Chapter 9 1-4

Decker sped east in the storm along Ferry Avenue, past Tenth Avenue and Memorial Highway; in the distance Hyde Park floated like a bright green island in the dim light.Driving to this area, although he grew up in this city, he knew almost nothing about it; the air here was filled with a strange smell, the same as the smell of the two passengers in his car-sweet Yes, but mixed with some kind of pungent chemical smell.The wipers on the Lincoln swing back and forth, keeping the line of sight through the expansive windshield clear.Dirk felt the brunette staring at him, which made him uncomfortable.

She said in a child's startled voice: "Mr. Burnaby?" "I am. You know me?" The woman's eyes widened and she smiled sweetly and said, "Of course I know you! Mr. Burnaby, I'm the bold woman who's been trying to talk to you for weeks. Remember?" Dirk stared at her.The woman in black!He didn't recognize it just now. Her name was Nina Oshek. She was not wearing black clothes today, but was wearing ordinary summer light-colored clothes, a cotton T-shirt and slacks, and a pair of straw sandals on her bare feet. She was completely drenched.There was nothing obnoxious about her demeanor, nothing vulture about her, just anxious and worried.

Dirk felt ashamed that he might have exaggerated the danger of the poor woman.Every time she went to Dirk's office, she always wore formal black or dark clothes, like a woman in mourning.In fact, she was indeed in mourning. Dirk hadn't paid much attention to her when he first saw her a few weeks earlier.He knew who she was, or thought he did.He also knew what she wanted him to do, or thought he did.So Dirk avoided her gaze like a coward. "Perhaps I should apologize to you, Mrs. Oshek." "Excuse me? No, Mr. Burnaby." He was too embarrassed to explain to her why, so he had to leave it to fate.Everything happened so fast.Later, recalling the scene at that time, Dirk realized that he could actually send their mother and daughter to the bus terminal in the city; or when he sent them home, he refused her invitation; When the time comes, tell her that he will consider the case, and then leave her house.All of these opportunities Dirk missed because he was enthusiastic and wanted to do what needed to be done.

Dirk was impressed by the woman, and by her little daughter, who was beautiful and pale, with toffee-colored hair, but Dirk thought she looked off, listless and submissive. This little girl was nothing like his three-year-old Royall, who was always in good spirits and full of life. Decker drove them home, where they lived in a small wooden bungalow at 1182 Ninety-third Street, near Corvin Avenue and a stinking drain called Black Creek.It was a pale yellow house with dark green edges, not far from the street, in a narrow yard, and beside it were some equally cheap houses.The house looks very compact, like a toy model.At 22 Luna Park in Burnaby, a house like this would be a garage for Burnaby's two cars.

The place at Niagara Falls was called Corvin Estates, and for decades the place and the phenomenon it represented were marked by a blunt shorthand notation—the Canal of Love.At that time, Dirk didn't realize that there were canals here, there were no canals in sight, and there were no canals.The Corvin Manor looks quite new. The owners of the houses have fenced off their own territory, and there are a few sparse trees growing inside. Dirk looked at these trees and found that they were all small and had paper-like hangings on them. leaves.He caught a swampy, slightly sweet smell of sulfur, as if the sea-green car would float away like a boat the moment he got out.As soon as he got out of the car, heavy raindrops hit his unprotected face, but he still shouted and laughed like this was just an exciting game.He held up his big black golf umbrella to try to shield Nina Oshek and her daughter from the rain. They trotted all the way to Nina's house.

Dirk was here for almost two hours, with his enthusiasm for doing something right and gentlemanly. "Aaliyah, it's me. I'm working late, honey. There's something urgent." Alia's voice was very soft, and seemed to come from far away, at least ten miles away. "Is there something important?" Dirk said hastily, "It's nothing serious, Alia. It's not my business." "Okay then. Come back early, Dirk. The kids will probably be asleep by the time you get home, and I'll keep a hot meal for you." Dirk had a slight nausea.no appetite!

He said, "Honey, you're so thoughtful. Thank you so much." Alia smiled: "Oh, we're married and I'm your wife. It's my responsibility, isn't it?" Dirk learned: Nina Oshek had been married to Sam Oshek for ten years, and Sam was working the night shift at Parrish Plastics, one of the largest factories in the country.The family moved to Corwen Manor six years ago. They have a nine-year-old son named Billy and a six-year-old daughter named Alice. They also had a younger daughter Sofia in March 1961. Died of leukemia when he was only three years old. "This place poisoned her, Mr. Burnaby. I can't prove it, because doctors don't say so, but I know it can't be wrong."

