Every Sunday， after Mama， Daddy， and me come back from church and eat lunch， we pack up the car and go to Maracas Beach. At the beach we find a good spot between two coconut trees and lay out the towels. Then Mama sits and reads a book and daddy and me carry the raft down to the water and pretend we are sailing for a new island.

　　But one Sunday of the year we never ever go to the beach， and that is Easter Sunday. In fact， nobody I know goes to the beach on that Sunday. We go to church and then come back home and eat a big lunch， but we don't go anything else for the rest of the day. All we do is sit on the porch and watch the sunset. Every Easter I asked Mama why we can't go to the beach like other Sundays. But she would only shake her head and say， "Because I say so."

　　Then this Easter she told me why. She said， "Amber， if you swim in the sea on Easter， you go turn into a mermaid and you go never come back." I could see from her face that she wasn't joking.

　　When I asked Tantie about it later， she nodded her head. "Your mama didn't tell you before， because she's afraid you may want to try it and see yourself. But if it is true， and those mermaids never come back from the sea."

　　"But Tantie， who knows those who go swimming will turn into a mermaid？"

　　Tantie gave me a look that say， "You go doubt me？" I glanced away. But I was feeling doubtful. I mean it wasn't like I ever hear Tantie or Mama say they saw a mermaid. And I sure never did see one. But I didn't say another word. And Tantie went on inside the house to talk to Mama， leaving me outside watching the sun go down and wondering what would really happen if I went swimming on Easter Sunday.

　　A few days later， Tantie came over and brought a friend with her： Her eyes were gray and quiet like the early morning mists that rise off the sea in the rainy season. And her skin was smooth and bright like polished stones. She had long， black hair that wrapped around her shoulders like a pair of arms.

　　"Amber，" said Tantie， "this is my good friend， Miss Pascal. We known each other since we both younger than you." I smiled at Miss Pascal and kissed her cheek. But I was wondering if I had heard right. This woman couldn't have grown up with Tantie. She was much younger than my mama. But when she said hallo， her voice was crackly like dried coconut tree branches.

　　Tantie and Miss Pascal stayed for the whole afternoon. Mama brought out a tray with tall glasses of mauby and a plate of currant rolls and sipping the spicy coldness. Then the sun starter going down and the crickets began singing. Tantie and Miss Pascal were talking about old times. Mama picked up some sewing from her basket. And I sat there watching as people passed by on the street.

　　Then I heard Miss Pascal say softly to Tantie， "I don't know how long Tilly go stay with them mermaids. Been over fifty years now." Well， I didn't understand that at all. I kept real quite and wished those crickets would hush up so I could hear.

　　"You know，" Miss Pascal went on， "I always wonder what she doing with those mermaids all day long. Delphine， you think they having a good time down there？" Well， I could feel， more than see， Tantie shrug her shoulders. "I don't know， Jill. But Tilly always loved the sea more than all of us， so she bound to be happy there."

　　Well， I couldn't take it no more. I turned around so that Tantie could see I was listening to Them. I was diping she would tell me who Tilly and the mermaids were before I burst from not knowing. Tantie looked at me real seriously and said， "You want to know what happen？"

　　I nodded my head and sat down fast between their chairs before she could change her mind. I waited for Tantie to tell the story， but it was Miss Pascal who starter to speak. "I was there，" she said， "when my twin sister Tilly turn into a mermaid."

　　"What？" I shouted. "Your sister is a mermaid？"

　　Tantie put a hand on my shoulder. I sat back and tried to control the trembling that was taking over my body.

　　Miss Pascal started her story again. "Fifty years ago， me and my twin sister Tilly were twenty years old." But I gasped out loud. Something terrible was happening here. Miss Pascal was a young woman！ "Miss Pascal， you not seventy years old，" I wailed. Tantie patted my arm and kept her hand there. I got quite. "Me and Tilly were exactly alike，" said Miss Pascal. "We looked the same. We walked the same， and we dressed the same. We even liked the same things. More than anything else， we loved the sea. Every day when we were little girls， we would go down to the sea and count shells or make rafts from fallen tree branches and seaweed ropes. When we got older， we would go to the sea after work and swim. We swam like fish far， far out in the sea."

　　Miss Pascal stopped and took a deep breath. Tantie handed her the glass of mauby. I was going to ask a question， but Tantie pressed on my arm， so I kept quiet. Then Miss Pascal went on. "I think Tilly began liking the sea even more than me. She never wanted to do anything else but float over the waves or dive deep down and touch the bottom. I started liking other things besides the sea. And sometimes I just wanted to read a book instead of going to the sea. But Tilly went every day.

