日子就這樣一天天過去,從無秋意的中秋到不悲涼的重陽,八百萬人的生活仍然如精製機械的齒輪般極速運轉。
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「唔知個風頂唔頂到去禮拜一呢?」
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新月咖啡館一隅的卡座間,一個束著丸子髻的年輕女人咬著紙飲管,側頭看著咖啡館電視機的颱風即時新聞。
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「諗下好啦言媽子,個風行得咁出又冇其他風俾佢食,妳都係疊埋心水禮拜一返工吧啦。」
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卡座對岸的混血小男孩一邊說一邊寫著複雜的數學題,頂著一張稚嫩可愛的小臉說出對打工一族最為殘忍的話語。短短的腿懸在座位下,悠悠輕晃。
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「盼下都唔得咩……真係打唔成蘇蝦仔你咪又係要爬起身返學?寫完未呀?今晚先寫啦而家要返屋企換衫放低啲嘢再去搵Granny Ling同Granny Stella食飯啦。」
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被稱作言媽子的女人嘟了嘟嘴,伸手揉了揉兒子的頭髮,從西褲口袋裏掏出手機後舉起了手。「Sorry Mr. Anand,收唔收Alipay呀?」
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「唔好意思言姐,卡機未整好,淨係收現金。」
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哈姆扎伊拿來了手寫的單據和小鐵盤,思索幾秒後又將之拉開:「今次後數啦,妳哋趕時間。」
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「唔得咁樣。麻煩你等一等,我落一落地鐵。」女人果斷搖頭,將手袋放上枱面,拿出銀包和手機邊起身離座邊回頭對兒子說:「蘇蝦仔執定嘢,聽Anand Bhai(哥哥)話乖乖哋等言媽子返。」
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「言媽子記得幫我買提子朱古力呀——」
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蘇蝦仔回頭大喊,看見母親急步踏出咖啡館後無奈地搖頭,繼續執筆解著奧林匹克數學問題,以旁遮普話小聲嘟囔著什麽。
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「你知道提子朱古力裡有橡皮糖,是haram的吧。」
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哈姆扎伊邊說邊坐了下來,就在女人剛剛的座位上。他看著小男孩一筆一劃地在作業簿上寫著正體中文字,心裏不由得生起一絲羡慕;多優美的文字,可惜他沒天份學會。
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「媽媽說人生大部份事情——包括信仰都是自己選的、要自己負責自己思考怎樣才算一個好信徒。」
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蘇蝦仔以流利的旁遮普語回話,伸手拿過擦膠擦去了錯字,低著頭重新寫上正確的中文字。
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「她尊重我的選擇和權利,同樣也要求我尊重她。是我自己決定只做個混血寶寶,不跟爸爸回古傑拉特、不做穆斯林也不做小和尚小道士,那就不需要管什麽haram、halal,或者是誰的責任了啦。」
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「小東西,世事都被你看透了啊。」
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哈姆扎伊忍不住笑了,伸手輕彈了彈小男孩的額頭,換來後者吃痛嘟嘴卻什麽都沒抱怨。
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「對了阿南德哥哥,上星期六那個漂亮墨水姐姐呢?媽媽說如果我這次中文期中考能拿到八十分的話就給我買高達設定集,墨水姐姐說她的書局裏有。」
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「漂亮墨水姐姐?」
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他愣了愣,隨即明白蘇蝦仔是在指承月。上星期六蘇蝦仔和阿言——就是言媽子,跟今日一樣在咖啡館邊吃下午茶邊做功課,他跟承月在另一邊邊聽歌邊打麻雀。休息時承月看見蘇蝦仔對著作文功課一臉苦惱,摘下耳機過去指點了兩句,然後這小男孩就雙眼放光纏上了她。一大一小兩人坐在咖啡館一角不停討論著詩詞歌賦,彷似小王子終於在地球遇見了狐狸般自在而快樂。
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『又靚又溫柔又有墨水又錫細蚊仔,邊個娶著佢就有福囉⋯⋯』
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當時阿言的感慨成了心底一個淺淺的印記,此刻想起,卻只有一笑置之。
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又過了一會,阿言帶著一筒提子朱古力和一包炒栗子回到咖啡館。
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「Thank you Mr. Anand,唔好意思要你等。」
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阿言付了錢後再次道歉,然後才領著蘇蝦仔離開。十歲的小男孩乖巧地揮手道別,斜背袋上的RX-78-2標籤闡述著小少年獨有的、鮮明的驕傲。哈姆扎伊笑著揮別了小男孩,接著卻在臨打烊的咖啡館內感受著胸腔內的空虛。
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他看著這一間由他親手打造的咖啡館,阿拉伯與印度的元素交融和諧如大地包容著一切美好,卻獨有一隻稍稍褪色的暗紅沙煞比孤零零地立在吧枱的邊緣,永遠旁觀著緣份與香氣的毀滅、融合和重生。人來人往、咖啡香一起一散,沒人會深究……
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「鈴鈴鈴——」
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霎時間店舖的商用手機響了,哈姆扎伊回神,走到了吧枱邊接起了電話:「Hello,新月咖啡館。」