Nina and Sam's home used to be in the area as well.Sam was born in the Niagara Falls area, where his father worked for Occidental Petroleum; Nina was born in North Tonawanda, where her father, who worked for 35 years at the Tonawanda steel mills, died of lung cancer last summer. Emphysema, only 54 years old when he died. "My father's death was also related to this place," Nina said bitterly. "There were a lot of iron filings in his lungs. When he coughed, he often coughed up blood, and in the end he could hardly breathe. He knew the cause of his death, People in the factory know it too, but they just suffer in silence. The wages are high in the factory, and that's the problem. Or maybe the workers know what's going on, but they can't be sure. That's how we dealt with Sofia The idea. She is getting weaker and lighter, her white blood cells are not up to standard, but we have been praying, always thinking that she will gradually get better. This kind of thinking is actually wrong, just like me, once Had a miscarriage. I always thought it was just an accident. It's always inevitable, like bad luck. But one thing after another, it's a different story. When Sofia died, I thought about having the doctor do an autopsy Surgery, I mean I thought I wanted to do it, but when someone told me what anatomy is, I immediately gave up on it. I really doubt that was the right decision. Leukemia, as the county As the health department said, is it caused by blood genetics, or is there another reason? Is there any toxic substance? I can feel it. It's just such a rainy day. They told me that there is no toxic substance in the air, drinking Not in the water either, they have tested it. Or they just claim to have it. Mr. Burnaby, I am very worried about Alice. She is not gaining weight and has no appetite. I will take her for a blood test and she 'Low white blood cell count' - what does that mean? Also, Billy had headaches, sore eyes, and a constant cough at school. So did Sam." Thinking of Sam, she stopped abruptly.

Dirk comforted her softly.He was very, very sorry.His voice was very weak, and at this moment, Nina couldn't wait to continue: "I just want justice, Mr. Burnaby. I don't want money, I just want justice for Sofia. I want both Billy and Alice to be protected from harm. Those who have had other neighbor kids get sick or die admit it's their fault. I know there must be something wrong here. You can feel it burning your eyes and nostrils sometimes. In the backyard, in many In people's backyards, there is a disgusting, weird black mud oozing out, like oil, but thicker than oil. Let me show you, we have it in the basement of our house. In wet weather, that thing is Seeping through the walls. Called the city hall and the secretary or someone said to wait a minute and wait and the line went down. Go to them in person, go to the city hall, and just wait. You can wait weeks, months. If you live, you can wait many years. In the school on Ninety-ninth Street, Mr. Burnaby, the children can taste the water that is not right. They were playing in the playground and their eyes and skin were burned. There was an open field next to the school, and there was a ditch, and the children got burned when they played there. Billy put those 'hot stones 'Take it home - it's a phosphate rock, the size of a baseball, throw it on the ground and it crackles like firecrackers or firewood, what the hell is that, how do the kids Can play with this kind of shit? I talked to the principal. He is very unfriendly and has no empathy for children. I thought he must care about the students in the school, but he doesn't; he has an attitude towards me Rough, as if I was out of my mind, and he had no time for such an overzealous mother. He told me that Billy should stay in the school's jurisdiction, not in the gutters and open fields Playing there, and in fact, when the kids were playing in the playground, that black thing would come out of the cracks. I took a lot of pictures, Mr. Burnaby. And the pictures of Sofia, I want Look. Billy? Billy, come here."

