We got there early enough to park on Michigan Avenue for free. In the second inning, it started to rain, and then the rain turned into a downpour. Within twenty minutes, they announced over the loudspeaker that the game had been canceled.
We walked under the stands for about an hour waiting for the rain to let up. When they stopped selling beer, my father said that we should make a run for the car.
We had a black 1948 sedan, and the door on the driver' s side was broken and could only be opened from the inside. We got to the door on the passenger' s side panting and soaking wet. As my father fumbled for the keys, they dropped out of his hand and fell into the gutter. When he bent down to retrieve them from the rushing water, the door handle knocked the brown fedora off his head. I caught up with the hat about halfway down the block and then raced back to the car.
My father was already sitting behind the wheel. I jumped in, collapsed onto the passenger' s seat, and dutifully handed him the hat—which now looked like a wet rag. He studied it for a second and then put it on his head. Water poured out of the hat, splashing onto his shoulders and lap and then onto the steering wheel and dashboard. He let out a loud roar. I was frightened because I thought he was howling with anger. When I realized he was laughing, I joined in, and for the next little while we just sat there in the car, laughing hysterically together. I had never heard him laugh like that before—and I never did again. It was a raw explosion that came from somewhere deep within him, a force that he had always kept dammed up.
Years later, when I spoke to him about that night and how I remembered his laughter, he insisted that it had never happened.
上一次去蒂格露天运动场（就是后来的布里格斯体育场），是在我八岁的时候。父亲下班回到家，宣布要带我去看棒球比赛。他是个球迷，之前我们去看过几场日赛，而这次是我第一次观看夜间赛。
我们很早就到了那里，因此可以把车免费停在密歇根大道上。在第二局比赛中，天下起了雨，后来又变成倾盆大雨。不到20分钟，他们在扬声器中宣布比赛取消。
为了等雨停下来，我们在看台下面走了大约一个小时。当他们不再卖啤酒给我们的时候，父亲说我们需要冲到车里去。
我们开的是一辆1948年的黑色轿车，驾驶员那侧的车门是坏的，只能从里面打开。于是，我和爸爸气′吁吁而且浑身湿透地来到副驾驶座一侧。在父亲摸索着掏钥匙的时候，钥匙却从他手里滑落，掉入了水沟中。父亲弯腰从水流中找回钥匙时，车门把手撞掉了他戴在头上的褐色毡帽。我追了半条街才追到帽子，然后回头跑向车子。
父亲已座到驾驶座上了。我跳到车里，瘫倒在副驾驶座上，并将帽子恭敬地递给他。帽子现在看起来就像一块湿抹布。爸爸拿着帽子看了一下，然后把它戴在头上。雨水从帽子上流下来，滴洒在他的肩上和腿上，然后是方向盘和仪表上。他大声地吼叫了一声，我吓了一跳，以为他生气了。当我意识到他在笑时，我也笑了。接下来的一小段时间里，我和爸爸就坐在车里一起歇斯底里般地大笑。以前，我从没有听到过——后来也再没有听到过他这样笑。那种笑是内心深处某个地方的自然爆发，是一股时常被他压抑的力量的自然爆发。
多年以后，当我向他谈论起那个晚上以及对他的笑声的深刻记忆时，爸爸却坚持说，那事从来没有发生过。
最爱红蝴蝶结
The Puppy with a Red Bow
佚名 / Anonymous
She came into my life when I was eight years old. My dad found her at work. She was stray and starving. He took one look at her, and said, "Seems like you could use a good home." He opened up the door to his pickup and she jumped in. Her tail wagged all the way.
I was still at school when dad arrived home with the puppy. Mom and dad fed her and gave her a bath. This would be my first pet.
I had always wanted a dog. My parents told me when I was old enough and responsible, I could have one, well, I guess they figured the time was right.
I hopped off the bus, not knowing what waited inside for me. I walked through the door, and to my surprise, a white and black puppy with a red bow stuck to her head greeted me with many puppy kisses. A very special friendship was born that day.
