
071:出門
一八八四年,男孩(蒼原城隍)八歲。387Please respect copyright.PENANAjFC81ZwbLc
這一天,天色一發亮,母親(素娘)起床,前往廚房料理早餐。387Please respect copyright.PENANAF1TH5c4QtB
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。387Please respect copyright.PENANA1i3tLZ1g4s
素娘:「早。」387Please respect copyright.PENANArrAZREpMez
阿嬤:「孩子還好?」387Please respect copyright.PENANA2dHkRhcY2B
素娘:「還在發燒。」387Please respect copyright.PENANAYoYM7ogpJA
阿嬤用粗布防熱,提起煎藥壺。387Please respect copyright.PENANA0FuDXxGEc0
素娘:「媽,我來弄就好。」387Please respect copyright.PENANA4qM9TOusir
阿嬤:「我來,妳去忙吃的。」387Please respect copyright.PENANA6kqSiIJBMb
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。387Please respect copyright.PENANA7lfGUBLTZc
陰暗的房間內,男孩躺在床上熟睡。387Please respect copyright.PENANAtdfG28AOkE
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。」387Please respect copyright.PENANAvSbSFwgbYp
男孩醒來,睡眼矇矓好一會:「阿嬤……」387Please respect copyright.PENANAttmuoObJBK
阿嬤:「喝過藥,身體才會快快好起來。」387Please respect copyright.PENANAamRk6IOMnt
就此讓阿嬤扶起,一口口啜飲苦澀的湯藥。387Please respect copyright.PENANASvPlBqcEyl
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。387Please respect copyright.PENANAnLlSEkY8jw
好不容喝完湯藥,換母親餵飯。387Please respect copyright.PENANA4YD1OTmUQN
阿嬤詢問:「素娘,明天又要出門?」387Please respect copyright.PENANAMZ9Zq7m4zI
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。387Please respect copyright.PENANAO0hjMK5mYO
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。387Please respect copyright.PENANAzwO9F7Zlr0
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。」387Please respect copyright.PENANAZil9gxarr8
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?」387Please respect copyright.PENANAmks9EhQ5Sl
素娘:「這是為了孩子和這個家。」387Please respect copyright.PENANAPmfQWycFDv
阿嬤:「也考慮一下人家會怎麼說妳?」387Please respect copyright.PENANAIA4gVGvtjO
素娘:「…………」387Please respect copyright.PENANAlCP7hSOBUg
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?」387Please respect copyright.PENANAfadhWRi7P2
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。」387Please respect copyright.PENANAUbycKpNzh9
阿嬤:「反正女人家少出遠門啦。」387Please respect copyright.PENANARuhwVxcuFS
素娘:「等到把女孩買回家,我就不會再出遠門了。」387Please respect copyright.PENANALjlmIHkayJ
阿嬤:「唉……」387Please respect copyright.PENANAnBxYIXUYNg
素娘也不再多說這事,只是餵孩子,和孩子說話。387Please respect copyright.PENANAlzYHIIIMll
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。387Please respect copyright.PENANAvjDphRuDZC
他們看來都才剛成年,十幾二十歲的年輕人。387Please respect copyright.PENANAPt9tpiIxEi
其中五位,阿嬤見過。另外一位,是新面孔。387Please respect copyright.PENANA8vUVtrfrQ8
他們一起稱呼:「大姊好。阿嬤好。」387Please respect copyright.PENANAulURhzMNy2
阿嬤沒有理會他們,直接前往照顧生病的孫子。387Please respect copyright.PENANAkHWP2SYpD7
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。387Please respect copyright.PENANAFRcJolC0fv
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。387Please respect copyright.PENANAZRBrlRH0qE
大約五點,端進房間,給孩子餵餐。387Please respect copyright.PENANAAPP7MHD5Zy
阿嬤比較晚起,不過也前來房間。387Please respect copyright.PENANA2b7eztwLeU
素娘:「退燒了。身體覺得比較舒服?」387Please respect copyright.PENANAS0J8CfezXE
男孩:「有……」387Please respect copyright.PENANAwk5q9m1QIw
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?」387Please respect copyright.PENANAcAZguqaPhI
男孩點頭:「嗯……」387Please respect copyright.PENANAAwHWZIxw3S
素娘:「記住,不論媽媽去到多遠的地方,你永遠都在媽媽心裡。」387Please respect copyright.PENANA2dGF6PbMEC
再次點頭:「嗯……」387Please respect copyright.PENANASHXZ3nWduy
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。」387Please respect copyright.PENANAVvntRkkZPU
阿嬤:「唉……我更希望留下來的是妳啊。」387Please respect copyright.PENANAywF9uOE4Bx
素娘不再多說,疼惜撫摸孩子的臉,就此出門離去。387Please respect copyright.PENANAL3h0BwUKGP
結果,沒有再回來了……387Please respect copyright.PENANAj9r90MaWCv
………………387Please respect copyright.PENANAg9Rv39rnbl
…………387Please respect copyright.PENANApFjuy75iId
……387Please respect copyright.PENANAK16c0zakWe
387Please respect copyright.PENANAR5fbiePVOq