The Parcel

Too cold for Mama

对妈妈来说太冷了

Kofi Mensah was thirty. He came from Ghana, and he lived in Amsterdam. He worked at the reception desk of a big hotel.

科菲·门萨三十岁。他来自加纳，住在阿姆斯特丹。他在一家大酒店的前台工作。

It was a Monday night in January. The hotel was quiet. Outside, it was minus six degrees.

那是一月的一个星期一晚上。酒店里很安静。外面是零下六度。

At eleven o’clock, his phone rang. It was his mother in Accra.

十一点的时候，他的手机响了。是他在阿克拉的妈妈打来的。

“Kofi! I have my ticket! I arrive on Saturday at ten in the morning.”

“科菲！我买到票了！我星期六早上十点到。”

“That’s great, Mama. I’ll be at the airport. Then we can walk by the canals.”

“太好了，妈妈。我去机场接你。然后我们可以去运河边散步。”

“Is it cold in Amsterdam?”

“阿姆斯特丹冷吗？”

Kofi looked out of the window. There was snow on the bikes in the street.

科菲看了看窗外。街上的自行车上都是雪。

“A little,” he said.

“有一点点，”他说。

“Good. I’m going to bring my nice dresses. And some fish for you. You are too thin in your photos.”

“好的。我要带我好看的裙子。还给你带一些鱼。你在照片里太瘦了。”

After the call, Kofi sat at the desk with his head in his hands. His mother had no winter clothes. She never needed them in Accra.

通完电话后，科菲双手抱头坐在桌子前。他的妈妈没有冬天的衣服。她在阿克拉从来不需要这些。

“What’s wrong?” asked Lotte. She worked at reception with him on the night shift.

“怎么了？”洛特问。她和他一起在前台上夜班。

“My mother is coming on Saturday. She thinks it’s a little cold here.”

“我妈妈星期六要来。她觉得这里只有一点点冷。”

Lotte laughed. “A little! It’s minus six. She needs a real winter coat.”

洛特笑了。“一点点！现在是零下六度。她需要一件真正的冬天的大衣。”