
287Please respect copyright.PENANAmCaBQsfeff
阿貴帶羅排來到烤鴨舖,大夥一看到他們,立刻停下手邊工作,喜出望外的上前迎接、話嘮。287Please respect copyright.PENANAQgdu9MJ6ga
287Please respect copyright.PENANA58IQd8umch
大半年渺無音訊的羅排,完全變了個樣!頭髮長了,還蓄了一臉落塞鬍,穿著馬靴、戴著墨鏡和鴨舌帽,一身行頭完全符合這個年代的時尚。287Please respect copyright.PENANA7QBgILgT8L
287Please respect copyright.PENANAfQlQruNSOz
大夥藉今天羅排回來,加上店舖生意門可羅雀,和蔡蓉商量過後,決定提早打烊!趁天黑前,將羅排與小姑娘迎至平房一同晚餐;席間,他與大夥分享這半年多來,究竟都經歷了些什麼。287Please respect copyright.PENANA3518MZ5gqI
287Please respect copyright.PENANA1IytLWvQ9c
羅排回憶,說他和娜娜走出火車站後,一路向東,幾經輾轉,好不容易才回到店仔口,還在去年治療軟達的藥舖,滯留三天。287Please respect copyright.PENANA2xd97F5Hrb
287Please respect copyright.PENANAT9dLJz28G3
藥舖的「李老闆」,為人古道熱腸,見故人歸來,還熱情地騰出閣樓,借他們暫住;直到遇見塔斯庫後,這才辭別李老闆,和娜娜一起回到部落住了下來。287Please respect copyright.PENANAoe0UADFvdO
287Please respect copyright.PENANAblENMCnBBY
部落依舊熱情、友善,待他和娜娜如上賓,是管吃管住還分文不取!但住沒一個月,羅排就出現水土不服的症狀,上吐下瀉、高燒不退!部落巫醫束手無策,只好送他下山,回店仔口藥舖,再請醫師診治。287Please respect copyright.PENANABVrjdweQVm
287Please respect copyright.PENANA6ThLqvW12a
又過了兩天,病情非但未見好轉,反而開始惡化!於是再讓人送去嘉義市區的「教會醫院」,獲得抗生素治療,這才撿回一命!287Please respect copyright.PENANAgbMD2Wa6Bx
287Please respect copyright.PENANANiylzn6aB2
「我就是在教會醫院認識她的。」羅排比了比坐在他身旁的小姑娘。287Please respect copyright.PENANAuK3Z2pQo5c
287Please respect copyright.PENANACilsT0A9TF
她的漢名叫「鐘桐花」,隨的是母姓。她還有個日本名,叫「前田花子」,是一名日本警察在台的私生女。287Please respect copyright.PENANAFeYhptdgVy
287Please respect copyright.PENANAVDTYKKVw7n
因日籍生父遭遣返回日本,她只好留在台灣和生母相依為命;無奈母親年初因肺結核病逝!如今只剩她一個人,孤苦無依。287Please respect copyright.PENANAp46bIoKs9g
287Please respect copyright.PENANAmyaM3STFAE
為了償還母親的住院費用,花子在醫院無償幫忙看照病患。又恰好兩人同是客家人,語言相通,朝夕相處之下,漸漸日久生情!287Please respect copyright.PENANAeqNfop2hz7
287Please respect copyright.PENANABCvEqXykyQ
羅排明白,雖說花子是無償在醫院幫忙,但終究得多一套碗筷,吃一份口糧;等他病癒要出院時,特地向醫院負責人「馬神父」(馬可西穆,51歲,義大利籍)商量,希望能帶她一起出院!287Please respect copyright.PENANAtxdR43RDm9
287Please respect copyright.PENANADSxQt16IHY
馬神父早年曾在大陸行醫,會說國語,是當地少數能用國語交談的人。他看羅排這人雖然油嘴滑舌、能言善道,但品行還算敦厚,且誠心誠意;在徵詢過花子意願後,這才放心把她交給羅排,讓他們一起離開醫院。287Please respect copyright.PENANAKmOWlYD2oN
287Please respect copyright.PENANA6p5ijpi7Fp
羅排和花子回到部落後,又待了一個多月。山上什麼都好,就是無聊了點;沒什麼休閒娛樂,加上語言不通,想幹些什麼,都得找娜娜翻譯。287Please respect copyright.PENANARG8HMJNRNZ
