071:出門
一八八四年,男孩(蒼原城隍)八歲。259Please respect copyright.PENANA3GdayBq9jF
這一天,天色一發亮,母親(素娘)起床,前往廚房料理早餐。259Please respect copyright.PENANAqCt99Qrw3t
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。259Please respect copyright.PENANAI72xifV2YL
素娘:「早。」259Please respect copyright.PENANAvFrfkCGPiu
阿嬤:「孩子還好?」259Please respect copyright.PENANAnreVPhXvG6
素娘:「還在發燒。」259Please respect copyright.PENANARt24MkLwPq
阿嬤用粗布防熱,提起煎藥壺。259Please respect copyright.PENANAby92VdqLOf
素娘:「媽,我來弄就好。」259Please respect copyright.PENANAQ9Rwlaso2n
阿嬤:「我來,妳去忙吃的。」259Please respect copyright.PENANAXfpeOmnPJf
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。259Please respect copyright.PENANAZUkl2nu3RD
陰暗的房間內,男孩躺在床上熟睡。259Please respect copyright.PENANAEl1CBETlir
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。」259Please respect copyright.PENANAUxJ96jFtQ4
男孩醒來,睡眼矇矓好一會:「阿嬤……」259Please respect copyright.PENANA0bIpVpKWJ1
阿嬤:「喝過藥,身體才會快快好起來。」259Please respect copyright.PENANA8Z0exFBk7J
就此讓阿嬤扶起,一口口啜飲苦澀的湯藥。259Please respect copyright.PENANAuMIDHb213k
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。259Please respect copyright.PENANA8GrzLoT73J
好不容喝完湯藥,換母親餵飯。259Please respect copyright.PENANAT0lkeHTF7P
阿嬤詢問:「素娘,明天又要出門?」259Please respect copyright.PENANA6ieG3Kvhjm
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。259Please respect copyright.PENANATMDwAAGofy
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。259Please respect copyright.PENANABd9co5twdq
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。」259Please respect copyright.PENANAuDomfip19j
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?」259Please respect copyright.PENANAsNC0TI4WeH
素娘:「這是為了孩子和這個家。」259Please respect copyright.PENANAvneB3gtwe0
阿嬤:「也考慮一下人家會怎麼說妳?」259Please respect copyright.PENANA9vkmcnRZY3
素娘:「…………」259Please respect copyright.PENANAa84af8JJ4t
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?」259Please respect copyright.PENANA5wwzTrZWDl
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。」259Please respect copyright.PENANAIkQ270ho1b
阿嬤:「反正女人家少出遠門啦。」259Please respect copyright.PENANAKrrJA3vjCT
素娘:「等到把女孩買回家,我就不會再出遠門了。」259Please respect copyright.PENANASBGnA3cN6u
阿嬤:「唉……」259Please respect copyright.PENANAoTLt1EmpFF
素娘也不再多說這事,只是餵孩子,和孩子說話。259Please respect copyright.PENANAwBuq6WLBjT
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。259Please respect copyright.PENANAFQm0XBrjVn
他們看來都才剛成年,十幾二十歲的年輕人。259Please respect copyright.PENANAUSTw28YqY7
其中五位,阿嬤見過。另外一位,是新面孔。259Please respect copyright.PENANATWwqPybs9r
他們一起稱呼:「大姊好。阿嬤好。」259Please respect copyright.PENANAJj1gIKWXC9
阿嬤沒有理會他們,直接前往照顧生病的孫子。259Please respect copyright.PENANAdxI5eCveJ6
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。259Please respect copyright.PENANAvWJuO2AXqT
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。259Please respect copyright.PENANAYoTNV7LXu4
大約五點,端進房間,給孩子餵餐。259Please respect copyright.PENANAUpBjhy7YGp
阿嬤比較晚起,不過也前來房間。259Please respect copyright.PENANAjQV9bob7TV
素娘:「退燒了。身體覺得比較舒服?」259Please respect copyright.PENANAnTVYQylN2j
男孩:「有……」259Please respect copyright.PENANAc3xniFZ3v4
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?」259Please respect copyright.PENANAZMcpnUU9RR
男孩點頭:「嗯……」259Please respect copyright.PENANATmwUQJYTZ2
素娘:「記住,不論媽媽去到多遠的地方,你永遠都在媽媽心裡。」259Please respect copyright.PENANAeZuyQtfuqJ
再次點頭:「嗯……」259Please respect copyright.PENANAXzUkorkdy0
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。」259Please respect copyright.PENANAhwWKa0mmUy
阿嬤:「唉……我更希望留下來的是妳啊。」259Please respect copyright.PENANAVLCaR1az1F
素娘不再多說,疼惜撫摸孩子的臉,就此出門離去。259Please respect copyright.PENANAKMCxUMionj
結果,沒有再回來了……259Please respect copyright.PENANAtEc5iZnbS9
………………259Please respect copyright.PENANAKuKfWHc5mA
…………259Please respect copyright.PENANAIdoQAUxB6z
……259Please respect copyright.PENANAcUCIjysZvk
259Please respect copyright.PENANAYgvWapJMCL