星期五（下）
Friday (part 2)
Name: ________________ Date: ________
九点，门开了，陈爷爷来了。
陈爷爷七十多岁，个子不高，走路很慢。每个星期五早上九点，他都来，一分钟也不早，一分钟也不晚。他每次都坐在门口旁边那个小桌子那儿，打开一本书，做填字游戏。
他走过来，跟小夏说的，每次也都是这几个字：
“一杯热水，谢谢。”
“陈爷爷，您真的不要咖啡吗？”
“不用。”陈爷爷笑着说，“热水就很好。”
一杯热水，不要钱。王老板说过很多次：“这样的人，我们店不能要。”但是陈爷爷每个星期五都来，王老板也每个星期五都给他热水。
十点，阿杰来送牛奶。
阿杰二十五六岁，个子很高，每次来，衣服上都是雨水。他拿着牛奶进来，说：“小夏，你们的牛奶。”
“谢谢。”
阿杰站在门口，没有走。他看看小夏，看看牛奶，又看看小夏：“今天……雨很大。”
“是啊。”
“那……我走了。”
他每个星期都这样。小夏不知道他想说什么，也没有问。
十二点半，小夏站在门口吃面包。一只很大的白色的狗从马路那边跑过来，没有看车，一下就跑到了马路上。
前面有车开过来。车停住了，离那只狗很近很近。
开车的人打开车门，大叫：“谁的狗？！会不会看路啊？！”
白色的狗站在马路上，不知道自己做了什么。过了一会儿，它又跑走了。小夏手里的面包，她也不想吃了。
下午很慢。人少了，雨也小了。五点，小夏可以下班了。
她想起来，妈妈的电话，她还没打回去。
“明天吧。”她想，“明天星期六，我有很多时间。”
晚上，小夏一个人在家吃面条。面条是她自己做的，不太好吃，但是很热。毛毛坐在桌子上，看着她的面条。
“这不是你的。”小夏说。
她开着电视。电视里的人都在笑，她不知道他们笑什么。但是有人在笑，她就好像不是一个人了。
她想：今天真不怎么样。下雨，气球飞走了，蛋糕到了地上，狗跑到了马路上，妈妈的电话也没接。还好，今天过去了。
明天是星期六。
十一点五十九，她在床上睡着了。毛毛在她旁边，也睡着了。
……
早上七点，闹钟响了。
小夏没有打开眼睛。她觉得很热，很不舒服，有个东西坐在她脸上。
“毛毛，下来……今天星期六，我要睡到十二点……”
她拿过手机，想看看时间。外面在下雨。
手机上写着三个字：星期五。
Key words
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 门 | mén | door; gate |
| 个子 | gèzi | height; stature; build |
| 高 | gāo | high; tall |
| 走路 | zǒulù | to walk |
| 慢 | màn | slow; to slow down |
| 门口 | ménkǒu | doorway; entrance; gate |
| 旁边 | pángbiān | beside; next to; nearby |
| 打开 | dǎkāi | to open |
| 走 | zǒu | to go; to leave |
| 咖啡 | kāfēi | coffee |
| 笑 | xiào | to laugh; to smile |
| 过 | guò | (particle) marks a past experience: have ever |
English (for the teacher)
At nine the door opens, and Grandpa Chen comes in.
Grandpa Chen is in his seventies, not tall, and walks very slowly. Every Friday he comes at nine in the morning, not a minute early, not a minute late. He always sits at that little table beside the door, opens a book and does a crossword.
He comes over, and what he says to Xiaoxia is always the same few words:
“A cup of hot water, thank you.”
“Grandpa Chen, are you sure you don’t want a coffee?”
“No need.” Grandpa Chen smiles. “Hot water is just fine.”
A cup of hot water, free of charge. Boss Wang has said it many times: “Customers like that, our shop can do without.” But every Friday Grandpa Chen comes, and every Friday Boss Wang gives him hot water.
At ten, A Jie comes to deliver the milk.
A Jie is about twenty-five, very tall, and every time he comes his clothes are wet with rain. He brings the milk in and says, “Xiaoxia, your milk.”
“Thanks.”
A Jie stands at the door and doesn’t leave. He looks at Xiaoxia, looks at the milk, looks at Xiaoxia again: “Today… it’s raining hard.”
“Yes.”
“Well… I’ll be off.”
He’s like this every week. Xiaoxia doesn’t know what he wants to say, and she doesn’t ask.
At half past twelve, Xiaoxia stands at the door eating a piece of bread. A big white dog comes running from across the street, doesn’t look for cars, and in a moment is out in the road.
A car is coming. It stops dead, very, very close to the dog.
The driver throws open his door and shouts: “Whose dog is this?! Can’t it look where it’s going?!”
The white dog stands in the road, with no idea what it has done. After a while, it runs off again. Xiaoxia doesn’t want the bread in her hand any more.
The afternoon is slow. There are fewer people, and the rain eases off. At five, Xiaoxia can finally clock off.
She remembers that she still hasn’t called Mum back.
“Tomorrow.” She thinks: “Tomorrow’s Saturday; I’ll have lots of time.”
In the evening, Xiaoxia eats noodles at home on her own. She made them herself; they aren’t very good, but they’re hot. Maomao sits on the table, watching her noodles.
“These aren’t yours.” Xiaoxia says.
She has the TV on. Everyone on TV is laughing, and she doesn’t know what at. But someone is laughing, and it’s almost as if she isn’t alone.
She thinks: what a rubbish day. Rain, the balloon flew away, the cake hit the floor, the dog ran into the road, and she never answered Mum’s call. Well, at least today is over.
Tomorrow is Saturday.
At 11:59 she falls asleep in bed. Maomao falls asleep beside her.
…
Seven in the morning, and the alarm goes off.
Xiaoxia doesn’t open her eyes. She feels hot and uncomfortable; something is sitting on her face.
“Maomao, get off… It’s Saturday, I’m sleeping till twelve…”
She reaches for her phone to see what time it is. It’s raining outside.
Three characters on the screen: 星期五. Friday.