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The neighborhood kids nicknamed the 1)cranky old couple 2)Crazy Jack and Ruby Rednose. Rumor was that they sat inside and drank whiskey all day. It was true that Jack and Ruby Jones preferred to keep to themselves. About the only words we ever heard from them were “Keep out of our rosebushes!”
The rosebushes were seventy beautiful 3)floribunda shrubs that served as a fence between our house and theirs. I was eleven at the time and the oldest of six active girls. We should have played our 4)softball games elsewhere to avoid hurting the roses, but we secretly enjoyed irritating Crazy Jack and Ruby Rednose.
Jack and Ruby had a son whom we nicknamed Crazy Jack Junior. He was due to come home from Vietnam. We heard he had been discharged because of a nervous breakdown.
The day Crazy Jack Junior was scheduled to come home, we had a neighborhood softball game in our yard. Johnny McGrath was trying to catch a 5)fly ball. He stumbled over one of Ruby Rednose’s thorny rosebushes and fell on top of several more. He yelled, but the roses were the ones that really suffered. It looked like about ten of them were damaged pretty badly. Johnny’s timing was terrible, because as he lay there swearing at the roses, the Joneses’ 6)pickup rolled into the driveway. The truck 7)screeched to a halt and Crazy Jack Junior sprang out. He ran full speed toward Johnny.
“You little 8)punk!” he screamed. “Look what you’ve done to our family’s roses! You’ve always been trouble. I’m going to fetch my gun and shoot you!”
The next few minutes were a 9)blur. The neighborhood kids ran for their lives. Ruby and Jack tried to restrain their son. He continued to yell threats and 10)profanities. Ruby wasn’t my favorite person, but I felt sorry for her when I saw her tearfully pleading with Crazy Jack Junior. Finally, they 11)coaxed him inside.
Meanwhile, my sisters and I 12)tore into our house. Breathlessly, we told Mom what had happened. She put down her sewing and scolded, “Girls, I have told you not to play softball near those bushes. Come outside right now and help me fix them.”
“Mom, we thought you didn’t like the Joneses,” we protested. “They’re mean to us. Besides, Crazy Jack Junior might shoot us.”
Mom just glared at us. We followed her outside to help mend the rose fence. While Mom examined the damaged roses, my sisters and I hung back, plotting how to get out of the thorny job.
As we whispered back and forth, the Joneses’ garage door opened and Ruby slowly walked out. She looked sad. And it wasn’t her nose that was red, it was her eyes.
Ruby walked over to my mother. The two women stood looking at each other through the new gap in the rose fence. We girls held our breath, waiting to see who would shout first and what terrible things would be said. How much trouble would we be in when it was all over?
Suddenly my mother stepped forward and hugged Ruby. “I’m glad your son came back home,” she said gently. “It must have been a horrible experience in Vietnam. We’re sorry about the flowers. The girls will replace them if we can’t fix them. In return for all the bother, they’ll help you weed the roses this summer.”
My sisters and I looked at each other in horror, but Ruby smiled at my mother through her tears. “I know we’re particular about these roses,” she said, “but they’re very special to us. When my mother came from England, she brought one tiny part of her favorite rosebush. That was her reminder of home.”
She paused a minute, then said sadly, “My mother had a 13)magic touch with flowers. Over the years that one plant multiplied into all these bushes. Since she died, I’ve tried to keep them up, but I just don’t have her magic touch.”
Her voice was all choked up. “Mom died while Jack Junior was in Vietnam. He just found out about her death today. When he saw her rosebushes damaged, it was the 14)last straw.” Ruby mopped at her tears. “Once we got him inside and calmed down, he admitted he’s out of control. Jack just drove him to Clinton Valley to be admitted to a treatment program.”
By now I felt really bad for the Jones family—what a sorrowful homecoming! I could tell my mother and sisters felt the same.
