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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。889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNYIWP5Qi8
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOnVs32jKd
「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？」889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYuHmojN3mW
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZLQewlLbj
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。889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡszzVwOmnOb
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9fK3dUJhIt
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。889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0on5FsPjV3
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHVvb3TuE3
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。889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8u7uJjAtNf
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8t7vkGLZOk
「你回家去忙你的。往後不必來。」爸爸淡然望向窗外。889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZlSfsbuVkL
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ7OIPpPHQx
「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。889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIHlC9sB3b
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4IUDDb9yU
「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。889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kMaR4QuBe
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡriOxjaS4FB
「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。889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3F51Fgqkg
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF3qgdLGvRy
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》。」889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNv3Q2ppEab
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjLCUzpPLJ
「兩者有何關連？」本已疲累的我此刻更是頭昏腦脹。889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCUeoUNvWta
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwCi0MaZ7M
「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。」889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbdKPV7b1D
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQiRreOnOBd
「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。889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTu3N8qYlG
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFJIEqEJTB
「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。889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXr588aXWKi
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf8wSxlA3mK
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。889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtivVcLfeA4
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxpU1kZjRVS
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。889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgyMObZF0oj
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjc5ElMyZu
夜深，孩子們終於入眠，我和丈夫準備就寢去。889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDu1LVLXeSR
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWinoBdsKlv
丈夫關心問我：「與岳父吵架？」889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg4Jrs54MhM
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8jGpKTeID
「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？」889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRwtoSiGwjs
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSe1ucAcIN4
「記得。我們的答案全軍覆沒。」丈夫傻笑。889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmkkAWwgFR
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfalx4Mx2jL
「原來答案是『《燕詩》』。」我嘆一口氣。889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8gtjxCCopD
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4RV9MiDtn
丈夫若有所思，沒有立即回話。889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxiwszOGVWq
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv96TirYudK
「你明白？」看見丈夫似懂非懂的表情，我莫名其妙地火冒三丈。889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYATL608fdi
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBn8ecL2jf3
「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。889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpKQZ0Y3bTb
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkxdKnyFq9
「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。889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGmt8sJYw3
889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIb0dCxlomo
父母的唸書聲驀地在我耳邊響起——「當時父母念，今日爾應知。」889Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYeJMNk0zWw
