Love Is Just a Thread
Sometimes I really doubt whether there islove between my parents. Every day they are verybusy trying to earn money in order to pay the hightuition for my brother and me. They don't act in theromantic ways that I read in books or I see on TV. Intheir opinion, \"I love you\" is too luxurious for themto say. Sending flowers to each other on Valentine's Dayis even more out of the question. Finally my fatherhas a bad temper. When he is very tired from the hardwork, it is easy for him to lose his temper.
One day, my mother was sewing a quilt. Isilently sat down beside her and looked at her.
\"Mom, I have a question to ask you.\" I saidafter a while.
\"What?\" she replied, still doing her work.
\"Is there love between you and Dad?\" Iasked her in a very low voice.
My mother stopped her work and raised herhead with surprise in her eyes. She didn't answerimmediately. Then she bowed her head andcontinued to sew the quilt.
I was very worried because I thought I hadhurt her. I was in a great embarrassment and Ididn't know what I should do. But at last I heardmy mother say the following words:
\"Susan,\" she said thoughtfully, \"Look atthis thread. Sometimes it appears, but most of itdisappears in the quilt. The thread really makes thequilt strong and durable. If life is a quilt, then loveshould be a thread. It can hardly be seen anywhere oranytime, but it's really there. Love is inside.\"
I listened carefully but I couldn't understandher until the next spring. At that time, my fathersuddenly got sick seriously. My mother had tostay with him in the hospital for a month. Whenthey returned from the hospital, they both lookedvery pale. It seemed both of them had had aserious illness.
After they were back, every day in themorning and dusk, my mother helped my fatherwalk slowly on the country road. My father hadnever been so gentle. It seemed they were themost harmonious couple. Along the country road,there were many beautiful flowers, green grassand trees. The sun gently glistened through theleaves. All of these made up the most beautifulpicture in the world.
The doctor had said my father would recoverin two months. But after two months he still couldn'twalk by himself. All of us were worded about him.
\"Dad, how are you feeling now?\" I askedhim one day.
\"Susan, don't worry about me.\" he saidgently. \"To tell you the truth, I just like walkingwith your mom. I like this kind of life.\" Readinghis eyes, I know he loves my mother deeply.
Once I thought love meant flowers, gifts andsweet kisses. But from this experience, I understandthat love is just a thread in the quilt of our life. Loveis inside, making life strong and warm.
愛只是一根線
有時(shí)候,我真的懷疑父母之間是否有真愛。他們天天忙于賺錢,為我和弟弟支付學(xué)費(fèi)。他們從未像我在書中讀到,或在電視中看到的那樣互訴衷腸。他們認(rèn)為“我愛你”太奢侈,很難說出口。更不用說在情人節(jié)送花這樣的事了。我父親的脾氣非常壞。經(jīng)過一天的勞累之后,他經(jīng)常會發(fā)脾氣。
一天,母親正在縫被子,我靜靜地坐在她旁邊看著她。
過了一會兒,我說:“媽媽,我想問你一個(gè)問題。”
“什么問題?”她一邊繼續(xù)縫著,一邊回答道。
我低聲地問道:“你和爸爸之間有沒有愛情啊?”
母親突然停下了手中的活,滿眼詫異地抬起頭。她沒有立即作答。然后低下頭,繼續(xù)縫被子。
我擔(dān)心傷害了她。我非常尷尬,不知道該怎么辦。不過,后來我聽見母親說:
“蘇珊,看看這些線。有時(shí)候,你能看得見,但是大多數(shù)都隱藏在被子里。這些線使被子堅(jiān)固耐用。如果生活就像一床被子,那么愛就是其中的線。你不可能隨時(shí)隨地看到它,但是它卻實(shí)實(shí)在在地存在著。愛是內(nèi)在的。”
我仔細(xì)地聽著,卻無法明白她的話,直到來年的春天。那時(shí)候,我父親得了重病,母親在醫(yī)院里陪了他一個(gè)月。當(dāng)他們從醫(yī)院回來的時(shí)候,都顯得非常蒼白,就像他們都得了一場重病一樣。
他們回來之后,每天的清晨或黃昏,母親都會攙扶著父親在鄉(xiāng)村的小路上漫步。父親從未如此溫和過。他們就像是天作之合。在小路旁邊,有許多美麗的野花、綠草和樹木。陽光穿過樹葉的縫隙,溫柔地照射在地面上。這一切形成了一幅世間最美好的畫面。
醫(yī)生說父親將在兩個(gè)月后康復(fù)。但是兩個(gè)月之后,他仍然無法獨(dú)立行走。我們都很為他擔(dān)心。
有一天,我問他:“爸爸,你感覺怎么樣?”
他溫和地說:“蘇珊,不用為我擔(dān)心。跟你說吧,我喜歡與你媽媽一塊散步的感覺。我喜歡這種生活。”從他的眼神里,我看得出他對母親的愛之深刻。
我曾經(jīng)認(rèn)為愛情就是鮮花、禮物和甜蜜的親吻。但是從那一刻起,我明白了,愛情就像是生活中被子里的一根線。愛情就在里面,使生活變得堅(jiān)固而溫暖。