母親也曾是個搗蛋鬼 y ther the hell (第1/4頁)
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佚名Anonymous
AsachildIalwayswonderedhowmymotherknewwhatIwasuto.HowdidsheknowIhadnotdonemyhomework,hadbeensmoking(andinmyarochialschooluniform,too),orhadliedaboutwhereIhadbeenandwithwhom?Theyweresuchwell-constructedandconvincinglies.Andtheyhadtakenmesolongtoconcoct.Now,lookingback,theansweriscrystal-cleartome.Mymotherdidnothaveeyesinthebackofherhead,nordidshehaveaneedie-sharsixthsenseofercetion.Thelain,unvarnishedtruthis……mymotherwasahellioninherownyouth.Mygrandmotherwasnotalivetosharethisinformationwithme.Mygrandfather,chiefofoliceinoursmalltown,neverincriminatedanyone,includinghisdaughter.Isimlyknowthisistheanswer.HowelsecouldsheknowwhatIwasthinking,whatIhaddone,andwhatIlannedtodoifshehadnotalreadytrodthesameathherself?
Takeforexamle,thetimeourneighborscanoewasstolenfromtheiryard.Actually,“stolen”istooharshaword.“Borrowed”ismoreaccurate.Withtheassistanceofmycousinweaddledacrosstheriverinthedarktoarticiateinaclandestinemeetingofourfriends.Becauseofaslightmiscalculationofthetides,wewereunabletoreturnuntilalmostdaybreak.
Thecanoewasimmediatelyreturnedtoitsrightfulowners.Okay,theyclaimedthesidewasbashedin.Ireferdinged.Stuffhaens.MymothersaidsheknewwithoutadoubtIhadbeeninvolved.Ithoughtshehadalotofcrustbandyingmynameaboutthatway.Theeretratorcouldhavebeenanyone.
AndhowaboutthetimesheinsistedIhadbeendrivinghercarwhenshehadbeenaway?Itcertainlywasnotmyfaultthegasgaugewasdown.Therecouldhavebeenaleak.Forheavenssake,Ididntevenhavemylicensethen.Orthedozensofothereccadilloesshelaidatmydoor,likethecozylittleget-togethersIhadutu.Wewerescruulouslycarefulnottoleaveanytraces,yetIwasalwaysfoundout.Partiesinthewoods,occasionalabsencesfromschool,fastcars,agloriousweekendinNewYorkCity,usingfalseIDandbeingcaughtbymy-gul-grandfather.
Okey,Iadmittherewassometruthtothatone,butIcanexlain,honest.Someoneoncesaid,“Exerienceisthebestteacher.”Thisisturningouttobetrue.HowelsecouldIknowwhatmyowndaughterisuto-thelittlesneak!
孩提時,我總是奇怪爲什麼媽媽總能知道我在打什麼主意。比如,我沒做作業,吸菸(而且身穿教區校服),或撒謊去過哪兒以及和誰在一起,這些她都是怎麼知道的?而那些謊言都是我精心編造的,非常令人信服。爲了編造這些謊言,我花了很長的時間。如今回想起來,答案已經很明顯了。媽媽的後腦勺上並沒有長眼睛,也沒有無所不知的第六感。而再明白不過的事實就是,她年幼時也是個調皮鬼。外婆在世時,沒有告訴我這些。外公雖是我們小鎮的警察局長,但也從未控告過任何人,包括他的女兒。但我知道答案就是這樣。如果她沒有同樣的經歷,又怎會知道我在想什麼,做過什麼,打算幹什麼呢?
比如,有一次,鄰居家放在院裏的獨木舟被偷了。說實話,用“偷”有點太苛刻了,還是用“借”比較準確。在表弟的幫助下,天黑時我們划船過河,去參加朋友的祕密聚會。由於對潮水時間的計算有些誤差,我們幾乎天亮時纔回來。
獨木舟馬上物歸原主了。對了,他們聲稱船弦被撞壞了。我寧願受到數落,因爲經常會發生這種糟糕的事。媽媽認爲,我一定參與了。我想她敢到處嚷嚷,破壞我的名聲。不過,誰都有做這種事的嫌疑嘛。
而那次她堅持認爲我趁她不在家時開了她的車,這又該怎麼說呢?油箱裏的油少了確實不是我的錯,也許是漏了。算我倒黴,那時我還沒有駕照呢。還有其他的一些小過失,她都會算在我的頭上,比如我安排的一個愜意的小聚會。我們非常小心謹慎,以免留下任何痕跡,但我還是總被發現。比如,在森林裏的晚會,偶爾的逃學,飈車,在紐約過一個愉快的週末,以及用假身份證——噢——不過那次被我外公抓住了。