
071:出門
一八八四年,男孩(蒼原城隍)八歲。376Please respect copyright.PENANAK7P3R4tEIK
這一天,天色一發亮,母親(素娘)起床,前往廚房料理早餐。376Please respect copyright.PENANAsWlSMIAQZs
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。376Please respect copyright.PENANATOmtrYPDhe
素娘:「早。」376Please respect copyright.PENANAGHvGuZ4NgJ
阿嬤:「孩子還好?」376Please respect copyright.PENANAijQf9n0zc6
素娘:「還在發燒。」376Please respect copyright.PENANAU4bNwO30UA
阿嬤用粗布防熱,提起煎藥壺。376Please respect copyright.PENANA292ZRUpwFD
素娘:「媽,我來弄就好。」376Please respect copyright.PENANAPnSiO8vvGn
阿嬤:「我來,妳去忙吃的。」376Please respect copyright.PENANAvELhPMC6Cf
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。376Please respect copyright.PENANAoGUHdKWkPs
陰暗的房間內,男孩躺在床上熟睡。376Please respect copyright.PENANAzHqK0YyZAM
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。」376Please respect copyright.PENANA1sinTwcR7s
男孩醒來,睡眼矇矓好一會:「阿嬤……」376Please respect copyright.PENANAnVGqWXrjmQ
阿嬤:「喝過藥,身體才會快快好起來。」376Please respect copyright.PENANAdeGgCeGknq
就此讓阿嬤扶起,一口口啜飲苦澀的湯藥。376Please respect copyright.PENANA14VZFYv9A4
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。376Please respect copyright.PENANAoJXr9vgESg
好不容喝完湯藥,換母親餵飯。376Please respect copyright.PENANAneNeebqavc
阿嬤詢問:「素娘,明天又要出門?」376Please respect copyright.PENANACQ7TbzmaeG
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。376Please respect copyright.PENANAEmETN8CVTU
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。376Please respect copyright.PENANAcfaB3fgoaI
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。」376Please respect copyright.PENANAydHmUeRG63
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?」376Please respect copyright.PENANAPoTKVjV4T4
素娘:「這是為了孩子和這個家。」376Please respect copyright.PENANAutRku4fNsT
阿嬤:「也考慮一下人家會怎麼說妳?」376Please respect copyright.PENANA4pTr3gxVpw
素娘:「…………」376Please respect copyright.PENANAejpLGs24E8
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?」376Please respect copyright.PENANAZ6uiauFU6T
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。」376Please respect copyright.PENANAe39ffsZ0AT
阿嬤:「反正女人家少出遠門啦。」376Please respect copyright.PENANAcNCs2K76se
素娘:「等到把女孩買回家,我就不會再出遠門了。」376Please respect copyright.PENANAvZlyS8iGHR
阿嬤:「唉……」376Please respect copyright.PENANAk6uEB0B8M3
素娘也不再多說這事,只是餵孩子,和孩子說話。376Please respect copyright.PENANAhdGMy1mI2K
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。376Please respect copyright.PENANA5wGFvbOlhr
他們看來都才剛成年,十幾二十歲的年輕人。376Please respect copyright.PENANA9w1KiJx6B3
其中五位,阿嬤見過。另外一位,是新面孔。376Please respect copyright.PENANAo1KXSjQWI3
他們一起稱呼:「大姊好。阿嬤好。」376Please respect copyright.PENANAbehCMm0Q5c
阿嬤沒有理會他們,直接前往照顧生病的孫子。376Please respect copyright.PENANABsNaieoDFt
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。376Please respect copyright.PENANAqpyTqmzjFu
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。376Please respect copyright.PENANA02WhDlOsiD
大約五點,端進房間,給孩子餵餐。376Please respect copyright.PENANAzf4SlcgzCS
阿嬤比較晚起,不過也前來房間。376Please respect copyright.PENANAbJUNaYfj8d
素娘:「退燒了。身體覺得比較舒服?」376Please respect copyright.PENANA6AoHqksunO
男孩:「有……」376Please respect copyright.PENANAYAIlvir6qI
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?」376Please respect copyright.PENANAuyiCBnEMgG
男孩點頭:「嗯……」376Please respect copyright.PENANATpn8WcEZyE
素娘:「記住,不論媽媽去到多遠的地方,你永遠都在媽媽心裡。」376Please respect copyright.PENANAFoGMIQ1oXC
再次點頭:「嗯……」376Please respect copyright.PENANAgBcNY89dTR
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。」376Please respect copyright.PENANAN26oQxAPP7
阿嬤:「唉……我更希望留下來的是妳啊。」376Please respect copyright.PENANAIIotbliyX2
素娘不再多說,疼惜撫摸孩子的臉,就此出門離去。376Please respect copyright.PENANAbvkXnZUP3k
結果,沒有再回來了……376Please respect copyright.PENANAakPSO53aRx
………………376Please respect copyright.PENANAZQlhqlZkHR
…………376Please respect copyright.PENANAOLb5wGxnvh
……376Please respect copyright.PENANAsJMdE6L8Ac
376Please respect copyright.PENANAGVj3hics8A