛好, 夯 tī 肩頭, 開始 peh 崎. 這時伊才知, 家己有偌 thiám. 伊停睏, 越頭看, 靠路燈 ê 反射, 看著魚 ê 大尾溜 thêng-thêng 徛 tī 小船船尾 ê 後面. 伊看著白白 ê 尻脊骨, 暗茫 ê 魚頭 kap 伸出 ê 長喙, 中間 ê 所在空空無啥.

伊 koh peh 崎, 到頂懸 ê 時, 跋一倒, 自 án-ne 船桅夯 tī 肩頭歇一睏. 伊想欲 peh 起來, 毋過無法度, tō 船桅夯 tī 肩頭 koh 坐遐, 看路. 一隻貓仔遠遠行過, 去無閒伊 ê 代誌, 老人看貓, koh-lâi tō 干焦看彼條路.

-- 

45.

The old man could hardly breathe now and he felt a strange taste in his mouth. It was coppery and sweet and he was afraid of it for a moment. But there was not much of it.

He spat into the ocean and said, “Eat that, galanos. And make a dream you’ve killed a man.”

He knew he was beaten now finally and without remedy and he went back to the stern and found the jagged end of the tiller would fit in the slot of the rudder well enough for him to steer. He settled the sack around his shoulders and put the skiff on her course.

He sailed lightly now and he had no thoughts nor any feelings of any kind. He was past everything now and he sailed the skiff to make his home port as well and as intelligently as he could. In the night sharks hit the carcass as someone might pick up crumbs from the table. The old man paid no attention to them and did not pay any attention to anything except steering. He only noticed how lightly and bow well the skiff sailed now there was no great weight beside her.

She’s good, he thought. She is sound and not harmed in any way except for the tiller. That is easily replaced.

He could feel he was inside the current now and he could see the lights of the beach colonies along the shore. He knew where he was now and it was nothing to get home.

The wind is our friend, anyway, he thought. Then he added, sometimes. And the great sea with our friends and our enemies. And bed, he thought. Bed is my friend. Just bed, he thought. Bed will be a great thing. It is easy when you are beaten, he thought. I never knew how easy it was. And what beat you, he thought.

“Nothing,” he said aloud. “I went out too far.”

When he sailed into the little harbour the lights of the Terrace were out and he knew everyone was in bed. The breeze had risen steadily and was blowing strongly now. It was quiet in the harbour though and he sailed up onto the little patch of shingle below the rocks. There was no one to help him so he pulled the boat up as far as he could. Then he stepped out and made her fast to a rock.

He unstepped the mast and furled the sail and tied it. Then he shouldered the mast and started to climb. It was then he knew the depth of his tiredness. He stopped for a moment and looked back and saw in the reflection from the street light the great tail of the fish standing up well behind the skiff’s stern. He saw the white naked line of his backbone and the dark mass of the head with the projecting bill and all the nakedness between.

He started to climb again and at the top he fell and lay for some time with the mast across his shoulder. He tried to get up. But it was too difficult and he sat there with the mast on his shoulder and looked at the road. A cat passed on the far side going about its business and the old man watched it. Then he just watched the road.

--

44. 閣來一陣鯊魚

44. Koh lâi chi̍t-tīn soa-hî

Góa pún-lâi ū hē-goān, nā lia̍h tio̍h tōa-hî boeh liām kî-tó-bûn. M̄-koh taⁿ góa siuⁿ-thiám, bô hoat-tō͘ liām. Góa siōng-hó sī the̍h pò͘-tē lâi khàm keng-thâu.

I tó tī chûn-bóe, hōaⁿ-tōa, khòaⁿ thiⁿ-piⁿ tán teng-kng chhut-hiān. Góa iáu ū pòaⁿ-bóe, i siūⁿ. Hoān-sè góa hó-ūn, ē-tàng kā chit pòaⁿ-bóe chah tńg. Góa èng-kai ū hó-ūn. Bô, i kóng. Lí chhut-hái siuⁿ hn̄g, khì hoān-tio̍h hó-ūn.

"Mài gōng lah," i tōa-siaⁿ kóng. "Ài chheng-chhéⁿ, sái-chûn. Lí iáu ē ū hó-ūn."

"Nā ū-tàng bé, góa boeh bé--kóa," i kóng.

Góa iōng siáⁿ bé ah? i mn̄g ka-tī. Ē-tàng iōng phah-m̄-kiàn ê hî-chhiuⁿ a̍h-sī tn̄g-khì ê to-á a̍h-sī lâu-hoeh lâu-tih ê siang-chhiú bé?

"Hoān-sè," i kóng. "Lí pún-chiâⁿ siūⁿ boeh iōng peh-cha̍p sì kang chhut-hái bé i. In mā hiám-á tō bē hō͘ lí ah."

