温馨夜读心灵履痕精简版.docx

温馨夜读心灵履痕精简版.docx

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温馨夜读心灵履痕精简版

Whennightunfurlsitssilentsplendor,pleasetakethisbookandreadinthelamplight.Eachsensationwillbeheightenedbythepeople,theirstoriesandtheirfeelings.Youmayreadthestoriesinsoftvoice,withmeditationandcomprehension.Thepeople,thestoriesandthefeelingsprintyourheart.

1.BackHome

AgentlebreezeblewthroughJennifer’shair.Thegoldenredsunwassetting.Shewasonthebeach,lookingupatthefieryball.Shewasamazedbyitscolor,deepredinthemiddle,softlyfadingintoyellow.Shecouldhearnothingbutthewavesandtheseagullsflyingupaboveinthesky.Theatmosphererelaxedher.Afterallshehadbeenthrough,thisiswhatsheneeded.

“It’sgettinglate,”shethought,“Imustgohome,myparentswillbewonderingwhereIam.”Shewonderedhowherparentswouldreact,whenshegothomeafterthethreedaysshewasmissing.

Shekeptonwalking,directingherselftobungalow163,whereshespenteverysummerholiday.Theroadwasdeserted.Shewalkedslowlyandsilently.Justinafewhundredmetersshewouldhavebeensafeinherhouse.Itwasreallygettingdarknow,thesunhadsetafewminutesbeforeanditwasgettingcoldtoo.Shewishedshehadherfavoritejumperon:

itkeptherreallywarm.Sheimaginedhavingitwithher.Thisthoughtdissipatedwhenshefinallysawherfrontdoor.Itseemeddifferent.Nobodyhadtakencareoftheoutsidegardenforafewdays.Shewasshocked:

herfatherwasusuallysostrictaboutkeepingeverythingcleanandtidy,andnow...

Itallseemeddeserted.Shecouldn’tunderstandwhatwasgoingon.Sheenteredthehouse.

First,shewentintothekitchenwhereshesawanotewrittenbyherfather.

Itsaid:

“DearEllen,thereissomecoffeeready,Iwentlooking.”

Ellenwashermotherbut—wherewasshe?

Ontherightsideofthehallwaywasherparentsroom.Shewentin.Thenshesawher.Hermother,lyingonthebed,sleeping.Herfacelookedsotired,asifshehadn’tsleptfordays.Shewasreallypale.

Jennywouldhavewantedtowakeherupbutshelookedtootiredtoforceher.

SoJennyjustfellasleepbesideher.

WhenJenniferwokeupsomethingwasdifferent...shewasn’tinhermother’sroomandshewasn’twearingtheoldclothessheranawayin.Shewasinhercozybedinherpajamas.

Itfeltsogoodbeingbackhome.Suddenlysheheardavoice.“Areyoufeelingbetternow,dear?

Youknowyougotusvery,veryscared.”

2.StoppedinSilence静止

IdiscoveredthepoweroffearwhenIbecamestucktomydriveway,asifmyfeetwerecrazy-gluedtothecement.

AsmuchasItried,Icouldnotmovethem.

TherealizationthatmydaughterswereplayinginNancy’shouse,

justone-halfblockaway,paralyzedmylegsmakingmeunabletomovewhenInearedtheendofourdriveway.

Dense,blacksmokewasrisingfrombehindtheSycamoreMapletreesontheothersideofthestreet

andwasenvelopingthreehouses,makingthembarelyvisible.

Nancy’shousewasoneofthem.

Itriedtocalloutformydaughtershopingtoseethemrunsafelytomyarms,

butmyvoicewasalsostuck―stuckinmythroatwithnointentionofcomingout.

ThereIstood;helpless,paralyzedandsilencedbyfear,

unabletoprotectthetwolittlegirlsIlovedmorethanevenIhadrealized.

SecondstickedawaylikehoursasIsilentlysaid,“Pleaseletthembeokay.”

Althoughtrappedinabodythatcouldn’tmoveorspeak,Icouldstillhear.

Icouldhearothermothersanxiouslycallingtheirchildren.

Icouldhearaneeriesilencethatcoveredtheneighborhoodinsteadoftheusualhappyvoicesofchildren.

And,finally,Icouldhearthesirenofthefireengine.

Asthefiretruckroundedthecornerthesirenannounced,“We’reonourway,”

andinstantlyitdissolvedthecrazygluethathadheldmyfeettothecement

anditunlockedthesoundproofboxthathadsilencedmyvoice.

Iwasfreetomakesuremydaughtersweresafe.

AsIcontinueddownthedriveway,inwhatfeltlikeslowmotion,

twolittlegirls,mytwolittlegirls,rantowardmefromacrossthestreet.

TheyhadcomehometotellmeaboutthefireinthegaragenexttoNancy’shouse.

Notonlydidmyfeetandvoiceworknow,

butmyeyeswerealsoingoodworkingorderandhadnotroubleproducingtearsofhappinessandrelief.

Tearsthatcouldonlybeexplainedtotwolittlegirlsbysaying,“BecauseMommylovesyou.”

3.TheGivingTrees爱心树

Iwasasingleparentoffoursmallchildren.

Moneywasalwaystight,butwhatwehad,ifnotalot,wasalwaysenough.

Mykidstoldmethatinthosedaystheydidn’tknowwewerepoor.

ItwasChristmastime,andalthoughtherewasn’tmoneyforalotofgifts,wehadourplanstocelebrate.

ThebigexcitementforthekidswasthefunofChristmasshoppingatthemall.

Theytalkedandplannedforweeksaheadoftime,askingeachotherandtheirgrandparentswhattheywantedforChristmas.

