Sunday, August 29, 2010

兩週一聚(第45期)「繾綣華埠」之【留學生的故事: 銀龍奨學金】 / 2weeks1gather (#45) 「Chinatown」【Visa Student Story: The Silver Dragon Scholarship】

【留學生的故事: 銀龍奨學金】(bilingual story written in both English/Chinese)

(這故事未經考究,是真是徦,或有巧合,全由讀者定斷。This is a story that has not been verified and it's up to the readers to decide whether it is true, fictitious or just a coincidence.)

*** Please click Parts 1,2,3,4 below to read the story in English ***

Part 1 話說某年某日,在加拿大西部的某個華埠,有間叫『銀龍』的歺館,老闆是台山阿伯,他年輕時離鄉別井,過洋來楓葉國,投靠親戚開的歺店,初做洗盤碗(又叫洗大餅),後來升做「巴士仔」(即是收拾碗碟,開茶奉煙的後生),鹹水英文畢業合格之後,升做「企枱」,他將每日辛苦賺來的時薪和「花利 」,全部放入『來佬銀行』,那時『孿宝电話公司』專利,長途电每分鐘收三加元,等於港幣十八元,故此他連打個「喊線」返鄉下的費用也不捨得用,懷鄉想念家人深切時,就靠紙、筆、墨寫他的心声,貼上平郵士担,放入郵箱,船期巧合的話,寄後兩星期到達彼岸家人,收啟後答覆回郵又是兩星期,一來一回, 就是一個月只能通訊一次了。

Part 2 話說台山阿伯年輕時,單身來加投靠親戚,節衣縮食,歷盡艱苦,終於用「企枱」賺來的錢,又經父母之命,媒妁之言,回港娶了一個「工廠妺」妻子,帶回楓葉國,兩口子又生了一個女嬰,生活也頗愉快。数年後,他親戚年過半百,也想返鄉下落葉歸根,就半賣半送那小歺館給阿伯。起初時,他不懂生意之道,「頭厨」又和「二厨」不和,有一次險些兒鬧出六國大封相,「二厨」拿箸菜刀由後面冲出來, 嚇得那些在歺房進食的「墨叔」和「麥田鬼」(企枱術語,即黑人和農夫) 雞飛狗走,也有一些顧客籍這机会,拒絕付賬和「黑頭」(即不給花利貼士)。經此一役,阿伯和「頭厨」講数,年尾不止双糧,歺館利潤,做厨的也有好几個「巴仙」,「二厨」也被攆走。自此之後,生意也逐漸回復正常,但真正來說,歺牌仍是北美式的所謂唐歺,客仔大都是普羅大众西人,唐人客就少之又少了。

究竟在這北美華埠,阿伯的歺館、家庭、生活、和前途会怎樣,請聽下回分解 ......

Part 3 時光易轉,就在台山阿伯女兒十四歲的時候,那和他同艱共苦的妻子突然因病逝世,中年喪偶,阿伯只能嘆命,雖有續弦之心,但生意纏身,華埠僧多粥少,又那有机会、時間、和心情去找另一個上年紀的拍檔。那時北美中國熱,李小龍、打功夫、吃唐歺等大行其道,連帶作用,歺館的生意也忙了起來,客仔也对唐人有多點認識和敬意(多謝李小龍),也不像以前,大声呼喝企枱, 侮辱叫唐人做「查理」(Charlie Chan 是早期荷里活淩辱中國人的影片)。台山阿伯,愈做愈忙,週末為甚,做午和晚兩個歺期, 凌晨一時收市埋數,和伙記吃完之後,回家攪這攪那,早上三時才睡,見和管教女兒的時間就少了。

阿伯的女兒,畧曉台山話,是地道的CBC Canadian Born Chinese「土生女」,沒禮貌的唐人就叫她做「竹星女」。母親去了世之後,父親又忙生意,就開始和一羣在「波楼」好打billiard 的留學生來往,年輕人無所事事,十六歲體內荷爾蒙盛發,又沒有人照管,沒多久她就懷了孕。起初,她還希望或許是「大姨媽」事忙,遲了來探訪,但希望和事實是兩回事。她和那年輕經手的,兩個在情感和理性方面都未成熟,將事隠瞞了一段時期,到了最後,那留學生說:「我在這裡讀大學都是讀不成的了,父親說我還是年青,要我返回南洋,跟他學做生意, 我實在不能和你結婚的。」阿伯的女兒聽後, 哭得像個淚人兒,那年青人安慰她,但沒啥用処,反而被攆了出門。在這一日間,她是由一個天真的女孩,轉變成了一個現實的懷孕少女。在那脕上,女兒等候她父親至凌晨收工收家,一看見他進門, 她迎上去,只能說到:『爹啊......』那兩年來積聚的隱屈眼淚,就隨著爹啊那兩字,像堤崩洪水一樣, 從她心深処湧出來。在淚流滿面之際,她才察覺父親在這兩年,也添了不少白頭髪。自她母親去世後,這還是第一次父女之間,她願意和這「陌生」的父親,作一個正面的交談。

