星期五（下）
Friday (part 2)
Name: ________________ Date: ________
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.