在星期二喝可可和木瓜汁的拉菲娜

每逢星期二,拉菲娜的丈夫回家就晚,因为这一晚他要玩多米诺骨牌。于是拉菲娜,年纪轻轻就因为倚在窗口太久太久而变老的她,被锁在了屋里,因为她的丈夫害怕拉菲娜会逃跑,因为她长得太美,不能被人看到。

拉菲娜倚在窗口,倚着她的胳膊肘,梦想她的头发能像拉潘索公主的一样。酒吧的乐声从街角传来,拉菲娜希望能在变老以前去那里,去跳舞。

时间过去很久了,我们忘了她在那上面张望,直到她说:孩子们,我给你们一元钱,你们去店里帮我买点东西好吗?她扔下一张皱巴巴的票子来。她总是要可可汁,有时要木瓜汁。我们把它放进一个她用晾衣绳放下来的纸手袋里,给她递上去。

星期二总是喝可可汁或木瓜汁的拉菲娜希望生活里有更甜的饮料,不像一间空屋子那么苦涩,而是像小岛,像街那头的舞厅一样甜美。在舞厅里,比她老很多的女人可以像掷色子一样随意地抛媚眼,用钥匙开家里的门。并且总会有人过来献上更甜美的饮料,承诺把它们用银色绳子系起来。

Rafaela Who Drinks Coconut & Papaya Juice on Tuesdays

On Tuesdays Rafaela's husband comes home late because that's the night he plays dominoes. And then Rafaela, who is still young but getting old from leaning out the window so much, gets locked indoors because her husband is afraid Rafaela will run away since she is too beautiful to look at.

Rafaela leans out the window and leans on her elbow and dreams her hair is like Rapunzel's. On the corner there is music from the bar, and Rafaela wishes she could go there and dance before she gets old.

A long time passes and we forget she is up there watching until she says:Kids, if I give you a dollar will you go to the store and buy me something? She throws a crumpled dollar down and always asks for coconut or sometimes papaya juice, and we send it up to her in a paper shopping bag she lets down with clothesline.

Rafaela who drinks and drinks coconut and papaya juice on Tuesdays and wishes there were sweeter drinks, not bitter like an empty room, but sweet sweet like the island, like the dance hall down the street where women much older than her throw green eyes easily like dice and open homes with keys. And always there is someone offering sweeter drinks, someone promising to keep them on a silver string.