Góa mài siūⁿ che ū--ê, bô--ê, i siūⁿ. Hó-ūn ê hêng-sek chin chē, siáng ē jīn-tit i? Siáⁿ khoán ê hó-ūn lóng hó, góa goān-ì hù-chhut in iau-kiû--ê. Góa hi-bōng góa khòaⁿ ē tio̍h teng-hóe ê kng-iáⁿ, i siūⁿ. Góa ê hi-bōng siuⁿ chē ah lah. M̄-koh che sī góa taⁿ ê hi-bōng. I kā sin-khu chhiâu hō͘ khah hó-sè leh thang sái-chûn, sin-khu ê thiàⁿ hō͘ i chai i bô sí.

I khòaⁿ tio̍h to͘-chhī teng-hóe hoán-siā ê kng-iáⁿ liōng-iok sī àm-sî cha̍p-tiám. Tú khai-sí ná ū ná bô, ká-ná sī àm-sî goe̍h boeh chhut chìn-chêng ê thiⁿ-sek. Koh-lâi tō ē-tàng khòaⁿ tio̍h in tī hn̄g-hn̄g ê hái-bīn, taⁿ hong khah tōa, sió-khóa ū éng. I chìn-ji̍p teng-kng ē-bīn, siūⁿ kóng, taⁿ chin kín tō ē kàu hái-lâu ê piⁿ-á.

Tāi-chì lóng kòe ah, i siūⁿ. Soa-hî khó-lêng ē koh kong-kek góa. M̄-koh, o͘-àm tiong bô bú-khì, góa ē-tàng án-chóaⁿ?

I ngē-chiaⁿ koh sng-thiàⁿ, àm-sî ê chheⁿ-léng hō͘ i ê siong kap kòe-tō͘ chhau-lô ê sin-khu ta̍k-ūi lóng teh thiàⁿ. Góa hi-bōng bián koh chiàn ah, i siūⁿ. Góa bô siūⁿ boeh koh chiàn ah.

M̄-koh, kàu pòaⁿ-mê, i koh chiàn ah, chit kái i chai, chiàn mā bô-hāu. In lâi chi̍t-tīn, i kan-ta ē-tàng khòaⁿ tio̍h in ê pōe-kî tī chúi ni̍h ê sòaⁿ kap in sat hiàng tōa-hî ê sî ê lîn-kng. Tng in tī chûn-kha kā hî ê sî, i iōng kùn-á kā kòng thâu, thiaⁿ tio̍h chhùi-khí sio-hap ê siaⁿ, chûn-á iô-iô pái-pái. I kan-ta ē-tàng khò kám-kak kap thiaⁿ-kak piàⁿ-miā kòng, koh kám-kak ū siáⁿ kā-tio̍h kùn-á, chū án-ne kùn-á liu khì.

I thiu-chhut chûn-tōa ê pèⁿ, iōng he kòng koh phut, iōng siang-chhiú tēⁿ tio̍h, it-ti̍t hám--lo̍h. M̄-koh taⁿ in kheh tī chûn-thâu, chi̍t-bóe chi̍t-bóe chhi̍h-óa, koh-lâi kui-tīn tâng-chê, tán in oa̍t-thâu koh lâi ê sî, tī hái ni̍h hoat-chhut lîn-kng ê hî-bah sûi hō͘ thiah-liáu-liáu.

Chòe-āu, ū chi̍t bóe lâi chhńg hî-thâu, i chai, lóng khì-liáu-liáu ah. Soa-hî chhùi kā tāng-tāng ê hî thâu, thiah bē khui ê sî, i hàiⁿ tōa-pèⁿ kòng i ê thâu. I chi̍t-kái koh chi̍t-kái it-ti̍t kòng, thiaⁿ tio̍h tōa-pèⁿ tn̄g-khì, tō iōng tn̄g-khì ê pèⁿ kā chha̍k. I kám-kak ū chha̍k ji̍p-khì, chai he chin chiam, tō koh kā tu̍h. Soa-hî pàng chhùi, hoan-sin chaú--khì. Che sī chit tīn soa-hî ê siōng bóe chi̍t bóe. Koh-lâi bô siáⁿ thang chia̍h ah.

-- 

44. 閣來一陣鯊魚

我本來有下願, 若掠著大魚欲念祈禱文. 毋過今我 siuⁿ thiám, 無法度念. 我上好是提布袋來崁肩頭.

伊倒 tī 船尾, 扞舵, 看天邊等燈光出現. 我猶有半尾, 伊想. 凡勢我好運, 會當 kā 這半尾扎轉. 我應該有好運. 無, 伊講. 你出海 siuⁿ 遠, 去犯著好運.

"莫戇 lah," 伊大聲講. "愛清醒, 駛船. 你猶會有好運."

"若 ū-tàng 買, 我欲買寡," 伊講.

我用啥買 ah? 伊問家己. 會當用拍毋見 ê 魚槍抑是斷去 ê 刀仔抑是流血流滴 ê 雙手買?

"凡勢," 伊講. "你本成想欲用八十四工出海買伊. In mā 險仔 tō 賣予你 ah."