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96Please respect copyright.PENANA0tDpRgL2pZ
『館主喺喥嗎?我有私人嘢搵佢。』
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「承月。」他一下子就認出了那慵懶可愛的女音,由衷的喜悅讓他勾起了笑容。「就嚟打風,我諗住妳今日唔會過嚟。」
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『所以我先call你叫你帶埋杯凍煉奶越南啡——多煉奶吖,上嚟我呢邊。今日唔開枱純講經,費事拎住啲書行嚟行去淋濕哂。睇你悟性早完早收工,你O唔Okay?』
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「Okay,收到妳。」
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唐樓樓梯的燈光實在而刺眼,照亮著每一層、每個單位的入口。
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「……走這樣遠又小小隻的,怎可能打得進來呢?」
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承月戴著耳機,端著一窩湯從廚房走出來,放到了復古的摺枱上。那上頭放著兩碗白飯、兩碟家常小菜和一盒豉油雞,還放著手提電腦,熒幕正顯示著颱風即時動態,她看了一眼就搖著頭下了定論。
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只是窗外的強風和驟雨也是有一點嚇人,不多,就一點。萬幸沒有雷更沒有電,不然——
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『叮鈴。』
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書店門口的貝殼風鈴輕輕撞響,熟悉的身影走了進來。
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「新月咖啡館限定外賣。」哈姆扎伊一手舉起了外賣袋,走到飯桌邊放下了兩杯凍咖啡。「七點鐘。咁早開飯?」
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「唔早啦,以前返樓面五點落場就食。」承月摘下耳機擺了擺手,翹起二郎腿而任由洞洞鞋跌落地上,然後端起飯碗開始拿菜。「蒸水蛋、炒菜芯——呢盒去骨豉油雞,我晏晝撲去觀塘買嘅。仲有栗子蓮藕煲雞,我煲咗成個晏晝架啦。」
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恭敬不如從命。
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他順勢坐下,拿起湯匙為自己拿了些嫩滑的蒸水蛋,拌著白飯一起送到嘴裏。「……好食。」
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兩人就這樣坐在一起吃著簡單的晚飯,偶爾飲咖啡。手提電腦上的颱風動態慢似蝸牛,氣旋按照科學推選的軌跡移動,像一個排練純熟的舞者。
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「天文台話轉今晚十二點先掛一號波。」「咁冇啦,望下黑雨瞓多兩個鐘好過。」
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「都難,個風行咁出,啲雨雲應該未入到嚟都已經喺個海面散哂。」哈姆扎伊吞下一口豉油雞肉,放下湯匙,伸手指住熒幕上那散碎如棉絮的颱風外圍:「妳睇,出面啲雲本身都唔係實,頂唔到去禮拜一。」
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「你連天氣嘢都識計?」
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「基本分析同埋經驗,冇咩特別;我計過啲更加蹺口劖手,而且計錯會死人嘅嘢。」
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「你講緊人。」
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他心神猛然一悚,女人的語氣和眼神都不是疑問,而是幾近完全確定的陳述。
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她猜到了。
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「⋯⋯承月,其實我……」
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「其實乜都好,輸贏與否唔係最重要,最重要反而係你要去享受呢個過程——起碼打牌係咁。」
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承月眨了眨眼,「咻」一下將細切的青菜捲入口中、及後啜飲口甜苦相融的凍咖啡,悠悠開口:
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「就好似今次個風咁,本身唔算大隻又行咁出,係人都知唔會打得成。但係大家都會喺咁集氣喺咁求要禮拜一朝早六點先掛八號波或者黑雨,其實咪就為咗享受下個氣氛?颱風本身就係氣運同風勢撞得啱啱好先會出現,要打到可以放假更加唔係人必然可以計算或者逼出嚟,逼唔成又放唔低盞自己痛苦。都仲未計啲人話嗰個……應該係叫力場,可以擋住颱風嘅嘢?」
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「哈哈係呀!啲陀地係叫嗰個嘢做力場,但係從來冇人真係見過嗰個嘢,光暈都冇圈。」
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他忍不住大笑,一手擋在唇上才成功擋住了白飯和菜葉的噴落。「其實邊有咁複雜?明明只係天文台亂咁嚟。」
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「都唔只得天文台係咁架啦……點都好,飯枱上睇餸食飯,麻雀枱上有乜打乜,唔上心反而最順心。」
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她亦被笑意感染,笑著拿過了他面前的綠色膠碗,盛了一碗清湯。「飲湯啦,栗子蓮藕煲雞,清真嘅。」
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「多謝,之後我自己嚟得啦。」
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他起身以雙手接過,淺嚐一口那熱湯。清甜又帶一縷藥材香的味道相當熟悉,帶著溫暖經典的越南氣息⋯⋯