Idreadedit.Ionlysaved$120forallfiveofus.

Thebigdayarrivedandwestartedoutearly.

Igaveeachofthefourkidsatwentydollarbillandremindedthemtolookforgiftsaboutfourdollarseach.

Theneveryonescattered.

Wehadtwohourstoshop;andthenwewouldmeetbackatthe“Santa’sworkshop”display.

Backinthecardrivinghome,everyonewasinhighChristmasspirits,

laughingandteasingeachotherwithhintsandcluesaboutwhattheyhadbought.

Myyoungerdaughter,Ginger,whowasabouteightyearsold,wasunusuallyquiet.

Inoticedshehadonlyonesmall,flatbagwithherafterhershoppingspree.

Icouldseeenoughthroughtheplasticbagtotellthatshehadboughtcandybars―fifty-centcandybars!

Iwassoangry.

WhatdidyoudowiththattwentydollarbillIgaveyou?

Iwantedtoyellather,butIdidn’tsayanythinguntilwegothome.

Icalledherintomybedroomandclosedthedoor,readytobeangryagainwhenIaskedherwhatshehaddonewiththemoney.

Thisiswhatshetoldme:

“Iwaslookingaround,thinkingofwhattobuy,

andIstoppedtoreadthelittlecardsononeoftheSalvationArmy’s‘GivingTrees.’

Oneofthecardswasforalittlegirl,fouryearsold,

andallshewantedforChristmaswasadollwithclothesandahairbrush.

SoItookthecardoffthetreeandboughtthedollandhairbrushforherandtookittotheSalvationArmybooth.

“Ionlyhadenoughmoneylefttobuycandybarsforus,”Gingercontinued.

“Butwehavesomuchandshedoesn’thaveanything.”

IneverfeltsorichasIdidthatday.

4.DancewithMe与我共舞

Whenwe’reyoungandwedreamofloveandfulfillment,

wethinkperhapsofmoon-drenchedParisiannightsorwalksalongthebeachatsunset.

Noonetellsusthatthegreatestmomentsofalifetimearefleeting,unplannedandnearlyalwayscatchusoffguard.

Notlongago,asIwasreadingabedtimestorytomyseven-year-olddaughter,Annie,Ibecameawareofherfocusedgaze.

Shewasstarringatmewithafaraway,trancelikeexpression.

Apparently,completingTheTaleofSamuelWhiskerswasnotasimportantaswefirstthought.

Iaskedwhatshewasthinkingabout.

“Mommy,”shewhispered,“Ijustcan’tstoplookingatyourprettyface.”

Ialmostdissolvedonthespot.

Littledidsheknowhowmanytryingmomentstheglowofhersincerelylovingstatementwouldcarrymethroughoverthefollowingyears.

Notlongafter,Itookmyfour-year-oldsontoanelegantdepartmentstore,

wherethemelodicnotesofaclassiclovesongdrewustowardatuxedoedmusicianplayingagrandpiano.

SamandIsatdownonamarblebenchnearby,andheseemedastransfixedbytheliltingthemeasIwas.

Ididn’trealizethatSamhadstoodupnexttomeuntilheturned,tookmyfaceinhislittlehandsandsaid,

“Dancewithme.”

IfonlythosewomenstrollingundertheParismoonknewthejoyofsuchaninvitationmadebyaround-cheekedboywithbabyteeth.

Althoughshoppersopenlychuckled,grinnedandpointedatusasweglidedandwhirledaroundtheopenatrium,

IwouldnothavetradedadancewithsuchacharmingyounggentlemanifI’dbeenofferedtheuniverse.

5.Grandpa’sValentine爷爷的情人卡

Ireceivedacallfromthenursinghome.

Grandpawasfailingrapidly.Ishouldcome.

Therewasnothingtodobutholdhishand.

“Iloveyou,Grandpa.Thankyouforalwaysbeingthereforme.”

Memories...memories...sixdaysaweek,

Grandpainthatoldblueshirtcaringforthosecattle...onhotsummerdaysplowingthesoil,

plantingthecornandbeansandharvestingtheminthefall...alwaysworkingfromdawntodusk.

Survivaldemandedwork,work,work.

ButonSundaysheputonhisgraysuitandhat.

Grandmaworeherwine-coloreddressandivorybeads,andtheywenttochurch.

GrandpaandGrandmawerequiet,peaceful,unemotionalpeople.

ThenurseapologizedforhavingtoaskmesosoontoremoveGrandpa’sthingsfromtheroom.

Itwouldnottakelong.Therewasn’tmuch.

ThenIfounditinthetopdrawerofhisnightstand.

Itlookedlikeaveryoldhandmadevalentine.

Whatmusthavebeenredpaperatonetimewasastreakedfadedpink.

Apieceofwhitepaperhadbeengluedtothecenteroftheheart.

Onit,pennedinGrandma’shandwriting,werethesewords:

TOLEEFROMHARRIET

WithAllMyLove,

February14,1895

Areyoualive?

Real?

OrareyouthemostbeautifuldreamthatIhavehadinyears?

Areyouanangel―orafigmentofmyimagination?

SomeoneIfabricatedtofillthevoid?

Tosoothethepain?

Wheredidyoufindthetimetolisten?

Howcouldyouunderstand?

Youmademelaughwhenmyheartwascrying.

YoutookmedancingwhenIcouldn’ttakeastep.

YouhelpedmesetnewgoalswhenIwasdying.

YoushowedmedewdropsandIhaddiamonds.

YoubroughtmewildflowersandIhadorchids.

Yousangtomeandange