
071:出門
一八八四年,男孩(蒼原城隍)八歲。378Please respect copyright.PENANASxE3bTdAoK
這一天,天色一發亮,母親(素娘)起床,前往廚房料理早餐。378Please respect copyright.PENANAxXWbIyfQnh
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。378Please respect copyright.PENANAEndMYqU1gK
素娘:「早。」378Please respect copyright.PENANAa9zN7iPoZd
阿嬤:「孩子還好?」378Please respect copyright.PENANAameIm9MCk0
素娘:「還在發燒。」378Please respect copyright.PENANA0hyoCkL5y2
阿嬤用粗布防熱,提起煎藥壺。378Please respect copyright.PENANADQkPDs6Bmp
素娘:「媽,我來弄就好。」378Please respect copyright.PENANAzw5Fm6Oa2S
阿嬤:「我來,妳去忙吃的。」378Please respect copyright.PENANAbUk8ACNmMo
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。378Please respect copyright.PENANAiAVmFG6Nrh
陰暗的房間內,男孩躺在床上熟睡。378Please respect copyright.PENANAb2q84O0Sn0
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。」378Please respect copyright.PENANAlyuPE1SU26
男孩醒來,睡眼矇矓好一會:「阿嬤……」378Please respect copyright.PENANATMp7Uoprkp
阿嬤:「喝過藥,身體才會快快好起來。」378Please respect copyright.PENANA5q1RGvy9mn
就此讓阿嬤扶起,一口口啜飲苦澀的湯藥。378Please respect copyright.PENANA9ra64GVisV
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。378Please respect copyright.PENANA84jtJRYVpS
好不容喝完湯藥,換母親餵飯。378Please respect copyright.PENANARj1VYuIpxl
阿嬤詢問:「素娘,明天又要出門?」378Please respect copyright.PENANA8SqBxPcTQu
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。378Please respect copyright.PENANAx5nDX6XL6a
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。378Please respect copyright.PENANAZcvdOtSUoo
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。」378Please respect copyright.PENANAeYwqpBSMZI
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?」378Please respect copyright.PENANAAuhA0JPpEL
素娘:「這是為了孩子和這個家。」378Please respect copyright.PENANA4kB5OKlmSJ
阿嬤:「也考慮一下人家會怎麼說妳?」378Please respect copyright.PENANAmIPdBD3sC5
素娘:「…………」378Please respect copyright.PENANAxKb2uVNoCH
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?」378Please respect copyright.PENANAosNWSnzUn4
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。」378Please respect copyright.PENANAqVnkeMgIe0
阿嬤:「反正女人家少出遠門啦。」378Please respect copyright.PENANAWuSIM2WXe2
素娘:「等到把女孩買回家,我就不會再出遠門了。」378Please respect copyright.PENANARK5XNERejf
阿嬤:「唉……」378Please respect copyright.PENANAhYZhwSNijc
素娘也不再多說這事,只是餵孩子,和孩子說話。378Please respect copyright.PENANAhV9vpExXju
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。378Please respect copyright.PENANApSg75OL8Hl
他們看來都才剛成年,十幾二十歲的年輕人。378Please respect copyright.PENANAHrLqXSqNsF
其中五位,阿嬤見過。另外一位,是新面孔。378Please respect copyright.PENANAVJXvmBSCZL
他們一起稱呼:「大姊好。阿嬤好。」378Please respect copyright.PENANAVdjwjzotjW
阿嬤沒有理會他們,直接前往照顧生病的孫子。378Please respect copyright.PENANAcfFzewLxbb
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。378Please respect copyright.PENANAngRoxznCuz
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。378Please respect copyright.PENANAAGPGNMeJgn
大約五點,端進房間,給孩子餵餐。378Please respect copyright.PENANAXdzsYzG1do
阿嬤比較晚起,不過也前來房間。378Please respect copyright.PENANABth3iG6XbS
素娘:「退燒了。身體覺得比較舒服?」378Please respect copyright.PENANAsnKIV9udel
男孩:「有……」378Please respect copyright.PENANAAr2kN7tVtK
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?」378Please respect copyright.PENANA6vuIsW2GPt
男孩點頭:「嗯……」378Please respect copyright.PENANA7W30e9bqku
素娘:「記住,不論媽媽去到多遠的地方,你永遠都在媽媽心裡。」378Please respect copyright.PENANA2YErLtwIyU
再次點頭:「嗯……」378Please respect copyright.PENANAGEo6mHUW7Z
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。」378Please respect copyright.PENANAVP5L6jrXbs
阿嬤:「唉……我更希望留下來的是妳啊。」378Please respect copyright.PENANAUzS1Ez3HSS
素娘不再多說,疼惜撫摸孩子的臉,就此出門離去。378Please respect copyright.PENANA1rOxV3CGsg
結果,沒有再回來了……378Please respect copyright.PENANAAfO2Wi496O
………………378Please respect copyright.PENANAUBj1HZMsP4
…………378Please respect copyright.PENANAqvUPCXV3Ge
……378Please respect copyright.PENANAvKyLBrNrQL
378Please respect copyright.PENANA0kJQCGOC9J