主角們:約納森.麥巴倫,朱塔瑪.沙達溫433Please respect copyright.PENANAoaChqoeXFA
原作:《Flutter Bouquet》(二人均為配角)
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本文引曲:《Let it Snow》By Dean Martin,中譯歌詞可參考這裡433Please respect copyright.PENANAGkFfIgSOid
選曲原因:這首歌對於曾看過《Home Alone寶貝智多星》和《Die Hard虎膽龍威》這兩個電影系列的朋友來說應該不陌生吧wwww這首歌的歌詞比較溫馨輕快,也沒什麽宗教意味,相對上比較有發揮開虐的空間www
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柴火不斷,客廳的松樹亮著耀眼的星光。玻璃窗外的街巷飄雪柔柔,室內的溫暖更顯窩心。
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「凱文,將那份禮物放到聖誕樹下好嗎?」「Yes Ma’am!對了等等我要看《紐約迷途》(註1)!」433Please respect copyright.PENANA1eQBAZsxBV
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一身紅格紋睡衣的小男孩來往於聖誕樹和飯桌間,將禮品整齊堆放到聖誕樹下。聽到母親的話後他笑著點頭,面向母親又空出一隻小手俐落地舉至額角——
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「「說多少次了要叫Madam啊。」」
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於客廳內聞言,輪椅上的非裔女人不禁笑了,及後又不住咳嗽起來。那一聲聲柔弱無比,卻諷刺地蓋過了爆米花的聲響,緊急得讓廚房不得不撤走一名指揮官。白種男人端出了香烤火雞和熱可可,放下火雞後就拿著熱可可走到客廳。
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「來,莉莉。」
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「你還是一如以往的體貼呢,約納森。」莉莉微笑著接過了熱飲,淺呷後滿足地開口:「熱可可果然能治百病……我沒事了,你去幫艾迪吧,德斯禮和胡桑他們從西點(註2)過來還有好一段路——」
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「免啦寶貝!沒了朱塔瑪在你前夫除了會用微波爐爆米花和焗爐烤雞外完全幫不上忙!話說約納森你這混蛋中校倒是還我隔熱手套啊!」
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約納森抓起隔熱手套往廚房用力一扔,黝黑的大手順勢接住,黑人軍兵以幾句無惡意的粗口讚賞他的投擊精準至極。他禮貌一笑,於沙發上放鬆心神,卻在看見聖誕樹後的窗口時黯下神色。
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大雪紛飛好幾日,朱塔瑪——他來自微笑之國的愛人,能否順利回來紐約?喀布爾應該早早停飛了……433Please respect copyright.PENANAOz8aOLfC7V
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明天就是聖誕節,他想要見到她,這就是他最想要的聖誕禮物了。
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「莉莉,這幾日朱塔瑪有打過電話找妳嗎?我是指本地電話。」
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此時門鈴聲突然響起,凱文跑了去開門;門鈴聲與熱鬧動盪了思緒,他猛然一顫就想起了這個問題,扭頭往病弱的前妻提問。
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「有。我無意冒犯,但我覺得朱塔瑪未必會喜歡你準備的驚喜……畢竟她很重視誠信。」莉莉微皺起雙眉地說。朱塔瑪是她前夫的現任愛人,兩人都是她的朋友,亦因此為難之極。
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「原諒我沒法不這樣做;我答應過給她一個奧辛與泰絲(註3)般的完美婚禮,而這個驚喜準備起來實在太費時也太易穿幫了。」
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難為的其實遠遠不只這些,退役的美軍中校看著爐火暗想。退役大半年,每通越洋電話都教他深感歉疚,卻又不能推翻電話間編造的生活日常:他年頭退役回美國找工作、好好安頓後再正式娶她為妻。其實他早在退役前就獲聘一份優厚的幕後工作、選好了婚房,一切美滿已成真,只等愛人點頭應允;憑這一部份計劃,朱塔瑪應該會消一半氣的……433Please respect copyright.PENANAorMe1GpTYW
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至於半年大計的另一部份,他深信她會明白他這次瞞騙的苦衷:莉莉決定了聖誕節後在瑞士進行安樂死,他出於友誼,和艾迪一起陪伴莉莉完成人生願望清單;只是關係特殊,他怎捨得讓朱塔瑪活在懷疑朋友的陰霾中?
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「……我希望她以後不用再受這種折磨。」433Please respect copyright.PENANAxhudrktAEg
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明亮溫暖的燈火間,莉莉已經難掩虛弱,只能輕輕攏住前夫的手,真誠地請求:433Please respect copyright.PENANAA8kAocpWfY
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「答應我約納森,答應我這是惟一一次、往後你會對朱塔瑪絕對誠實。」
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一如當年,還是妻子的她要求他以後的聖誕節都不要離開。
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「我答應妳。」433Please respect copyright.PENANAzGeM79Jlxp
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約納森真誠地答應,張臂與面前的好友兼前妻相擁。真心要求他好好愛護朱塔瑪的她多麽善良,有誰會忍心排斥她的情誼?