The little pretentious flaxen-haired fellow who had been pacing up and down the drawing-room door just dawdled over to say hello to Mr. Burnaby—"He's a lawyer, Billy, and very famous." lawyer." Dirk shivered.Very prestigious! "I wanted Billy to transfer to another school, but they wouldn't let it go. All they had to do was concede to one parent and they'd admit there was a problem, so they would never do it. Because then, every parent would want their children to be transferred to a safer school. Then they may have to 'take responsibility' - the school administration, the board of education, and the mayor. They protect each other, and you can see that they are deliberately delaying, Lying, like the health department, but what is there to do? We live here and we barely cover the mortgage, the house and the car every month, and if there are additional medical expenses, like taking Ellie Anne's hospital check-ups at St. Anne's instead of the clinics in the counties they'd assigned, Sam's salary would be more than enough. If anything happened to Sam, Parrish's The factories still have health insurance and pensions, but Sam fears they'll 'retaliate' if we get into trouble. Will it really, Mr. Burnaby? Even the Labor Federations?"

Dirk frowned, thoughtful.But he knew: of course they would retaliate.The owner of Parrish Plastics was tough, and Dirk knew old Hiram Parrish, a friend of Virgil Burnaby, and Mrs Parrish was also a friend of Claudine's social circle.Dirk knew their names—Parrish, Swan, Dow, Occidental Chemicals, and others.Despite the prosperity of the local economy, the unions have yet to get the contracts they want from these companies.Dirk Burnaby was never involved in labor negotiations, but some of his lawyer friends were: hired by the companies.If Dirk had started studying labor law, which he hadn't had much interest in, he'd probably be working for Parrish's now too.He said, "They will, Mrs. Oshek. I'll have to study your husband's contract first and see if I can get any idea." Is this the first step, an important step?Dirk wondered.An inadvertent movement.Introduced himself, Dirk Burnaby, into the lives of a group of strangers. "Thank you, Mr. Burnaby." Nina Oshek looked at him, her eyes sparkling like minerals, and she was smiling as if Dirk Burnaby was saying something, and in fact, she was. The rest of the visit seemed to Dirk fragments, like a broken dream.Nina spoke to him vividly and boldly, as if some kind of agreement had been reached between them. Nina tells him about the "tragic mistake" about the house: They've signed a mortgage agreement for 30 years.They liked it here at first, surrounded by neighbors who were as "kind"-"warm-hearted"-"friendly" couples as they were, and there were many children. Billy walked two blocks to the school, behind the house There is also a large yard where Sam can grow some vegetables. "You'll find he's having a lot of fun with it, maybe it's genetics or something. I really miss that time. Now, if I plant seeds in there, probably nothing will grow. ;Even if it grows, it will be destroyed by those damn bugs." Nina put her hands on her stomach in a daze, maybe she remembered a miscarriage, or thought of her little girl who died young. Dirk kept listening.He asked few questions that night.He was fascinated by Nina Oshek, who was different from any woman Dirk had ever seen before.Nina, who might be of Tuscarora blood, with dark but dull hair and eyes that looked tired and worried but still black and sparkling, attracted Dirk to be her ally.There was something boyishly aggressive about her.Her dark skin is slightly rough, but still attractive.She's unique, and she thinks so herself.She shoulders the mission, even if she loses, she still does not give up.Cheap summer clothes, running around barefoot in a cozy but messy room, she doesn’t feel embarrassed by her feet (not very clean), just like she doesn’t feel embarrassed by the mess in the house, the child’s runny nose, Or feel embarrassed by the damp and rotten smell in the room.She told Dirk Burnaby her story without the slightest awareness of the type and class she belonged to, which Dirk usually would not have noticed. It's not that Dirk Burnaby doesn't believe in democracy.All men, and some women, are created equal.It is so in the eyes of God. (If you don't care about your economic status.) The U.S. Constitution guarantees people's rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.If you don't discuss whether it is true happiness. (Whatever happiness is. A cozy house built from stacks of bills that look