月將落、日將出,天色曖昧,墨藍紫橙灰白。空氣清爽,不濕不翳,恐怕正午烈日將會惡毒萬分。245Please respect copyright.PENANA9yViOclEUH
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老農不怕。他年過六十,從事農務五十餘年,見盡風雨,豈會害怕好天氣?245Please respect copyright.PENANAmVYcowoJu5
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早餐後,他沒急著工作,先是繞著水田走一片,察看有沒有異樣。245Please respect copyright.PENANAtqkky7haL5
245Please respect copyright.PENANA6pRmCQwKIn
奇怪!昨晚無風無雨,怎麼部份水田一片狼藉?老農立即跑進田裡拐幾圈粗略點算損失。看!秧田不是大範圍受破壞,受損水秧不是集體被折斷或被連根拔起,而是每隔四五根就有一兩棵遭殃。根本不是大自然風雨做成,明顯是人為破壞!245Please respect copyright.PENANACCbQu1V764
245Please respect copyright.PENANATuDUUk60o4
近來有否開罪別人?難道是住在村口那個小子惡作劇?一定是他!他是在城市長大的孩子,一年裡頭僅有七月、八月回鄉度假,從沒在田裡工作,不知農人辛酸。記得去年那個壞小子偷溜入老農水田嬉玩耍樂,將水秧弄得歪歪斜斜,影響收成品質,賣不到好價錢。245Please respect copyright.PENANAsqdX0O4JEG
245Please respect copyright.PENANAiWeXfeQzF9
老農越想越氣,擸起木棍衝往村口向那戶人家討公道。對方連聲否認,說孩子這幾天都在家裡溫習做功課,沒可能偷溜到他田裡搞破壞。老農不相信,硬要拖那小子出來受棍。家長們情急之下執起鋤頭泥耙反擊,嚇得老農跋腿跑走。245Please respect copyright.PENANAfk3mrktkS4
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站在自家水田前,放眼望去,滿腔委屈,欲哭無淚。不。沒多餘時間傷春悲秋。洗把臉,然後盡快拔走死秧,以免腐根惹蟲。蹲下來細心檢查水秧狀況,好的留,壞的拔。245Please respect copyright.PENANAm0x49z99AL
245Please respect copyright.PENANAde5A2K4I09
拔拔拔,拔掉心頭肉似的。一棵秧不僅是一棵秧,而是他一整年的努力和收入!他想在做冬時吃好肉、喝好酒或是在新年時買串爆竹煙火。兒時樂子不多,爆竹紅噹噹的,燃起來時熱熱鬧鬧的,是他最期待的玩意。這種期待彷彿自當時開始落地生根……245Please respect copyright.PENANAMHQVRSeYzP
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「我來幫忙的。」一個瘦長影子從後而至。245Please respect copyright.PENANABTqas9e7b1
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「你剛才不是否認了嗎?」老農氣在心頭,繼續半蹲拔秧,沒有回頭望。245Please respect copyright.PENANASa9qGUdDZJ
245Please respect copyright.PENANAmZYFxzKxH6
「真的不是我做!」小子急急耍手否認:「大家擔心你獨個兒……」245Please respect copyright.PENANAFDEEByhtI3
245Please respect copyright.PENANAvrdA9che7i
「擔心我獨個兒處理不來嗎?看不起我嗎?」老農提聲斥喝:「我沒有讀過書的文化人那麼見多識廣,但不代表我無本事!我種田五十多年,有哪個步驟會難倒我?沒有!聽見了沒?沒有任何問題會難倒我!」245Please respect copyright.PENANAZ8sjfc6Te4
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「我不是這意思……」小子不知所措,怯怯後退幾步。245Please respect copyright.PENANA061PQBywXD
245Please respect copyright.PENANAdTNsHnAiSn
老農脾氣暴躁卻不魯莽。他吁一口氣,壓下內心煩鬱,擺起臭臉以平和聲線對小子說:「你能承受粗活嗎?」245Please respect copyright.PENANAjWgY1yIHxW
245Please respect copyright.PENANAqO5cwgGolm
小子沒頭沒腦點點頭。老農奸笑,笑小子不知世途險惡,猶幸自己不是甚麼壞心眼的傢伙。他想了想,給小子分配些許簡單細活——說不上粗重,亦不需怎麼動腦筋——但對成市人而言,這無疑是真正粗活。245Please respect copyright.PENANATZOjrN2AJN
245Please respect copyright.PENANAwORnpySkxz
未到正午,小子已汗流浹背,兩頰通紅,紅得像爆竹。老農看得樂呵呵的——他聯想起兒子孩時可愛模樣。245Please respect copyright.PENANAibIkRWYKjv
245Please respect copyright.PENANARciggOI4XD
老農的獨生子名叫阿犇,今年四十七歲。他早在三十年前到城市找工作去。起初一、兩年會回探望老農;後來幾年僅是寄信、寄生活費或日用品,說新年期間留廠工作會有高額加班費;接下來的日子,每隔一段日子會托朋友捎來一兩句簡單問候。所謂一段日子,短則兩年,長則五年。屈指一算。不對喔!原來是七年。他最後一次收到阿犇消息已是七年前的事。245Please respect copyright.PENANAiNhg4pWIuy
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阿犇永遠不會回來——老農如此認為。245Please respect copyright.PENANAO9SZhMLTrV
