
071:出門
一八八四年,男孩(蒼原城隍)八歲。389Please respect copyright.PENANA5tgNtC6H7K
這一天,天色一發亮,母親(素娘)起床,前往廚房料理早餐。389Please respect copyright.PENANAxYH8iDo8Kd
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。389Please respect copyright.PENANAKDG6R2fvRl
素娘:「早。」389Please respect copyright.PENANAflIygpjvXD
阿嬤:「孩子還好?」389Please respect copyright.PENANAJqFaBbCFa3
素娘:「還在發燒。」389Please respect copyright.PENANAXsG1QDTGFZ
阿嬤用粗布防熱,提起煎藥壺。389Please respect copyright.PENANA3xtmiMswxW
素娘:「媽,我來弄就好。」389Please respect copyright.PENANATZ8SD1Obpt
阿嬤:「我來,妳去忙吃的。」389Please respect copyright.PENANACL9a7HroOV
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。389Please respect copyright.PENANAOAGL9xyR42
陰暗的房間內,男孩躺在床上熟睡。389Please respect copyright.PENANAnyvKSAqJ6n
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。」389Please respect copyright.PENANAa2LtUJh2La
男孩醒來,睡眼矇矓好一會:「阿嬤……」389Please respect copyright.PENANAfW7s8kpcD6
阿嬤:「喝過藥,身體才會快快好起來。」389Please respect copyright.PENANAGK9wRQVrLw
就此讓阿嬤扶起,一口口啜飲苦澀的湯藥。389Please respect copyright.PENANAWPlTaQJVAX
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。389Please respect copyright.PENANARTB7HRyMNH
好不容喝完湯藥,換母親餵飯。389Please respect copyright.PENANAWoTg1U58t2
阿嬤詢問:「素娘,明天又要出門?」389Please respect copyright.PENANAgQIdb33E7d
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。389Please respect copyright.PENANAcy6oJ3S1fg
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。389Please respect copyright.PENANAt8iMv04Yzg
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。」389Please respect copyright.PENANA0XShaDPcD8
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?」389Please respect copyright.PENANABtxkTTqdl2
素娘:「這是為了孩子和這個家。」389Please respect copyright.PENANAkSV6oJ1V4O
阿嬤:「也考慮一下人家會怎麼說妳?」389Please respect copyright.PENANAlO8MmGcEws
素娘:「…………」389Please respect copyright.PENANAH4cjatepd5
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?」389Please respect copyright.PENANAbp1LdzC8pt
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。」389Please respect copyright.PENANAHutxkk1TGH
阿嬤:「反正女人家少出遠門啦。」389Please respect copyright.PENANA9WJjdXjD71
素娘:「等到把女孩買回家,我就不會再出遠門了。」389Please respect copyright.PENANATEkb10GWNP
阿嬤:「唉……」389Please respect copyright.PENANAlvwi2MyIRt
素娘也不再多說這事,只是餵孩子,和孩子說話。389Please respect copyright.PENANAtGUeGMu4u0
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。389Please respect copyright.PENANAzYZD80aKat
他們看來都才剛成年,十幾二十歲的年輕人。389Please respect copyright.PENANARKnho1EWTe
其中五位,阿嬤見過。另外一位,是新面孔。389Please respect copyright.PENANAJtP5xGKIV6
他們一起稱呼:「大姊好。阿嬤好。」389Please respect copyright.PENANApHJsgWdefV
阿嬤沒有理會他們,直接前往照顧生病的孫子。389Please respect copyright.PENANAIrsy2FOyYe
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。389Please respect copyright.PENANATqOro9emZR
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。389Please respect copyright.PENANAfuKvAZoese
大約五點,端進房間,給孩子餵餐。389Please respect copyright.PENANAd90DVuszpP
阿嬤比較晚起,不過也前來房間。389Please respect copyright.PENANAXmvN5dOLq7
素娘:「退燒了。身體覺得比較舒服?」389Please respect copyright.PENANAFjlrGDxjbC
男孩:「有……」389Please respect copyright.PENANAuUXVA08Prg
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?」389Please respect copyright.PENANAaOW59JM6xO
男孩點頭:「嗯……」389Please respect copyright.PENANAV2j5udeclh
素娘:「記住,不論媽媽去到多遠的地方,你永遠都在媽媽心裡。」389Please respect copyright.PENANAtGHsu9l9YX
再次點頭:「嗯……」389Please respect copyright.PENANA4McUkcu679
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。」389Please respect copyright.PENANAGT44kwBzeS
阿嬤:「唉……我更希望留下來的是妳啊。」389Please respect copyright.PENANAuMcXbYsTa6
素娘不再多說,疼惜撫摸孩子的臉,就此出門離去。389Please respect copyright.PENANAhO73VtHJdi
結果,沒有再回來了……389Please respect copyright.PENANATfyZKuOFos
………………389Please respect copyright.PENANADfuNwCYJ0j
…………389Please respect copyright.PENANA1iURtKNZut
……389Please respect copyright.PENANAnanoy7lLsI
389Please respect copyright.PENANAPnSsc73XNV