“We all enjoy the roses as much as you do. We’1l be happy to help you care for them,” my mother said. “You know, some people say I have a magic touch with flowers, too.”
Soon both women were down on their knees talking and examining the damaged bushes together. A few weeks later, the plants all returned with vigor.
My mother and Ruby worked together on the roses all summer long and many summers to follow. So did my sisters and I. A friendship formed between the families that would include countless birthdays, graduations and weddings—including Jack Junior’s.
Years later, when her son left home and her husband died, Ruby became part of our family, spending many happy hours at our house.
She wasn’t Ruby Rednose anymore; she was Aunt Ruby.
And the rose fence wasn’t a fence any longer. My mother had turned it into a bridge.
住在这个街区的孩子们都戏称那对脾气暴躁的老夫妇为“古怪杰克”和“红鼻子罗比”。有谣言说他们一整天都坐在屋里喝威士忌。杰克·琼斯和罗比·琼斯喜欢独处,这是事实。我们听到过他俩说的就只有这么一句话——“远离我们的蔷薇丛!”
那是七十株美丽的多花蔷薇灌木丛,用来作为围栏隔开我们和他们的房子。我那时十一岁,是六个活泼小女孩中年龄最大的。我们应该到别的地方去玩垒球,以免损坏那些蔷薇,但我们却背地里享受惹怒“古怪杰克”和“红鼻子罗比”的乐趣。
杰克和罗比有个儿子,我们戏称他为“古怪小杰克”。他就要从越南回来了。我们听说他因为精神崩溃而被开除。
“古怪小杰克”计划到家的那天,我们叫上住在附近的孩子在我们院子里玩垒球。强尼·麦克格雷斯试图接住一个飞球,然而被“红鼻子罗比”的一丛带刺蔷薇绊倒了,并压在了好几丛蔷薇上面。他大叫起来,但那些蔷薇才真正受罪,看上去好像有十株蔷薇损毁得很严重。琼斯闯祸也太不会挑时间了,因为当他躺在那儿诅咒那些蔷薇时,琼斯家的小卡车刚好开到了马路上。卡车紧急刹车,发出了刺耳的响声,接着“古怪小杰克”跳出来。他全速跑向琼尼。
“你这小废物!”他尖叫道,“看看你把我们家的蔷薇弄成什么样了!你老是惹麻烦。我要去拿我的枪杀了你!”
接下来几分钟一阵混乱。一起玩的那些孩子们都各自逃生。罗比和杰克试图制止他们的儿子。小杰克继续大声恐吓和咒骂。罗比并不讨我喜欢,但看到她声泪俱下地央求“古怪小杰克”时,我为她感到难过。最后,他们哄他进了屋。
同时,我和妹妹们飞奔回家,气喘吁吁地告诉母亲发生了什么事。她放下手上的针线活,责备道:“孩子们,我告诉过你们不要在那些蔷薇丛附近玩垒球。马上出来帮我清理补救。”
“妈妈,我们以为你不喜欢琼斯一家。”我们反对道。“他们对我们可坏了。另外,‘古怪小杰克’可能会杀了我们的。”
母亲只是怒视着我们。我们跟着她走出门,帮着修补那个蔷薇围栏。当母亲检查那些给压坏的蔷薇时,我和妹妹们犹豫再三,计划着怎么摆脱这项棘手的工作。
当我们来回轻声密语时,琼斯家的车库门打开了,罗比慢慢走了出来。她看上去很悲伤。而这次红的不是她的鼻子,而是她的眼睛。
罗比走向我母亲。两个女人站着,透过蔷薇围栏新添的缺口四目对视。我们这些女孩们屏着气,等着看她们谁先喊出来,将说些什么难听的话,等着看吵完架以后,我们将处于多大的麻烦中。
突然,我母亲走上前拥抱罗比。“我很开心你儿子回家了,”她温柔地说道,“他在越南的经历一定很糟。我们为那些花儿感到十分抱歉。如果我们理不好那些花,我女儿们会赔上新的。她们给你们带来了这所有的麻烦,作为对你们的补偿,她们这个夏天将帮你给蔷薇丛除草。”
我和妹妹们惊恐地对视着,而罗比则含泪向我母亲微笑。“我知道我们太紧张这些蔷薇丛,”她说,“但这些花对我们来说很特别。我母亲从英格兰来时带来了部分她最喜欢的蔷薇丛。那是她关于家的记忆。”
她停顿了一会儿,接着悲伤地说道:“我母亲种植花儿时手像有魔法似的。那带来的一株蔷薇,这些年,长成了这些蔷薇丛。自从她去世后,我努力栽培它们,但我的手没她那种魔法。”
她哽咽了。“母亲在小杰克还在越南时就去世了。他今天才知道她的死讯。而当他看到外婆的蔷薇丛被损坏时,他再也无法忍受了。”罗比擦拭着她的眼泪:“我们刚把他领进屋使他冷静下来,他就承认自己刚才失控了。杰克刚开车带他去克林顿山谷接受治疗。”
