我們和公牛有個“約會”

By+Sheila+S.+Hudson

As an only child growing up in suburban Atlanta in the late 1950's and early 60's， I loved visiting my cousin in northern Georgia. Linda lived on a farm and was my best friend—the sister I never had.

The summer Linda turned sixteen I was still fifteen. She was allowed to date， but I （not having reached that magical age） would have to wait until December.

That seemed eons1） away， so we dreamed up a way to double date. After everyone was asleep， we'd sneak out of the house and meet two local boys Linda knew. Later， we'd sneak back in. Great plan！

We congratulated ourselves on our ingenuity2）. On the appointed night， we retired early， which should have been an immediate tip-off3） to Aunt Mary Nell. We were wearing good clothes under our nightgowns. We lay sweating on our beds until Mama Sewell and Aunt Mary Nell were sound asleep.

At her signal， I raised Linda's bedroom window for her to climb through. She tore her new Capri's and used a swearword. Fortunately， Aunt Mary Nell's rhythmic snoring reassured us that all was still well.

We sneaked to the gate separating the property from an adjoining farm owned by our Uncle Roy and Aunt Margaret. Linda lifted the latch4） and stepped through.

Swatting5） at an insect circling my head， I let the gate slam against the fence post with a thunderous crash. Straining our eyes against the darkness， we were relieved not to see any house lights come on.

Just at that moment we heard a rumbling in the bushes. Someone or something brushed6） past us. Something very large with wiry7） hair and hot breath！

Then the awful truth hit. "Oh， no！ Horatio is out！" gasped Linda. "We've got to put him back."

We chased Uncle Roy's prize bull in the moonlight. Linda yelled， "Catch his head！ Hold him！" But there was no way that I—a city girl—was going to grab that bull's head.

As we ran， we prayed. Uncle Roy would never forgive us if anything happened to Horatio—he was the best bull in the county.

Finally realizing we'd never catch him， Linda suggested we call Aunt Margaret.

"She'll help us corral8） him， and she won't squeal9） either. Aunt Margaret's a friend."

"No，" I protested. "We can't tell anyone. My dad will kill me if he gets wind of10） this. I'll never be able to visit you again." We exchanged breathless protests until finally we agreed for Linda to sneak back inside and telephone Aunt Margaret. Luckily， Aunt Margaret was still up and alone. When she arrived， she left her truck lights on， pointing them in our general direction. Cautiously she approached Horatio.endprint

Suddenly Horatio bolted11） and she grabbed his tail as he went by. Aunt Margaret isn't a small woman， but that old bull dragged her around the yard like a rag doll. She was screaming at the top of her lungs， so all the house lights quickly came on.

We were in for it12） now！ I figured my folks would come for me first thing in the morning. I might as well just start packing. Meanwhile， Aunt Margaret's ride continued， through briars13） and bushes， across ploughed fields and over the lawn. Her firm grip held.

Then， unexpectedly Uncle Roy showed up carrying a little silver whistle. He blew it. Amazingly Horatio stopped dead. He lowered a massive head and trotted up to Uncle Roy like a pet retriever.

After prying14） Aunt Margaret's ten-finger death grip off Horatio's tail， Uncle Roy led him back through the gate and into the barn. Meanwhile， we helped Aunt Margaret inside picking twigs and beggar-lice off her clothes. While Mama Sewell got her a glass of water， we managed to deposit her in the recliner15）. Obviously， we never made it to our date rendezvous16） point. Incredibly， my parents never found out about this episode. The question of how Linda and I happened to be outside was never raised. Everyone assumed we'd heard Horatio rumbling around and tried to put him up ourselves. They never questioned that we were wearing our "good" clothes.

For days afterward， we giggled at how funny Aunt Margaret looked holding onto Horatio's tail. We also marveled at Horatio's obedience to Uncle Roy's whistle. Forty years later， Linda and I laugh about our "double date" with Bull Horatio.

我是家里的獨生女，50年代末60年代初在亞特蘭大市郊長大，那時我特別喜歡去佐治亞州北部看望我的表姐琳達。她住在一個農場里，是我最好的朋友，就像我的親姐姐一樣。

琳達滿16歲的那年夏天，我還只有15歲。她可以約會了，但我（因為還沒到那個有魔力的年齡）還得等到那年的12月才行。

12月似乎有好幾萬年那么遙遠，所以我們想出了一個辦法，準備來一個四人約會。等大家都睡著了之后，我們就從房子里偷偷溜出去，和琳達認識的兩個當地男孩約會。然后，我們再偷偷溜回家。這計劃真不錯！

我們為自己的聰明才智感到得意。到了約定的那天晚上，我們早早地就上床睡覺了，這應該給瑪麗·內爾姨媽傳達了一條即時信息——該睡覺了。我們都在睡衣里面穿著漂亮的衣服，躺在床上渾身直冒汗，直到休厄爾大媽和瑪麗·內爾姨媽睡熟了才起來。

在琳達的示意下，我抬起她臥室的窗戶，好讓她從這里爬出去。她一把扯掉身上那件新的卡普里睡衣，還冒了一句臟話。幸運的是，瑪麗·內爾姨媽那有節奏的鼾聲讓我們很放心：一切依舊正常。