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憤怒。悲傷。無奈。寂寞。希望下一階段許是「沒所謂」。245Please respect copyright.PENANAW82COpnFXr
245Please respect copyright.PENANAJ5gunh0dDV
就像住在村尾那個百歲人瑞婆婆那樣,老得癡癡呆呆,忘記一切,生活日常全靠家人打理。老農偶爾會經過她家,總會看見她坐在屋前搖搖椅,搖搖搖,遙遙望天望雲望鳥。有人說她安享晚年,有人說是折磨,老農認為她對身邊一切沒所謂——她無法感知,因而無法思考、無法反應,只可被動地隨遇而安……245Please respect copyright.PENANA70fEcqqznH
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「你回家午餐吧。」老農懶得走路,乾脆留在水田另邊原地高聲喊話。245Please respect copyright.PENANAfgdDMDqMJZ
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「好的。我用餐後會盡快回來繼續工作。」小子喜上眉梢,連忙放下水桶跑到老農面前回話。245Please respect copyright.PENANANXUF70h2oA
245Please respect copyright.PENANAIMFo0YJUxp
「你毋須回來。」老農下意識揮臂抹走眉頭汗珠,以免汗珠滴在眼裡妨礙他仔細打量小子的臉。245Please respect copyright.PENANAsuFBVQW45V
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「我犯錯了嗎?抑或我表現欠佳?」沒料到小子的難過表情與阿犇有七分相像。245Please respect copyright.PENANAQSYMOaZrmw
245Please respect copyright.PENANAJqblS2xjRZ
「你的表現很好!我是擔心你承受不來。絕不能一下子過度虛耗身體!」當年無法對阿犇啓口的關心話如今竟可流暢說出,對一個沒有半點血緣關係的陌生人。245Please respect copyright.PENANATfjn9ztoi3
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「明白!謝謝你!」小子如釋重負,與老農揮手道別。245Please respect copyright.PENANAh39fAEPH3G
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目送小子遠去,老農始回到屋裡用膳。245Please respect copyright.PENANASbufJHo11I
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午餐是拜託鄰居女兒從城市買來的自熱飯連簡單餸菜。只需加入少量清水到碗底空格,靜待幾分鐘就可以飽餐一頓。味道佳,步驟簡單。來自城市的玩意真的很不錯。難怪年輕人對城市生活趨之若鶩……245Please respect copyright.PENANA6XuTsQbpXZ
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餐後,提不起勁工作。四處散步去。路經人瑞婆婆的家,見她仍然坐在屋前搖搖椅。推門內進,與婆婆家人打個招呼,然後找來小櫈子在婆婆身邊坐下。245Please respect copyright.PENANANNPbW10TLb
245Please respect copyright.PENANArZiplbhdBy
婆婆是老農同齡友人的外祖母。友人去年死了,友人父母三年前相繼離世,但婆婆仍然活著。沒有留意婆婆何時開始患得痴呆症。她知否兒孫已逝?希望她不知道。話雖惡毒,不過患上痴呆症或許一是好事……245Please respect copyright.PENANAXA5JvPelD6
245Please respect copyright.PENANADsMpPYy57h
日將落,鳥知還。老農正為自身煩惱而煩惱,對眼前絢麗無感。冷不防一坨濃稠白液從天而降,正好落在他頭上。他抬頭一望,不由得大為驚訝:「這是哪來的鷺鳥?」245Please respect copyright.PENANANsUCPQWXeA
245Please respect copyright.PENANAfFYy5IHD4l
婆婆家人聽到老農大呼,紛紛跑到屋前抬頭看鳥,心知不妙。悉才鷺鳥飛遠,緊隨其後的是數之不盡的同類鷺鳥。245Please respect copyright.PENANAq23AvgUr9O
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「驅鳥!」婆婆曾孫首先回神,提醒眾人保護田地。245Please respect copyright.PENANAwO69JUKCZK
245Please respect copyright.PENANAAUA1cQb3iZ
老農恍然大悟,頓時明白昨夜破壞水田的正是這群鷺鳥!他拼命跑回家,因為鳥群肯定會經過他的水田!跑跑跑,跑跑跑。氣喘,腳軟,不得不停下腳步。水田重要,保住性命更重要——他希望可以再次見到阿犇!245Please respect copyright.PENANA5AEeEgFQum
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機會渺茫,但他還是想要堅持下去!245Please respect copyright.PENANAMUnu5RrNEP
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他掛念阿犇!從不稀罕大富大貴,只想家人好好陪伴身邊。兩老仙遊,妻子早逝,僅餘阿犇一人伴在身邊。245Please respect copyright.PENANAZJRm76MAzI