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七年前那個被追殺的夜晚,他初次讓這種氣息流入身心。
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「話說點解你會喺間文青咖啡館喥放隻高達——唔放紅渣古,放沙煞比?」
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「……因為比起紅渣古,沙煞比更加完整,佢先係真正屬於馬沙嘅機體。」
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七年前的記憶、三十年來的拉扯鮮明得教印巴裔男人斂下了眼眸,幾許才吐出這個相等平靜無波的答案。真正屬於自己的歸屬,那是他多嚮往、這麽近又那麽遠的自在——就在他身邊的她身上,他忍不住於意識中描畫她於麻雀枱上的輪廓,然後緩緩開口:
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「承月,妳打牌嗰陣所有嘢都好靜,但最後打出嚟嘅牌永遠都好完整,無論贏定輸都係——妳同副牌好似融為一體咁。我⋯⋯好羡慕妳做到咁樣。」
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「……如果我話我唔靜落嚟、唔融為一體就會冇命,你仲會唔會羡慕我?」
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哈姆扎伊扭頭,身邊的越南女人靜靜喝著湯,彷彿剛才的話語只是夢囈,卻已深深烙進他的心和意識。腦海翻起無數邏輯推演,從現實的制肘飄到荒謬的詛咒,然後被一堆教義和神明至聖的名諱狠狠撕毀。
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「真主令人嘅生命有所期限,係為咗逼我哋爭取有限嘅日子入面實踐世界嘅真理。佢嘅安排,最終嘅目的係令人變得更優秀而完整。如果真主安排妳經歷一切而得出『惟有寧靜合一先可以生存』嘅結論,咁呢個結論同時就會係妳最可靠有力嘅武器——真主嘅智慧從來都唔係口講,而係意會、內化,最後以正信者嘅言行彰顯於世。」96Please respect copyright.PENANAuDpwkpwbFq
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他沉吟片刻,然後抬起雙眸,認真地注視著身旁的她。那縷裹結於輕透的奧黛下、隱藏於隨性外在下的靈魂,讓他想起了七年前那夜的有緣人——那個名為阿如的智者:96Please respect copyright.PENANAC1zIFajx1e
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「真正行得遠、做到大佬嘅人唔會純粹係打手或者師爺,而係可以靜靜雞睇清全局、撈均哂兩範長處嚟打場靚牌嘅智者,承月妳就係呢種人。如果妳真係會因為咁而有危險嘅話,咁我就企喺妳面前擋住,直到我斷氣為止。」
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「……哈姆扎伊,你知唔知你頭先嗰番說話好危險?」
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沉默良久,承月才從唇間擠出這句話。她直視著他的雙眸,灰綠的瞳孔內無一絲雜質、只是純粹地倒映著她悄悄刷白的臉容,卻只有她自己知道有股暖意正隱隱流淌於臉頰下。與此同時在她的胸膛深處,正有什麽力量在加強、又有什麽繩索在綑纏。
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那夾雜疼痛的幸福,無從把握、無從訴說。
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「大不了攬炒?為智者奉獻生命,係我嘅榮幸。」
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他不假思索地回答,雙眼始終鎖定在她身上,從未挪開。
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「你真係……」
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她這才重新勾起笑容,眸裏的暖潤稍稍褪去,最後借故落進了咖啡的冰塊中:「得啦,我禍害咁多人,冇得咁爽手死咗佢一了百了嘅。由我喺張麻雀枱喥賺多幾年棺材本先啦,啲私人龕位好貴呀。」
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「政府嗰啲唔係幾千蚊咋咩……」96Please respect copyright.PENANAYivGNnkkfS
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哈姆扎伊說罷又覺不妥,靜靜喝完了咖啡就沒再多言。畢竟在生時已經難圓置業夢,跟人說過身後還是只能住公屋也未免太刻薄了。
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「係喎,今晚唔係講牌經架咩?」「一早用個風講完啦,你唔係唔知啊?」
96Please respect copyright.PENANAdfHJVawO7h
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「Hai?」他不禁微微張嘴,大腦反覆回憶著剛剛餐膳間的對話有哪句禪語牽涉牌理。
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「人類總要⋯⋯唉頂,慳返啖氣唞下好過。下個禮拜我由頭講多次。」
96Please respect copyright.PENANA0byot8KDb4
承月扶額嘆息,沒多看那活生生的樹熊迷因,轉身隨手拿了個外賣膠碗盛起了湯水和少許湯料:「呢碗俾你拎走。」
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「唔使啦承月,我唔多飲湯架⋯⋯」「去濕補腦呀,費事個風打埋俾啲濕入埋你個腦、再蠢啲我就⋯⋯唉,凍過水。」
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最後哈姆扎伊還是帶著那一碗湯,開著黑紅交錯的ZX6R電單車回了家。不知為何他總有種感覺,左把手上那碗漸涼的、治蠢用的蓮藕湯會很甜很甜,甜得他不想讓任何人知道——
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只想藏起來好好喝掉,然後繼續作為一個不懂得靜心隨性到無可救藥的蠢蛋,心念著下一次書店的夜會。
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被她扶額柔罵、與她相見的夜晚。
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待續。
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