like bricks.) As Claudine Burnaby puts it with wry humor, such people do not exist, and if they did, what does it matter to us? Nina was still going on and on about how the house was a trap, making Sofia and them sick.Now, some neighbors are also very disgusted with Nina, saying that she caused trouble at school, alarmist, created "panic", caused "property depreciation" - even accused her and Sam of being "communists". "Do you believe it, Mr. Burnaby? Me and Sam? Isn't that ridiculous? We're Catholics." Dirk replied, "Yes, that's ridiculous." "I said this is ridiculous! It's bullshit. We just want an honest answer, we just don't want people to lie to us, for God's sake, how can we be called communists?" Dirk thought of the early 1950s, when lawyers who defended blacklisted individuals or "rebel suspects" were given ugly nicknames.It was actually several University of Buffalo faculty members who refused to sign the Pledge of Allegiance, a Protestant pastor, a columnist for the News, and several local union officials.Not many people.All lawyers who defend them are labeled as "communist lawyers", "red lawyers" and "lawyers for the minority". Dirk said heartily, "Okay, Nina, it's 1961. We've come a long way." Then Nina Oshek brought a book of photographs.She wiped her tears and her body kept shaking.She sent Billy and Alice into another room and made them eat hot stew and watch TV, and she didn't want them to see the pictures.Looking at the picture of the beautiful, but dead Sofia, Dirk struggled to suppress his tender feelings.From a small baby, to a toddler, to a little girl with slender legs, he was lifted high by his father and leaned against his strong, dark arms. (Sam is a tall, wiry young man in the photo, smiling brightly in the sun; he is wearing a baseball cap, a T-shirt, and shorts. Looking at his strong, toned figure, Dirk suddenly feels Jealousy.) In the next photo in the hospital, Sofia's fair skin looks transparent and her blue eyes are dark and dark.In the next photo, she was dead, a pale doll lying in a coffin lined with white satin.Dirk squinted his eyes, and his attention was no longer on Nina Oshek's trembling voice. He thought of his daughter, Juliet.She is only six months old.He swallowed hard, feeling a tinge of grief caused by fear. Dirk had forgotten that he hadn't wanted any more children.Because his wife's raw desire shocked him.He was even a little afraid of her. make love to me!For God's sake, do it.do it! Not afraid of Alia, but afraid of women with strong desires.Not the Alia he was afraid of marrying, but another Alia under the same exterior. And yet: in this union, Juliet was born. "I have a daughter too." "Really? What's her name?" "Juliet." "What a beautiful name. She, how old is she?" "Newborn." This sentence is very strange.That is not accurate.At that moment, Dirk suddenly felt that human beings are so fragile in infancy, and it is so difficult to maintain life.Sucking on mother's milk or bottle, completely dependent on others, lacks strength, inflexibility, and cannot speak.At that moment, Dirk suddenly felt a ridiculous panic, as if something was going to happen to his daughter, just because he was not with her today, he didn't go home directly. Nina then showed him the pictures taken at the school on Ninety-ninth Street.On the playground, that black "mud" bubbled up from cracks in the asphalt.And that stinking ditch that is "full of that kind of mud".The open space, overgrown with weeds and thistles, bordered by nasty dirty water.Billy Oshek's swollen, red eyes, his "burned" hands, and the "burned" hands of other children. "The principal said to us: 'Let the children wash their hands and they'll be fine.'" Nina said angrily.She spread out many other photos on the table, all taken at neighbors, in her basement and backyard.Dirk felt very uneasy thinking about it all.There had been a number of cases over the years against the chemical companies—Parrish, Swan, Dow, and Occidental.These personal injury cases were all initiated by the workers, but in fact, they were either rejected by the district judge, or they were settled in secret, and the amount of compensation was not too high.Because they are told: You work in these places at risk, and you get paid for that risk. Of course, you won't get much.There can't be many of them