　　Then one Easter Sunday， when no one goes swimming ever， Tilly decided she would go. "Tilly，" I begged， "Don't go today. You know no one supposed to go swimming on Easter." But she didn't listen to me. She went down to San Souci， which right next to where we lived in Toco， and she waded far， far out. I followed Tilly to san Souci and stood on a rock to watch her because I did not know what else to do. The tide was out and for a long way the water only came to Tilly's knees. Then she was so far out that I could barely see her. I watched her tiny body dancing with the waves. I was hoping she would see she was swimming on Easter.

　　But Tilly just kept on dancing with the waves， waving her arms in the air like a water fairy. I shaded my eyes from the sun and watched as hard as I could. But then I couldn't see her anymore. I took off my Sunday dress and waded in."

　　"Miss Pascal" I interrupted， "you went swimming on Easter Sunday too？ And you not a mermaid！" I gave Tantie a look as if to say， "See？"

　　"Miss Pascal not finish， Amber，" said Tantie.

　　Miss Pascal took another sip of mauby. I could see she was having a hard time telling this story， so I reached up and put my hand on her knee. "Is okay. You don't have to finish the story，" I said. Although I was dying to find out what happen next. Miss Pascal shook her head. "NO， the rest of the story is the most important.

　　I swam out to where Tilly had been. But she was gone. I dove beneath the waves and looked for her. I shouted her name. I swam up and down and all around for a long time until I was so tired， I didn't think I could ever swim back in. I turned on my back to float and rest and think what to do. And that's when I saw her.

　　"Tilly？" I called softly. "Is that you， Tilly？" I was whispering because my voice was hoarse from shouting. But she didn't answer. She swam in front of me， pulling my long hair gently so I drifted behind her. She was heading toward the shore. And she swam quick like a fish， slicing through the water even smoother than she ever had before.

　　And when we got to the shallows， she let go my hair and whispered in a voice that sounded like a cloud floating on the sea. "They don't know it's two of us. So go now and be my earth self， and I'll be your water self." Before I could answer， she turned fast and swam away. And all I could see was a long， beautiful fish slicing the waves."

　　Miss Pascal stopped talking and picked up her mauby glass again. I sat on the floor and not a word could come out my mouth. Tantie and Mama didn't say anything either.

　　Then far off in the clear evening air， I heard the happy notes of a steel band playing. We sat and listened until it stopped. The stars had come out bright in the dark sky， and Miss Pascal sat glowing in starlight.

　　"Tilly never came back，" she said softly， looking right at me. "And I never grow old."

　　Daddy came home soon after that and drove Miss Pascal home. I stayed outside on the Porch with Tantie， feeling the night's sweet coolness all around me.

　　"Amber，" Tantie said in a soft voice， "Miss Pascal is the same way for the past fifty years. She look the same now as when she and Tilly went swimming on that Easter Sunday. And she say the only reason she didn't turn into a mermaid was because the sea was confused. It didn't know was two of them. So Miss Pascal got away. But she knows the truth of swimming on Easter Sunday， and she wanted to tell you herself."

　　"But how she could look the same after all these years， Tantie？" I asked.

　　Tantie shrugged. "I don't know， but it have something to do with her twin sister， Tilly."

　　"Maybe she want to stay the same， so Tilly would recognize her if she came back from the sea." I suggested.

　　"Maybe，" said Tantie. And both of us got quiet with our own thoughts. I know I go never ask to go swimming on Easter Sunday again.

　　每個星期天，我和爸爸媽媽從教堂禮拜回來，吃完午餐后，我們就坐上車前往瑪拉卡斯海灘。在海灘上，我們在兩棵椰樹之間找到了一個很好的場地，攤開毛巾，媽媽坐在上面看書，我和爸爸就駕著木筏順流直下，假裝要前往一個新的島嶼。

　　但是，有一個周日，我們卻沒去海灘。那天剛好是復(fù)活節(jié)，但是，就我所知那天沒有人去那個海灘。我們禮拜回家后，吃了一頓豐盛的午餐，然后好好休息了一下，沒有去任何地方玩。我們坐在門廊里，看著太陽落山。每次過復(fù)活節(jié)，我總是問媽媽為什么我們不去以前每個星期天都要去的海灘。媽媽總是搖搖頭說：“我說不能去就不能去。”

　　可是，這個復(fù)活節(jié)，媽媽卻告訴了我原因。她說：“安珀，如果你在復(fù)活節(jié)那天在海里游泳時，你將會變成美人魚，就永遠不能回來了。” 從她臉上的表情，我看得出媽媽不是在開玩笑。

