ACokeandaSmileIknownowthatthemanwhosatwithmeontheoldwoodenstairsthathotsummernightoverthirty-fiveyearsagowasnotatallman.Buttoafive-year-old,hewasagiant.Wesatsidebyside,watchingthesungodownbehindtheoldTexacoservicestationacrossthebusystreet.AstreetthatIwasneverallowedtocrossunlessaccompaniedbyanadult,orattheveryleast,anoldersibling.可乐与微笑我现在知道，35年前那个炎热夏夜和我坐在破旧的木楼梯上的老人并不高大，但对一个5岁的孩子来说，他却是一个巨人。我们并排坐着，看着太阳落在繁忙的街对面那个老德克萨克加油站的背后。除非有大人或至少一个哥哥或姐姐陪着，我从未被允许穿过那条街。Cherry-scentedsmokefromGrampy'spipekeptthehungrymosquitoesatbaywhilegray,wispyswirlsdancedaroundourheads.Nowandagain,heblewasmokeringandlaughedasItriedtotargettheholewithmyfinger.I,cladinacoolsummernightie,andGrampy,hissleevelessT-shirt,satwatchingthetraffic.Wecountedcarsandtriedtoguessthecolorofthenextonetoturnthecorner.从祖父烟斗里喷出的白色烟雾在我们脑袋周围上下旋绕，它们散发的樱桃香味使贪婪的蚊子不敢靠近。他不时地喷出一串烟圈，在我试着将手指插入烟圈时他放声大笑。我穿着凉爽的小睡衣，祖父穿着他的无袖T恤，坐在那儿观看繁忙的交通。我们数着过往的车辆，并猜想着下一辆拐过街角的汽车的颜色。Onceagain,Iwascaughtinthemiddleofcircumstances.Thefourthbornofsixchildren,itwasnotuncommonthatIwaseithertooyoungortoooldforsomething.ThisnightIwasboth.Whilemytwobabybrotherssleptinsidethehouse,mythreeoldersiblingsplayedwithfriendsaroundthecorner,whereIwasnotallowedtogo.IstayedwithGrampy,andthatwasokaywithme.IwaswhereIwantedtobe.Mygrandfatherwasbaby-sittingwhilemymother,fatherandgrandmotherwentout.我又一次陷于两头都够不上的中间境遇，作为6个孩子中的老四，很多事情对于我来说不是因为年龄太小，就是太大而不合适。那天夜里就是这样。我的两个小兄弟在屋里睡觉，我的另外3个长兄和姐姐在拐角与小伙伴们玩，而我是不允许去那里的。我与祖父呆在一起，这也挺好，正是我想呆的地方。在父母和祖母外出时，祖父就在家看孩子。Thirsty?"Grampyasked,neverremovingthepipefromhismouth."Yes,"wasmyreply."HowwouldyouliketorunovertothegasstationthereandgetyourselfabottleofCoke?"Icouldn'tbelievemyears.HadIheardright?Washetalkingtome?Onmyfamily'smodestincome,Cokewasnotapartofourbudgetordiet.AfewtantalizingsipswasallIhadeverhad,andcertainlynevermyownbottle."Okay,"Irepliedshyly,alreadywonderinghowIwouldgetacrossthestreet.SurelyGrampywasgoingtocomewithme."渴吗？"祖父烟斗不离口地问我。"是的。"我回答说。"跑到街对面的加油站去给你自己买瓶可乐怎么样？"我简直不敢相信自己的耳朵，我没有听错吧?他是在跟我说话吗？就我们家微薄的收入来说，可乐不是我们家庭开销的一部分