at all.But these are another matter. Around where we live, the land, the water is polluted, and the pollution affects everyone, and these are new and different problems.Dirk never gave it much thought.Decker's legal career has not been involved in these messy cases. He is a highly trained lawyer who argues small but groundbreaking issues on the basis of New York State law.His clients are usually wealthy businessmen looking to protect and enhance their reputation and influence.Dirk also occasionally takes on a bankruptcy case or two, or does some charity work, but these are not his main work.He was like a chess master, playing freely on the familiar board, and on this board, he, Dirk Bernack, was respected and awed by others. He felt excited, and a little panicked.A whole new competition!Dirk Bernard can still win this game. "In my own hometown." Dirk's voice must have been too loud. Nina Oshek said coldly, "Yes! It's in your own hometown." A few photos fell to the floor, and Dirk picked them up.His blood was welling up and his face was flushed.Nina said: "These can be used as evidence, Mr. Bernack, can't they? In court, if the jurors see it, it will be useful. It will be useful to see children and human life. ’” Dirk didn’t think so, he thought scientific evidence would work, doctor’s testimonials would work, or figured out how to make them work.A tearful but very calm mother, standing on the witness stand, describing everything, the death of her child, the illness of her child and herself, might be useful. "Mr. Burnaby! Can you come over here before you leave?" Nina took Dirk's arm and led him to the kitchen. She turned on the tap and took a glass of water for Dirk to smell and taste again.Dirk sniffed it, but he didn't drink it, although (he thought) it wasn't that different from what the whole family drank in Luna Park.Nina smiled and poured the water into the sink, "Well, why do you want to drink it? No one will blame you if you don't drink it." Then, Nina dragged him to the basement again, oh my god, what does it smell like here Ah, they creaked under their feet on the cheap wooden steps.The basement, shrouded in harsh overhead lights, resembles an ugly cavern, reeking of drainpipes and tar.The floor was a grid pattern and shone with light.There were several streams of rain on the ground, and several small puddles.Some disgusting filth was protruding from the only six feet of concrete wall.The shallow pool pump was working, making a loud noise like a heart about to burst. "Whenever it rains, the basement floods, and that's what it's like here. Sam fixes the shallow pool pump, but by the time he gets back from get off work, it's probably broken. Damn it!" Nina gasped angrily. Get angry.She gripped Dirk's arm tightly, as if to prevent him from going up the stairs and escaping. "See, Mr. Burnaby? I'm not talking nonsense. The neighbors say it's 'that way' when it rains here in Niagara Falls, and even Sam says it's always been that way here. Nobody wants to admit there's something else going on here, they're worried about 'property depreciation' - blah blah blah! It's not just rain and dust, it's not just a sewer problem, I keep telling people they should get a test done, at Corvin Manor The land and water should be tested. I used to be fine, but I've had migraines since living here and now I'm starting to have asthma like poor Billy and Sam. I'm not just talking about myself, I'm The swearing isn't for me, it's for the kids, we're supposed to care about them, aren't we? Sam gets mad at me for thinking too much, but my miscarriage, and my baby dying of leukemia, it's not me Made it out of thin air. Right?" Nina was so emotional that she wiped the tears from her face.Grief and anger were written all over her face.Dirk tried not to breathe in this ghostly place, so he couldn't comfort Nina, so he ran up the stairs, while Billy huddled in the doorway. God!At that moment, he almost threw up.A sharp headache struck between his brows, and his eyes ached from the moisture. Nina caught up to Dirk in the kitchen and apologized: "I think I might have gotten used to the smell. But I didn't expect people to react to it." She smiled sheepishly. Dirk leaves her house, desperate to get out of that damn place, and Nina comes out to see him off.At this moment, the rain has