
071:出門
一八八四年,男孩(蒼原城隍)八歲。446Please respect copyright.PENANAZVBqsD0yfC
這一天,天色一發亮,母親(素娘)起床,前往廚房料理早餐。446Please respect copyright.PENANAeLa7uydD2w
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。446Please respect copyright.PENANAI7TZlWi2Ps
素娘:「早。」446Please respect copyright.PENANAu591TO588u
阿嬤:「孩子還好?」446Please respect copyright.PENANAGGeMcyTRY4
素娘:「還在發燒。」446Please respect copyright.PENANA0ALthcVaeQ
阿嬤用粗布防熱,提起煎藥壺。446Please respect copyright.PENANACFTz7a1fe9
素娘:「媽,我來弄就好。」446Please respect copyright.PENANA4W0r4gSAQy
阿嬤:「我來,妳去忙吃的。」446Please respect copyright.PENANAK0HZzkD1AT
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。446Please respect copyright.PENANAz5AI6CmZMR
陰暗的房間內,男孩躺在床上熟睡。446Please respect copyright.PENANAJ2N1gYl3uQ
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。」446Please respect copyright.PENANAKs2hwNdGiF
男孩醒來,睡眼矇矓好一會:「阿嬤……」446Please respect copyright.PENANAwkZUxzLtxy
阿嬤:「喝過藥,身體才會快快好起來。」446Please respect copyright.PENANATRswuMsWAV
就此讓阿嬤扶起,一口口啜飲苦澀的湯藥。446Please respect copyright.PENANANu0QzUgg4n
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。446Please respect copyright.PENANAfFSAdwKJt6
好不容喝完湯藥,換母親餵飯。446Please respect copyright.PENANAb3gysHZprI
阿嬤詢問:「素娘,明天又要出門?」446Please respect copyright.PENANANNO29oR07s
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。446Please respect copyright.PENANAdAUTQ5MIc8
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。446Please respect copyright.PENANA6C1YoOPYpf
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。」446Please respect copyright.PENANArUNZbBtuwL
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?」446Please respect copyright.PENANAYZzdo9nifR
素娘:「這是為了孩子和這個家。」446Please respect copyright.PENANA0bxxonvV42
阿嬤:「也考慮一下人家會怎麼說妳?」446Please respect copyright.PENANAmghVMfR8KF
素娘:「…………」446Please respect copyright.PENANAJujdQleJzF
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?」446Please respect copyright.PENANAb7eGXzuot9
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。」446Please respect copyright.PENANAaq79VsInPD
阿嬤:「反正女人家少出遠門啦。」446Please respect copyright.PENANA6P7hi21bwb
素娘:「等到把女孩買回家,我就不會再出遠門了。」446Please respect copyright.PENANAOCiHz6xkYQ
阿嬤:「唉……」446Please respect copyright.PENANAw08d7Fjto9
素娘也不再多說這事,只是餵孩子,和孩子說話。446Please respect copyright.PENANAVxqvtMrYjf
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。446Please respect copyright.PENANAO3XrAvFrpy
他們看來都才剛成年,十幾二十歲的年輕人。446Please respect copyright.PENANAEsSn25Yi2P
其中五位,阿嬤見過。另外一位,是新面孔。446Please respect copyright.PENANA3KCF7tjkMF
他們一起稱呼:「大姊好。阿嬤好。」446Please respect copyright.PENANADK3rIiUrs9
阿嬤沒有理會他們,直接前往照顧生病的孫子。446Please respect copyright.PENANANz1pDpRFVY
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。446Please respect copyright.PENANACLxKkI0PbM
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。446Please respect copyright.PENANAC5VrL7UuMa
大約五點,端進房間,給孩子餵餐。446Please respect copyright.PENANASUTn7JXKyI
阿嬤比較晚起,不過也前來房間。446Please respect copyright.PENANA5pJzRyjbxt
素娘:「退燒了。身體覺得比較舒服?」446Please respect copyright.PENANAMhJMsIQH8P
男孩:「有……」446Please respect copyright.PENANADhxrr5PkPD
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?」446Please respect copyright.PENANAyFBxo80NgK
男孩點頭:「嗯……」446Please respect copyright.PENANA6CcSIuEkDi
素娘:「記住,不論媽媽去到多遠的地方,你永遠都在媽媽心裡。」446Please respect copyright.PENANA9v3NLS8ZjV
再次點頭:「嗯……」446Please respect copyright.PENANAgVdBSqBodj
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。」446Please respect copyright.PENANAaWHLAbI6FM
阿嬤:「唉……我更希望留下來的是妳啊。」446Please respect copyright.PENANAv0hUve1vK5
素娘不再多說,疼惜撫摸孩子的臉,就此出門離去。446Please respect copyright.PENANAzJXfcuop8H
結果,沒有再回來了……446Please respect copyright.PENANAkbyFdNM1ct
………………446Please respect copyright.PENANAnLwQljbHw8
…………446Please respect copyright.PENANAxQITw0vy5L
……446Please respect copyright.PENANAl20GqlBOyq
446Please respect copyright.PENANAXou224wBMk