　　后來，我問坦蒂時，她也點點頭說：“你媽媽以前沒有告訴你，是她害怕你自己去試，自己去弄個明白。不過她說的確實是真的，那些美人魚從沒有從大海中回來。”

　　“但是，坦蒂，誰知道去游泳就會變成美人魚啊？”

　　坦蒂看了我一眼，說：“你懷疑我說的話？”我趕忙移開我的目光。但是我確實很懷疑。我認為事實不太可能像坦蒂和媽媽說的那樣。我也確信他們并沒有看見過美人魚，不過我也沒有說什么。坦蒂回到房間和媽媽說話，我一個人待在外面看日落，想著如果我在復(fù)活節(jié)的那天去游泳，到底會發(fā)生什么呢？

　　幾天之后，坦蒂過來了，帶了她的一個朋友。她的眼睛是灰色的，就像雨季的早晨，海面上升起的霧。她的皮膚非常的好，就像經(jīng)過打磨的石頭一樣光滑明亮。她黑色的長發(fā)盤卷在肩膀上，就像一雙手。

　　“安珀，”坦蒂說，“這是我的好朋友帕斯卡小姐。我們在比你現(xiàn)在還小的時候就認識了。”我對帕斯卡笑笑，親了下她的臉頰。但是領(lǐng)我納悶的是我這個女人不可能和坦蒂一樣大，她比我的媽媽還要年輕許多。

　　當(dāng)她說“你好”的時候，她的聲音如此的清脆，就像干枯的椰子樹分叉時發(fā)出的聲音。

　　坦蒂和帕斯卡小姐整個下午都待在一起。媽媽拿出一個托盤，上面放有盛滿莫比飲料的高腳杯和一盤葡萄干，媽媽吮吸著加了香料的冷飲。在太陽開始落山，蟋蟀開始唱歌的時候，坦蒂和帕斯卡小姐開始聊起往事。媽媽從籃子里拿起東西開始干針線活，我則坐在那里看著街上來來往往的行人。

　　我聽見帕斯卡小聲地對坦蒂說：“我不知道蒂莉和美人魚們待了多久，也許已經(jīng)有50多年了。”天哪，我根本無法理解。我刻意把我的心平靜下來，真希望那些蟋蟀也能閉上嘴巴，好讓我能聽清楚。

　　“你也知道，”帕斯卡繼續(xù)說，“我總是想她和那些美人魚在一起整天做什么呢。戴爾芬，她們在下面過得開心么？”

　　天哪，現(xiàn)在我的感覺勝過我所看見的，坦蒂聳聳她的肩膀。“我不知道，吉爾。但是蒂莉總是更愛大海，而不怎么愛我們。因此，她注定要在大海中才快樂”

　　天哪，我再也受不了，我轉(zhuǎn)過臉，故意讓坦蒂知道我正在聽他們說話。我非常希望她能夠告訴我蒂莉和那些美人魚到底是誰。坦蒂嚴肅地看著我說：“你想知道到底發(fā)生了什么事嗎？”

　　我點點頭，并趁她們沒有改變主意之前趕緊坐在他們中間，等著坦蒂告訴我整個故事。然而，卻是帕斯卡小姐開口說話了，“我的孿生妹妹蒂莉變成美人魚時，我在場。”

　　“什么？”我喊道。“你的妹妹是美人魚？”

　　坦蒂按住我的肩膀，我背靠著，極力控制住我激動得顫抖的身體。

　　帕斯卡小姐接著講她的故事。“50年前，我和我的孿生妹妹蒂莉，當(dāng)時都20歲了。” 我不僅尖叫了起來，她們一定發(fā)生了可怕的事情，帕斯卡小姐還很年輕！“帕斯卡小姐，你看上去并沒有70歲啊，”我喊道。坦蒂拍拍我的胳膊，她的手還放在那里。我平靜下來。“我和蒂莉很像，我們看上去一模一樣，我們走路一樣，穿的一樣。我們甚至喜歡同樣的東西。我們也同樣喜歡大海。當(dāng)我們還是小女孩的時候，我們每天都要下海，數(shù)貝殼，乘著木筏跨過倒下的椰子樹和海草織起的繩子。我們歲數(shù)大點后，工作和游泳后就去海邊。我們像魚一樣游向大海的深處。”

　　帕斯卡停了下來，長長的舒了一口氣。坦蒂遞給她一杯莫比飲料。我想提問的時候，坦蒂按住我的胳膊，我只好保持安靜。帕斯卡接著說：“我想蒂莉開始比我更喜歡大海了。比起其它事來，她更想在海浪上漂浮，深深的潛入海水中觸摸海底。我開始喜歡除了海洋以外的東西，有時只想讀書而不想去大海。但是蒂莉每天都要去大海。”