Now she needed a name. My older brother laughed at her and said her tail was deformed. She didn' t wag her tail back and forth. but went in a circle. He motioned his finger around his ear, and said, "She' s squirrelly." Thus my puppy, Squirrelly, got her name.
She was a smart dog. I taught her to play hide and seek. We would play for hours, spending our days learning and growing together.
Eleven years we were together, best of friends. Arthritis and old age set in on her. My parents knew what had to be done, but they stood back and let me find and make the decision myself.
She was suffering so much and the medicine didn' t seem to help anymore. She could barely walk. I looked into those deep brown eyes and realized it was time to let her go.
I carried her into the vet' s office, placed her on the table. Squirrelly leaned her head forward, gave a lick to my hand. As if to say she understood and stayed strong. Her tail was wagging in that circle as it always did.
The vet gave her a sedative first, for the final shot was given on her front paw, and that was painful. She first went to sleep, but her tail still wagged. Then the vet asked before giving the final shot, "Are you sure?" With a heavy heart and tear filled eyes, I nodded yes.
The final shot was given. My eyes fixed upon her wagging tail. A matter of seconds and it stopped. The vet listened for a heart beat, and said, "It' s over. " I wrapped her up in her favorite blanket, and carried her out.
I took her home and buried her in the pasture, where she loved playing, and chasing rabbits. It was the hardest thing I had ever done.
I didn' t go back to her grave for many years, but recently I went. Growing on her grave was a single wild flower. I sat and watched it swaying in the wind, and realized that it was swaying in a circle, just like Squirrelly. I know now that,that special friend will be always with me.
在我八岁那年，她走进了我的生活。父亲是在工作时发现她的。她迷路了，还很饿。父亲看了看她说：“你似乎可以拥有一个温馨的家了。”父亲打开车门，她一下子跳了进去，尾巴一路上都摇个不停。
当父亲和小狗到家时，我还在学校。父母已经喂过了她，还给她洗了澡。她是我的第一个宠物。
我一直都想要一只狗。父母告诉我，等我长大之后，有了责任感，就可以拥有一只小狗了。哦，我猜他们认为时间已经到了。
我从公交车上跳了下来，并不知道家里有什么在等待着我。走进家门，令我感到惊奇的是，一只黑白相间的小狗，头上还扎着蝴蝶结，朝我跑了过来，还舔了我好几下。一种十分特殊的友谊就此产生。
如今，她需要一个称呼。哥哥嘲笑她，说她的尾巴很丑，不能前后摇摆，只能转圈摇摆。他用一根手指绕着他的耳朵说：“她很古怪。”因此，“古怪精灵”成了她的名字。她很聪明，我教她玩捉迷藏，一玩就是几个小时，我们每天一起学习，一起成长。
11年来，我们一直在一起，成了挚友。后来她患上了关节炎，年龄也大了。父母知道应该怎么做，可是他们让我来裁决，让我作决定。
她承受着巨大的痛楚，药物似乎也帮不上忙。她几乎不能走路了。我看着她深褐色的眼睛，明白是时候让她离开这里了。
我抱着她来到了兽医站，将她放在了桌子上。“古怪精灵”向前歪着头，舔了一下我的手，似乎在说，她明白，要坚强一些。她的尾巴依旧像往常那样转着圈摇摆着。
兽医先给她打了一针镇静剂，因为最后要在她的前爪上打一针，会很痛。她先睡着了，可是尾巴还在不停地摇摆。随后，兽医在打针之前问我：“你确定吗？”我的心情十分沉重，满眼泪水，点了点头。
最后一针扎了下去。我盯着她摇摆的尾巴，几秒钟之后，尾巴不动了。兽医听了听她的心跳，说：“她走了。”我用她最喜爱的毯子将她裹住，抱了出来。
我将她带回家，埋葬在草地里，她喜欢在这里玩耍，追兔子。这是迄今为止我做过的最痛苦的事。
