
071:出門
一八八四年,男孩(蒼原城隍)八歲。437Please respect copyright.PENANALciFf2WbG5
這一天,天色一發亮,母親(素娘)起床,前往廚房料理早餐。437Please respect copyright.PENANAoAdZUfnVFv
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。437Please respect copyright.PENANA9SjYLUnced
素娘:「早。」437Please respect copyright.PENANAs16eDkYLUv
阿嬤:「孩子還好?」437Please respect copyright.PENANATIuhF0rIuU
素娘:「還在發燒。」437Please respect copyright.PENANA3FVVTMoaP7
阿嬤用粗布防熱,提起煎藥壺。437Please respect copyright.PENANAl20prftLS7
素娘:「媽,我來弄就好。」437Please respect copyright.PENANABK76Xq8btG
阿嬤:「我來,妳去忙吃的。」437Please respect copyright.PENANAMpJFa1F2Ip
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。437Please respect copyright.PENANAhoqUOY3ach
陰暗的房間內,男孩躺在床上熟睡。437Please respect copyright.PENANAaQECcTEYIT
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。」437Please respect copyright.PENANAaMqsDtPQPJ
男孩醒來,睡眼矇矓好一會:「阿嬤……」437Please respect copyright.PENANA5TKtfbITcJ
阿嬤:「喝過藥,身體才會快快好起來。」437Please respect copyright.PENANA0N349fvhS5
就此讓阿嬤扶起,一口口啜飲苦澀的湯藥。437Please respect copyright.PENANA8eZFfqOgDL
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。437Please respect copyright.PENANAgA5mzVUFZi
好不容喝完湯藥,換母親餵飯。437Please respect copyright.PENANAMtFRdfSauC
阿嬤詢問:「素娘,明天又要出門?」437Please respect copyright.PENANA5XTzccgb6H
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。437Please respect copyright.PENANApsPQmys9ak
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。437Please respect copyright.PENANAXl2H0dRMNj
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。」437Please respect copyright.PENANAH9LYeNQKfi
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?」437Please respect copyright.PENANAohQ7v2LjVD
素娘:「這是為了孩子和這個家。」437Please respect copyright.PENANAWS5z97kbGF
阿嬤:「也考慮一下人家會怎麼說妳?」437Please respect copyright.PENANAFZkxvqJzEV
素娘:「…………」437Please respect copyright.PENANAV3Zk2VgX0r
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?」437Please respect copyright.PENANAjiMgLxaVM3
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。」437Please respect copyright.PENANAhdtLw6fI4n
阿嬤:「反正女人家少出遠門啦。」437Please respect copyright.PENANAPR3Vpc7GEu
素娘:「等到把女孩買回家,我就不會再出遠門了。」437Please respect copyright.PENANAIom1Pjghpp
阿嬤:「唉……」437Please respect copyright.PENANAyYSvnRrk9q
素娘也不再多說這事,只是餵孩子,和孩子說話。437Please respect copyright.PENANAbYtDvEJdS9
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。437Please respect copyright.PENANAUgikhMRe74
他們看來都才剛成年,十幾二十歲的年輕人。437Please respect copyright.PENANAHCzMmTXC1m
其中五位,阿嬤見過。另外一位,是新面孔。437Please respect copyright.PENANAQUjJDk8vg7
他們一起稱呼:「大姊好。阿嬤好。」437Please respect copyright.PENANA7ITKffXuV7
阿嬤沒有理會他們,直接前往照顧生病的孫子。437Please respect copyright.PENANA86iyla12Uk
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。437Please respect copyright.PENANAOJnTsv2sht
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。437Please respect copyright.PENANAo6WwnTzyNo
大約五點,端進房間,給孩子餵餐。437Please respect copyright.PENANAY21b6VAI9B
阿嬤比較晚起,不過也前來房間。437Please respect copyright.PENANAQNhOPgxMwF
素娘:「退燒了。身體覺得比較舒服?」437Please respect copyright.PENANAkprl8VIYYP
男孩:「有……」437Please respect copyright.PENANAvBmFEBQsfV
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?」437Please respect copyright.PENANAdhTn0xEwvG
男孩點頭:「嗯……」437Please respect copyright.PENANANTzBE0gvR5
素娘:「記住,不論媽媽去到多遠的地方,你永遠都在媽媽心裡。」437Please respect copyright.PENANASmVsKn9X2v
再次點頭:「嗯……」437Please respect copyright.PENANA92KEu4GOSf
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。」437Please respect copyright.PENANAcdTlCSf4o2
阿嬤:「唉……我更希望留下來的是妳啊。」437Please respect copyright.PENANA4cuJ8fnSM4
素娘不再多說,疼惜撫摸孩子的臉,就此出門離去。437Please respect copyright.PENANAD95FNwm1Td
結果,沒有再回來了……437Please respect copyright.PENANA3tSUYOyAY3
………………437Please respect copyright.PENANAwnFmUYddNk
…………437Please respect copyright.PENANA5Uc99Yidp5
……437Please respect copyright.PENANAflcU0L2B4w
437Please respect copyright.PENANAntuFGoLguJ