芒果街上的小屋一個聰明人

一個聰明人

　　我本來可以出人頭地的，你知道麼？媽媽說著歎了口氣。她一輩子都住在這個城市裡。她會說兩種語言。她會唱歌劇。她知道怎麼修理電視機。可她不知道坐哪條地鐵線去市中心。在等對的那趟車來的時候，我緊緊攥著她的手。

　　她過去有時間就常畫畫。現在她用針和線畫畫，編織的玫瑰花苞、絲繡的鬱金香。有一天她想去看芭蕾舞。又有一天她想去看戲。她從公共圖書館裡借來了歌劇唱片，用醇厚的嗓音唱起來，歌聲像朝陽一樣蓬勃。

　　今天煮燕麥片時，她是蝴蝶夫人，直到她歎了口氣，用木勺指著我。我本來可以出人頭地的。你知道麼？埃斯佩朗莎。你去上學，用功學習。蝴蝶夫人是個傻瓜。她攪了攪燕麥。看看我的姐妹們。她說的是跑了丈夫的伊佐拉和死了丈夫的約蘭達。全得靠自己撐著。她邊說邊搖頭。

　　然後又沒頭沒尾地說上了：

　　羞恥感是不好的，你知道。它會讓你心情不好。你想知道我怎麼輟學的嗎？因為我沒有好衣服。沒有衣服，可我有腦子啊。

　　唉。她氣惱地說著，又攪起麥片來。我那時是個聰明人。

　　I could've been somebody, you know? My mother says and sighs. She has lived in this city her whole life. She speak two languages. She sing an opera. She knows how to fix a T. V. But she doesn't know which subway train to take to get downtown. I hold her haight while we wait for the right train to arrive.

　　She used to draw when she had time. Now she draws with a needle and thread, little knotted rosebuds, tulips made of silk thread. Someday she would like to go to the ballet. Someday she would like to see a play. She borrows opera records from the public library and sings with velvety lungs powerful as m glories.

　　Today while cooking oatmeal she is Madame Butterfly until she sighs and points the wooden spoon at me. I could've been somebody, you know? Esperanza, you go to school. Study hard. That Madame Butterfly was a fool. She stirs the oatmeal. Look at my adres. She means Izaura whose husba and Yolanda whose husband is dead. Got to take care all your own, she says shaking her head.

　　Then out of nowhere：

　　Shame is a bad thing, you know. It keeps you down. You want to know why I quit school? Because I didn't have nice clothes. No clothes, but I had brains.

　　Yup, she says disgusted, stirring again. I was a smart cookie then.

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