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中學同學學科生活知識進修
堅道英文書院編
生活趣味
duventures of Dick Ngan
Part 7
How should I begin? thought Dick, as he sat with a pencil in his hand before his mahogany desk in his own bedroom. He looked at the silvery-coated alarm clock on the desk, which told him that it was quarter past two. He had been sitting there for the past fifteen minutes or so. In between reveries he was trying to compose a poem. Ever since the previous sight after the party life seemed to be more sweet and meaningful to bin. He had never felt happier.. Although Alice had brought her friends home on different occasions and had them introduced to him, Dick had not found her friends interesting enough or attractive enough to be captivated by them. Somehow Fidelia was so different from the other girls he had met or known. There was something about her that. made her appear unique before him. She was so elegantly dressed, not too exaggerated but within the rule of moderation, and she talked sensibly without betraying any signs of her adolescente, Although she appeared to Dick to be still in her teens she smiled and talked more sensibly than most adults. She did. not have too much perfume on her, Dick was very happy about that, for he hated perfumes and those who wore them if they were disagreeable to him. "She knows how to choose her perfume," he thought "She has probably learnt it from hers was a light one. Another Comforting thought!
a) An idea suddenly came to him. He wrote "FIDELIA" in block letters in a vertical line. "Now," he thought "I 11 let each line of my poem begin with the letters. that make up her name. Humm, in this way she can't imagine or even say that I have borrowed someone else роем,"
"But what does F stand for? Fair? No doubt she is fair. Should I say Fair and charming you are? What about the second line? It must begin with I. I. for Intelligent but how can the line rhyme with the first? No, the fault, lies with the first line. Let's begin again. F for eh, how about fate? "Fate has been kind to you," eh... igborn beauty has come to only a few Jolly good,
"Now what about the third line. D...let's see. It must rhyme with the first line, and the sound is you.. Perhaps I can end the third line with you, How? Mmmmmm well supposing it is Down the ages few girls are like you'? All right...now the fourth line. How would I describe her charms? What is it that I like about her charms? Oh yes, I've got it. Simple charme' I must find a word to rhyme with few. What about
new? Now If I join the words together, I should get
Endowed with simple charms that are ever new!," "...? Oh yes it can stand for love...no, not proper! Wait a minute... what about loveliness!? Yes that is one of her charms and is certainly her chief virtue. Now what, have I got? Virtus happens to rhyme with you. Well, here it goes... Lovelinese being your chief virtue, 'I again? Well this should not be too difficult. Indeed Earth has yet to see'. But Bee what? Of course 'Another girl as lovely as you!!!
Be quietly congratulated himself having been. able to complete the first verse. He wrote it out again thus, and read aloud, for poetry could only appreciated when read aloud.
Fate has been kind to you
Inborn beauty has come to only a few. Down the ages few girls are like you
Endowed with simple charms that are ever new, Loveliness being your chief virtue. Indeed Earth has yet to see. Another girl as lovely as you.
Glancing at the clock his heart started to beat very fast. He had decided to give Fidelia a ring at around three, and the time was now approaching. He know that by then his mother and Alice would be taking their customary siesta and there would be no competition in the use of the telephone. He would be left free to use it as long as he liked.
He got up and walked to the sitting-room. He selected a record with instumental music with such famous songs as Greensleeves, the Green. Grass of Summertime, The Green Leaves of Summer, and put it on the turn-table, Having adjusted the volume to give the right background sound, he made his way to the kitchen and made himself a cup of instant coffee. Feeling refreshed after a few sips of the coffee, he walked to the telephone,
He carefully dialled the number be bad tried to Temember the night before. He heard the buzzing sound and he could also hear his own heart pounding. "Strange, he thought, "I have never felt so excited before when telephoning."
"Hello," a soft feminine voice spike. "Eh, I'd like to speak to Misser Fi-i-delia," Dick replied, hesitating at her name because it was rather awkward to address one ae Miss without her surname, and he suddenly remembered that Fidelia ked not told him her surname..
"Wait."
Diok realised that his heart was beating very fast now. He put his hand to his chest and thought "Wow, it must be beating at the rate of one hundred and sixty times per minute, no wonder the heart can be broken so e sily!"
"Hello, who is calling?" a new voice spoke. Dick was momentarily speechless. Quickly regaining his confidence, he tried to speck as bravely as he could without betraying his mysterious. nervousness. "I'm Dick. May I speak to Fidolia?!
郭日僑華
"Hi, I'm she. I thought you had probably forgot, ten my number."
