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媽媽是個有趣的女人，熱愛猜謎，亦愛看我猜謎時的苦惱模樣。717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41h8eIOcWl
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFj2GSUKP3q
「它偶爾像一個葡萄包，甜甜的，果腹的，令人感到快樂滿足的。它偶爾像一灘鼻水，黏黏稠稠的，令人寸步難行。更多時候，它像空氣，人們運用了它而不自覺……它到底是甚麼？」717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxnRMODT6m
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq99W9ChA6i
當時我年紀尚小，曾花上數天認真探討謎底，奈何交出的多個答案統統不對。後來我遇上更多比猜謎更新奇有趣的玩意，自然而然淡忘了那個謎語。717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwdLVnIgGv
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1rBCFfDH7
直至數十年後的今日，媽媽彌留之際，她竟再次提及那個謎語。我和丈夫齊齊動腦筋，卻沒有一個答案能令她點頭。717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYiKDS4M8fd
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegxLiohskx
當晚，媽媽病逝。喪禮後，我重投正常生活，忙得不可開交，不過我每星期必會騰出一天回家探望獨居的爸爸。又一個星期天。老家還是老樣子，爸爸也還是那副深沉的模樣，不苟言笑。我默默完成打掃活，提議與爸爸一起到公園散步。717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYixgdQaEm
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ924q7O0UgE
「你回家去忙你的。往後不必來。」爸爸淡然望向窗外。717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mQixXzL1Q
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbCl6AHZFxW
「不要緊。我閒得很。」我強擠微笑，撒謊——其實我很想回家陪伴孩子。717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnacIqCeHtb
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqmdc5Putg
「你記得《燕詩》嗎？」爸爸突然話鋒一轉，彷彿回到那個教書的年紀，彷彿我是他其中一個學生。717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlTYVyqxXy
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnRzqtBQRDT
「樑上有雙燕，翩翩雄與雌……」我人到中年仍可以隨口背誦出中學課本的課文，自問是個及格有餘的教師女兒。717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJeIXMUIK26
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwCRm57oEq
原以為爸爸打算說教訓話，誰料他拿出媽媽的遺書遞給我看：「謎底就是《燕詩》。」717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThufrHv9Nj
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9UzwSGGm3
「兩者有何關連？」本已疲累的我此刻更是頭昏腦脹。717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqKVX4fCQq
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡewgs082MFB
「我起初也不明白，直至我剛剛看見你打掃完畢後的疲倦模樣。」爸爸苦笑：「難怪你媽那麼討厭《燕詩》，說它誤人子弟。」717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8JfzreNFe
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZy5YfxqT8
「我不明白。」我開始不甚耐煩，希望爸爸可以直白講重點，不要轉彎抹角。717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEnb0qCorP
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKWJI9XNTe
「你必須自己去想明白那個答案——你的外祖母臨終前也是這樣囑咐你媽。」爸爸沒有更多的解說，逕自回到睡房去，不再理會我。717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVGd8cLyuK
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6X6cbxlbf
回家路上，我的腦袋不受控似的，不停在謎語和《燕詩》之間來回打圈轉。717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsoEijeAnrz
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGPPjA3ITY
抵家。孩子一如平日，興奮無比上前迎接我。我摸摸他們的頭，讚他們乖，內心苦惱稍得舒緩。717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcyhk31At2x
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsImi6MsiOY
夜深，孩子們終於入眠，我和丈夫準備就寢去。717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3s7tre82ns
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv3c4GTcJU1
丈夫關心問我：「與岳父吵架？」717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaS5rnRGnoq
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDP678wClKa
「不是。」既然丈夫察覺到我的異樣，我亦毋須隱瞞：「記得媽媽的那個謎語嗎？」717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDR6Pmfnbn4
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1KNtRqa0C
「記得。我們的答案全軍覆沒。」丈夫傻笑。717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhP597UFIHK
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuSHEAhEDI
「原來答案是『《燕詩》』。」我嘆一口氣。717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoYjrYZ4I1r
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7NC3hfJFH
丈夫若有所思，沒有立即回話。717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4DzpXMYUcD
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKK7ChuHMc
「你明白？」看見丈夫似懂非懂的表情，我莫名其妙地火冒三丈。717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3kmofM4F9
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqFSUc9Hzs
「你曾否覺得『養育孩子』是一件很偉大的事，或是覺得孩子對我們有所虧欠？」丈夫巧妙地以提問回應我的問題。717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRl0OiGf6hk
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5FDTT8zVn
「永不……」我一把倒進丈夫懷內，幻想著孩子將來成家立室後與我倆漸行漸遠——原來會是多麼的心甘情願。717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4CDfuBj94
717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpVJLu16eYi
父母的唸書聲驀地在我耳邊響起——「當時父母念，今日爾應知。」717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoKv9OKlHZ
