Growing Up in Five Minutes
五分鐘成長
I liked to think of myself as a grown man, but consternation was eating away at my bravado like a starved piranha devouring its prey. The storm grew stronger. The lights went off. The clock struck nine. I began to cry.
我那時喜歡把自己看作一個大人，但是驚恐、慌亂就像一條飢腸轆轆的食人魚吞食獵物一般，漸漸攻破了我的虛張聲勢。暴風雨變得越來越猛烈。燈都熄滅了。時鐘敲了九下。我哭了起來。
Then the phone rang. I wiped my tears, swallowed my sobs and answered. It was my mother.
這時電話鈴響了。我擦去眼淚，強忍著哽咽接起了電話。是媽媽打來的。
Hello, Carlo? She began. "I'm still ..."
“嗨，卡洛嗎？”她說道：“我還在……”
Where are you? I interrupted, fully aware that my agitation was unbecoming for a grown-up.
“你在哪裡啊？”我打斷了她的話，完全不管自己當時的焦慮不安有失大人的身份。
I'm here, in Glori's, with your brother.
“我在格洛裡這兒，和你弟弟一起。”
I knew that the Glori Supermart was only five minutes from our house. I knew because my dad told me, and estimating distances was grown men's stuff.
我知道格洛裡超市離我們家只有五分鐘的路程。我之所以知道是因為我爸爸告訴過我，而且估計路程也是一個大人該會的本事。
What time will you be home? I asked.
“你們什麼時候才能到家啊？”我問道。
Unless we get a ride, you shouldn't expect us any time soon.
“除非我們能搭上車，要不然你別期望我們很快就能到家。”
Why don't you take a pedicab home?
“為什麼不坐三輪車回家呢？”
The tricycle drivers won't accept any passengers.
“三輪車司機都不載客。”
Walk?
“走回來呢？”
Through that flood? I don't think so - that's why I called.
“冒這麼大的雨走回來呀？我覺得不行——所以我才給你打電話。”
I braced myself.
我趕緊讓自己撐住。
Get your raincoat, hail a pedicab and fetch us here, she said.
“穿上雨衣，招呼一輛三輪車過來接我們吧。”她說道。
Stunned , I couldn't utter a word. My mother continued.
我目瞪口呆，一句話也說不出來。我媽媽還在繼續說著。
Carlo? Is that OK with you?
“卡洛？你能行嗎？”
Was it OK with me? Was she kidding? It was raining hard, it was dark, and thunder roared every minute - not that I was scared, but I was only ten! Who knew what danger awaited me out there in the dark?
我能行嗎？她在開玩笑嗎？雨下得很大，天色漆黑，雷聲轟隆隆不斷——我倒不是害怕，可我只有十歲啊！外面漆黑一片，誰知道會有什麼危險等著我呢？
Sure, no problem, I replied.
“可以，沒問題。”我回答道。
Great! Bring an umbrella. You might get wet.
“棒極了！帶上一把雨傘。你會淋溼的。”
As we pulled away, I became frantic with worry. What if the driver was a kidnapper? What if he charged me too much? What if he decided to drop me off and I couldn't find my mother or my way back home?
三輪車一開動，我便強烈地擔心起來。萬一司機是個綁匪怎麼辦呢？如果他收費太多怎麼辦呢？要是他讓我半路下車，我找不到媽媽或者不知道回家的路怎麼辦呢？
Overwhelmed, I began to pray. It didn't stop me from trembling, but it did ease my fears. The minutes flew by. We reached Glori's.
我憂心忡忡，開始祈禱。祈禱並不能使我停止發抖，但卻平復了我的恐懼感。幾分鐘的時間一晃就過去了，我們到了格洛裡。
My mother, who was standing just outside the main entrance, saw me. She took my brother Paolo, who was nine, by her left hand and carried their umbrella with her right. They walked towards me.
我媽媽正站在大門口外面，她看到了我。她左手牽著我九歲的弟弟保羅，右手拿著雨傘。他們向我走過來。
Wow, you're really a big boy now, taking public transportation and all, my mother said with a smile.
“哇，你現在真的是個大男孩了，能自己乘坐公共交通工具了， 還能來接我們。”媽媽微笑著說道。
I would have preferred "grown man" to "big boy", but still I glowed with pride. We all got in. I took the seat behind the driver, as all grown men do. It's the most dangerous position because the person sitting there could easily fall off, so I held on as tightly as I could. Paolo turned to me. "Ah, you were really brave today," he said.
雖然我更願意她用“大人”這個詞來形容我而不是“大男孩”，但我還是得意得滿臉通紅。我們上了車。我坐在司機後面的座位上，就像所有成熟男人那樣。那個位置最危險，因為坐在那個位置的人很容易摔下車，所以我緊緊地扶牢了。保羅對我說道：“啊，你今天真的很勇敢啊。”
I smiled nonchalantly ." It was nothing. Someday you'll do this too." He looked at me as if I were a god.
我若無其事地笑了笑：“沒什麼。有一天你也能做到的。”他看著我，簡直將我奉若神明。
As the pedicab roared through the flooded streets of our neighborhood, past the stores, the houses and the people, I felt great. I had faced my fears and delivered. I had a brother who admired me, a mother who trusted me and a memory of a little adventure for keeps. I had everything, and I felt invincible . Everything, plus my mum to tuck me in.
三輪車在我們街區附近雨水氾濫的街道上轟然行進，經過了眾多商店、房屋和路人，我感覺太棒了。我已經克服恐懼，完成使命。我的弟弟崇拜我，媽媽信任我，我還永遠擁有了一段有點兒像冒險的記憶。我擁有了一切，我感覺自己已經戰無不勝了。所有的一切，不過這時媽媽把我拽到了她身邊。
Were you scared? she asked me.
“你剛才害怕嗎？”她問我。
Scared? Me? I replied indignantly . "It was only a five-minute ride."
“害怕？我？”我憤怒地回答道：“那隻不過是五分鐘的車程。”
I looked at her. She was beaming.
我看著她。她笑了。