Part 4
話說台山阿伯,那晚埋舖之後,拖著疲惓的身體回家,開門入屋之後,正準備往雪柜找枝啤酒來喝(這也是兩年前開始的壊習慣),卻不料到他女兒從漆黑的客廳踏出來,一不留神,他還以為是死去的妻子,回魂來找他共往黃泉。再定一定神,妻子變回了女兒的容貌,也聽不清楚她在說什么,只知道她歇斯底里的喊爹喊娘,攪了好一陣子,才探過明白,這壊消息对阿伯來說,真是平地一聲雷,那老的攬著他的女兒,實不知如何是好。正是:『吾家有女初長成,養在深閨人未識』,可惜的就已是珠胎暗結,又沒有人肯付那個責任。阿伯自己男人老狗,对這些女人方面的事,雖是一曉不通,但駭人聽聞,用衣架毒藥打胎的,也間接地從他妻子與友人閒談中聽過來,他又怎会忍心令他女兒冒險、受折磿。翌日,他連歺館也沒心情去料理,打了個「喊線」叫頭厨看舖。他在家客廳來回踱步,終於想出了一個主意,如女兒談了一会,大家同意那是可行之計。

数天之後,大學校園唐人仔圈子,流傳了一個新聞,就是「銀龍」歺館的老板,願出一個獎學金,給一位年青、有上進心的男留學生,不獨免費供他讀大學,還可以立即移民,在加拿大定居做工,当然要面試,和詳談其中某種條件。於是,唐人仔之間,大家見面,一開口就是:『喂,你有沒有申請那「銀龍獎學金」?』那間一直做西人生意的小歺館,在数星期之內,突然客似雲來,擠滿了新食客,都是年青的留學生。『嗯,怎么你也來這裡吃歺?』『噢,想試試這裡的北美唐人歺口味罷,你呢?』『聽說這老板想請人, 我是有興趣來見工呀。』正是學無止境,有上進心的留學生是多的。

未滿一個月,「銀龍」老板嫁女,請客擺酒,簡單的婚讌,那兩個新人也頗双襯,那新娘或許是害羞關係,眼總是望著地下,那新郎倒是風灑自如, 樣子眉貌,有點南洋人的風味。約半年多左右,台山阿伯孫兒出世,滿月之日,他特別在家安了妻子的神位,也買了一些水果茶點放在靈前,他與女兒、孫兒、和女婿一家,在他亡妻的遺照前鞠躬。用膳之後,女兒忙著喂奶嬰兒,他的女婿也識事做人,幫助他収拾碗碟,清理厨房。当脕台山阿伯,夢見了他和愛妻,仍是年輕初婚時的情景, 對於未來,充滿了年青人的希望,懷抱著無数的憧景和美夢。

My other related blog articles (with photos):
* 滿地可的唐人街: 攝影图片 / Montréal's Chinatown: Some Photographs
* 旅遊多倫多市中: 唐人亍和肯辛顿市場街景 ∕ Travel to Downtown Toronto: Chinatown and Kensington Market street scenes

References / Photo credit:
* Wikipedia: Chinatown restaurant workers taking a break

Other related stories:
* Vince:
"... 唐人街古名大唐街﹐又名華埠﹑中華街﹐由來已久。在異國的土地上﹐差不多只要找到華人的足跡﹐就有唐人街的出現。不管是根深蒂故的老華僑﹐初來步到的新移民﹐到此一遊的旅客﹐還是飄洋過海的留學生﹐離鄉的人都和唐人街結下過不解之緣。是次題目名為「繾綣華埠」﹐藉此讓海外海內的朋友分享自己和某國唐人街有關的片段、記憶﹑故事、感想、看法﹐輕輕縷述某段秋天的童話﹐細細玩味某些愛在異鄉的季節。歡迎四方網友參與,請於敝博報名示意 。八月三十日上傳佳作後,希請勿忘於「兩週一聚」)留言網絡連結 ..."

14 comments:

exile said...

Interesting Chinatown restaurant lingo!

Haricot 微豆 said...

Exile: Yes, I learnt that when I was working part-time as a bus boy in Edmonton.

新鮮人 said...

很有趣,
故事好像未完,
不知結果會發展如何呢?

exile said...

I like to eavesdrop when I go to Chinese restaurants. They don't seem to mind sharing intimate conversation at work. The other day I overheard a waiter telling a customer about his vasectomy:-)

best actor said...

I have never worked in a Chinese restaurant before, T has. Many foreign students worked in a restaurant before as it was one of the few places which would hire foreign students. Time has certainly changed, but the distant past is all the more interesting to revisit from time to time. what an interesting story!

The Inner Space said...

Hari Big Brother, so it was a typical story for buy one get one free! It was very common in Canadian Market!

Exile, vasectomy? so I would like to ask further .... that customer was a male or a female?

exile said...

Space, ha, a woman ah! Can you believe it? May be they know each other for a long time.

Haricot 微豆 said...

新鮮人: You are right. There is an ending to this story ... I just don't have time to write it up. Stay tuned !!!

Haricot 微豆 said...

Exile: Not sure if I as customer would want to know a waiter's anatomy in intimate details >_<

Haricot 微豆 said...

Best Actor: For sure, time has changed !! But we too are riding the waves with the old timers ahead of us and the young ones not far behind.

Haricot 微豆 said...

Space: What a productive market :)

Haricot 微豆 said...

Exile: You are kidding me ??!

"Are you snip snip?" is not exactly the kind of question one would/should ask in a restaurant !!!

the inner space said...

Huh ha! Exile, It was my guessing that the male waiter told such to his female customer too !!!

Tubal Ligation (female)
Vasectomy (male)

Haricot 微豆 said...

The doctor is in :O

Related Posts with Thumbnails