287Please respect copyright.PENANAJFfjlu2eWQ
等娜娜和塔斯庫完婚後,羅排便決定帶花子下山。辭行時,老頭目還大方的給他們好些山產,讓他帶下山去交易,換取一些盤纏!287Please respect copyright.PENANAshYNeiin7I
287Please respect copyright.PENANAhGsyqOGMYO
說到這裡,羅排從行囊裡抽出一把番刀。他說:「這也是頭目送的,留給我們防身用!」287Please respect copyright.PENANADcH2UefTob
287Please respect copyright.PENANAY8Q85rFC7D
羅排回到藥鋪,向李老闆承租了閣樓,兩人就在店仔口住了下來。這段時日,每回娜娜隨塔斯庫下山做買賣,都會順道過來探望他們。287Please respect copyright.PENANAjmdYVM5KBJ
287Please respect copyright.PENANA9hUcgUfJQa
「從剛才到現在,都沒聽她說過一句話。」查理有些難以啟齒,但還是忍不住多問一句:「她是不是聾啞人士?」287Please respect copyright.PENANAyQJtQTgVY0
287Please respect copyright.PENANAg0YnEQhJ0V
羅排聽完,哈哈大笑!回道:「你們別誤會,那是因為她只聽得懂客語和日語!」287Please respect copyright.PENANAu8lwm9c7Mq
287Please respect copyright.PENANA6X7MsoENYr
正因為有語言這層障礙,才讓花子在醫院幫忙時,總顯得有些格格不入!這也是馬神父同意讓羅排帶走花子的原因之一。287Please respect copyright.PENANAWDRfkLp6tz
287Please respect copyright.PENANA401LuknvAB
「娜娜呢?」俊泰很好奇娜娜婚後過得如何。287Please respect copyright.PENANA2efCNkvJ0k
287Please respect copyright.PENANAu7HWRvAdBI
「幸福的咧!」羅排欣悅地說:「如果我推算的沒錯,差不多今年底、明年初吧,他們的小Baby就會出生了!」287Please respect copyright.PENANA6nn4uu8Jew
287Please respect copyright.PENANA9dN76Ouuh9
這時,查理突然嘆了口氣;他似乎對娜娜結婚生子的事感到有些顧慮,因為他擔心的「祖父悖論」最終還是發生了!但事到如今,也只能靜觀其變。287Please respect copyright.PENANAxMwcT5dptq
287Please respect copyright.PENANAQ9i8nSXuS9
「那......旁邊這個小妹妹呢?」浩克略帶邪念地問:「你打算怎麼辦?」287Please respect copyright.PENANAIvw6CELNOy
287Please respect copyright.PENANAshyAeeCGOG
「她才十五歲,我能有什麼打算。」羅排用一種略帶憐憫的眼神,看了花子一眼。然後說:「我把她當妹妹看,萬一......我們真回不去了,就乾脆和她一起相依為命吧!」287Please respect copyright.PENANAzyjVbkM2vy
287Please respect copyright.PENANAeGyGJm1OUC
浩克:「那萬一......我們回去了咧?你要帶她一起走嗎?」經他這麼一問,羅排反倒沉默了,陷入沉思,良久無語。287Please respect copyright.PENANA8nQmtO3e4F
287Please respect copyright.PENANAOBeVE3fgA3
「算了算了,以後的事以後再說吧。」小治岔開話題,接著問:「對了,你那匹馬是怎麼回事?」287Please respect copyright.PENANAQr0dg9oDC5
287Please respect copyright.PENANAU6ajamrHjz
「『吊莢咧』(客家粗話),說到這個就來氣,都是讓人給拗的!」羅排憤憤不平的說。287Please respect copyright.PENANALnaW6oFY0Z
287Please respect copyright.PENANAUWwnGLjFDH