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「啊今年怎麽這樣早播《紐約迷途》啊、都只有片尾看了……呀有人偷看!」
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『啪啷!』433Please respect copyright.PENANAJuhdPHjSJb
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清脆打碎了平和,一雙好朋友同時抬頭,樹邊的男孩一臉不知所措,乾看著地毯上碎裂的聖誕球飾。男人起身走了過去,溫和地指引著凱文如何收拾殘局。
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當碎片被孩子掃走,他走到窗前一抹,又無聲微笑:雪落柔和的平安夜,哪會有人寧願偷看都不回家歡聚?433Please respect copyright.PENANA1QURo0uZDD
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But he can only let it snow,as long as he can hold her tight and be warm all the way home tomorrow。(可他只能任由雪落,只要明天他能與她相擁著、一路溫暖至家。)
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「胡桑你們這樣快就到了?該不會為了省時間亂泊車吧?」「聖誕節滿街Cluster Fuck(註4)當然是叫Uber啊不然是要塞多久……啊啊又是誰在玩門鈴啦!」433Please respect copyright.PENANA4yVvjqq3yk
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「Have some eggnog man(享受些蛋奶酒吧兄弟),我去看看——」
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話音剛落,一曲《濃情永恆》(註5)從褲袋中響起,約納森馬上煞住步伐,站在拱門下翻出手機接聽電話。
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「嗨寶貝……妳找我有事?」433Please respect copyright.PENANA3Jr0Y8CEHf
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『沒事。只是想問下你在做什麽而已。』433Please respect copyright.PENANAr6Btc0zGFC
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「噢,艾迪、德斯禮和胡桑他們搞了個聖誕小聚,我剛到場正要開始準備做菜。」
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聽罷一室戰友們不禁輕吹口哨,及後又識趣地以甜蜜的蛋奶酒封口;這白色謊言信口就來的本事真算天賦了。
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『莉莉小姐和凱文也在嗎?』
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「凱文在佈置聖誕樹。莉莉她啊……」
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男人猶豫半响,轉身看見輪椅上不住搖頭的女病人,還是張口就說:
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「艾迪說她吃完藥太累,先上樓休息了。」
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『嗯……』彼岸風雪輕柔,未幾又是清晰的話語:『那這幾天,約納森,你在忙什麽?』
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他在忙什麽。
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他臉色稍沉,幾經思索後才開口:「找工作啊。說起這個我有個好消息:有家企業邀請我做顧問,薪酬不錯。我們明天……」
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『那就好,我有事先掛了……聖誕快樂。』「等……」433Please respect copyright.PENANA2FVOzq6fAe
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室外的雪花落得特別緩慢,甚至阻截了他一句隔空的「聖誕快樂寶貝」。
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「嗚呼~麥巴倫中校苦相思了?」433Please respect copyright.PENANAxP3pQWMqEk
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被點名的退役中校甚至沒心情吐槽,收好手機後邊走向大門邊說:「今晚我得趕緊回去收拾屋子,不能讓朱塔瑪又操心。」
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他怎捨得讓她冒著風雪回一個需要勞心的家?433Please respect copyright.PENANAJfcABDLSh6
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約納森這樣想著,一手施力開門。他低頭只見一個亞裔小女孩仰首靜靜看著自己,那身高教六呎男兒不敢恭維。
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「妳好啊小妹妹,請問有什麽事嗎?」他曲膝彎腰,直到自己跟她一樣高。
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「約納森.麥巴倫中校,是你嗎?」她開口就吐出了個專有名詞。
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「What a big word for you(多難的字詞)……沒錯我就是。那妳是?」
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可小女孩只搖了搖頭,邊伸手到腦後解開什麽邊說:433Please respect copyright.PENANAzZZzQKgRZp
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「剛剛有個姐姐要我將這個交給你,還有話要說……」
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那黑髮披落、那枚彈頭銅簪映入視線,麥巴倫中校感覺自己回到了風雪中的馬扎里沙里夫:瀕死的她在擔架上吐出軍牌、五指緊執一枚刻他姓名的棄彈,只為一句話……433Please respect copyright.PENANA8SdGCmQQUn
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Don’t kiss me goodnight,Jonathan。(別吻別我,約納森。)
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他急急起身搜索,卻漸漸於民居的白雪間丟失了靈魂,藍眸深處只餘下痛苦。
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2012年紐約的聖誕節,除了下雪只有下雪——那寒封人心。433Please respect copyright.PENANAmSO8ySyPSF
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Fin。
註1.《紐約迷途》:即電影系列《寶貝智多星》之第二集,小男主角名為凱文。不少電視台在聖誕節期間重播該電影系列,甚至有一說是「辨別英美國人的其一方法是其於聖誕節收看的節目:英國人看女王演講,美國人看《寶貝智多星》」。433Please respect copyright.PENANASyh7FZbboi
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註2.西點:即西點軍校,為美國陸軍的培養機構,入學標準相當嚴格且學生需於畢業後合共服役至少八年(五年常役加三年後備役)。所有學生畢業後即為少尉。433Please respect copyright.PENANAQLJhyqGlRX
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註3.奧辛與泰絲:電影《盜海豪情.十一羅漢》的男女主角,於電影中二人關係為前夫妻,後來復合但未表明有否復婚。433Please respect copyright.PENANA4j3ta42b3b
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註4.Cluster Fuck:美國粗俗語,代指事物被安排得亂七八糟的狀態。433Please respect copyright.PENANAJBpArmVn7F
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註5.《濃情永恆》:原名Eternal Flame,一首由手鐲樂隊發行於80年代的美國經典抒情歌曲。433Please respect copyright.PENANAk1GZRyxtNY