been much lighter.Dirk didn't hold an umbrella.Thankfully, he was finally able to breathe again.The smell of her basement might not be long forgotten by Dirk, and the sticky air east of the Niagara Falls region smelled almost fresh now. The evening air, with a strange luminosity, smelled of moisture and tar.There were clouds in the sky, and the sun was setting over Canada, where the sky was still clear.It's midsummer: the summer solstice, night is slowly falling in the urban area where many factories are located, smoke is rising from the chimneys, and lights are scattered throughout the vast land. Standing next to Dirk's car, Nina was still talking, but this time her speech was much faster, as if she already felt that she had offended Dirk, and also felt that she might scare him away. "People say there used to be an old canal here that was filled in and no one knows exactly where it is. I think it might be near the school. It might have flowed through this place before. The contractor for the Corwen Estate was The houses were built here after it was filled, and I've been thinking, maybe after WWII - what the hell did they fill the river with? Not just dirt, maybe waste? Chemicals ?Swann Chemicals is just off Corvin Avenue, on the other side of Portage. Nobody tells us these things. I've been to the health department, city hall, I've asked the News Yes. I would therefore like to hire a lawyer who would be interested in the matter. Mr. Burnaby, you are recognized as the best lawyer in Niagara Falls." Dirk frowned, and maybe he did.Dirk was on his chessboard, at the peak of his career, and at the same time the peak of his life. According to the rules he was familiar with, he played freely and almost won every battle. "Mr. Burnaby, I know you can't decide right away whether to accept or refuse. I just ask you not to refuse. Please! I understand that you need to think carefully. I also understand that you know very well that we don't have much money. All we could come up with - all cobbled together by neighbors involved in the matter - was probably a few thousand dollars. I know your charges are much higher than that. Your office The nice lady explained it to me. But I wanted to talk to you, and now we have. Thank you!" Dirk replied: "Mrs. Oshek, I will leave you the contact information. Let me think about it again." Nina summoned up her courage, grabbed Dirk's hand with both hands, and held it tightly.Her mineral eyes shone provocatively with a hint of desperation.She said softly: "I have one more thing to tell you, Mr. Burnaby. You mustn't be angry! Don't hate me! Look, I'm praying about it. To-night. I'm praying for you. Yes God brought you to me." Never commit adultery.Never be an adulterous husband.I didn't fall in love with that woman either. But, with the ill-fated case of the Canal of Love, he was in danger of ruining himself and his married life. 1 Alya knew it before, but she didn't know it either.Now, as a wife, she doesn't understand, but she does. Or maybe she thought she understood. After the late summer of 1961, it was autumn and then winter in the Niagara Falls area, next to the Niagara Gorge.Luna Park 22 has a newborn baby!From Alia's point of view, this baby seems to have a mysterious power that makes the whole family beat with her little life.Even though Alia was exhausted, she still felt content.She also loves Chandler and Royal, and Juliet is her heart and soul. "Look in our eyes, we're just alike. Oh, Bridget! Look." Aaliyah smiled, eyes a little wet, preening in front of the mirror with the big-eyed baby next to her.The green eyes are like pebbles, like glass balls, with a few faint bloodshot streaks.The Irish wet nurse just hired looked into the eyes of the mother and the eyes of the child; being Irish, she was shrewd and knew how to speak to make her master happier, so she replied with a strong accent: "Oh, Mrs. Burnaby! She is a mold of you, God bless you." However…… My husband loves me very much.He will not betray me.He knew that would destroy me.Besides, he loves me very much. hateful!The phone rang.Alia had forgotten to pick up the receiver just now.Today is Thursday, and she is currently taking piano lessons at five o'clock in the afternoon (the student is a girl from the neighbor's house, she is 12 years old, plump and beautiful, with