
071:出門
一八八四年,男孩(蒼原城隍)八歲。434Please respect copyright.PENANA2dpgwiOcsl
這一天,天色一發亮,母親(素娘)起床,前往廚房料理早餐。434Please respect copyright.PENANA80G74jlhT4
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。434Please respect copyright.PENANASGMpfxg7yN
素娘:「早。」434Please respect copyright.PENANAQhsea08kZI
阿嬤:「孩子還好?」434Please respect copyright.PENANANalgGqkPWa
素娘:「還在發燒。」434Please respect copyright.PENANAkmREWLkfiT
阿嬤用粗布防熱,提起煎藥壺。434Please respect copyright.PENANAZNmZ4kEsQr
素娘:「媽,我來弄就好。」434Please respect copyright.PENANAMD7TUmFczC
阿嬤:「我來,妳去忙吃的。」434Please respect copyright.PENANA7DWGMiQqt5
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。434Please respect copyright.PENANA6mEksyt0dW
陰暗的房間內,男孩躺在床上熟睡。434Please respect copyright.PENANAr0inqksn87
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。」434Please respect copyright.PENANAIc9BebVQeQ
男孩醒來,睡眼矇矓好一會:「阿嬤……」434Please respect copyright.PENANANKw3svl5u9
阿嬤:「喝過藥,身體才會快快好起來。」434Please respect copyright.PENANAHVvkaCczwV
就此讓阿嬤扶起,一口口啜飲苦澀的湯藥。434Please respect copyright.PENANAZkdrnyXhMq
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。434Please respect copyright.PENANAYlJn1nn1bw
好不容喝完湯藥,換母親餵飯。434Please respect copyright.PENANA9Jf5gRCaM0
阿嬤詢問:「素娘,明天又要出門?」434Please respect copyright.PENANAfS9sxeeuf3
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。434Please respect copyright.PENANANoTUhQ60I2
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。434Please respect copyright.PENANA5ubXiSQmZK
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。」434Please respect copyright.PENANA8b2hpVTBQ8
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?」434Please respect copyright.PENANAxRzTbv3BY2
素娘:「這是為了孩子和這個家。」434Please respect copyright.PENANAf7HDRI8gVi
阿嬤:「也考慮一下人家會怎麼說妳?」434Please respect copyright.PENANAmQOpnptGC9
素娘:「…………」434Please respect copyright.PENANAEW6omSO6gX
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?」434Please respect copyright.PENANAoS9SDiukdm
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。」434Please respect copyright.PENANAirV0bB1J8r
阿嬤:「反正女人家少出遠門啦。」434Please respect copyright.PENANA70WMhnIQCr
素娘:「等到把女孩買回家,我就不會再出遠門了。」434Please respect copyright.PENANAbJ0XuzTzgR
阿嬤:「唉……」434Please respect copyright.PENANARTJrxkttzb
素娘也不再多說這事,只是餵孩子,和孩子說話。434Please respect copyright.PENANAND50Z8h3UJ
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。434Please respect copyright.PENANAJJ5AdhjbRn
他們看來都才剛成年,十幾二十歲的年輕人。434Please respect copyright.PENANAJH0H4kA6XH
其中五位,阿嬤見過。另外一位,是新面孔。434Please respect copyright.PENANAeQjeMal5TA
他們一起稱呼:「大姊好。阿嬤好。」434Please respect copyright.PENANAggtzfOhDAC
阿嬤沒有理會他們,直接前往照顧生病的孫子。434Please respect copyright.PENANAovtfeUkaUw
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。434Please respect copyright.PENANAYtUPu691Fe
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。434Please respect copyright.PENANATWDEyFfpXv
大約五點,端進房間,給孩子餵餐。434Please respect copyright.PENANAJfsLIfy8BN
阿嬤比較晚起,不過也前來房間。434Please respect copyright.PENANArlt5zVwGT3
素娘:「退燒了。身體覺得比較舒服?」434Please respect copyright.PENANAPc6qgexkAI
男孩:「有……」434Please respect copyright.PENANAUz9iUt1xdc
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?」434Please respect copyright.PENANAoMlcu7EPac
男孩點頭:「嗯……」434Please respect copyright.PENANAqhfPeVuhX4
素娘:「記住,不論媽媽去到多遠的地方,你永遠都在媽媽心裡。」434Please respect copyright.PENANANbkXMjAvH2
再次點頭:「嗯……」434Please respect copyright.PENANAS33MkScvX4
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。」434Please respect copyright.PENANAtB8w92MndH
阿嬤:「唉……我更希望留下來的是妳啊。」434Please respect copyright.PENANAitCYmxkZ2P
素娘不再多說,疼惜撫摸孩子的臉,就此出門離去。434Please respect copyright.PENANAAgPG8ROB2m
結果,沒有再回來了……434Please respect copyright.PENANAoA5BD79FAm
………………434Please respect copyright.PENANAXvSH6ZSnB4
…………434Please respect copyright.PENANAuRPj9nxDTA
……434Please respect copyright.PENANAXIRYyJzii7
434Please respect copyright.PENANAvF42gP5fCT