　　在復(fù)活節(jié)的星期天，沒有人去游泳，而蒂莉卻決定去海邊。“蒂莉，”我求她說：“今天不要去了，你知道沒有人在復(fù)活節(jié)的這一天去大海的。”但是，她沒有聽我的話。她去了圣蘇西海岸，這個地方在我們住的旁邊。她涉水很遠，一頭潛入水中。我跟著她來到圣蘇西海邊，站在礁石上看著她，因為我不知道我還能做什么。潮汐慢慢退卻，在很長一段時間海水只到達她的膝蓋。她游得太遠了，我都不能看見她了。我看見她小小的身體在浪尖中起伏，我真希望她能明白她是在復(fù)活節(jié)的這一天游泳的。

　　可是，蒂莉一直在浪尖起舞，在空中揮舞著她的手，就像水中的仙女。太陽太亮，我用手遮著眼睛，遠遠地望著她。但是，我再也看不見她了，我脫掉我的周末禮服，跳入水中。

　　“帕斯卡小姐，” 我打斷她的話說，“你也在復(fù)活節(jié)的周天游泳？你不是一個美人魚！”我看了坦蒂一眼示意她：“你明白我說的？”

　　“帕斯卡還沒有說完呢，安珀，” 坦蒂說。

　　帕斯卡小姐又喝了一口莫比酒。我知道她給我們講述這個故事的時候她心里很難受，我就再靠近她些，把手放在她的膝蓋上。盡管我還是非常想知道故事的下回如何，可是我還是說了：“好了，你不要非把故事講完。”

　　帕斯卡小姐搖了搖頭說：“不，接下來的內(nèi)容最重要。

　　我游到蒂莉在的地方，可卻發(fā)現(xiàn)她已經(jīng)不見了。我潛到海浪底下找她，喊著她的名字，我在到處上下游來游去的，找了好長時間，我都累的以為自己游不回去了呢。我仰面漂在水面上休息下，考慮下怎么辦，可這時我看見她了。

　　“蒂莉？”我輕聲地喊。“是你嗎，蒂莉？”我的嗓子喊得嘶啞，聲音變得很小。她沒有回答，我在我前面游著，輕柔地拉著我的長發(fā)，我在她后面漂動著。她朝海岸的方向游去，速度像魚一樣快，穿梭于海水之間，甚至比她以前游得還要好。

　　我們達到淺灘后，她撩撥下我的長發(fā)，趴在我耳邊小聲對我說，聲音就像云朵漂過海面一樣輕柔，“他們不知道我們是兩個人，因此現(xiàn)在就走了，成為了我自己的天地，我將是海水。”我還沒有回答，她就快速轉(zhuǎn)頭游走了。我只看見一條美麗的長長的魚劃過波浪。

　　帕斯卡小姐不在說話了，又拿起了她的莫比酒杯。我坐在地板上，沒有說一句話。坦蒂和媽媽也都沒有說話。

　　遠望明亮的昏色，我聽見一支鋼鐵樂隊在演奏著歡樂的樂譜。我們坐下來聽到他們演奏結(jié)束。天色變黑，星星出來了，璀璨地點綴著蒼茫的夜色。帕斯卡小姐坐著，在星光下顯得很耀眼。

　　“蒂莉不會再回來了，”她聲音低緩地說，目光正對著我。“我也不會變老了。”

　　爸爸之后就回來了，把帕斯卡小姐送回家，我和坦蒂站在門廊外面，感到整個晚上我們既甜蜜又寒冷。

　　“安珀，”坦蒂聲音溫柔地說，“帕斯卡小姐和過去50年里一樣，她看起來還和當(dāng)初與蒂莉復(fù)活節(jié)一起游泳時長得一樣。她說她不能變成美人魚的唯一一個原因就是大海迷惑了。大海不知道他們是倆個人，因此帕斯卡小姐才得以脫離。但是她沒有說明周日復(fù)活節(jié)那天游泳的真相，她只想告訴你她自己的事。

　　“但是經(jīng)過那么多年她怎么還和當(dāng)初長得一樣啊，坦蒂？”我問道。

　　坦蒂聳聳肩說：“我不知道，但肯定和她的孿生妹妹蒂莉有關(guān)。”

　　“也許她想保持原來的樣子，這樣如果蒂莉從海里回來的話就可以認出她。”我認為。

　　“也許吧，” 坦蒂說。我們都陷入沉靜之中。我知道我再也不會去問在復(fù)活節(jié)周日游泳的事情了。

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