
071:出門
一八八四年,男孩(蒼原城隍)八歲。427Please respect copyright.PENANAG6berKvdVJ
這一天,天色一發亮,母親(素娘)起床,前往廚房料理早餐。427Please respect copyright.PENANAiU40h6YYdA
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。427Please respect copyright.PENANA3s1zLDtv2s
素娘:「早。」427Please respect copyright.PENANAz50AmBAAc9
阿嬤:「孩子還好?」427Please respect copyright.PENANAt2ECF8M1FH
素娘:「還在發燒。」427Please respect copyright.PENANAkb4r7nPTkl
阿嬤用粗布防熱,提起煎藥壺。427Please respect copyright.PENANAFwmWAdTN31
素娘:「媽,我來弄就好。」427Please respect copyright.PENANAKHRCdQ7oy9
阿嬤:「我來,妳去忙吃的。」427Please respect copyright.PENANAFHLe2PLISL
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。427Please respect copyright.PENANAFIEeAADiaq
陰暗的房間內,男孩躺在床上熟睡。427Please respect copyright.PENANACwjjs5fdE4
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。」427Please respect copyright.PENANAfy6iJj0WEz
男孩醒來,睡眼矇矓好一會:「阿嬤……」427Please respect copyright.PENANANqmKNKtN95
阿嬤:「喝過藥,身體才會快快好起來。」427Please respect copyright.PENANAAu6oqHJ8O9
就此讓阿嬤扶起,一口口啜飲苦澀的湯藥。427Please respect copyright.PENANAJaAO0XNgBc
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。427Please respect copyright.PENANAdBSS3rgFKG
好不容喝完湯藥,換母親餵飯。427Please respect copyright.PENANAlVbNPChQM1
阿嬤詢問:「素娘,明天又要出門?」427Please respect copyright.PENANAUNjqigumAY
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。427Please respect copyright.PENANAKdWW6fAQk9
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。427Please respect copyright.PENANAnKlxRGh4KY
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。」427Please respect copyright.PENANAWPFrT7bVkz
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?」427Please respect copyright.PENANAQ9wG2HJ9EF
素娘:「這是為了孩子和這個家。」427Please respect copyright.PENANATdq6gxJy4U
阿嬤:「也考慮一下人家會怎麼說妳?」427Please respect copyright.PENANAdP5pKuT974
素娘:「…………」427Please respect copyright.PENANACfKlwUleuc
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?」427Please respect copyright.PENANARjpr2mzABo
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。」427Please respect copyright.PENANAXdYFkQ5yzx
阿嬤:「反正女人家少出遠門啦。」427Please respect copyright.PENANAANuYnJqAzt
素娘:「等到把女孩買回家,我就不會再出遠門了。」427Please respect copyright.PENANAqyqMiu0lXo
阿嬤:「唉……」427Please respect copyright.PENANAvukIf7BSmq
素娘也不再多說這事,只是餵孩子,和孩子說話。427Please respect copyright.PENANAh3vbKIvblG
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。427Please respect copyright.PENANAVgx03eQnyJ
他們看來都才剛成年,十幾二十歲的年輕人。427Please respect copyright.PENANAeiDkJJbR3m
其中五位,阿嬤見過。另外一位,是新面孔。427Please respect copyright.PENANA3Il1nT2JHK
他們一起稱呼:「大姊好。阿嬤好。」427Please respect copyright.PENANAFsqMWcsoP5
阿嬤沒有理會他們,直接前往照顧生病的孫子。427Please respect copyright.PENANAxxF8nKvlua
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。427Please respect copyright.PENANAa4P7l0MQZn
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。427Please respect copyright.PENANAUoaT4zUTwW
大約五點,端進房間,給孩子餵餐。427Please respect copyright.PENANALSZDXBSURu
阿嬤比較晚起,不過也前來房間。427Please respect copyright.PENANAVGpv2uVG20
素娘:「退燒了。身體覺得比較舒服?」427Please respect copyright.PENANArJNdDJaS1e
男孩:「有……」427Please respect copyright.PENANAhJyzKYxWo9
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?」427Please respect copyright.PENANAJKQTtnj7Ek
男孩點頭:「嗯……」427Please respect copyright.PENANAxPrQWh3bMy
素娘:「記住,不論媽媽去到多遠的地方,你永遠都在媽媽心裡。」427Please respect copyright.PENANAe0UVTJnmEa
再次點頭:「嗯……」427Please respect copyright.PENANASDxOsfxiGM
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。」427Please respect copyright.PENANAzgMXAEXiRL
阿嬤:「唉……我更希望留下來的是妳啊。」427Please respect copyright.PENANAWbmQLcjnuN
素娘不再多說,疼惜撫摸孩子的臉,就此出門離去。427Please respect copyright.PENANAqRUY2vFb0g
結果,沒有再回來了……427Please respect copyright.PENANAgviFT3FLU2
………………427Please respect copyright.PENANAOoOiC97pe6
…………427Please respect copyright.PENANAbeBpEAmHFc
……427Please respect copyright.PENANAKvrgI7LTic
427Please respect copyright.PENANAYdCv7KYZxc