Soyinka, Telephone Conversation The price seemed reasonable, location Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived Off premises. Nothing remained But self-confession. "Madam," I warned, "I hate a wasted journey--I am African." Silence. Silenced transmission of Pressurized good-breeding. Voice, when it came, Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was foully. "HOW DARK?" . . . I had not misheard . . . "ARE YOU LIGHT OR VERY DARK?" Button B, Button A. Stench Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak. Red booth. Red pillar box. Red double-tiered Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed By ill-mannered silence, surrender Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification. Considerate she was, varying the emphasis-- "ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?" Revelation came. "You mean--like plain or milk chocolate?" Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light Impersonality. Rapidly, wave-length adjusted, I chose. "West African sepia"--and as afterthought, "Down in my passport." Silence for spectroscopic Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent Hard on the mouthpiece. "WHAT'S THAT?" conceding "DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS." "Like brunette." "THAT'S DARK, ISN'T IT?" "Not altogether. Facially, I am brunette, but, madam, you should see The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet Are a peroxide blond. Friction, caused-- Foolishly, madam--by sitting down, has turned My bottom raven black--One moment, madam!"--sensing Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap About my ears--"Madam," I pleaded, "wouldn't you rather See for yourself?" 1962 * Buttons to be pressed by caller who has inserted a coin into an old type of British public pay phone. 價格似乎合理，位置 沒差。女房東發誓她依靠 房子生活。毫無保留 而自己坦白。「夫人，」我警告說， 「我不喜歡白跑一趟——我是非洲人。」 沈默。沈默的傳達 緊迫的良好教養。聲音，當它到來， 塗著口紅，滾金 長菸管迸出。粗暴的抓住我。 「多黑？」…我沒聽錯…「你是輕微 或非常黑？」按鈕B，按鈕A。公眾的 隱語中腐敗呼吸的惡臭。 紅色電話庭。紅色郵筒。紅色雙層 巴士壓著柏油。這是真的！受到 惡劣矯飾的沈默的羞辱，屈從 逼使驚惶的我乞求明示。 她好貼心的，更替著重點—— 「你是黑的？或很輕微？」啟示到來。 「你是說——像純的或牛奶的巧克力？」 她的贊同是客觀的，在它輕微的 無人情味中碎裂。很快的，波長調整， 我選擇。「西非人深褐色」——並隨後補充， 「我的護照上這樣寫。」為想像中光譜的 飛遁而沈默，直到實話在話筒上狠硬地 敲響她的聲調。「那是什麼？」讓步 「不知道那是什麼。」「像褐髮膚色較深的白女人。」 「那是黑的，不是嗎？」「不全都是。 從臉看，我是較深的，但是，夫人，你該看看 我其餘的部分。我手的掌心，我腳的底板 是漂過的白人。在坐著的時候，因為—— 很蠢，夫人——摩擦，使得我的臀部 轉成油亮的黑色——等等，夫人！」——感到 她的聽筒在我耳邊 舉在霹靂之上——「夫人，」我懇求，「難道你不想 親眼看看嗎？」 --

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