我莫想這有 ê, 無 ê, 伊想. 好運 ê 形式真濟, siáng 會認得伊? 啥款 ê 好運攏好, 我願意付出 in 要求 ê. 我希望我看會著燈火 ê 光影, 伊想. 我 ê 希望 siuⁿ 濟 ah lah. 毋過這是我今 ê 希望. 伊 kā 身軀 chhiâu 予較好勢 leh 通駛船, 身軀 ê 疼予伊知伊無死.

伊看著都市燈火反射 ê 光影量約是暗時十點. 拄開始 ná 有 ná 無, ká-ná 是暗時月欲出進前 ê 天色. 閣來 tō 會當看著 in tī 遠遠 ê 海面, 今風較大, 小可有湧. 伊進入燈光下面, 想講, 今真緊 tō 會到海流 ê 邊仔.

代誌攏過 ah, 伊想. 鯊魚可能會 koh 攻擊我. 毋過, 烏暗中無武器, 我會當按怎?

伊硬 chiaⁿ koh 痠疼, 暗時 ê 生冷予伊 ê 傷 kap 過度操勞 ê 身軀逐位攏 teh 疼. 我希望免 koh 戰 ah, 伊想. 我無想欲 koh 戰 ah.

毋過, 到半暝, 伊 koh 戰 ah, 這改伊知, 戰 mā 無效. In 來一陣, 伊干焦會當看著 in ê 背鰭 tī 水 ni̍h ê 線 kap in 殺向大魚 ê 時 ê 燐光. 當 in tī 船跤咬魚 ê 時, 伊用棍仔 kā 摃頭, 聽著喙齒相 hap ê 聲, 船仔搖搖擺擺. 伊干焦會當靠感覺 kap 聽覺拚命摃, koh 感覺有啥咬著棍仔, 自 án-ne 棍仔溜去.

伊抽出船舵 ê 柄, 用彼摃 koh phut, 用雙手捏著, 一直撼落. 毋過今 in kheh tī 船頭, 一尾一尾 chhi̍h 倚, 閣來規陣同齊, 等 in 越頭閣來 ê 時, tī 海 ni̍h 發出燐光 ê 魚肉隨予拆了了.

最後, 有一尾來 chhńg 魚頭, 伊知, 攏去了了 ah. 鯊魚喙咬重重 ê 魚頭, 拆袂開 ê 時, 伊幌舵柄摃伊 ê 頭. 伊一改 koh 一改一直摃, 聽著舵柄斷去, tō 用斷去 ê 柄 kā 鑿. 伊感覺有鑿入去, 知彼真尖, tō koh kā tu̍h. 鯊魚放喙, 翻身走去. 這是這陣鯊魚 ê 上尾一尾. 閣來無啥通食 ah.

-- 

44.

I have all those prayers I promised if I caught the fish, he thought. But I am too tired to say them now. I better get the sack and put it over my shoulders.

He lay in the stern and steered and watched for the glow to come in the sky. I have half of him, he thought. Maybe I’ll have the luck to bring the forward half in. I should have some luck. No, he said. You violated your luck when you went too far outside.

“Don’t be silly,” he said aloud. “And keep awake and steer. You may have much luck yet.”

“I’d like to buy some if there’s any place they sell it,” he said.

What could I buy it with? he asked himself. Could I buy it with a lost harpoon and a broken knife and two bad hands?

“You might,” he said. “You tried to buy it with eighty-four days at sea. They nearly sold it to you too.”

I must not think nonsense, he thought. Luck is a thing that comes in many forms and who can recognize her? I would take some though in any form and pay what they asked. I wish I could see the glow from the lights, he thought. I wish too many things. But that is the thing I wish for now. He tried to settle more comfortably to steer and from his pain he knew he was not dead.

He saw the reflected glare of the lights of the city at what must have been around ten o’clock at night. They were only perceptible at first as the light is in the sky before the moon rises. Then they were steady to see across the ocean which was rough now with the increasing breeze. He steered inside of the glow and he thought that now, soon, he must hit the edge of the stream.

Now it is over, he thought. They will probably hit me again. But what can a man do against them in the dark without a weapon?

He was stiff and sore now and his wounds and all of the strained parts of his body hurt with the cold of the night. I hope I do not have to fight again, he thought. I hope so much I do not have to fight again.

But by midnight he fought and this time he knew the fight was useless. They came in a pack and he could only see the lines in the water that their fins made and their phosphorescence as they threw themselves on the fish. He clubbed at heads and heard the jaws chop and the shaking of the skiff as they took hold below. He clubbed desperately at what he could only feel and hear and he felt something seize the club and it was gone.

He jerked the tiller free from the rudder and beat and chopped with it, holding it in both hands and driving it down again and again. But they were up to the bow now and driving in one after the other and together, tearing off the pieces of meat that showed glowing below the sea as they turned to come once more.

One came, finally, against the head itself and he knew that it was over. He swung the tiller across the shark’s head where the jaws were caught in the heaviness of the fish’s head which would not tear. He swung it once and twice and again. He heard the tiller break and he lunged at the shark with the splintered butt. He felt it go in and knowing it was sharp he drove it in again. The shark let go and rolled away. That was the last shark of the pack that came. There was nothing more for them to eat.

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