那刻,我真的为琼斯一家感到难过——那是多么让小杰克悲伤的回家经历啊!我看得出我母亲和妹妹们也有同样的感受。
“我们都和你一样很喜欢这些蔷薇。能帮助你照看它们,我们感到很开心。”我母亲说道,“你瞧,有些人说我种花时手也像有魔法似的。”
很快,两个女人就一起跪下来边聊天边检查受损的蔷薇丛。几周后,那些植物都恢复了生机。
那整个夏天,以及接下来的许多个夏天,我母亲都和罗比一起照看那些蔷薇丛。我和妹妹们也有帮忙。两个家庭通过数不清的生日宴会、毕业宴会和婚礼,包括小杰克的婚礼,建立了友谊。
几年后,她儿子离开家,她的丈夫去世,罗比于是成了我们家庭的一分子,在我们家度过了很多美好时光。
她不再是“红鼻子罗比”了,她是“罗比阿姨”。
而那些蔷薇丛也不再是围栏,我母亲把它变成了一座桥。
The rosebushes were seventy beautiful 3)floribunda shrubs that served as a fence between our house and theirs. I was eleven at the time and the oldest of six active girls. We should have played our 4)softball games elsewhere to avoid hurting the roses, but we secretly enjoyed irritating Crazy Jack and Ruby Rednose.
Jack and Ruby had a son whom we nicknamed Crazy Jack Junior. He was due to come home from Vietnam. We heard he had been discharged because of a nervous breakdown.
The day Crazy Jack Junior was scheduled to come home, we had a neighborhood softball game in our yard. Johnny McGrath was trying to catch a 5)fly ball. He stumbled over one of Ruby Rednose’s thorny rosebushes and fell on top of several more. He yelled, but the roses were the ones that really suffered. It looked like about ten of them were damaged pretty badly. Johnny’s timing was terrible, because as he lay there swearing at the roses, the Joneses’ 6)pickup rolled into the driveway. The truck 7)screeched to a halt and Crazy Jack Junior sprang out. He ran full speed toward Johnny.
“You little 8)punk!” he screamed. “Look what you’ve done to our family’s roses! You’ve always been trouble. I’m going to fetch my gun and shoot you!”
The next few minutes were a 9)blur. The neighborhood kids ran for their lives. Ruby and Jack tried to restrain their son. He continued to yell threats and 10)profanities. Ruby wasn’t my favorite person, but I felt sorry for her when I saw her tearfully pleading with Crazy Jack Junior. Finally, they 11)coaxed him inside.
Meanwhile, my sisters and I 12)tore into our house. Breathlessly, we told Mom what had happened. She put down her sewing and scolded, “Girls, I have told you not to play softball near those bushes. Come outside right now and help me fix them.”
“Mom, we thought you didn’t like the Joneses,” we protested. “They’re mean to us. Besides, Crazy Jack Junior might shoot us.”
