你在天堂遇到的五个人.docx

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