the notebook-恋恋笔记本(英文版)-第4章

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gs　he　would　read　the　works　of　Whit…man　and　Tennyson　aloud　as　his　father　rocked　beside　him。　He　had　been　reading　poetry　ever　since。

When　he　got　a　little　older　he　spent　most　of　his　weekends　and　vacations　alone。　He　explored　the　Croatan　forest　in　his　first　canoe；　following　Brices　Creek　for　twenty　miles　until　he　could　go　no　fur…ther；　then　hiked　the　remaining　miles　to　the　coast。　Camping　and　exploring　became　his　passion；　and　he　spent　hours　in　the　forest；　whistling　quietly　and　playing　his　guitar　for　beavers　and　geese　and　wild　blue　herons。　Poets　knew　that　isolation　in　nature；　far　from　people　and　things　man…made；　was　good　for　the　soul；　and　he’d　always　identified　with　poets。

Although　he　was　quiet；　years　of　heavy　lifting　at　the　timber　yard　helped　him　excel　in　sports；　and　his　athletic　success　led　to　popularity。　He　enjoyed　the　football　and　track　meets；　and；　though　most　of　his　teammates　spent　their　free　time　together　as　well；　he　rarely　joined　them。　He　had　a　few　girlfriends　in　school　but　none　had　ever　made　an　impression　on　him。　Except　for　one。　And　she　came　after　graduation。

Allie。　His　Allie。

He　remembered　talking　to　Fin　about　Allie　after　they　left　the　festival　that　first　night；　and　Fin　had　laughed。　Then　he’d　made　two　predictions：　first　that　they　would　fall　in　love；　and　second　that　it　wouldn’t　work　out。

There　was　a　slight　tug　at　his　line　and　Noah　hoped　for　a　large…mouth　bass；　but　the　tugging　eventually　stopped　and；　after　reeling　his　line　in　and　checking　the　bait；　he　cast　again。

Fin　ended　up　being　right　on　both　counts。　Most　of　the　summer　she　had　to　make　excuses　to　her　parents　whenever　they　wanted　to　see　each　other。　It　wasn’t　that　they　didn’t　like　him—it　was　that　he　was　from　a　different　class；　too　poor；　and　they　would　never　approve　if　their　daughter　became　serious　with　someone　like　him。　“I　don’t　care　what　my　parents　think；　I　love　you　and　always　will；”　she　would　say。　“We’ll　find　a　way　to　be　together。”

But　in　the　end　they　couldn’t。　By　early　September　the　tobacco　had　been　harvested　and　she　had　no　choice　but　to　return　with　her　family　to　Winston…Salem。　“Only　the　summer　is　over；　Allie；　not　us；”　he’d　said　the　morning　she　left。　“We’ll　never　be　over。”　But　they　were。　For　a　reason　he　didn’t　understand；　the　letters　he　wrote　went　unanswered。

He　decided　to　leave　New　Bern　to　help　get　her　off　his　mind；　and　also　because　the　Depression　made　earning　a　living　in　New　Bern　almost　impossible。　He　went　first　to　Norfolk　and　worked　at　a　ship…yard　for　six　months　before　he　was　laid　off；　then　moved　to　New　Jersey　because　he’d　heard　the　economy　wasn’t　so　bad　there。

He　found　a　job　in　a　scrap　yard；　separating　scrap　metal　from　everything　else。　The　owner；　a　Jewish　man　named　Morris　Goldman；　was　intent　on　collecting　as　much　scrap　metal　as　he　could；　con…vinced　that　a　war　was　going　to　start　in　Europe　and　that　America　would　be　dragged　in　again。　Noah　didn’t　care。　He　was　just　happy　to　have　a　job。

He　worked　hard。　Not　only　did　it　help　him　keep　his　mind　off　Allie　during　the　day；　but　it　was　something　he　felt　he　had　to　do。　His　daddy　had　always　said：　“Give　a　day’s　work　for　a　day’s　pay。　Any…thing　less　is　stealing。”　That　attitude　pleased　his　boss。　“It’s　a　shame　you　aren’t　Jewish；”　Goldman　would　say；　“you’re　such　a　fine　boy　in　so　many　other　ways。”　It　was　the　best　pliment　Goldman　could　give。

He　continued　to　think　about　Allie　at　night。　He　wrote　to　her　once　a　month　but　never　received　a　reply。　Eventually　he　wrote　one　final　letter　and　forced　himself　to　accept　the　fact　that　the　summer　they’d　spent　with　one　another　was　the　only　thing　they’d　ever　share。

Still；　though；　she　stayed　with　him。　Three　years　after　the　last　letter；　he　went　to　Winston…Salem　in　the　hope　of　finding　her。　He　went　to　her　house；　discovered　that　she　had　moved　and；　after　talk…ing　to　some　neighbours；　finally　called　her　father’s　firm。　The　girl　who　answered　was　new　and　didn’t　recognize　the　name；　but　she　poked　around　the　personnel　files　for　him。　She　found　out　that　Allie’s　father　had　left　the　pany　and　that　no　forwarding　address　was　listed。　That　was　the　first　and　last　time　he　ever　looked　for　her。

For　the　next　eight　years　he　worked　for　Goldman。　As　the　years　dragged　on；　the　pany　grew　and　he　was　promoted。　By　1940　he　had　mastered　the　Business　and　was　running　the　entire　operation；　brokering　the　deals　and　managing　a　staff　of　thirty。　The　yard　had　bee　the　largest　scrap…metal　dealer　on　the　east　coast。