我們悄悄地溜到琳達家農場的大門口，門的另一邊是羅伊叔叔和瑪格麗特嬸嬸的農場。琳達打開門閂，邁了過去。

我因為抬手去拍一只在我頭頂上盤旋的蟲子，結果讓大門砰地一下撞在了柵欄柱上，發出了巨大的響聲。我們瞪大眼睛使勁盯著那一片黑暗，沒看見有任何一個房間亮燈，這才松了一口氣。

就在那時，我們聽到灌木叢中傳來隆隆的聲音。有什么人或東西與我們擦身而過。那個東西體型巨大，毛發堅硬粗糙，而且還呼著熱氣！

緊接著我們突然意識到了一個可怕的事實。“噢，不！霍雷肖跑出來了！”琳達倒抽了一口氣說，“我們必須把它趕回去。”

我們追著羅伊叔叔這頭寶貝得不得了的公牛在月色下狂奔。琳達喊道：“抓住它的頭！拉住它！”但讓我——一個從城里來的女孩——抓住那頭公牛的頭，那是完全不可能的。

我們一邊奔跑，一邊祈禱。如果霍雷肖發生什么意外，羅伊叔叔永遠都不會原諒我們的，它可是全縣最好的公牛。endprint

最后，琳達意識到我們倆人永遠也抓不到它，于是建議我們給瑪格麗特嬸嬸打電話。

“她會幫我們把它趕回畜欄里，而且她也不會告發我們。瑪格麗特嬸嬸是自己人。”

“不行，”我抗議說，“我們不能告訴任何人。要是我爸聽說這件事，他會殺了我的。那我就永遠不能再來看你了。”我們上氣不接下氣地爭論了幾句，最后達成了一致意見：琳達偷偷溜回屋里給瑪格麗特嬸嬸打電話。幸運的是，瑪格麗特嬸嬸還沒睡，而且她身邊沒別人。她趕到之后，沒有關掉卡車的車燈，讓兩道光柱沖著我們的大概方向照過來。然后她小心翼翼地向霍雷肖靠近。

突然，霍雷肖狂奔起來，瑪格麗特嬸嬸在它經過身邊時一把抓住了它的尾巴。瑪格麗特嬸嬸個子不小，但那頭老公牛拽著她繞著圍欄跑，就像拽著個破布娃娃似的。她扯著嗓門大聲尖叫著，于是所有房間的燈很快都亮了。

現在我們鐵定要挨罰了！我估計我爸媽一大早就會來接我了。我不如立馬開始收拾東西吧。與此同時，瑪格麗特嬸嬸的“拽牛之旅”還在繼續著，他們穿過荊棘和灌木叢，越過剛耕犁過的田地，再從草坪上沖過。她一直緊緊地抓著牛尾巴不松手。

這時，羅伊叔叔突然出現了，他吹響了手里拿著的一只銀色小哨。令人吃驚的是，霍雷肖突然就停了下來。它垂下碩大的腦袋，像一只寵物獵犬一樣快步小跑到了羅伊叔叔的身邊。

瑪格麗特嬸嬸的十根手指還死死地抓著霍雷肖的尾巴，羅伊叔叔掰開嬸嬸的手指，然后牽著霍雷肖往回走，穿過大門走進牛圈。在這期間，我們一邊扶著瑪格麗特嬸嬸回屋，一邊摘下她衣服上的小樹枝和草籽。休厄爾大媽給她倒了一杯水，我們想辦法把她扶到了躺椅上。顯然，我們根本沒去成約會會合的地方。令人難以置信的是，我爸媽從沒弄清楚這件事。關于琳達和我怎么碰巧就在屋外這個問題根本沒人提起。大家都想當然地認為，我們聽見了霍雷肖在附近隆隆的聲響后試圖自己把它趕回牛圈去。他們也從來沒有詢問過我們當時為什么穿著那些“漂亮”的衣服。

接下來的好多天里，我們談起瑪格麗特嬸嬸拽著霍雷肖尾巴時那滑稽的樣子就咯咯直笑。霍雷肖聽到羅伊叔叔的哨聲后那聽話、順從的樣子也讓我們嘖嘖稱奇。40年后，說起我們與公牛霍雷肖的“四人約會”，琳達和我都會開懷大笑。

1. eon [?i??n] n. 極漫長的時期；萬古

2. ingenuity [??nd???nju??ti] n. （設計、安排、行動的）巧妙；足智多謀

3. tip-off： （預先透露的）消息

4. latch [l?t?] n. 門閂

5. swat [sw?t] vt. 重拍；猛擊

6. brush [br??] vi. 輕觸；擦過

7. wiry [?wa??ri] adj. 金屬絲般堅硬的

8. corral [k??rɑ?l] vt. 把（牛、馬）關進（或趕入）畜欄

9. squeal [skwi?l] vi. <俚>告密，告發

10. get wind of： <口>獲悉有關……的消息；聽到……的風聲

11. bolt [b??lt] vi. （因受驚嚇）突然快跑

12. be in for it： <口>難免受罰；勢必倒霉

譯 / 張玲endprint