房间

Today Im five. I was four last night going to sleep in Wardrobe， but when I wake up in Bed in the dark Im changed to five， abracadabra. Before that I was three， then two， then one， then zero. “Was I minus numbers？”

“Hmm？” Ma does a big stretch.

“Up in Heaven. Was I minus one， minus two， minus three—？”

“Nah， the numbers didnt start till you zoomed down.”

“Through Skylight. You were all sad till I happened in your tummy.”

“You said it.” Ma leans out of Bed to switch on Lamp， he makes everything light up whoosh.

I shut my eyes just in time， then open one a crack， then both.

“I cried till I didnt have any tears left，” （she tells me.）“I just lay here counting the seconds.”

“How many seconds？” （I ask her.）“Millions and millions of them.”“No， but how many exactly？”“I lost count，” （says Ma.）

“Then you wished and wished on your egg till you got fat.”

She grins. “I could feel you kicking.”

“What was I kicking？”

“Me， of course.”

I always laugh at that bit.

今天我五岁了。昨天晚上我在衣柜里睡着的时候还是四岁，而当我躺在床上在漆黑中醒来时，我五岁了。像被施了咒语一样神奇。在这之前，我三岁、两岁、一岁、零岁。“我负岁过吗？”

“唔？”妈妈伸了个大大的懒腰。

“在天堂里，我是不是负一岁、负两岁、负三岁……”

“没，在你从天而降之前是不算岁数的。”

“划过天窗，我掉到了你的肚子里，从此你就不再伤心了。”

“说得没错。”妈妈侧倚在床上伸手开了灯，他总是让所有东西嗖地亮起来。

我赶忙闭上了眼，然后睁开一条缝，再睁开一只眼睛，接着把两只都睁开了。

“你来之前，我哭到再也流不出一滴眼泪，”（妈妈告诉我。）“我就躺在这儿数秒数。”

“数了多少秒？”（我问她。）

“成百万上亿秒。”

“不，到底有多少秒呢？”

“我数糊涂了，”（妈妈说。）

“你心里不断祈祷着能有一个宝宝，然后你的肚子越来越大。”

她咧嘴笑了。“我可以感觉到你在踢。”

“我在踢什么呢？”

“当然是踢我啦。”

每次说到这我都会大笑。

“From the inside， boom boom.” Ma lifts her sleep T-shirt and makes her tummy jump. “I thought， Jacks on his way. First thing in the morning， you slid out onto the rug with your eyes wide open.”

I look down at Rug with her red and brown and black all zigging around each other. Theres the stain I spilled by mistake getting born. “You cutted the cord and I was free，” （I tell Ma.） “Then I turned into a boy.”

“Actually， you were a boy already.”She gets out of Bed and goes to 1）Thermostat to hot the air.

I dont think he came last night after nine， the airs always different if he came. I dont ask because she doesnt like saying about him.

“Tell me， Mr. Five， would you like your present now or after breakfast？”

“What is it， what is it？”

“I know youre excited，” （she says，） “but remember not to nibble your finger， germs could sneak in the hole.”

“To sick me like when I was three with throw-up and 2）diarrhea？”

“Even worse than that，” （says Ma，） “germs could make you die.”

“And go back to Heaven early？”

“Youre still biting it.” She pulls my hand away.“Sorry.” I sit on the bad hand. “Call me Mr. Five again.”

“So， Mr. Five，” （she says，） “now or later？”

“从里面，砰砰地响。”妈妈掀起她的T恤睡衣，让肚子鼓起来。“我感觉到，我的杰克来了。早晨醒来第一件事，就是你从肚里滑出来到地毯上，眼睛睁得大大的。”

我低头看着地毯，那上面红、褐、黑三色交错着。还有一块我“着陆”时不小心留下的污垢。“你剪断了绳子，我获得了自由，”（我对妈妈说。）“然后我就变成了一个男孩。”

“实际上，当时你已经是一个男孩了。”她下床去开恒温器让屋里变暖和点。

我觉得昨晚九点后他没来过，如果他来过的话，空气会不一样。我不问是因为妈妈不喜欢提起他。

“来，五岁先生，你是现在就要你的礼物还是等早餐后？”

“礼物是什么，是什么啊？”

“我知道你很兴奋，”（她说，）“但记住了，不准咬手指头，细菌会从破的地方钻进去。”

“那会让我生病，就像我三岁时那样上吐下泻？”

“甚至比那还糟糕，”（妈妈说。）“细菌还可能会要了你的小命。”

“那我就要早些回天堂去了？”

“你还在咬。”她将我的手拉开。

“对不起。”我将那只不乖的手坐在屁股下。“再叫我一次‘五岁先生。”

“那么，五岁先生，”（她说，）“是现在看还是晚一点看？”

I jump onto Rocker to look at Watch， he says 7：14. I can skateboard on Rocker without holding on to her， then I whee back onto Duvet and Im snowboarding instead. “When are presents meant to open？”

“Either way would be fun. Will I choose for you？” （asks Ma.）

“Now Im five， I have to choose.” My fingers in my mouth again， I put it in my 3）armpit and lock shut. “I choose—now.”

She pulls a something out from under her pillow. I think it was hiding all night invisibly. Its a tube of ruled paper， with the purple ribbon all around from the thousand chocolates we got the time Christmas happened. “Open it up，” （she tells me.） “Gently.”

I figure out to do off the knot， I make the paper flat， its a drawing， just pencil， no colors. I dont know what its about， then I turn it. “Me！”Like in Mirror but more， my head and arm and shoulder in my sleep T-shirt. “Why are the eyes of the me shut？”

“You were asleep，” （says Ma.）

“How you did a picture asleep？”

“No， I was awake. Yesterday morning and the day before and the day before that， I put the lamp on and drew you.”

我跳上摇椅看了看墙上的钟，上面写着七点十四分。我可以在摇椅上滑行不用手扶，然后嗖地一下滑到羽绒被上，接着“滑雪”。“礼物应该在什么时候打开？”

“随便哪个时间都会很有趣。要我为你决定吗？”（妈妈问。）

“我现在五岁了，我得自己拿主意。”我又把手伸进了嘴里，但马上放到了腋窝下，夹紧。“我决定——现在看。”

她从枕头下抽出一样东西，我想它整晚都悄悄地躲在那。那是一卷横线纸，用紫色缎带缠绕着。那些缎带来自圣诞节时我们收到的无数盒巧克力。“打开它，”（妈妈说。）“要轻轻地。”

我费了好大劲才解开了花结，把纸展平。是一幅画。是用铅笔画的，没上颜料。我没看明白画的是什么，接着我把画掉了个个。“是我！”就像是照镜子，但画面更丰富，我的头、胳膊和罩在T恤睡衣里的肩膀。“为什么这个我眼睛闭着？”

“你睡着了，”（妈妈说。）

“你怎么能在睡着的时候画画呢？”

“不，我是醒着的。昨天早晨，前天，还有大前天，我开着台灯画了你。”