"Why?"
"Well, I didn't see you write it down.".
· "Oh, I did write it down - mentally that was. Have you thought about the motion I mentioned to you last night?"
"Yes, You are for the motion. Right? "That's right." IB:
一期星日一月九年九六九一公年八十五國民中 育教僑華
"Well my first point is that a girl belongs to the kitchen and not the office. The home is a part of society. If the home degrades, so does society. She is the only one who knows how to keep the spick and span. She tidies up the home. When the menfik return from a hard day's work they expect the home to be the place of lasting peace and comfort, where privacy abounds. Have you heard of 'Office sweet office'? Certainly not, but we all have heard of the folk song Home Sweet Home'. Now the opposition may argue that there are 'anahs' to keep the house. True there are, but are they reliable? Do they really work to make one's home sweet or to make more money so that their sons can get married, or they can one day landladies? Well what do you think of my
"Extremely good. What's your next 2
"My second point le, well let me recall. Oh yes, girls should not work in Society especially if they are married. No busband would feel secure if his wife is also earning, and worse if she is earning more than be, for then if would mean that she does not have to depend on him any more. A wife sho ild always depend on har husband if the marriage is to survive. On the other hand the husband must always depend on his wife to keep the home lovely and happy, otherwise if än Jamah can do the housekeeping equally well or even better he might as well marry the amah1 1·".
That's an excellent point," interjected Dick no started to laugh quietly.
Thirdly," continued Fidelia, "girls are never meant for work in society, It is only recently that women have begun to compete with men. In the olden days women who worked in society were condemned, or ostracized. They were not even allowed to write novels. You will remember that one famous woman had to write under the name of By a Lady"."
Was it Jane Austen when she wrota Fride and Prejudice?" asked Diok impatiently.
"Right. You know quite a lot, aren't you? Getting back to what I was saying, the laws today are
more relaxed in regard to woman and their rights. I believe this is wrong, for you can see what the result is, There are so many unahppy marriages and divonces, Well, do you agree?"
"Of course, I do. I'm speaking for the motion. "Well, have you prepared any points yourself?" "I have, but they are not even half as good as yours."
"You need not be so modest. What are they?" "I have only thought of two points. First, from the religious point of view, God had not created women to be men's equal, uet today women applied for jobs on the same basis as men. They work and receive salaries as men do. This explains why so many. men are jobless. For one moment the apposition may think that men are incapable and that is why they are jobless. Whether they are capable or not does not concern the problem of unemployment just as if too many people go to the cinema one finds it hard to get a ticket and this, of course, does not mean that one is poor. If women stay at home as they were originally meant to, there will be sough jobs for nen. Woman must be responsible for the family and not the office. The office is where the men balong."-
ly second point, continued Dick, is that a woman is often clumsy when she does office work. As an example, if she wishes to shift the typewriter, she has to ask a man to move it for her. again her knowledge of business is limited and besides she is more prone to sickness than a man. Worse of all, imagine if a firm employs only woman, what will happen to the firm when they all go on maternity leave? Well, I think five points will be sufficient to last four minutes. Besides, I prefer to attack! on the opposition's remarks. What do you think?"
"Fine, I think with your eloquence victory is easy.4
"Thanks. By the way, did you enjoy yourself last
night?"
Oh yes, I did, I had also an exciting ride on the way home."
"Did you?" Dick was enviously curious. "One of the boys brought two of us home. Th ather girl was my cousin. This boy drove a Lotus Cortina, and he drove very fast..
know the boy," said Dick.
Tid you? He also invited me to go for another
His name was what was it?
Bill answered Dick.
"Yes, that's right. The trouble was I was given So many names at the party that I have forgotten all of them."
"Except mine I hope," Dick happily thought. Well, Fidelia, thanks for helping me, I guess I a better hang up. I hope you don't mind if I ring you up again some other time."
"No, please do, but don't call during the evening. The old man doesn't like it," replied. Fidelia.
"Is he very strict?" asked Diok,
with: boys,"
"In certain things, yes, such as may going out.
"By the way, what's your surname?" "Chan. Why?"
"Well, I'm compsing a...well, I'd better tell you later. All right?"
"Of course."
"Bye for now, and thanks again," "Bye"
As Dick put down the receiver on its cradle, he was startled by Alice's voice.
Do you know how long you've been phoning?" "Two minutes only."
"Yes, two minutes for each point1"-
"What, you have been eavesdropping, eh?" "Not I haven't. I happen to be around when you started phoning. Besides, you've got to thank me for being around,"
"Why?"
