
071:出門
一八八四年,男孩(蒼原城隍)八歲。429Please respect copyright.PENANAjz2fl50zGI
這一天,天色一發亮,母親(素娘)起床,前往廚房料理早餐。429Please respect copyright.PENANAmEXOncgnhb
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。429Please respect copyright.PENANArnovRcQxig
素娘:「早。」429Please respect copyright.PENANAhhXMOad64t
阿嬤:「孩子還好?」429Please respect copyright.PENANATzxEwcS5xn
素娘:「還在發燒。」429Please respect copyright.PENANA1Vmjd5lW2U
阿嬤用粗布防熱,提起煎藥壺。429Please respect copyright.PENANAbp0GO4z4th
素娘:「媽,我來弄就好。」429Please respect copyright.PENANABKYOYz2u5R
阿嬤:「我來,妳去忙吃的。」429Please respect copyright.PENANA6IWzBS3ur0
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。429Please respect copyright.PENANAdCbDLnsKBM
陰暗的房間內,男孩躺在床上熟睡。429Please respect copyright.PENANAfDcoL7n04F
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。」429Please respect copyright.PENANApz5r1uF370
男孩醒來,睡眼矇矓好一會:「阿嬤……」429Please respect copyright.PENANArIn9ja5d3k
阿嬤:「喝過藥,身體才會快快好起來。」429Please respect copyright.PENANAK6ZZEtk3en
就此讓阿嬤扶起,一口口啜飲苦澀的湯藥。429Please respect copyright.PENANAz5QtdOVBms
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。429Please respect copyright.PENANABFrYVQBhmA
好不容喝完湯藥,換母親餵飯。429Please respect copyright.PENANAc0Nj03dDxM
阿嬤詢問:「素娘,明天又要出門?」429Please respect copyright.PENANAOgSQ3Vh5Ti
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。429Please respect copyright.PENANA539YdfSBUQ
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。429Please respect copyright.PENANACmTAKXyth6
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。」429Please respect copyright.PENANAEJ7wqFidGg
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?」429Please respect copyright.PENANAAtASvRjYwY
素娘:「這是為了孩子和這個家。」429Please respect copyright.PENANAl6nHlBkaNH
阿嬤:「也考慮一下人家會怎麼說妳?」429Please respect copyright.PENANAOs8u014VCC
素娘:「…………」429Please respect copyright.PENANAYbSzTccGuo
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?」429Please respect copyright.PENANA5LWFKuJCcA
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。」429Please respect copyright.PENANAKPWMXRjJaA
阿嬤:「反正女人家少出遠門啦。」429Please respect copyright.PENANAl0RphyQkle
素娘:「等到把女孩買回家,我就不會再出遠門了。」429Please respect copyright.PENANANII8dP6aEz
阿嬤:「唉……」429Please respect copyright.PENANAqe6uAE6iG3
素娘也不再多說這事,只是餵孩子,和孩子說話。429Please respect copyright.PENANACJsgvwFw1w
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。429Please respect copyright.PENANAezTOb0Ud9j
他們看來都才剛成年,十幾二十歲的年輕人。429Please respect copyright.PENANAqNkW30TzgI
其中五位,阿嬤見過。另外一位,是新面孔。429Please respect copyright.PENANAqujHdWWvIb
他們一起稱呼:「大姊好。阿嬤好。」429Please respect copyright.PENANABdFbnaVfwe
阿嬤沒有理會他們,直接前往照顧生病的孫子。429Please respect copyright.PENANAD7wONBQEIM
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。429Please respect copyright.PENANArmWB6vgBmG
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。429Please respect copyright.PENANARAEel1C29r
大約五點,端進房間,給孩子餵餐。429Please respect copyright.PENANAuRhkYmBUYZ
阿嬤比較晚起,不過也前來房間。429Please respect copyright.PENANA0xpzTUmsqp
素娘:「退燒了。身體覺得比較舒服?」429Please respect copyright.PENANAy0ZHIqOmVf
男孩:「有……」429Please respect copyright.PENANAXBLu1EdY76
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?」429Please respect copyright.PENANAIj0MpgoXzm
男孩點頭:「嗯……」429Please respect copyright.PENANApOGoVBIHny
素娘:「記住,不論媽媽去到多遠的地方,你永遠都在媽媽心裡。」429Please respect copyright.PENANAeihuKan6Sw
再次點頭:「嗯……」429Please respect copyright.PENANAWGGSepkcNS
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。」429Please respect copyright.PENANARjC5LZ5MfS
阿嬤:「唉……我更希望留下來的是妳啊。」429Please respect copyright.PENANAzpZNIeS2V4
素娘不再多說,疼惜撫摸孩子的臉,就此出門離去。429Please respect copyright.PENANA8X1gG469b2
結果,沒有再回來了……429Please respect copyright.PENANA7vgvxky3mX
………………429Please respect copyright.PENANA1KDVuBKSHe
…………429Please respect copyright.PENANAzPfEEZmcJx
……429Please respect copyright.PENANAu58CG7uaVP
429Please respect copyright.PENANAxWq2OeB8ox