Mom just glared at us. We followed her outside to help mend the rose fence. While Mom examined the damaged roses, my sisters and I hung back, plotting how to get out of the thorny job.
As we whispered back and forth, the Joneses’ garage door opened and Ruby slowly walked out. She looked sad. And it wasn’t her nose that was red, it was her eyes.
Ruby walked over to my mother. The two women stood looking at each other through the new gap in the rose fence. We girls held our breath, waiting to see who would shout first and what terrible things would be said. How much trouble would we be in when it was all over?
Suddenly my mother stepped forward and hugged Ruby. “I’m glad your son came back home,” she said gently. “It must have been a horrible experience in Vietnam. We’re sorry about the flowers. The girls will replace them if we can’t fix them. In return for all the bother, they’ll help you weed the roses this summer.”
My sisters and I looked at each other in horror, but Ruby smiled at my mother through her tears. “I know we’re particular about these roses,” she said, “but they’re very special to us. When my mother came from England, she brought one tiny part of her favorite rosebush. That was her reminder of home.”
She paused a minute, then said sadly, “My mother had a 13)magic touch with flowers. Over the years that one plant multiplied into all these bushes. Since she died, I’ve tried to keep them up, but I just don’t have her magic touch.”
Her voice was all choked up. “Mom died while Jack Junior was in Vietnam. He just found out about her death today. When he saw her rosebushes damaged, it was the 14)last straw.” Ruby mopped at her tears. “Once we got him inside and calmed down, he admitted he’s out of control. Jack just drove him to Clinton Valley to be admitted to a treatment program.”
By now I felt really bad for the Jones family—what a sorrowful homecoming! I could tell my mother and sisters felt the same.
“We all enjoy the roses as much as you do. We’1l be happy to help you care for them,” my mother said. “You know, some people say I have a magic touch with flowers, too.”
Soon both women were down on their knees talking and examining the damaged bushes together. A few weeks later, the plants all returned with vigor.
My mother and Ruby worked together on the roses all summer long and many summers to follow. So did my sisters and I. A friendship formed between the families that would include countless birthdays, graduations and weddings—including Jack Junior’s.
Years later, when her son left home and her husband died, Ruby became part of our family, spending many happy hours at our house.
She wasn’t Ruby Rednose anymore; she was Aunt Ruby.
And the rose fence wasn’t a fence any longer. My mother had turned it into a bridge.
住在这个街区的孩子们都戏称那对脾气暴躁的老夫妇为“古怪杰克”和“红鼻子罗比”。有谣言说他们一整天都坐在屋里喝威士忌。杰克·琼斯和罗比·琼斯喜欢独处,这是事实。我们听到过他俩说的就只有这么一句话——“远离我们的蔷薇丛!”
那是七十株美丽的多花蔷薇灌木丛,用来作为围栏隔开我们和他们的房子。我那时十一岁,是六个活泼小女孩中年龄最大的。我们应该到别的地方去玩垒球,以免损坏那些蔷薇,但我们却背地里享受惹怒“古怪杰克”和“红鼻子罗比”的乐趣。
杰克和罗比有个儿子,我们戏称他为“古怪小杰克”。他就要从越南回来了。我们听说他因为精神崩溃而被开除。
“古怪小杰克”计划到家的那天,我们叫上住在附近的孩子在我们院子里玩垒球。强尼·麦克格雷斯试图接住一个飞球,然而被“红鼻子罗比”的一丛带刺蔷薇绊倒了,并压在了好几丛蔷薇上面。他大叫起来,但那些蔷薇才真正受罪,看上去好像有十株蔷薇损毁得很严重。琼斯闯祸也太不会挑时间了,因为当他躺在那儿诅咒那些蔷薇时,琼斯家的小卡车刚好开到了马路上。卡车紧急刹车,发出了刺耳的响声,接着“古怪小杰克”跳出来。他全速跑向琼尼。
“你这小废物!”他尖叫道,“看看你把我们家的蔷薇弄成什么样了!你老是惹麻烦。我要去拿我的枪杀了你!”
