你在天堂遇到的五个人.docx
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你在天堂遇到的五个人.docx
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你在天堂遇到的五个人
TheFivePeopleYouMeetinHeaven
THISISASTORYABOUTAMANnamedEddieanditbeginsattheend,withEddiedyinginthesun.Itmightseemstrangetostartastorywithanending.Butallendingsarealsobeginnings.Wejustdon'tknowitatthetime.
THELASTHOURofEddie'slifewasspent,likemostoftheothers,atRubyPier,anamusementparkbyagreatgrayocean.Theparkhadtheusualattractions,aboardwalk,aFerriswheel,rollercoasters,bumpercars,ataffystand,andanarcadewhereyoucouldshootstreamsofwaterintoaclown'smouth.ItalsohadabignewridecalledFreddy'sFreeFall,andthiswouldbewhereEddiewouldbekilled,inanaccidentthatwouldmakenewspapersaroundthestate.
ATTHETIMEofhisdeath,Eddiewasasquat,white-hairedoldman,withashortneck,abarrelchest,thickforearms,andafadedarmytattooonhisrightshoulder.Hislegswerethinandveinednow,andhisleftknee,woundedinthewar,wasruinedbyarthritis.Heusedacanetogetaround.Hisfacewasbroadandcraggyfromthesun,withsaltywhiskersandalowerjawthatprotrudedslightly,makinghimlookprouderthanhefelt.Hekeptacigarettebehindhisleftearandaringofkeyshookedtohisbelt.Heworerubber-soledshoes.Heworeanoldlinencap.Hispalebrownuniformsuggestedaworkingman,andaworkingmanhewas.
EDDIE'SJOBWAS"maintaining"therides,whichreallymeantkeepingthemsafe.Everyafternoon,hewalkedthepark,checkingoneachattraction,fromtheTilt-A-WhirltothePipelinePlunge.Helookedforbrokenboards,loosebolts,worn-outsteel.Sometimeshewouldstop,hiseyesglazingover,andpeoplewalkingpastthoughtsomethingwaswrong.Buthewaslistening,that'sall.Afteralltheseyearshecouldheartrouble,hesaid,inthespitsandstuttersandthrummingoftheequipment.
WITH50MINUTESleftonearth,EddietookhislastwalkalongRubyPier.Hepassedanelderlycouple.
"Folks,"hemumbled,touchinghiscap.
Theynoddedpolitely.CustomersknewEddie.Atleasttheregularonesdid.Theysawhimsummeraftersummer,oneofthosefacesyouassociatewithaplace.HisworkshirthadapatchonthechestthatreadEDDIEabovethewordMAINTENANCE,andsometimestheywouldsay,"Hiya,EddieMaintenance,"althoughheneverthoughtthatwasfunny.
Today,itsohappened,wasEddie'sbirthday,his83rd.Adoctor,lastweek,hadtoldhimhehadshingles.Shingles?
Eddiedidn'tevenknowwhattheywere.Once,hehadbeenstrongenoughtoliftacarouselhorseineacharm.Thatwasalongtimeago.
"EDDIE!
"..."TAKEME,Eddie!
"..."Takeme!
"
Fortyminutesuntilhisdeath.Eddiemadehiswaytothefrontoftherollercoasterline.Herodeeveryattractionatleastonceaweek,tobecertainthebrakesandsteeringweresolid.Todaywascoasterday—the"GhosterCoaster"theycalledthisone—andthekidswhoknewEddieyelledtogetinthecartwithhim.
ChildrenlikedEddie.Notteenagers.Teenagersgavehimheadaches.Overtheyears,Eddiefiguredhe'dseeneverysortofdo-nothing,snarl-at-youteenagertherewas.Butchildrenweredifferent.ChildrenlookedatEddie—who,withhisprotrudinglowerjaw,alwaysseemedtobegrinning,likeadolphin—andtheytrustedhim.Theydrewinlikecoldhandstoafire.Theyhuggedhisleg.Theyplayedwithhiskeys.Eddiemostlygrunted,neversayingmuch.Hefigureditwasbecausehedidn'tsaymuchthattheylikedhim.
