小说园

月台的等待 detur t rance（第1页）

佚名

Anonymous

LocatedinthecheckroominUnionStationasIam，Iseeeverybodythatcomesuthestairs。

Harrycameinalittleoverthreeyearsagoandwaitedattheheadofthestairsfortheassengersfromthe9：05train。

IrememberseeingHarrythatfirstevening。Hewasntmuchmorethanathin，anxiouskidthen。HewasalldresseduandIknewhewasmeetinghisgirlandthattheywouldbemarriedtwentyminutesaftershearrived。

Well，theassengerscameuandIhadtogetbusy。Ididntlooktowardthestairsagainuntilnearlytimeforthe9：18andIwasverysurrisedtoseethattheyoungfellowwasstillthere。

Shedidntcomeonthe9：18either，noronthe9：40，andwhentheassengersfromthe10：02hadallarrivedandleft，Harrywaslookingrettydeserate。PrettysoonhecameclosetomywindowsoIcalledoutandaskedhimwhatshelookedlike。

“Shessmallanddark，”hesaid，“andnineteenyearsoldandveryneatinthewayshewalks。Shehasaface，”hesaid，thinkingaminute，“thathaslotsofsirit。Imeanshecangetmadbutsheneverstaysmadforlong，andhereyebrowscometoalittleointinthemiddle。She’sgotabrownfur，butmaybesheisn’twearingit。”

Icouldntrememberseeinganybodylikethat。

Heshowedmethetelegramhedreceived:ARRIVETHURSDAY。MEETMESTATION。LOVELOVELOVELOVE。MAY。ItwasfromOmaha，Nebraska。

“Well，”Ifinallysaid，“whydon’tyouhonetoyourhome?She’srobablycalledthereifshegotinaheadofyou。”

Hegavemeasicklook。“I’veonlybeenintowntwodays。WeweregoingtomeetandthendrivedownSouthwhereI’vegotajob。Shehasntanyaddressforme。”Hetouchedthetelegram。

WhenIcameondutythenextdayhewasstillthereandcameoverassoonashesawme。

“Didsheworkanywhere?”Iasked。

Henodded。“Shewasatyist。Itelegrahedherformerboss。Alltheyknowisthatsheleftherjobtogetmarried。”

Harrymeteverytrainforthenextthreeorfourdays。Ofcourse，therailroadlinesmadearoutinecheckuandtheolicelookedintothecase。Butnobodywasanyrealhel。IcouldseethattheyallfiguredthatMayhadsimlylayedatrickonhim。ButIneverbelievedthat，somehow。

Oneday，afterabouttwoweeks，HarryandIweretalkingandItoldhimaboutmytheory。“Ifyoulljustwaitlongenough，”Isaid，“youllseehercominguthosestairssomeday。”Heturnedandlookedatthestairsasthoughhehadneverseenthembefore。

ThenextdaywhenIcametowork，HarrywasbehindthecounterofTongsmagazinestand。Helookedatmerathersheeishlyandsaid，“Well，Ihadtogetajobsomewhere，didntI?”

SohebegantoworkasaclerkforTony。WeneversokeofMayanymoreandneitherofusevermentionedmytheory。ButInoticedthatHarryalwayssaweveryersonwhocameuthestairs。

TowardtheendoftheyearTonywaskilledinsomeargumentovergambling，andTonyswidowleftHarryincomletechargeofthemagazinestand。Andwhenshegotmarriedagainsometimelater，Harryboughtthestandfromher。Heborrowedmoneyandinstalledasodafountainandrettysoonhehadaverynicelittlebusiness。

Thencameyesterday。Iheardacryandalotofthingsfalling。ThecrywasfromHarryandthethingsfallingwerealotofdollsandotherthingswhichhehadusetwhilehewasjumingoverthecounter。Heranacrossandgrabbedagirlnottenfeetfrommywindow。Shewassmallanddarkandhereyebrowscametoalittleointinthemiddle。

Forawhiletheyjusthungtheretoeachotherlaughingandcryingandsayingthingswithoutmeaning。Shedsayafewwordslike，“ItwasthebusstationImeant-”andhedkissherseechlessandtellherthemanythingshehaddonetofindher。WhataarentlyhadhaenedthreeyearsbeforewasthatMayhadcomebybus，notbytrain，andinhertelegramshemeant“busstation”，not“railroadstation”。ShehadwaitedatthebusstationfordaysandhadsentallhermoneytryingtofindHarry。Finallyshegotajobtying。

“What?”saidHarry。“Haveyoubeenworkingintown?Allthetime?”

Shenodded。

“Well，heavens。Didntyouevercomedownheretothestation?”Heointedacrosstohismagazinestand。“I’vebeenthereallthetime。Iownit。I’vewatchedeverybodythatcameuthestairs。”

Shebegantolookalittleale。Prettysoonshelookedoveratthestairsandsaidinaweakvoice，“Inevercameuthestairsbefore。Yousee，Iwentoutoftownyesterdayonashortbusinesstri。Oh，Harry!”Thenshethrewherarmsaroundhisneckandreallybegantocry。

Afteraminuteshebackedawayandointedverystifflytowardthenorthendofthestation。“Harry，forthreeyears，forthreesolidyears，Ivebeenrightoverthereworkingrightinthisverystation，tying，intheofficeofthestationmaster。”

我在联合车站的行李寄存处工作，由于工作地点的关系，可以看见走上楼梯的每一个人。

3年前哈里曾来过这儿，站在楼梯口接乘坐9点05分到站的旅客。

我依然记得第一晚见到他时的情景。那时的他无异于一个身材削瘦，眼中透着焦虑的孩子。他穿戴整齐，我知道他是在等他的女友，并且在她到后20分钟，他们将举行婚礼。

好了，旅客们来了，我得去忙了。直到9点18分我才又有时间往楼梯那边看，令我吃惊的是那年轻人还在那儿。

她既没乘9点18的车，也没乘9点40的车到。等10点02的那次车的旅客都出站后，哈里看起来很失望。不一会儿，他走近我的窗口，我招呼他，问他，她长什么样。

“她矮小的个子，黝黑的皮肤，”他说，“19岁。走起路来干脆利落。她的脸嘛，”他想了一会说，“蕴含着丰富的表情，我是说她会生气，但从不会持续太久。她眉心有颗小痣。她有件棕色毛皮大衣，但也有可能没穿。”

我似乎没见过这样的人。

他拿出电报给我看：“周四到。车站接我。爱爱爱爱。——梅。”电报是从内布拉斯加州的奥马哈市发来的。

“噢，”最后，我说，“你怎么不往家里打个电话？如果她比你先到这儿，她可能已经给你家打电话了。”

他忧郁地看着我，“我才来城里两天。我们约定见面后开车去南方，我工作的那个地方。她根本没有我的地址。”他摆弄着电报。