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怎麼阿犇不明白?怎麼阿犇不知道?怎麼阿犇狠心離開他?245Please respect copyright.PENANArqbEleeVbj
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老農突感後腦發麻,噁心,嘔吐。天旋地轉,軟癱倒地,意識模糊……245Please respect copyright.PENANAvZSq8qSI6E
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幻聽?一連串爆竹聲在前方不遠處響起。245Please respect copyright.PENANABGtAwVcqzU
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噼啪——噼噼啪啪噼啪噼噼啪噼啪噼啪噼啪噼啪啪噼噼啪啪噼啪噼啪——噼噼啪啪噼啪噼噼啪噼啪噼啪噼啪噼啪啪噼噼啪啪噼啪噼啪——噼噼啪啪噼啪噼噼啪噼啪噼啪噼啪噼啪啪噼噼啪啪噼啪噼啪——噼噼啪啪噼啪噼噼啪噼啪噼啪噼啪噼啪啪噼噼啪啪噼啪噼啪——噼噼啪啪噼啪噼噼啪噼啪噼啪噼啪噼啪啪噼噼啪啪噼啪噼啪——245Please respect copyright.PENANAyiV1AvL3lH
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驀地聯想起兒時歡度新年的熱鬧畫面。爆竹,油菜,雞肉,父母,友人,鄰居……245Please respect copyright.PENANADOE3kifwyJ
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昏迷一星期的老農終於醒來。245Please respect copyright.PENANAjspnKFGGbk
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醫院?城市?245Please respect copyright.PENANA9QXF9wZQ6T
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他顫巍巍落床走向窗邊。日已落,鳥盡還,傍晚的城市很美麗。華燈初起,萬家燈火,光點或動或靜,如水如月。245Please respect copyright.PENANAZU3jT9dKSP
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水中月,存在又不存在,視乎觀者怎麼認為。245Please respect copyright.PENANADiAJprmfzq
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載月的水,存在卻被無視,視乎觀者焦點何在。245Please respect copyright.PENANASZIDlBggbX
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泣不成聲。245Please respect copyright.PENANAqbzal0WUwA
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翌日,小子帶著果籃探望老農,說多吃水果才會身體好。245Please respect copyright.PENANAXg8K8pPZTz
245Please respect copyright.PENANAwHpIATBIXh
「當日午餐時看到新聞報導說一群候鳥因氣候變化而改變遷徙路線,剛好經過我們這地區。我和爸爸意識到事態嚴重,馬上帶同音響和揚聲器為村民驅鳥。大家發現爆竹聲最湊效!後來部份村民還特意抽空協助打理你的水田,大家都預估不了你何時甦醒過來。」小子清洗一個大蘋果,送到老農手心。245Please respect copyright.PENANA1YF5RGlqBs
245Please respect copyright.PENANA2KIfeQOSVz
「謝謝大家。」老農接過蘋果,感到窩心。「你喜歡種田嗎?不如我把田地送給你!」245Please respect copyright.PENANAERBinCNLNr
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「那不是該要留給你的兒子嗎?村民說你的兒子在城市打工。」小子看不懂老農心事,無意間直擊老農軟肋。245Please respect copyright.PENANALVBgvgF854
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「他不會回來。」老農表情生起細微變化,淡然得微苦微澀。245Please respect copyright.PENANA0RXAXvAZLu
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「那就等啊!」小子看來不過十二歲,入世未深,不諳世間冷暖。「下班後就會回家!」245Please respect copyright.PENANAMoonWBqzQv
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「那我就多等一段日子吧!」老農輕拍小子的頭,笑得隱晦。245Please respect copyright.PENANAlxQ83VFRHa
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所謂一段日子,短則兩年,長則五年。屈指一算。不對喔!原來是七年。245Please respect copyright.PENANAAjkGhrOeJ7
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或許更長。245Please respect copyright.PENANA9VJTcdjjUd
註:此篇將會收錄於短篇小說合集《雜念集》。
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