medium qualifications, and Alia likes her very much), and Alia does not leave the piano bench, Shout out, "Royal, dear, can you pick up the phone? Whoever's calling, just pick it up and gently put it down. Be good, boy." But Royall was Royall, and he never listened to his mother and was always against her.This is Royall's little trick.He is three years old this year, and his head is full of ghost ideas.He picked up the phone in both hands and said into the receiver like a crazy little monkey: "Mommy's not here! Mommy's not here! Bye!" Giggling, Royall dropped the receiver on the carpet with a "smack" and turned. Came over and patted his mouth with his hands, looking very mischievous.Alia couldn't disturb him, the person on the phone could hear him. Aliya's after-school piano lessons should be a kind of solace to her, serene and dignified, and even a burst of beauty throughout the Burnaby family, which often isn't the case. Alia sighed and turned to her student again.The little girl, frowning, was playing the tricky arpeggio in B-flat major (intermittently), her stubby fingers barely able to handle it, but with great difficulty.She's still talented.Or maybe all she has is what Aaliyah thinks she's gifted -- in the course of her classes these days.In her usual way, Aaliyah gasped and said enthusiastically, "Very well, Louise! Promising! Now let's do it again, note the flow of notes, this is four quarter time—" This is actually a strange consolation.When I was teaching the piano, I often heard myself muttering that it was good!Very promising!Now let's do it again. Her husband Burnaby's legal friends and social acquaintances found it odd, and Ariah knew it.Dirk Burnaby's wife actually gave piano lessons.Five dollars an hour.And she is already a mother of three children.Like an old lady in high society who needs money to come in.Dirk's sisters objected to Alia's piano teaching. Alia once defended herself in front of them with wide-eyed eyes and an innocent face: "Oh, I am preparing for the future, in case Dirk abandons me or Something happened to him, and I had to support myself and the kids. Don't all wives do that?" Even if it was just to see the look on their heavily made-up, discreet faces, so It's worth doing.How funny!Recalling the scene at that time, Alia smiled. But Dirk didn't find it ridiculous.In fact, he'd gotten mad at Aaliyah for it. Alia wanted to rebel. Isn't that what all wives are supposed to do? Louise was still working on her arpeggios. These chords should have been like cheerful, soft, sparkling water rippled by pebbles, but Louise played them intermittently, as if at each note. , all deliberately hitting the small hammer with uneven force. "Don't forget the tempo, dear: there are four beats in a bar, one for each quarter note." Arya tapped the tempo with her pencil.She had developed a dual-purpose ability, listening to her students play with one ear and keeping an eye on the rest of the house with the other.The new house that Dirk insisted on buying was too big. This "mom's piano classroom" was originally a living room connected to the living room, just off the hallway leading to the kitchen, with stairs attached.Where is Bridget?Probably in the kitchen with the kids.阿瑞特还必须要留神罗约尔，罗约尔可不是那么容易乖乖听话的。阿莉亚希望那个刚才打来电话的人已经挂断了。 是的，听起来布丽奇特好像是在厨房。她也许在给朱丽叶弄吃的吧，她对朱丽叶太亲昵了，阿莉亚不喜欢她这样。她想当我漂亮女儿的妈妈。我才是她的妈妈呢。 阿莉亚也不喜欢罗约尔挤在布丽奇特旁边的样子。这个爱尔兰奶妈总是抚摸着罗约尔亚麻色的头发，赞叹他蓝色的眼睛，还总是抱着他。布丽奇特还常常和他聊天，说的话好像是盖尔人的儿语一样。他们在一起又说又笑，阿莉亚怀疑他们是不是在策划什么不能让她这个当妈的知道的秘密。 钱德勒长大了，已经不吃布丽奇特大呼小叫那一套了。而且他总是不在家。Thank goodness! 阿莉亚总是喜欢把电话听筒拿起来。这样她才觉得有安全感。电话的响铃声让她觉得很紧张。有时候她会捂着耳朵，从响着的电话旁边迅速跑开。她推测电话是德克打来的，也可能是声音温和的接待员玛德琳，阿莉亚很讨厌她。他们打来电话不外乎是告诉阿莉亚德克要晚些回来吃饭，或不回来吃饭，阿莉亚干吗要自寻烦恼，去听这些令她难过的消息呢？不知道更好。索性就看看到底会发生什么事吧。把听筒拿开，让拨号音一直处于忙音状态，就好像电话真的很忙一样。有时候管家会给她添乱，甚至在客厅没有任何事要做的布丽奇特也会跑过去把电话放回原处。电话忽然响了，搅乱了家里的宁静，接着就会有人喊——“找波纳比太太？电话，妈妈。” 然而“妈妈”这会儿在哪呢？她正在楼上开着两个淋浴头洗澡。大声哼着歌呢。 如果后面没有学生，阿莉亚的钢琴课就会拖会儿堂，今天的课就拖到了六点一刻。路易丝显然已经坐不住了。已经练了好几个礼拜的莫扎特小回旋曲，她还是弹得一团糟，阿莉亚不得不再给她示范一遍。多迷人的一段曲子啊，简洁明快，一切意味都止于表面，没有什么深奥的，也不留下任何遐想的空间。“好，现在再来一遍，路易丝。我知道你一定能弹好的。”路易丝开始演奏，第一个音符就弹错了，她摇摇头，说：“我，我想我得走了，波纳比太太。”路易丝笨拙地从琴凳上起来，收拾她的乐谱。阿莉亚很迷惑。路易丝红着脸对她说：“我想这是我在您这儿上的最后一节钢琴课了，我很抱歉。” 阿莉亚十分吃惊，她几乎不知道该如何是好。“路易丝，什么？你最后一节课——？” “我，我妈妈说……” “你妈妈？” “我想是我爸爸告诉她的。从今往后就不再上钢琴课了。” 路易丝满脸通红，不敢看阿莉亚的眼睛，慌忙逃走了。 阿莉亚跟着她到了门口，路易丝走后她轻轻地把门关上。阿莉亚在门厅站了几分钟，感到头昏眼花，就像头部受到了击打一样。怎么搞的，路易丝?埃格斯可是她最有前途的学生之一啊。