
071:出門
一八八四年,男孩(蒼原城隍)八歲。343Please respect copyright.PENANAloDn76MvnI
這一天,天色一發亮,母親(素娘)起床,前往廚房料理早餐。343Please respect copyright.PENANA726h6xf0J3
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。343Please respect copyright.PENANA8HaQ7qTMTD
素娘:「早。」343Please respect copyright.PENANARBzeHNuhCg
阿嬤:「孩子還好?」343Please respect copyright.PENANA9GFCFkqjXU
素娘:「還在發燒。」343Please respect copyright.PENANAEGTpWnnUrA
阿嬤用粗布防熱,提起煎藥壺。343Please respect copyright.PENANAsWZG0fxZQJ
素娘:「媽,我來弄就好。」343Please respect copyright.PENANA7NO48dRBZV
阿嬤:「我來,妳去忙吃的。」343Please respect copyright.PENANA400HbbxNnq
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。343Please respect copyright.PENANAxo6GnzXfJr
陰暗的房間內,男孩躺在床上熟睡。343Please respect copyright.PENANAGRDAOSQara
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。」343Please respect copyright.PENANA8NieeWGCFS
男孩醒來,睡眼矇矓好一會:「阿嬤……」343Please respect copyright.PENANAemq7aKREKB
阿嬤:「喝過藥,身體才會快快好起來。」343Please respect copyright.PENANAsBVsgn4TyR
就此讓阿嬤扶起,一口口啜飲苦澀的湯藥。343Please respect copyright.PENANAwy6Zte7RfD
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。343Please respect copyright.PENANAK2JQKRqKE2
好不容喝完湯藥,換母親餵飯。343Please respect copyright.PENANAuR7uYnC9Lt
阿嬤詢問:「素娘,明天又要出門?」343Please respect copyright.PENANAns2SNJiidm
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。343Please respect copyright.PENANAA6IWLAom5U
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。343Please respect copyright.PENANAtRAHMmJvyb
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。」343Please respect copyright.PENANAUKSBLnEd4k
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?」343Please respect copyright.PENANAbuxNTst6ui
素娘:「這是為了孩子和這個家。」343Please respect copyright.PENANA0nKN7WiBkn
阿嬤:「也考慮一下人家會怎麼說妳?」343Please respect copyright.PENANAYMFBZSN8Co
素娘:「…………」343Please respect copyright.PENANA3RKa0PF6JV
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?」343Please respect copyright.PENANAwyTcHPe4Hk
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。」343Please respect copyright.PENANAS556AJBpp0
阿嬤:「反正女人家少出遠門啦。」343Please respect copyright.PENANA4WGuLkThoE
素娘:「等到把女孩買回家,我就不會再出遠門了。」343Please respect copyright.PENANAebCeEeefvn
阿嬤:「唉……」343Please respect copyright.PENANABjVZVxGQnS
素娘也不再多說這事,只是餵孩子,和孩子說話。343Please respect copyright.PENANAzstIxS5H5K
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。343Please respect copyright.PENANAQYyKcip65D
他們看來都才剛成年,十幾二十歲的年輕人。343Please respect copyright.PENANAU1UyKsfIfB
其中五位,阿嬤見過。另外一位,是新面孔。343Please respect copyright.PENANAVjFzT0HEcz
他們一起稱呼:「大姊好。阿嬤好。」343Please respect copyright.PENANAkCZ2S84IGb
阿嬤沒有理會他們,直接前往照顧生病的孫子。343Please respect copyright.PENANAyaUAmy3iJi
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。343Please respect copyright.PENANAhkdLyDk0qH
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。343Please respect copyright.PENANAni8j2sYceh
大約五點,端進房間,給孩子餵餐。343Please respect copyright.PENANA3p4AQ1xmxN
阿嬤比較晚起,不過也前來房間。343Please respect copyright.PENANA4nHFfV7dFM
素娘:「退燒了。身體覺得比較舒服?」343Please respect copyright.PENANAuyC8ydByWL
男孩:「有……」343Please respect copyright.PENANAXHZ4nQENT0
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?」343Please respect copyright.PENANAFFy1FGLmKp
男孩點頭:「嗯……」343Please respect copyright.PENANAcNV7xFhNjg
素娘:「記住,不論媽媽去到多遠的地方,你永遠都在媽媽心裡。」343Please respect copyright.PENANAd4cXzfCnKH
再次點頭:「嗯……」343Please respect copyright.PENANA3Y9VDfDjlo
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。」343Please respect copyright.PENANAHoBQz6jqDB
阿嬤:「唉……我更希望留下來的是妳啊。」343Please respect copyright.PENANApmKF3bMq0V
素娘不再多說,疼惜撫摸孩子的臉,就此出門離去。343Please respect copyright.PENANAMIs7TeFGjC
結果,沒有再回來了……343Please respect copyright.PENANAmVl2Rix3Yk
………………343Please respect copyright.PENANALAAQJa14Kp
…………343Please respect copyright.PENANAahsiJe4Idz
……343Please respect copyright.PENANAv0S6MjH6g0
343Please respect copyright.PENANAFdvSSnOhI1