金尼斯·迈克尔·比奇/JenngsMichaelBirch
Lifewithoutafriendisdeathwithoutawitness.
—Spanishproverb
BeforeIevenfisheddialg,IsohowknewI’dadeaistake.Thephonce,ice—thensoonepickeditup.
“Yougotthewrongnuber!”ahkyalevoiappedbeforethelewentdead.Mystified,Idialedaga.
“Isaidyougotthewrongnuber!”cathevoiceorethephoneclickedyear.
HowuldhepossiblyknowIhadawrongnuber?Atthatti,IworkedfortheNewYorkCityPoliceDepartnt.Apistraedtobecurio—andned.SoIdialedathirdti.
“Hey,,”theansaid.“Isthisyouaga?”
“Yeah,it’s,”Ianswered.“IyouknewIhadthewrongnuberbeforeIevensaidanythg?”
“Youfigureitout!”Thephonedsddown.
Isatthereawhile,thereceiverhangglooselyyfgers.Icalledtheanback.
“Didyoufigureitoutyet?”heasked.
“TheonlythgIthkofis...nobodyevercallsyou.”
“Yougotit!”Thephodeadforthefourthti.Chucklg,Idialedtheanback.
“Whatdoyouwantnow?”heasked.
“IthoughtI’dcall...jttosayhello.”
“Hello?Why?”
“Well,ifnobodyevercallsyou,IthoughtaybeIshould.”
“Okay.Hello.Whoisthis?”
Atst.Ihadgotthrough.Nowhewascurio.ItoldhiwhoIwasandaskedwhohewas.
“MynaisAdolfMeth.I’88yearsold,andIhaven’thadthisanywrongnubersoneday20years!”Webothughed.
Wetalkedfor10utes.Adolfhadnofaily,nofriends.Everyonehehadbeenclosetohaddied.Thenwedisveredwehadsothgon:he’dworkedfortheNewYorkCityPoliceDepartntfornearly40years.Tellgabouthisdaysthereasaoroperator,heseedterestg,evenfriendly.IaskedifIuldcallhiaga.
“Whywouldyouwannadothat?”heasked,surprised.
“Well,aybeweuldbephonefriends.Youknow,likepenpals.”
Hehesitated.“Iwouldn’td...havgafriendaga.”Hisvoicesoundedalittletentative.
IcalledAdolfthefollogafternoonandseveraldayster.Easytotalkwith,heretedhisoriesofWorldWarIandII,theHdenburgdisasterandotherhistoricalevents.Hewasfascatg.Igavehiyhoandoffiuberssoheuldcall.Hedid—alosteveryday.
Iwasnotjtbegkdtoalonelyan.TalkgtoAdolfortantto,becaeI,too,hadabiggapylife.Raisedorphanagesandfosterhos,Ineverhadafather.Gradually,Adolftookonakdoffatherlyiportao.Italkedaboutyjobandllegeurses,whichIattenight.
Adolfwardtotheroleofunselor.WhilediscsgadisagreentI’dhadwithasupervisor,Itoldynewfriend,“IthkI’vehaditwithhi.”
“What’stherh?”Adolfcautioned.“Letthgsoldown.WhenyougetasoldasIa,youfdoutthattitakescareofalot.Ifthgsgetworse,thenyoutalktohi.”
Therewasalongsilence.“Youknow,”hesaidsoftly,“IatalkgtoyoujtthewayI’dtalktoaboyofyown.Ialwayswantedafaily—andchildren.You’retooyoungtoknowhowthatfeels.”
No,Iwasn’t.I’dalwayswantedafaily—andafather.ButIdidn’tsayanythg,afraidIwouldn’tbeabletoholdbackthehurtI’dfeltforsolong.
Oneeveng,Adolfntionedhis89thbirthdaywasgup.Afterbuygapieceoffiberboard,Idesigneda2×5greetgcardwithacakeand89dlesonit.IaskedallthepsandyOfficeCoissioosignit.Igatherednearlyahundredsignatures.Adolfwouldgetakickoutofthis,Iknew.
We’dbeentalkgonthephoneforfouronthsnow,andIthoughtthiswouldbeagoodtitoetfacetoface.SoIdecidedtodeliverthecardbyhand.
Ididn’ttellAdolfIwasg;Ijtdrovetohisaddressoneandparkedthecarupthestreetfrohisapartnthoe.Apostanwassailthehallwaywheeredthebuildg.HenoddedasIcheckedtheailboxesforAdolf’sna.Thereitartnt1H,so20feetfrowhereIstood.
Myheartpoundedwithext.Wouldwehavethesacheistrypersonthatwehadonthephone?Ifeltthefirststabofdoubt.Maybehewouldrejectthewayyfatherrejectedwhenhewentoutofylife.ItappedonAdolf’sdoor.Whentherewasnoanswer,Iknockedharder.
Thepostanlookedupfrohiss.“Noohere,”hesaid.
“Yeah,”Isaid,feelgalittlefoolish.“Ifheansweredhisdoorthewayheanswershisphohisaytakeallday.”
“Areyouaretiveorsothg?”
“No,jtafriend.”
“I’reallysorry,”hesaidquietly,“butMr.Methdiedthedaybeforeyesterday.”
Died?Adolf?Foraont,Iuldn’tanswer.Istoodthereshoddisbelief.Then,pullgyselftogether,Ithahepostanandsteppedtothete-sun.Iwalkedtowardthecar,isty-eyed.
Then,roundgtherner,Isawachurch,andalefrotheOldTestantleapedtoyd:Afriendlovethatalltis.Andespeciallydeath,Irealized.Thisbroughtaontnition.Oftenittakessosuddenandsadturnofeventstoawakentothebeautyofaspelosefriend.Slowly,Ifeltawarthsurggthrough.IheardAdolf’sgrowlyvoiceshoutg,“WronghenIheardhiaskgwhyIwaocallaga.
“Becaeyouattered,Adolf,”Isaidaloudtonoone.“BecaeIwasyourfriend.”
Ipcedtheunopenedbirthdaycardonthebackseatofycarandgotbehdthewheel.Beforestartgtheenge,Ilookedoveryshoulder.“Adolf,”Iwhispered.“Ididn’tgetthewrongall.Igotyou.”
没有朋友的人生就如同没有见证的死亡。
——西班牙谚语
没拨完号码，我就发现自己拨错了。电话铃响了一声，两声——然后有人接起来了。“你打错了！”一个沙哑的男声说道。之后是电话挂断的声音。我很迷惑，于是又拨了过去。
“我说你打错电话了！”那个声音回答道。电话又一次在我的耳边挂断。
他怎么知道我打错了？当时，我正在纽约市警署工作。一个警察通常被训练地充满警惕性和好奇心。于是我第三次拨了那个电话。