"Well, I stopped the turn-table for you,”
"Oh, that. Thanks, I forgot about it altogether,
That is one thing bad about the turn-table's being not.
automatic, but then it is professional,"
"Who's the girl you were talking to?" "No, it was a boy!" Dick tried to lie. "Impossible, you never talk with a boy for such
along time."
Her name is Fidelia. Do you know her?" "Her name rings a bell. Was she at the paz last night?"
"Yes."
I think I know her. She must be one of the girls helping with the preparation of the food in the kitchen. Now I remember. She wore a blue frock, and had her hair combed up."
her?!!
"That's right. What do you think about her?" "Well, let me ask you, what do you think about
"Well, I think she is as charming as my sister." Thank you. She is really charming. She went to the party with her cousin called eh...oh yes, Rosa.
"And Bill sent both of them home!" added Dick as he slowly walked back to his room, and as he did. he remarked, "I've got to finish something,"
"What's that?
"A poem."
"A Love poem?"
"Call it what you like, but please do not
and holding up his pencil. he began
distrub mə?k bik
He sat
to write "Chan" in the manner he wrote "Fidelia“ on the paper. He commenced the first line thus "Charm and simplicity heighten your beauty."
Now, what should be the next lins?" he thought. "It begins with H. Suddenly he thought about .. Fidelia's third point about men marrying "amahs". "Oh yes, she has humour, so H for humour. Come to. think of it she has also understanding, So if I write Humour and understanding you have! but it does not rhyme with the first line. No, I'd better change it to Humour and understanding turn your beauty by 'it of course. Now the third line. It begins with A. Let's see. Isn't it a dream? I have never thought of meeting such a charming girl. Is my prayer being answered? Well, what really matters now is to finish this poem, Wait a minute. Why not "A dream and a prayer that become real, Nothing else: matters wken you are near!?".
Dick quickly wrote out the new verse thus: "Charm and simplicity heighten your beauty. Humour and understanding turn it into reality.
A dream and a prayer that become real. Nothing else matters when you are near.!!
Alice, he shouted. "Alice!"
"Yes?"
"I want you to read this poem." He handed the paper to Alice, and just then telephone rang.
He rushed to it and having picked up the receiver he said, "Hello, Dick Speaking."
"Dick, this is Bibl. I want to ask you something. "Yes?":
Do you think Alice knows Fidelia?" "Why?"
"Well, you see, I want to find out her telephone number,"
"But why didn't you ask her yourself after all you sent her home?!
"I did ask her at the dance, but she skilfully avoided my answer...
"Well, you can always visit her, since you know where she lives.
"No, not exactly. She didn't let me see her Kome. She lives in a four-storeyed building, but how do I know which flat she lives?"
"All right, I'll ask Alice for you. Alice," Dick shouted, "Do you know Fidelia's telephone?" and as he finished the question he vigorously shook his head and even before Alice could answer, he spoke into the receiver
"Bill, I'm sorry, Alice dorsn't know her telephone. But
at I suggest you can find it out from the Telephone Directory."
"You bet. Anyway, thanks a lot. By the way don't forget rendezvour at Don's place at 2145 hours/ afterwards
"What for?
Don't you remember?"
"Oh yes, operation area number two. And have you decided where it is?" |
"Yes, yau Yat Chuen, We will go there in my father's oar,"
"And don't forget my gloves." "All right, So long,"
"Cheeriot and with that Dick put down the
receiver..
Alice
"Why don't you tell him her number?" asked.
Why should I? We are supposed to be rivals. Anyway, Fidelia herself refused to tell him her number. I wonder why?".
May be because she doesn't like Bill's voice. "Well, don't you know? His voice always sounds noarse and one think that he is a middle-aged man,"
"Do you know why? asked Dick. "Why?"
"The mid-wife who delivered him had to smack him very hard because he refused to cry and once he started crying he didn't stop for daya and that could have damaged his vocal chords or his wing-pipe.
"But how do you know?!
"It's only theory. Anyway, how's the poem?". Rather good, didn't know you're a poet. But
to whom is the poem referring?"
"Can't you find out?"
"Read again and look at it carefully."
"After a while, Alice spoke, "But there's no way
of revealing to whom you're referring, "
"All right. I'll give you a clue. Look at the
first letter of each line."
"Oh, Fidelia Shan, of course!»
"Well, give it back to me, now. Thanks." Before Dick could get into his room, the telephone rang again. Who could it be this time, ha thought.
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