芒果街上的小屋伊伦妮塔、牌、手掌和水

伊伦妮塔、牌、手掌和水

　　伊伦妮塔，算命的女人，用抹布擦桌子，因为喂宝宝的埃妮把酷爱汁洒了。她说，把这蠢宝宝抱出去，到客厅里去喝你的酷爱。你没看到我在忙吗？埃妮把宝宝抱去了客厅，那里的电视上在演《兔八哥》。

　　幸亏你昨天没来，她说，昨天星星全乱套了。

　　她的电视是彩色的，很大，她所有漂亮的家具都是用嘉年华会上派送的泰迪熊那样的红色毛皮做的。她在上面蒙了一层塑料。我想这都是因为宝宝的缘故。

　　是的，那是好事情。我说。

　　我们呆在厨房里，因为这里是她工作的地方。冰柜的顶上摆满了东西：点着和没点着的圣烛，有红有绿有蓝；一个石膏圣像和一个灰扑扑的棕榈主日十字架，一张用胶带贴在墙上的伏都神手图。

　　去弄点水来。她说。

　　我走到水池边拿起那里惟一干净的杯子，一个大啤酒杯，上面写着“啤酒使密尔瓦齐闻名于世”。我用它从水龙头里接了点热水，然后把这杯水放到了桌子中央，这是她教我的。

　　看里面，看到什么了吗？

　　可我看到的只是气泡。

　　你看到谁的脸了吗？

　　没有，只有泡泡。我说。

　　好吧。她用手在水面上画了三次十字，开始抽牌。

　　这可不是平常玩的牌。这些牌，每张大阿尔克纳牌上都绘有不同的神秘画面。在占卜中，这些画面的寓意被用来解释未来和命运。它们有点奇怪，上面有骑在马上的金发白肤的男人、吓人的长了刺的棒球棒、金色圣杯、穿着旧式服装的悲伤的女人，还有哭泣的玫瑰。

　　我知道电视上在演一部好玩的《兔八哥》卡通片。我以前看过，听出了它的音乐，我希望可以走过去和埃妮、宝宝一起坐在塑料沙发上，可我的命运开始显现了。我的一生都在这厨房桌子上：过去、现在和将来。接着她拿起我的手看手掌。合上它。同时合上的还有她的眼睛。

　　你感觉到了吗？感觉到冷了吗？

　　是的，我撒谎说，有一点冷。

　　好。她说，精灵在里面。开始了。

　　这张牌，上面有一个黑人骑黑马的，代表嫉妒；这张，代表忧伤。这里有一窝蜜蜂和一张豪华床垫。你马上要去参加一个婚礼了。你丢失了一双可以依靠的臂膀是吗？对，可靠的臂膀？很清楚，这就是它代表的意思。

　　有房子吗？我问，我是因为它才来的。

　　啊，是的，心中有一所房子。我在心中看到一所房子。

　　那是房子吗？

　　我看到的是的。她说着便站起来，因为孩子们在打架。伊伦妮塔站起来打了他们，然后又抱抱他们。她很爱他们，只是他们有时太野了。

　　她回来，能看出来我有些失望。她是个算命的女人，知道很多事情。如果你头痛，就把一个冷鸡蛋抹在脸上。要忘掉一桩过去的恋情是吗？拿一只小鸡爪，系上红绳子，在你脑袋上旋转三次，然后烧掉它。恶幽灵让你睡不着是吗？靠近一枝圣烛睡七天，到第八天的时候，点燃它。还有好多好多其他的事情。而现在她知道我有点伤心。

　　宝贝，如果你想的话，我可以再看一次。于是她又看了一遍牌、手掌、水。啊哈。她说。

　　心里的一所房子，我是对的。

　　可我还是不明白。

　　一所新房子，一所心造的房子。我会为你点上一枝烛。

　　我为这个付了她五元钱。

　　谢谢，再见。当心罪恶之眼。等星期三星星再强一点的时候再来。圣母保佑你。门关上了。

　　Elenita, witan, wipes the table with a rag because Ernie who is feeding the baby spilled Kool-Aid. She says：Take that crazy baby out of here and drink your Kool-Aid in the living room. 't you see I'm busy? Erakes the baby into the living room where Bugs Bunny is on T. V.

　　Good lucky you didn't e yesterday, she says. The plas were all mixed up yesterday.

　　Her T. V.is color and big and all her pretty furniture made out of red fur like the teddy bears they give away in ivals. She has them covered with plastic. I think this is on at of the baby.

　　Yes, it's a good thing, I say.

　　But we stay i because this is where she works. The top of the refrigerator busy with holy dles, some lit, some not, red and green and blue, a plaster saint and a dusty Palm Sunday cross, and a picture of the voodoo hand taped to the wall.

　　Get the water, she says.

　　I go to the sink and pick the only glass there, a beer mug that says the beer that made Milwaukee famous, and fill it up with hot water from the tap, then put the glass of water on the ter of the table, the way she taught me.

　　Look in it, do you see anything?

　　But all I see are bubbles.

　　You see anybody's face?

　　Nope, just bubbles, I say.

　　That's okay, and she makes the sign of the cross over the water three times and then begins to cut the cards.

　　They're not like ordinary playing cards, these cards. They're strange, with blond men on horses and crazy baseball bats with thorns. Golden goblets, sad-looking women dressed in old-fashioned dresses, and roses that cry.

　　There is a good Bugs Bunny cartoon on T. V. I know, I saw it before and reize the musid wish I could go sit on the plastic couch with Ernie and the baby, but now my fortune begins. My whole life on that kit table：past, present, future. Theakes my hand and looks into my palm. Closes it. Closes her eyes too.

　　Do you feel it, feel the cold?

　　Yes, I lie, but only a little.

　　Good, she says, los espíritus are here. And begins.

　　This card, the oh the dark man on a dark horse, this means jealousy, and this one, sorrow. Here a pillar of bees and this a mattress of luxury. You will go to a wedding soon and did you lose an anchor of arms, yes, an anchor of arms? It's clear that's what that means.

　　What about a house, I say, because that's what I came for.

　　Ah, yes, a home in the heart. I see a home in the heart.

　　Is that it?

　　That's what I see, she says, thes up because the kids are fighting. Elenita gets up to hit and then hug them. She really does love them, only sometimes they are rude.

　　She es bad tell I'm disappointed. She's a witan and knows many things. If you got a headache, rub a cold egg across your faeed tet an old romaake a chi's foot, tie it with red string, spin it over your head three times, then burn it. Bad spirits keeping you awake? Sleep o a holy dle for seven days, then on the eighth day, spit. And lots of other stuff. Only now she tell I'm sad.

　　Baby, I'll look again if you wao. And she looks again into the cards, palm, water, and says uh-huh.

　　A home in the heart, I was right.

　　Only I don't get it.

　　A new house, a house made of heart. I'll light a dle for you.

　　All this for five dollars I give her.

　　Thank you and goodbye and be careful of the evil eye. e back again on a Thursday whears are stronger. And may the Virgin bless you. And shuts the door.

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