THIRTYMINUTESLEFT.
"Hey,happybirthday,Ihear,"Dominguezsaid.
Eddiegrunted.
"Nopartyornothing?
"
Eddielookedathimasifhewerecrazy.Foramomenthethoughthowstrangeitwastobegrowingoldinaplacethatsmelledofcottoncandy.
"Well,remember,Eddie,I'moffnextweek,startingMonday.GoingtoMexico."
Eddienodded,andDominguezdidalittledance.
"MeandTheresa.Gonnaseethewholefamily.Par-r-r-ty."
HestoppeddancingwhenhenoticedEddiestaring.
"Youeverbeen?
"Dominguezsaid.
"Been?
"
"ToMexico?
"
Eddieexhaledthroughhisnose."Kid,IneverbeenanywhereIwasn'tshippedtowitharifle."
HewatchedDominguezreturntothesink.Hethoughtforamoment.Thenhetookasmallwadofbillsfromhispocketandremovedtheonlytwentieshehad,twoofthem.Heheldthemout.
"Getyourwifesomethingnice,"Eddiesaid.
Dominguezregardedthemoney,brokeintoahugesmile,andsaid,"C'mon,man.Yousure?
"
EddiepushedthemoneyintoDominguez'spalm.Thenhewalkedoutbacktothestoragearea.Asmall"fishinghole"hadbeencutintotheboardwalkplanksyearsago,andEddieliftedtheplasticcap.Hetuggedonanylonlinethatdropped80feettothesea.Apieceofbolognawasstillattached.
"Wecatchanything?
"Dominguezyelled."Tellmewecaughtsomething!
"
Eddiewonderedhowtheguycouldbesooptimistic.Therewasneveranythingonthatline.
"Oneday,"Dominguezyelled,"we'regonnagetahalibut!
"
"Yep,"Eddiemumbled,althoughheknewyoucouldneverpullafishthatbigthroughaholethatsmall.
TWENTY-SIXMINUTEStolive.Eddiecrossedtheboardwalktothesouthend.Businesswasslow.Thegirlbehindthetaffycounterwasleaningonherelbows,poppinghergum.
Once,RubyPierwastheplacetogointhesummer.Ithadelephantsandfireworksandmarathondancecontests.Butpeopledidn'tgotooceanpiersmuchanymore;theywenttothemeparkswhereyoupaid$75aticketandhadyourphototakenwithagiantfurrycharacter.
Eddielimpedpastthebumpercarsandfixedhiseyesonagroupofteenagersleaningovertherailing.Great,hetoldhimself.JustwhatIneed.
"Off,"Eddiesaid,tappingtherailingwithhiscane.C'mon.Itsnotsafe.
Whrrrssssh,Awavebrokeonthebeach.Eddiecoughedupsomethinghedidnotwanttosee.Hespatitaway.
Whrrssssssh.HeusedtothinkalotaboutMarguerite.Notsomuchnow.Shewaslikeawoundbeneathanoldbandage,andhehadgrownmoreusedtothebandage.
Whrrssssssh.
Whatwasshingles?
Whrrsssssh.
Sixteenminutestolive.
NOSTORYSITSbyitself.Sometimesstoriesmeetatcornersandsometimestheycoveroneanothercompletely,likestonesbeneathariver.
TheendofEddie'sstorywastouchedbyanotherseeminglyinnocentstory,monthsearlier—acloudynightwhenayoungmanarrivedatRubyPierwiththreeofhisfriends.
Theyoungman,whosenamewasNicky,hadjustbegundrivingandwasstillnotcomfortablecarryingakeychain.Soheremovedthesinglecarkeyandputitinhisjacketpocket,thentiedthejacketaroundhiswaist.
Forthenextfewhours,heandhisfriendsrodeallthefastestrides:
theFlyingFalcon,theSplashdown,Freddy'sFreeFall,theGhosterCoaster.
