阿嬤的形象
作者:謝昭梅(夏眉)
我們夫婦倆過着平淡如水的生活，每天的日子就這麽不知不覺地滑過。前幾天，我那心不在焉的丈夫突然提醒我，”妳知道嗎，我們已經在一起度過四十五個年頭了。”
誰敢相信？兩個興趣並不相投的人，竟然能夠相安無事地共同度過了這麽漫長的歲月！可是事實擺在眼前，無法否認。回望過去那一萬六千多個日子，我們唯 一的成就是，養育了兩個兒女；唯一的驕傲是，我們擁有六個孫子。如今我家的牆壁上，書桌上，壁爐上，全擺滿了那幾個小孩的照片。
孫子們使我倆念念不忘，每天在屋裏走動，經常要駐足欣賞他們的照片，越看越喜歡，打從心底湧起快樂的泉源。可是對孩子們來説，阿公和阿嬤只不過是他們生活中偶然的過客吧？
雖是偶然的過客，但無可否認的，我的丈夫在他們的心目中佔據了很重要的席位。他懂得利用有限的時間，在他們的生活中插進一腳，製造了不可磨滅的印記，也加深了祖孫之間的親情。
孫子們幼小的時候，我的丈夫地跟他們一起摔跤，捉迷藏。大了一些以後，他不厭其煩地教他們下棋；還興致勃勃地當他們棒球賽的投手，網球和足球的教練；祖孫在草地上追逐爭搶，閙成一團。他還帶他們去釣魚，游泳，吃冰淇淋。這樣的阿公，真是打着燈籠沒處找。
上個學期，我那十一歲的外孫在一篇題目叫”我的英雄”的作文裏，指明他的外公是他心目中的英雄。原來那孩子在校際的棋賽裏獲得冠軍，而他的外公是他的啓蒙之師，也難怪他心存感激。
跟他一比，我這個做阿嬤的實在很不爭氣。我不會說笑話給他們聼，也不會教他們玩什麽遊戲；不過偶爾我會跟孫子們下棋。只可惜我的棋藝實在是不堪一 擊。前兩天，我那八歲的外孫找我對弈，我欣然答應了；心裏還想，他不可能是我的對手。怎知，不到二十分鐘，他就擡起頭，開心地笑說，阿嬤，妳輸了。我嚇了 一跳，根本不信。但仔細一看，我的棋王已在不知不覺中，被他逼得走投無路；我只好投降了。
我也沒有運動神經。每年夏天，我們一家人都會去羅得島度假。他們像大魚小魚，一個個在浪花裏游來游去。只有我，因為不會游泳，所以看到浪潮捲掃而來，就往回跑。結果別人都在弄潮嬉戲，我卻躲在太陽傘底下睡午覺。
上個月，兩個大孫女兒要阿公阿嬤陪她們去騎馬。我想，騎馬很簡單；年輕時代曾經騎過幾次，所以不會有問題。
我們到了馬場，那個馴馬師扶我坐上馬鞍，然後吩咐道，妳要騎的這匹馬叫’辣椒 (pepper); 她性子有點急躁。妳要是看到她突然快步跑起來，妳就要趕緊拉住繮繩阻止她，懂嗎？反正，小心點就是了。
我坐在那高高的馬背上，早已心驚膽跳了，她偏偏挑了一匹劣馬讓我騎！天呀，萬一從馬背摔下來怎麽辦？這時我的腦海裏突然閃過了 的形象。
這位男明星是以扮演”Superman”成名的。不幸有一次他在騎馬的時候，被那匹馬摔了老遠，結果脊椎骨斷了，變成全身癱瘓，後來死得好淒慘。 想到此，我越坐不住了；於是跟那馴馬師說，”讓我下來，我不想騎了。”
那一次灰頭土臉的膽小表現，使我在孫女兒的眼中更沒了份量。去年夏天，大孫女兒到我家來住了一個禮拜。有一天下午，燠熱難當，我對她說， “走，我們去吃冰淇淋。” “可是阿公不在。” “那有什麽要緊？我們自己去。” “可是路好遠，我們要走多久才會到？”
我聼了好吃驚。”為什麽要用走的？當然開車去了。”
“可是阿嬤，妳又不會開車。” “誰說的？我要是不會開車的話，幾十年來，我都是怎麽去上班的？”
大孫女兒說，”我從來沒看過妳開車；我還以為每天都是阿公接送妳去上班的。”
“哎，在諸位孫兒的心目中，阿嬤就是這麽沒有用。”
我的六個孫子，真把我這個阿嬤看得扁扁的。他們看我整天都在廚房裏忙，就認爲那是我的地盤；肚子餓了就來找我，還爭先恐後地點菜， 要我做他們愛吃的。於是我奔進奔出，忙得汗流浹背；今天紅燒蹄膀，米粉湯，明天肉燥飯，烤白菜，後天啤酒鴨，炒麵, 各式各樣的料理，都擺在飯桌上。其實我的廚藝實在很平常，可是對那些小孫子來説，每一道都是香噴噴的，很可口！
我那六歲的小外孫，露着他迷人的梨渦，走過來對我説，”Amah, you are a good cooker!