接下来几分钟一阵混乱。一起玩的那些孩子们都各自逃生。罗比和杰克试图制止他们的儿子。小杰克继续大声恐吓和咒骂。罗比并不讨我喜欢,但看到她声泪俱下地央求“古怪小杰克”时,我为她感到难过。最后,他们哄他进了屋。
同时,我和妹妹们飞奔回家,气喘吁吁地告诉母亲发生了什么事。她放下手上的针线活,责备道:“孩子们,我告诉过你们不要在那些蔷薇丛附近玩垒球。马上出来帮我清理补救。”
“妈妈,我们以为你不喜欢琼斯一家。”我们反对道。“他们对我们可坏了。另外,‘古怪小杰克’可能会杀了我们的。”
母亲只是怒视着我们。我们跟着她走出门,帮着修补那个蔷薇围栏。当母亲检查那些给压坏的蔷薇时,我和妹妹们犹豫再三,计划着怎么摆脱这项棘手的工作。
当我们来回轻声密语时,琼斯家的车库门打开了,罗比慢慢走了出来。她看上去很悲伤。而这次红的不是她的鼻子,而是她的眼睛。
罗比走向我母亲。两个女人站着,透过蔷薇围栏新添的缺口四目对视。我们这些女孩们屏着气,等着看她们谁先喊出来,将说些什么难听的话,等着看吵完架以后,我们将处于多大的麻烦中。
突然,我母亲走上前拥抱罗比。“我很开心你儿子回家了,”她温柔地说道,“他在越南的经历一定很糟。我们为那些花儿感到十分抱歉。如果我们理不好那些花,我女儿们会赔上新的。她们给你们带来了这所有的麻烦,作为对你们的补偿,她们这个夏天将帮你给蔷薇丛除草。”
我和妹妹们惊恐地对视着,而罗比则含泪向我母亲微笑。“我知道我们太紧张这些蔷薇丛,”她说,“但这些花对我们来说很特别。我母亲从英格兰来时带来了部分她最喜欢的蔷薇丛。那是她关于家的记忆。”
她停顿了一会儿,接着悲伤地说道:“我母亲种植花儿时手像有魔法似的。那带来的一株蔷薇,这些年,长成了这些蔷薇丛。自从她去世后,我努力栽培它们,但我的手没她那种魔法。”
她哽咽了。“母亲在小杰克还在越南时就去世了。他今天才知道她的死讯。而当他看到外婆的蔷薇丛被损坏时,他再也无法忍受了。”罗比擦拭着她的眼泪:“我们刚把他领进屋使他冷静下来,他就承认自己刚才失控了。杰克刚开车带他去克林顿山谷接受治疗。”
那刻,我真的为琼斯一家感到难过——那是多么让小杰克悲伤的回家经历啊!我看得出我母亲和妹妹们也有同样的感受。
“我们都和你一样很喜欢这些蔷薇。能帮助你照看它们,我们感到很开心。”我母亲说道,“你瞧,有些人说我种花时手也像有魔法似的。”
很快,两个女人就一起跪下来边聊天边检查受损的蔷薇丛。几周后,那些植物都恢复了生机。
那整个夏天,以及接下来的许多个夏天,我母亲都和罗比一起照看那些蔷薇丛。我和妹妹们也有帮忙。两个家庭通过数不清的生日宴会、毕业宴会和婚礼,包括小杰克的婚礼,建立了友谊。
几年后,她儿子离开家,她的丈夫去世,罗比于是成了我们家庭的一分子,在我们家度过了很多美好时光。
她不再是“红鼻子罗比”了,她是“罗比阿姨”。
而那些蔷薇丛也不再是围栏,我母亲把它变成了一座桥。