"Handsintheair!
"oneofthemyelled.
Theythrewtheirhandsintheair.
Later,whenitwasdark,theyreturnedtothecarlot,exhaustedandlaughing,drinkingbeerfrombrownpaperbags.Nickyreachedintohisjacketpocket.Hefishedaround.Hecursed.
Thekeywasgone.
FOURTEENMINUTESUNTILhisdeath.Eddiewipedhisbrowwithahandkerchief.Outontheocean,diamondsofsunlightdancedonthewater,andEddiestaredattheirnimblemovement.Hehadnotbeenrightonhisfeetsincethewar.
ButbackattheStardustBandShellwithMarguerite—thereEddiehadstillbeengraceful.Heclosedhiseyesandallowedhimselftosummonthesongthatbroughtthemtogether,theoneJudyGarlandsanginthatmovie.Itmixedinhisheadnowwiththecacophonyofthecrashingwavesandchildrenscreamingontherides.
"Youmademeloveyou—"
Whsssshhhh.
"—doit,Ididn'twanttodoi—"
Spllllldddaashhhhhhh.
"—meloveyou—"
Eeeeeeee!
"—timeyouknewit,andallthe—"
Chhhhewisshhhh.
"—knewit..."
Eddiefeltherhandsonhisshoulders.Hesqueezedhiseyestightly,tobringthememorycloser.
TWELVEMINUTESTOlive.
"'Scuseme."
Ayounggirl,maybeeightyearsold,stoodbeforehim,blockinghissunlight.Shehadblondecurlsandworeflip-flopsanddenimcutoffshortsandalimegreenT-shirtwithacartoonduckonthefront.Amy,hethoughthernamewas.AmyorAnnie.She'dbeenherealotthissummer,althoughEddieneversawamotherorfather.
"'Scuuuseme,"shesaidagain."EddieMaint'nance?
"
Eddiesighed."JustEddie,"hesaid.
"Eddie?
"
"Umhmm?
"
"Canyoumakeme..."
Sheputherhandstogetherasifpraying.
"C'mon,kiddo.Idon'thaveallday."
"Canyoumakemeananimal?
Canyou?
"
Eddielookedup,asifhehadtothinkaboutit.Thenhereachedintohisshirtpocketandpulledoutthreeyellowpipecleaners,whichhecarriedforjustthispurpose.
"Yesssss!
"thelittlegirlsaid,slappingherhands.
Eddiebegantwistingthepipecleaners.
"Where'syourparents?
"
"Ridingtherides."
"Withoutyou?
"
Thegirlshrugged."Mymom'swithherboyfriend."
Eddielookedup.Oh.
Hebentthepipecleanersintoseveralsmallloops,thentwistedtheloopsaroundoneanother.Hishandsshooknow,soittooklongerthanitusedto,butsoonthepipecleanersresembledahead,ears,body,andtail.
"Arabbit?
"thelittlegirlsaid.
Eddiewinked.
"Thaaaankyou!
"
Shespunaway,lostinthatplacewherekidsdon'tevenknowtheirfeetaremoving.Eddiewipedhisbrowagain,thenclosedhiseyes,slumpedintothebeachchair,andtriedtogettheoldsongbackintohishead.
Aseagullsquawkedasitflewoverhead.
HOWDOPEOPLEchoosetheirfinalwords?
Dotheyrealizetheirgravity?
Aretheyfatedtobewise?
Byhis83rdbirthday,Eddiehadlostnearlyeveryonehe'dcaredabout.Somehaddiedyoung,andsomehadbeengivenachancetogrowoldbeforeadiseaseoranaccidenttookthemaway.Attheirfunerals,Eddielistenedasmournersrecalledtheirfinalconversations."It'sasifheknewhewasgoingtodie...."somewouldsay.
Eddieneverbelievedthat.Asfarashecouldtell,whenyourtimecame,itcame,andthatwasthat.Youmight
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