071:出門
一八八四年,男孩(蒼原城隍)八歲。597Please respect copyright.PENANAm3TGWfp2XL
這一天,天色一發亮,母親(素娘)起床,前往廚房料理早餐。597Please respect copyright.PENANAgG2quDgRVJ
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。597Please respect copyright.PENANA8YtgQdgCF2
素娘:「早。」597Please respect copyright.PENANASTjcoIlCCb
阿嬤:「孩子還好?」597Please respect copyright.PENANA5Cy0T4NaFT
素娘:「還在發燒。」597Please respect copyright.PENANAeAv0qiS3gX
阿嬤用粗布防熱,提起煎藥壺。597Please respect copyright.PENANAe2b08G6sCh
素娘:「媽,我來弄就好。」597Please respect copyright.PENANA3l5hwswzRF
阿嬤:「我來,妳去忙吃的。」597Please respect copyright.PENANAuoySrvaxoi
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。597Please respect copyright.PENANA3jvOLCpNml
陰暗的房間內,男孩躺在床上熟睡。597Please respect copyright.PENANAHUSDkgCR6f
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。」597Please respect copyright.PENANAAKCjSxCuku
男孩醒來,睡眼矇矓好一會:「阿嬤……」597Please respect copyright.PENANAJMAcQLBRuQ
阿嬤:「喝過藥,身體才會快快好起來。」597Please respect copyright.PENANARIOqDRhb2z
就此讓阿嬤扶起,一口口啜飲苦澀的湯藥。597Please respect copyright.PENANAjQ314RUWgf
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。597Please respect copyright.PENANA6XsUKGnKpM
好不容喝完湯藥,換母親餵飯。597Please respect copyright.PENANAJSYbvz0Fw7
阿嬤詢問:「素娘,明天又要出門?」597Please respect copyright.PENANA3wxlaOfaZT
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。597Please respect copyright.PENANAh97hEfhW48
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。597Please respect copyright.PENANA43pOOvdQpq
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。」597Please respect copyright.PENANAvVrkpSt37b
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?」597Please respect copyright.PENANAa3kE7Cp6wK
素娘:「這是為了孩子和這個家。」597Please respect copyright.PENANAMxbHDxQ6dN
阿嬤:「也考慮一下人家會怎麼說妳?」597Please respect copyright.PENANAUZc7SehY5q
素娘:「…………」597Please respect copyright.PENANAauDqDLnUHI
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?」597Please respect copyright.PENANAm78iZpJMtN
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。」597Please respect copyright.PENANAlR92UJKzf0
阿嬤:「反正女人家少出遠門啦。」597Please respect copyright.PENANAO2mpSriqNd
素娘:「等到把女孩買回家,我就不會再出遠門了。」597Please respect copyright.PENANAACUp7wVJGQ
阿嬤:「唉……」597Please respect copyright.PENANAzH8wQVs1GZ
素娘也不再多說這事,只是餵孩子,和孩子說話。597Please respect copyright.PENANAQV8THB8YbW
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。597Please respect copyright.PENANA3BBxCbwQqD
他們看來都才剛成年,十幾二十歲的年輕人。597Please respect copyright.PENANA574gYwyzuR
其中五位,阿嬤見過。另外一位,是新面孔。597Please respect copyright.PENANA5D6wCTYwN0
他們一起稱呼:「大姊好。阿嬤好。」597Please respect copyright.PENANA8PYm9lfKQP
阿嬤沒有理會他們,直接前往照顧生病的孫子。597Please respect copyright.PENANAITVEWl2eAp
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。597Please respect copyright.PENANAaZUv0redZW
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。597Please respect copyright.PENANAxQbcC8eFoj
大約五點,端進房間,給孩子餵餐。597Please respect copyright.PENANAYVop4j5j1B
阿嬤比較晚起,不過也前來房間。597Please respect copyright.PENANALMTnYFPB4I
素娘:「退燒了。身體覺得比較舒服?」597Please respect copyright.PENANAj0dv5orTJi
男孩:「有……」597Please respect copyright.PENANAzABLyO0zCK
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?」597Please respect copyright.PENANAezSjD64ad7
男孩點頭:「嗯……」597Please respect copyright.PENANAERJqVr4p0n
素娘:「記住,不論媽媽去到多遠的地方,你永遠都在媽媽心裡。」597Please respect copyright.PENANAnoL0X06S5F
再次點頭:「嗯……」597Please respect copyright.PENANAGWgTihYyuJ
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。」597Please respect copyright.PENANAGaYg7kgAr2
阿嬤:「唉……我更希望留下來的是妳啊。」597Please respect copyright.PENANAb3ZsaHQhdu
素娘不再多說,疼惜撫摸孩子的臉,就此出門離去。597Please respect copyright.PENANA5Wmv7jrEkA
結果,沒有再回來了……597Please respect copyright.PENANAXcM7qr7tqL
………………597Please respect copyright.PENANAIpZuIgi7pN
…………597Please respect copyright.PENANAEfHrtst7ih
……597Please respect copyright.PENANAM8s7kYzEWt
597Please respect copyright.PENANAfwJyI8gHW5