埃格斯一家就住在公园对面气派的老殖民地那里，前几年波纳比一家也曾好几次拜访过他们。在喜欢交际的埃格斯太太面前，阿莉亚跟平时一样，显得有点沉默寡言，但她一直以为埃格斯太太还是很喜欢她的。埃格斯先生是尼亚加拉水电站的首席执行官，也是德克工作上的朋友。 或许一切只是看起来如此。 “噢，可恶。”阿莉亚痛苦地抱怨。 一定有人又把听筒放回去了。the phone is ringing. 那个从爱尔兰高维郡来的奶妈，好心却有点招人烦，喊“妈妈”接电话，仍然带着她那轻快的、感情丰富的爱尔兰口音。在德克的书房里，阿莉亚麻木地拿起电话。“喂——”她连出于礼貌问候一下的力气都没了。 但是，她大吃一惊，电话是德克的姐姐克莱丽丝打来的。 克莱丽丝！德克两个姐姐中年龄较大的那个，也是阿莉亚更害怕的那个。她属于大眼睛的琼?克劳馥那种类型，一头烫发卷得紧紧的，就像许多小腊肠，她还习惯朝上努着嘴，即便是假惺惺地对阿莉亚微笑的时候也是这样。克莱丽丝五十刚出头，是个冷淡的女人，身上带着一股克劳丁?波纳比的气质，趾高气扬，动不动就喜欢指责别人。“阿莉亚，是你吗？” "Oh yes." 阿莉亚的回答很无力，几乎听不见。她尽量让自己做到这样的标准——但这样到底是怎样呢？——就是和这个自鸣得意的世界要求的一样。 噢，天哪。阿莉亚的思绪飞快地旋转。克莱丽丝曾邀请阿莉亚和德克带着孩子们去大岛她的家去，而他们却忘了。又是这样吗？（阿莉亚觉得很惭愧，这事就发生在那年复活节。阿莉亚承认自己的过错，那次她忘记在日历上标清楚日子了。）一年中总有那么两到三次，凑着这个或那个节假日的“机会”，德克的姐姐们总会表现得十分热情友好，邀请她们的弟弟和家人来玩儿。阿莉亚害怕这些场合，有时她会托辞说自己头疼，或是说和钢琴课有冲突，这样就有理由可以不去了。克劳丁?波纳比已经70多岁了，固执地一个人生活着，传言她成了个宗教狂热分子，她从不去儿女那里。但是每当大家着迷似的谈起她或是对她表示担忧的时候，阿莉亚就想捂着耳朵跑出去。 （为什么会有如此“古怪”的举动呢？只要你愿意，就在自己家中躲来躲去？要是你有经济手段呢？特别是如果你住在能望到尼亚加拉河，就像夏洛特那样的庄园呢？） 克莱丽丝客气地询问阿莉亚和孩子们的情况，她总是搞不清孩子们的名字，阿莉亚也从不费劲儿去纠正。尽管此时阿莉亚正头脑混乱、心神不宁，她还是赶忙回答：很好，很好，大家都很好，其实她都不知道自己在说什么：就算钱德勒已经离家出走好几天，就算罗约尔在地下室玩火柴而造成房子失火，就算布丽奇特抱着漂亮的小朱丽叶逃走了，她此刻还是会欢快地回答：“很好！”然而她实在没有力气再去询问克莱丽丝一家现在怎么样。 “好吧，其实我今天给你打电话的原因是，阿莉亚，”克莱丽丝说，她的语气像浇注好的混凝土，“我听到了一些难听的谣言，想问问你知不知道。”紧接着是一个明显的停顿。阿莉亚把话筒紧紧贴在耳朵上，就好像那些谣言就在电话里一样，但是她应不应该听呢？ 克莱丽丝步步紧逼，接着说“这谣言是关于我弟弟德克的。” 阿莉亚感到绝望，却还是说了句俏皮话：“噢，是关于你弟弟德克！还好，不是我的丈夫德克。” “阿莉亚，亲爱的，我也希望你会觉得这些谣言很可笑。” Alya smiled. “克莱丽丝，我也这么想。今天下午上了三堂钢琴课，我这会儿也很想听点好笑的东西。” “我觉得你一定笑不出来：德克和别的女人有关系。” 有关系！多奇怪的说法啊。 “阿莉亚？你在听吗？别人都说，德克去看别的女人了。” 阿莉亚笑得眼前蒙上了一层薄薄的雾气，这雾气不知怎的飘进了屋里，在家具和摆设上徘徊，使它们看上去很朦胧，这雾气带着一股瀑布脚下潮湿冰冷的味道。 “天哪。德克时时刻刻都在'看'女人啊，克莱丽丝。他不得不看，不是吗？用他的眼睛看？”阿莉亚笑了，笑得像脖子被拧住的小鸡一样。“这有什么奇、奇怪的啊？” “阿莉亚，你坐着吗？坐下吧。” 阿莉亚倔强地摇摇头。她不想坐！就像罗约尔不守规矩一样。她至少应该能跟三岁的儿子一样骄傲吧。她站在德克的拉盖书桌旁边，虚弱地靠在上面。她这会儿没有足够的协调力拉出德克的转椅坐在上面。她很少来德克的书房。这里是孩子们的禁地。阿莉亚对这些财物资料，注销支票，发票还有收入所得税的表格也提不起一点兴趣。德克所有的个人资料记录都放在这里，当然也包括家里的东西，但是阿莉亚从来不碰这些公文。结婚以来，她从没付过一次帐单，也从不打开这些信件，这里面装着各种票据，有尼亚加拉县的，纽约州的还有美国联邦政府的。看到她能干敦厚的丈夫要处理这么多可怕的事情，她打了个哆嗦，身体不由自主朝前倾了一下。 她灵敏的鼻子在房间里搜寻，鼻孔一张一翕。她闻到了德克偶尔抽的那种雪茄味，淡淡的，沁人的味道。还有他洗发精和古龙水的味道。那瓶男士古龙水是阿莉亚送给他的。他爱我，他知道这样会毁了我。 阿莉亚听见布丽奇特抱着朱丽叶去婴儿房了，布丽奇特用盖尔话叽叽咕咕哼着歌。该换尿布了！阿莉亚有一种强烈的挫败感。尿布，婴儿的粪便！她自己正慢慢丧失在女儿的婴儿期照顾她的权利。罗约尔在楼梯上跟着布丽奇特在跑，像个行进中的士兵一样使劲跺着脚。和他们在一起，阿莉亚感到绝望。她对着电话结结巴巴地说：“克，克莱丽丝，我要挂电话了，孩子们在叫我。” 克莱丽丝狂暴地大叫：“不行！你竟然要挂电话，阿莉亚！你这样自欺欺人要到什么时候。这样难听的谣言不仅仅关乎到你，还关乎波纳比全家，我们所有的人。我可怜的母亲身体不好，如果让她听到她最'喜欢'的儿子竟然做出这种事，她会崩溃的。还有公众。德克和一个下层社会的女人纠缠，一个结了婚有孩子的女人，这难道还不够让人心烦吗？他正准备提交那些可笑的上诉，要替那个女人出庭，他那些法律判断力还有道德判断力都跑到哪儿去了？他看起来已经疯了。还有你，身为他的妻子，总觉得自己聪慧睿智又有教养，比我们都强，难道你就没注意到吗？你难道瞎了眼，阿莉亚？” 那团雾气好像扩散了，阿莉亚揉揉眼睛？难道她真的瞎了眼吗？她耳朵边的声音还在吼叫，听起来像远处不断泻落的瀑布。 德克书桌上方的墙上，挂着他祖父伟大的雷金纳德?波纳比的银版相片，他祖父是个鲁莽而勇敢之人。相片上的他精瘦得好像一架轻型战车，带着股吉普赛人的傲慢，头发理得十分整齐，蓄着八字胡，黑色的眼睛犹如大理石，闪烁着热情的光芒，是个颇具魅力的年轻人。阿莉亚觉得他此时的存在有一丝讽刺的意味。你，也是拴在绳索上的！你，梦里觉得自己在陆地上很安全。 这些年，阿莉亚一直在嘲笑她自己，还有德克，脑子里总有些稀奇古怪的幻想觉得德克会离开她。but now…… 克莱丽丝继续说：“我弟弟回来的时候你问问他'妮娜'是谁。问问他为什么为了这个女人他要自毁前程。他要状告尼亚加拉大瀑布市，状告教育委员会，还有斯万化学公司，不知道还有什么别的！我想肯定还有他的朋友！他一块儿上学的同学！我们父母的朋友！还有尼亚加拉大瀑布区和布法罗最有权势的一些人！这一切都只是为了一个相貌平平的女人，别人是这么说的。那女人的丈夫是个工厂的工人，而且是个共产主义的煽动者，他们有两个孩子，都有点儿痴呆。但是现在他们奥谢克家已经分开住了，德克在卢卡斯山那里给那女人找了个地方住，花销全由德克负担，而你，身为他的妻子，却对这事儿浑然不知！居然还躲在家里摆弄你心爱的钢琴！'史坦威父子公司造的琴'！别人说你丈夫的情人有塔斯卡洛拉血统，更糟的是，她还是个天主教徒。” 阿莉亚呜咽着，像只备受折磨得的小动物。“我不信你的话！让我一个人静静。”她砰的一声把电话挂断，德克姐姐乌鸦般的声音也随之消失了。 在墙上，雷金纳德?波纳比好像在对她微笑着眨眼。 “不可能，德克不会这么做的。” 阿莉亚开始翻德克的办公桌，胡乱地翻着。她要找——什么呢？她丈夫的秘密。这张古色古香的办公桌是红木做的，很重，在地毯上留下了深深的凹印；这桌子不是德克的爸爸维吉尔?波纳比留给他的，而是他爸爸的赞助人——富有的安格斯?麦肯纳留下的。阿莉亚不太了解这些已故的人，她也不想去了解。她嫁的是德克，不是他们全家。阿莉亚讨厌德克的家庭！噢，这个拉盖书桌到处都是秘密。男人的秘密。到处都是文件架和抽屉。桌子上到处是包着玻璃纸的雪茄，大多是带甜味的科罗纳雪茄。一沓沓用橡胶带捆着的注销支票，收据，帐单。还有银行结单，国税局的表格，商业书信和保险单。 （没有私人信件吗？值得怀疑。）阿莉亚像一个挨了踹的小狗一样，呜咽着，她拉开抽屉，发疯似的翻来翻去。我不是这种人。这不是阿莉亚。瀑布那里的薄雾已经飘进屋了，像口水一样恶心。阿莉亚已经看不清楚了。她摸索着翻弄德克的支票簿，急促地喘着气。evidence?丈夫背叛她的证据？她想不起那个女人的名字了。但是不会有别的女人了。 德克工整地记录着1961年8月，9月，10月，最近的一次是11月,他都给'N.奥谢克'开了五百美元的支票。阿莉亚喘着粗气，感到一阵眩晕。'N.奥谢克'如果她是德克的客户，那德克为什么会给她钱呢？ 为什么会给她钱？ 补偿她提供的服务吗？ 还有其他奇怪的——可疑的——记号。每个月向波纳比财产管理公司支付365美元。德克为什么给自己家的公司开支票呢？what does this mean? “'卢卡斯山的住处。'德克把他的情人就安置在那里。噢，老天哪。” 阿莉亚感到身后有动静，她有点心虚，转过身来，发现书房门口站着个面容消瘦的男孩子，他身上没有明显的年龄特征，表情过分深沉，不像小孩儿，个头又太小，不像少年，他黄黄的皮肤上已经出现了皱纹，忧虑的双眼就像鱼鳞一样在金丝边眼镜后面闪动着。（噢，这该死的眼镜！这眼镜才配了几个星期，但阿莉亚一看见它，就想把它从男孩儿的鼻子上拽下来，摔成两半。）这男孩儿的法兰绒衬衫皱皱巴巴，扣子也系错了，校服裤子两条腿的膝盖处还有许多污渍，早上出门之前，他的衣服裤子可都是洗得干干净净，熨得整整齐齐的。阿莉亚受惊过度，一时竟想不起他的名字了。 他是我的孩子，我错了。 这男孩儿焦急地问这里是不是出了什么乱子。 沙哑的声音：如果砂纸会说话，大概就是这种声音。 阿莉亚努力让自己恢复常态，非常努力。“钱德勒，天哪，你吓死我了。悄悄跑到我身后，就像个——像头乌龟！”阿莉亚的双手紧握在一起，这样才能令它们不再发抖。她当时一定是面色惨白，脸上的雀斑就像感叹号下面的那个点儿。然而阿莉亚对钱德勒说话的时候，还是保持着平时那种责备的口气，就好像孩子已经习惯这样，只有这样他才会觉得舒服，别的法子都不行。 钱德勒吞吞吐吐地说：“我——刚才听见您哭了，妈妈。我还听见您——尖叫。” 阿莉亚生气地回答：“你并没听见我尖叫，钱德勒。别说傻话了。那不是我。”