
071:出門
一八八四年,男孩(蒼原城隍)八歲。397Please respect copyright.PENANAPEcgIvqYjO
這一天,天色一發亮,母親(素娘)起床,前往廚房料理早餐。397Please respect copyright.PENANAGqdCibpa9a
不多久,走入另一名老婦人,是這個家族的老阿嬤,走去查看煎藥壺。397Please respect copyright.PENANA3g6NFgXFAq
素娘:「早。」397Please respect copyright.PENANACWdFIbLzk4
阿嬤:「孩子還好?」397Please respect copyright.PENANA9Xo1kctvc2
素娘:「還在發燒。」397Please respect copyright.PENANAOIuYKRjrrV
阿嬤用粗布防熱,提起煎藥壺。397Please respect copyright.PENANAjQX2et5cXS
素娘:「媽,我來弄就好。」397Please respect copyright.PENANAPLNpyRKZoJ
阿嬤:「我來,妳去忙吃的。」397Please respect copyright.PENANA9AOdnR10Nt
說完,藥水小心倒入大碗公,右手拿著,左手燭臺,進入男孩房間。397Please respect copyright.PENANAJfqKjPCK6K
陰暗的房間內,男孩躺在床上熟睡。397Please respect copyright.PENANAy7Eooh9taN
阿嬤坐到床沿,點燃床頭櫃上的蠟燭照明,這才輕搖男孩,口氣溫和:「喝藥了。」397Please respect copyright.PENANA0GnG0wdXuC
男孩醒來,睡眼矇矓好一會:「阿嬤……」397Please respect copyright.PENANA3v5PndtaNp
阿嬤:「喝過藥,身體才會快快好起來。」397Please respect copyright.PENANA3FmQChMIhY
就此讓阿嬤扶起,一口口啜飲苦澀的湯藥。397Please respect copyright.PENANAybWBR1luLQ
沒多久,母親弄好早餐,端著一碗進房。白飯上面蓋著二樣青菜,一樣魚肉。因為每當這樣高燒,孩子不會有什麼體力前往廚房,只好端來房間讓他用餐。397Please respect copyright.PENANAUI5307tDqk
好不容喝完湯藥,換母親餵飯。397Please respect copyright.PENANAV9bEKyjyoB
阿嬤詢問:「素娘,明天又要出門?」397Please respect copyright.PENANAcDE2m9cj1r
昨晚睡前,蝦宜港內開旅店的老林趕來,通知阿嬤有六名外地年輕人入住旅店,都和素娘有關。397Please respect copyright.PENANAfNPxQVMoEh
終究是個小漁村,鎮民之間感情好的,都會第一時間私下通報消息。397Please respect copyright.PENANA7lGzeW9XWo
素娘被問,直接承認:「嗯……」沉默幾秒,「這次要去比較深山的蕃村,大概三個月才會回來。」397Please respect copyright.PENANAKYgZcNE3KY
阿嬤:「妳一個已經嫁過來的女人家,整天和幾名男人在外面走,山裡到處和蕃人打交道,這樣怎麼好?」397Please respect copyright.PENANAvsy6NJWOcN
素娘:「這是為了孩子和這個家。」397Please respect copyright.PENANAqeshrBwSIA
阿嬤:「也考慮一下人家會怎麼說妳?」397Please respect copyright.PENANAUviJjBgMgQ
素娘:「…………」397Please respect copyright.PENANAILuKzH6KV6
阿嬤:「再說,深山蕃村那種危險地方,要是妳也出事,看要怎麼辦?」397Please respect copyright.PENANAi41POJLvCl
素娘:「那是以前,現在蕃仔沒有大家傳的那麼壞。備好禮,有話好好的說,不會有問題。」397Please respect copyright.PENANA4SAmnhIehw
阿嬤:「反正女人家少出遠門啦。」397Please respect copyright.PENANA7PPzVjwemL
素娘:「等到把女孩買回家,我就不會再出遠門了。」397Please respect copyright.PENANAMOAK4mcw77
阿嬤:「唉……」397Please respect copyright.PENANA0vCk6Hn3PY
素娘也不再多說這事,只是餵孩子,和孩子說話。397Please respect copyright.PENANAjTrTB4xlV8
果然,這天大約早上八點,六名健壯男人一起來到三合院找素娘。397Please respect copyright.PENANAPv89OO9gwB
他們看來都才剛成年,十幾二十歲的年輕人。397Please respect copyright.PENANAT7ZbxxbUH1
其中五位,阿嬤見過。另外一位,是新面孔。397Please respect copyright.PENANAR77JqAVfOF
他們一起稱呼:「大姊好。阿嬤好。」397Please respect copyright.PENANADgzIGmBgSb
阿嬤沒有理會他們,直接前往照顧生病的孫子。397Please respect copyright.PENANAKPJwPy8RUU
素娘對待他們如同弟弟,說說笑笑,計畫出發路線,直到傍晚,男孩們才又回到旅店休息。397Please respect copyright.PENANADtKj53uJJv
隔天,因為六點就要出發,所以天未亮的四點,素娘就起床,連忙處理早餐。397Please respect copyright.PENANARCgpgxMkMQ
大約五點,端進房間,給孩子餵餐。397Please respect copyright.PENANAGCp6mF4pD6
阿嬤比較晚起,不過也前來房間。397Please respect copyright.PENANA7paxNnothp
素娘:「退燒了。身體覺得比較舒服?」397Please respect copyright.PENANArcmpDweC8z
男孩:「有……」397Please respect copyright.PENANAvLL5ZiNgKl
素娘:「媽媽等會就要出門。這次去比較遠,三個月才會回來。不論多久,你都要乖乖聽阿嬤的話,知道嗎?」397Please respect copyright.PENANA4aJOZKV9H3
男孩點頭:「嗯……」397Please respect copyright.PENANAoIDRacWt2y
素娘:「記住,不論媽媽去到多遠的地方,你永遠都在媽媽心裡。」397Please respect copyright.PENANAs44lugAaW6
再次點頭:「嗯……」397Please respect copyright.PENANAEGlTr3rpME
再疼惜孩子一會,素娘轉頭:「媽,我有留一筆生活費在神桌下的抽屜。」397Please respect copyright.PENANA5IvSEQKRPK
阿嬤:「唉……我更希望留下來的是妳啊。」397Please respect copyright.PENANAWFvGhiE66G
素娘不再多說,疼惜撫摸孩子的臉,就此出門離去。397Please respect copyright.PENANABGgrPl3w01
結果,沒有再回來了……397Please respect copyright.PENANAc4mb0zQtM6
………………397Please respect copyright.PENANAbGHPgcYCGC
…………397Please respect copyright.PENANAtKYcg3uX1g
……397Please respect copyright.PENANAYYs1CICLxp
397Please respect copyright.PENANAzJHY7BWR7f