我聼了，忍不住抱起他來。多麽可愛的孫子，我為了他們，做老媽子都很樂意。
Being a Grandma
My husband and I lead a very simple life, our days glide by peacefully, like the flow of water in the river. Last week, my usually absent-minded husband suddenly said to me, “Do you know, we have been together for forty-five years?”
Unbelievable! How can two people, who have nothing much in common, manage to stay together for such a long time? But fact is fact, there is no denying. As I look back, we didn’t really accomplish much at all, except bringing up a son and a daughter; and they, in turn, gave us six grandchildren. We put the kids’ photos all over the house–on the walls, on top of the tables and on the mantelpiece. And every time we look at them, our hearts are filled with joy and pride.
As for our grandchildren, they will only look upon us as just two accidental visitors in their lives.
Accidental visitors or not, my husband has managed to leave his footprints in their lives, and he endears himself to all of them. When the kids were toddlers, my husband wrestled with them, played hide and seek with them. As they grew older, he taught them how to play chess; he taught them how to throw baseball; he taught them how to play tennis and soccer. He played football with them in the backyard, chasing each other and rolling on the grass. He also took them fishing, swimming and treated them to ice cream. Where can you find such a grandpa like him?
Last semester, my 11-year-old grandson wrote a composition, entitled ‘My hero’. It turned out that he had just won the championship of a chess tournament in his district, and he wanted to honor his chess tutor, his grandfather.
Compared with my versatile husband, I have nothing to offer my grandchildren. I don’t know how to tell a joke, and I don’t know any game to play with them. I did learn how to play chess from my husband, but my skills as a chess player are still at the elementary level. The other day, my 8-year-old grandson challenged me to a game. I accepted cheerfully, thinking that there wouldn’t be any contest. After all, he was so young. But, to my surprise and dismay, he checkmated me in less than 20 minutes. Somehow, he managed to ambush my king without my knowing, and I had to surrender.
However, being a poor chess player is the least of my worries. The worst of my nightmares is that I cannot swim. It is our family tradition to spend our summer vacation together in Rhode Island. Every morning, we pack our umbrellas, our beach towels, our suntan lotions and walk to the beach. My family is like a school of fish, big and small, swimming, frolicking in the waves. I am the only one left on the shore, too scared to go into the water, for fear of being swept away by the tides. So, what can I do, except to stay under the beach umbrella, taking a long nap?
Last summer, during the Independence Day holiday, my two older granddaughters asked my husband and me to take them for horseback riding. I did not hesitate at all; thinking that, in my youth, I had had experiences riding horses. When we got to the horse farm, the trainer there helped me get on the horse. As I settled down on the saddle, she said to me, “This horse you are riding is called ‘Pepper’, she is quite a spirited girl. If you sense that she is trying to gallop away, you have to pull hard on the bridle and try to stop her. Do you get it? Anyway, stay alert.”
I was sitting way up there on the horseback, feeling a bit scared and uneasy, and this woman had to tell me that the horse was called ‘Pepper’ and she liked to run away! What if she threw me? What would happen to me? Suddenly, the terrible image of Christopher Reeves in his wheelchair flashed into my mind. He was the movie star who played ‘Superman’ on the silver screen. Unfortunately, he was thrown from his horse in a terrible accident and broke his back. He became paralyzed from the neck down and suffered a terrible death a few years later. I was gripped with fear, so I told the trainer, “Let me down, I don’t want to ride the horse anymore.”
After the episode, after my display of cowardice, I was too embarrassed to even go on a boat ride with them.
My eldest granddaughter is about the only kid who is willing to give me the benefits of the doubts. But even she is not sure about my abilities to handle things. Last August, she came to stay with us for a week.
One hot afternoon, I told her, “Let’s go have some ice cream at Thomas Sweet.”
“But grandpa is not home.” She replied.
“We will go by ourselves.”
“But, isn’t it too far to walk there?”
“Who said we are going to walk? I will drive.”
“But, Grandma, you don’t know how to drive.”
I was amazed. “Who said I don’t know how to drive?! How do you think I get to work everyday? ”
My granddaughter was truly confused. “But I never saw you drive a car. I always thought Grandpa drove you to work everyday.”
In my grandchildren’s minds, their grandma is totally useless. They always see me in the kitchen, busy preparing something; and they think that is where I belong. Whenever they are hungry or thirsty, they will come to me. They clamor for my attention and ask that I prepare their favorite dishes for them. How can I say no?
To tell the truth, I am only a mediocre cook, but in my grandchildren’s mind, every dish I put on the dinner table is delicious.
My 6-year-old grandson came to me the other day, with his dimples and his sweet smile, he said, “Grandma, you are a good cooker!”
I hugged him with joy. What a lovely child, what a wonderful bunch of grandchildren; for them, I am willing to do anything.
源自 謝昭梅