During　that　time　he　dated　a　few　different　women。　He　became　serious　with　one；　a　waitress　from　the　local　diner　with　deep　blue　eyes　and　silky　black　hair。　Although　they　dated　for　two　years　and　had　many　good　times　together；　he　never　came　to　feel　the　same　way　about　her　as　he　did　about　Allie。　She　was　a　few　years　older　than　he　was；　and　it　was　she　who　taught　him　the　ways　to　please　a　woman；　the　places　to　touch　and　kiss；　the　things　to　whisper。

Towards　the　end　of　their　relationship　she’d　told　him　once；　“I　wish　I　could　give　you　what　you’re　looking　for；　but　I　don’t　know　what　it　is。　There’s　a　part　of　you　that　you　keep　closed　off　from　everyone；　including　me。　It’s　as　if　your’　mind　is　on　someone　else。　It’s　like　you　keep　waiting　for　her　to　pop　out　of　thin　air　to　take　you　away　from　all　this。　。　。”　A　month　later　she　visited　him　at　work　and　told　him　she’d　met　someone　else。　He　understood。　They　parted　as　friends；　and　the　following　year　he　received　a　postcard　from　her　saying　she　was　married。　He　hadn’t　heard　from　her　since。

In　December　1941；　when　he　was　twenty…six；　the　war　began；　just　as　Goldman　had　predicted。　Noah　walked　into　his　office　the　follow…ing　month　and　informed　Goldman　of　his　intent　to　enlist；　then　returned　to　New　Bern　to　say　goodbye　to　his　father。　Five　weeks　later　he　found　himself　in　training　camp。　While　there；　he　received　a　letter　from　Goldman　thanking　him　for　his　work；　together　with　a　copy　of　a　certificate　entitling　him　to　a　small　percentage　of　the　scrap　yard　if　it　was　ever　sold。　“I　couldn’t　have　done　it　without　you；”　the　letter　said。　“You’re　the　finest　young　man　who　ever　worked　for　me；　even　if　you　aren’t　Jewish。”

He　spent　his　next　three　years　with　Patton’s　Third　Army；　tramp…ing　through　deserts　in　North　Africa　and　forests　in　Europe　with　thirty　pounds　on　his　back；　his　infantry　unit　never　far　from　action。

　He　watched　his　friends　die　around　him；　watched　as　some　of　them　were　buried　thousands　of　miles　from　Home。

He　remembered　the　war　ending　in　Europe；　then　a　few　months　later　in　Japan。　Just　before　he　was　discharged　he　received　a　letter　from　a　lawyer　in　New　Jersey　representing　Morris　Goldman。　Upon　meeting　the　lawyer　he　found　out　that　Goldman　had　died　a　year　earlier　and　his　estate　had　been　liquidated。　The　Business　had　been　sold；　and　Noah　ost　seventy　thousand　dollars。

The　following　week　he　returned　to　New　Bern　and　bought　the　house。　He　remembered　bringing　his　father　around　later；　pointing　out　the　changes　he　intended　to　make。　His　father　seemed　weak　as　he　walked；　coughing　and　wheezing。　Noah　was　concerned；　but　his　father　told　him　not　to　worry；　assuring　him　that　he　had　the　flu。

　　　　　Less　than　one　month　later　his　father　died　of　pneumonia　and　was　buried　next　to　his　wife　in　the　local　cemetery。　Noah　tried　to　stop　by　regularly　to　leave　some　flowers；　occasionally　he　left　a　note。　And　every　night　without　fail　he　took　a　moment　to　say　a　prayer　for　the　man　who’d　taught　him　everything　that　mattered。

AFTER　REELING　in　the　line；　he　put　the　gear　away　and　went　back　to　the　house。　His　neighbour；　Martha　Shaw；　was　there　to　thank　him；　bringing　three　loaves　of　Homemade　bread　in　appreciation　for　what　he’d　done。　Her　husband　had　been　killed　in　the　war；　leaving　her　with　three　children　and　a　shack　to　raise　them　in。　Winter　was　…ing；　and　he’d　spent　a　few　days　at　her　place　last　week　repairing　her　roof；　replacing　broken　windows　and　sealing　the　others；　and　fixing　her　wood　stove。　He　hoped　it　would　be　enough　to　get　them　through。

Once　she’d　left；　he　got　into　his　battered　Dodge　truck　and　went　to　see　Gus。　He　always　stopped　there　when　he　was　going　to　the　store；　because　Gus’s　family　didn’t　have　a　car。　One　of　the　daughters　hopped　up　and　rode　with　him；　and　they　did　their　shopping　at　Capers　General　Store。

When　he　got　Home　he　didn’t　unpack　the　groceries　right　away。　Instead　he　showered；　found　a　Budweiser　and　a　book　by　Dylan　Thomas；　and　went　to　sit　on　the　porch。

SHE　STILL　had　trouble　believing　it；　even　as　she　held　the　proof　in　her　hands。　It　had　been　in　the　newspaper　at　her　parents’　house　three　Sundays　ago。　She　had　gone　to　the　kitchen　to　get　a　cup　of　Coffee；　and　when　she’d　returned　to　the　table　her　father　had　smiled　and　pointed　at　a　small　picture。　“Remember　this？”

　He　handed　her　the　paper　and；　after　an　uninterested　first　glance；　something　in　the　picture　caught　her　eye　and　she　took　a　closer　look。　“It　can’t　be；”　she　whispered；　and　when　her　father　looked　at　her　curiously　she　ignored　him；　sat　down　and　read　the　article　without　speaking。　She　vaguely　remembered　her　mother　ing　to　the　table　and　sitting　opposite　her；　and　when　she　finally　put　aside　the　paper　her　mother　was　staring　at　her。　“Are　you　okay？”　she　asked　over　her　Coffee　cup。　“You　look　a　little　pale。”

Allie　didn’t　answer　right　away；　she　couldn’t；　and　it　was　then　that　she’d　noticed　her　hands　were　shaking。　That　had　been　when　it　started。