為了生計,羅排偕花子四處幫人打零工,從體力活到紅白事,他們全都做過!有回經人介紹,去到一處農場幫人看照牲口、採收蔬果,於是倆人在那裡住了近一個月;而這匹馬,就是在農場那裡獲得的。287Please respect copyright.PENANAcZUh8pKrZN
287Please respect copyright.PENANA7FaNEFHmss
羅排:「馬是農場老闆一位已故友人寄養的,聽說是從日軍那跑出來的軍馬!」287Please respect copyright.PENANAf94ZJssUuR
287Please respect copyright.PENANAnhDf1yJwAY
此馬的性情剛烈,難以馴服;但不知為何,牠卻很聽花子的話,百依百順。農場老闆覺得這匹馬在農場反正沒什麼用,乾脆牽過來交給他們,還被折抵了一部分酬勞!287Please respect copyright.PENANAAB9RZFtpVD
287Please respect copyright.PENANAreTf5gsP2r
有了馬之後,羅排與花子就可以去到更遠的地方打工;北至濁水溪,南至台南市,就像打工渡假一樣,半工半遊,很長一段時日都沒回到店仔口住。287Please respect copyright.PENANAi0BwbdHRVu
287Please respect copyright.PENANA0SvKswbb9T
「你們知道騎馬最大的好處是什麼嘛 ?」羅排問。287Please respect copyright.PENANA5YW8akYQ4T
287Please respect copyright.PENANADAThPkodYb
大夥瞎猜半天,最後羅排解答:「就是不用加油!」287Please respect copyright.PENANAzOL5fv3Dxg
287Please respect copyright.PENANAX5zGsEJr8Z
羅排幽完自己一默後,在場所有人皆會心一笑;一旁的花子卻像憨鴨聽雷,一頭霧水。不過她還是面帶笑意,靦腆地陪大家一起傻笑。287Please respect copyright.PENANA7kp14wnm8K
287Please respect copyright.PENANAlq27jgvgnW
七月底,羅排結束最近一期的工作,剛回到店仔口,竟在藥舖遇到老瓦!287Please respect copyright.PENANA9dLeCiRoAL
287Please respect copyright.PENANAGqN4wTX7NM
老瓦憑著從小玲那套來的情報,循線找到了這裡;他一連守了好幾天,才總算堵到了羅排!287Please respect copyright.PENANA0UryYqXv3k
287Please respect copyright.PENANAzoQ2nyfija
後來羅排帶著老瓦,隨娜娜、塔斯庫一起上山,來到部落。287Please respect copyright.PENANApFo6UJr8gJ
287Please respect copyright.PENANAA2nLQYIjjS
首次來到部落的老瓦,對這隱匿在深山老林的高山族,感到無比好奇!他不但尋遍部落周圍一帶的地形地勢,還認真體驗部落的生活日常;從食衣住行、武器裝備,到經濟型態、社會結構,方方面面都考察了遍!287Please respect copyright.PENANAVFsVWQyKFv
287Please respect copyright.PENANAuXvYr2UPAW
羅排:「要不是早知道他有特務背景,否則,不知道的人還以為他是做學術研究的!」287Please respect copyright.PENANArQoCeud8r6
287Please respect copyright.PENANAqXBMxK8NWj
後來羅排又陪老瓦在部落待了半個月,還從他那裡得知小治一行人與弘爺、小玲的近況。287Please respect copyright.PENANAegQX02GKP5
287Please respect copyright.PENANAzHtA7dLTGp
下山後,羅排決定退租藥舖閣樓,收拾細軟,帶著花子、牽著馬,一路北上,來找小治他們。287Please respect copyright.PENANATCisyX7mo4
287Please respect copyright.PENANAQQUj1wxj7q
當晚,羅排歸來這事也透過無線電,告訴了弘爺。287Please respect copyright.PENANAMkAVHpdfTS
287Please respect copyright.PENANAAMdlXDOG0k
無線電那頭,還能聽到他興奮地說:「太好了,過兩天剛好有假,到時再去板橋找你們!」
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