芒果街上的小屋伊倫妮塔、牌、手掌和水

伊倫妮塔、牌、手掌和水

　　伊倫妮塔，算命的女人，用抹布擦桌子，因為喂寶寶的埃妮把酷愛汁灑了。她說，把這蠢寶寶抱出去，到客廳裡去喝你的酷愛。你沒看到我在忙嗎？埃妮把寶寶抱去了客廳，那裡的電視上在演《兔八哥》。

　　幸虧你昨天沒來，她說，昨天星星全亂套了。

　　她的電視是彩色的，很大，她所有漂亮的家具都是用嘉年華會上派送的泰迪熊那樣的紅色毛皮做的。她在上面蒙了一層塑料。我想這都是因為寶寶的緣故。

　　是的，那是好事情。我說。

　　我們呆在廚房裡，因為這裡是她工作的地方。冰櫃的頂上擺滿了東西：點著和沒點著的聖燭，有紅有綠有藍；一個石膏聖像和一個灰撲撲的棕櫚主日十字架，一張用膠帶貼在牆上的伏都神手圖。

　　去弄點水來。她說。

　　我走到水池邊拿起那裡惟一乾淨的杯子，一個大啤酒杯，上面寫著「啤酒使密爾瓦齊聞名於世」。我用它從水龍頭裡接了點熱水，然後把這杯水放到了桌子中央，這是她教我的。

　　看裡面，看到什麼了嗎？

　　可我看到的只是氣泡。

　　你看到誰的臉了嗎？

　　沒有，只有泡泡。我說。

　　好吧。她用手在水面上畫了三次十字，開始抽牌。

　　這可不是平常玩的牌。這些牌，每張大阿爾克納牌上都繪有不同的神秘畫面。在占卜中，這些畫面的寓意被用來解釋未來和命運。它們有點奇怪，上面有騎在馬上的金髮白膚的男人、嚇人的長了刺的棒球棒、金色聖杯、穿著舊式服裝的悲傷的女人，還有哭泣的玫瑰。

　　我知道電視上在演一部好玩的《兔八哥》卡通片。我以前看過，聽出了它的音樂，我希望可以走過去和埃妮、寶寶一起坐在塑料沙發上，可我的命運開始顯現了。我的一生都在這廚房桌子上：過去、現在和將來。接著她拿起我的手看手掌。合上它。同時合上的還有她的眼睛。

　　你感覺到了嗎？感覺到冷了嗎？

　　是的，我撒謊說，有一點冷。

　　好。她說，精靈在裡面。開始了。

　　這張牌，上面有一個黑人騎黑馬的，代表嫉妒；這張，代表憂傷。這裡有一窩蜜蜂和一張豪華床墊。你馬上要去參加一個婚禮了。你丟失了一雙可以依靠的臂膀是嗎？對，可靠的臂膀？很清楚，這就是它代表的意思。

　　有房子嗎？我問，我是因為它才來的。

　　啊，是的，心中有一所房子。我在心中看到一所房子。

　　那是房子嗎？

　　我看到的是的。她說著便站起來，因為孩子們在打架。伊倫妮塔站起來打了他們，然後又抱抱他們。她很愛他們，只是他們有時太野了。

　　她回來，能看出來我有些失望。她是個算命的女人，知道很多事情。如果你頭痛，就把一個冷雞蛋抹在臉上。要忘掉一樁過去的戀情是嗎？拿一隻小雞爪，系上紅繩子，在你腦袋上旋轉三次，然後燒掉它。惡幽靈讓你睡不著是嗎？靠近一枝聖燭睡七天，到第八天的時候，點燃它。還有好多好多其他的事情。而現在她知道我有點傷心。

　　寶貝，如果你想的話，我可以再看一次。於是她又看了一遍牌、手掌、水。啊哈。她說。

　　心裡的一所房子，我是對的。

　　可我還是不明白。

　　一所新房子，一所心造的房子。我會為你點上一枝燭。

　　我為這個付了她五元錢。

　　謝謝，再見。當心罪惡之眼。等星期三星星再強一點的時候再來。聖母保佑你。門關上了。

　　Elenita, witan, wipes the table with a rag because Ernie who is feeding the baby spilled Kool-Aid. She says：Take that crazy baby out of here and drink your Kool-Aid in the living room. 't you see I'm busy? Erakes the baby into the living room where Bugs Bunny is on T. V.

　　Good lucky you didn't e yesterday, she says. The plas were all mixed up yesterday.

　　Her T. V.is color and big and all her pretty furniture made out of red fur like the teddy bears they give away in ivals. She has them covered with plastic. I think this is on at of the baby.

　　Yes, it's a good thing, I say.

　　But we stay i because this is where she works. The top of the refrigerator busy with holy dles, some lit, some not, red and green and blue, a plaster saint and a dusty Palm Sunday cross, and a picture of the voodoo hand taped to the wall.

　　Get the water, she says.

　　I go to the sink and pick the only glass there, a beer mug that says the beer that made Milwaukee famous, and fill it up with hot water from the tap, then put the glass of water on the ter of the table, the way she taught me.

　　Look in it, do you see anything?

　　But all I see are bubbles.

　　You see anybody's face?

　　Nope, just bubbles, I say.

　　That's okay, and she makes the sign of the cross over the water three times and then begins to cut the cards.

　　They're not like ordinary playing cards, these cards. They're strange, with blond men on horses and crazy baseball bats with thorns. Golden goblets, sad-looking women dressed in old-fashioned dresses, and roses that cry.

　　There is a good Bugs Bunny cartoon on T. V. I know, I saw it before and reize the musid wish I could go sit on the plastic couch with Ernie and the baby, but now my fortune begins. My whole life on that kit table：past, present, future. Theakes my hand and looks into my palm. Closes it. Closes her eyes too.

　　Do you feel it, feel the cold?

　　Yes, I lie, but only a little.

　　Good, she says, los espíritus are here. And begins.

　　This card, the oh the dark man on a dark horse, this means jealousy, and this one, sorrow. Here a pillar of bees and this a mattress of luxury. You will go to a wedding soon and did you lose an anchor of arms, yes, an anchor of arms? It's clear that's what that means.

　　What about a house, I say, because that's what I came for.

　　Ah, yes, a home in the heart. I see a home in the heart.

　　Is that it?

　　That's what I see, she says, thes up because the kids are fighting. Elenita gets up to hit and then hug them. She really does love them, only sometimes they are rude.

　　She es bad tell I'm disappointed. She's a witan and knows many things. If you got a headache, rub a cold egg across your faeed tet an old romaake a chi's foot, tie it with red string, spin it over your head three times, then burn it. Bad spirits keeping you awake? Sleep o a holy dle for seven days, then on the eighth day, spit. And lots of other stuff. Only now she tell I'm sad.

　　Baby, I'll look again if you wao. And she looks again into the cards, palm, water, and says uh-huh.

　　A home in the heart, I was right.

　　Only I don't get it.

　　A new house, a house made of heart. I'll light a dle for you.

　　All this for five dollars I give her.

　　Thank you and goodbye and be careful of the evil eye. e back again on a Thursday whears are stronger. And may the Virgin bless you. And shuts the door.

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