我的另一位父親

My Second Father

My father died， when I was five. It was hard on us all. With time the wounds healed. My brother， who is eight years older than me. began to watch over my mother and me.

Taking on many more responsibilities than was expected of him， I remember he made sure the trash1 was taken out， and the yard mowed2. He did on his own， without being told to do so.

Because of my father's death， my mother was forced to get a full-time job. My brother took it upon himself， to get up early every morning. He would get me up for school， and make me breakfast. While I was eating， he would lay out my clothes， make my bed， and gather my school books up.

Hand in hand we would walk to the bus stop. As we waited， he would play games my father used to play with me. He did his best to make me happy， and he succeeded every time.

When we arrived home from school， we were alone for about a half hour， until mom was home from work. He would sit me down with three cookies and a glass of milk. If I had homework then this was the time I would do it. My brother would start laundry， and do dishes if there was any. He would find something for supper， and have everything ready for mom， so she could start cooking.

Mom would greet us with a hug and kiss. This was our queue to go outside and have some fun. This was my brother's time to be a kid.

It was a Saturday in June a couple years later. My mother and I were at the store. They had the Father's day cards out. I stared at the rack3 of cards. My mom said: \"Honey， I know this is a hard time for you.\" I said: \"No， mom， that's not it. Why don't they have Brother's day cards?\"

She smiled and said， \"You're right， your brother has definitely been a father to you. Go ahead pick out a card.\"

So I did， and on Father's Day， my mother and I sat my brother down and gave him the card.

As he read it， I saw the tears forming in his eyes. I felt a lump in my throat， as he threw his arms around me and my mother. I heard the crackling4 in mom's voice as she said， \"Son， your father is proud of you， seeing that he raised a good man， and that you do your best to fill his shoes. We love you， and thank you.\"

我五歲的時候，父親就去世了。這讓我們一家人悲傷欲絕。時間這副療傷藥使我們受傷的心漸漸痊愈。哥哥雖然只比我年長八歲，可已經開始照看這個家并照顧我和母親了。

哥哥承擔起了許多本不該由他承擔的責任。我還清楚地記得，他既倒垃圾，又給院子除草。而且他都是主動做的，從來不用別人催促。

父親的去世使家里失去了主要經濟來源，母親不得不找了一份全職工作來養家。于是哥哥就主動挑起了家里的重擔。他每天都很早起床，而且還要招呼我起床上學、給我做早飯。我一邊吃早飯，他一邊給我準備要穿的衣服、鋪床、收拾我上學要用的書。

然后，我們手牽著手走到公共汽車站。等車的時候，哥哥與我玩父親在世時我們經常玩的游戲。他總是盡量讓我快樂，每次都讓我真的感到很快樂。

每天放學回家半個小時后，母親才會下班回家。所以在母親沒回家的那段時間，哥哥會一直陪著我，還給我三塊餅干和一杯牛奶免得我挨餓。如果我有家庭作業，我就會做作業，哥哥開始做家務、洗衣服或者洗碗。通常，他把做晚飯用的東西都提前準備好，以便母親一回來就能直接做飯。

母親回到家時總是先給我們一個暖暖的擁抱和一個甜甜的吻。然后，我和哥哥才會跑出去玩。也就在這個時候，哥哥又變成了孩子。

幾年后六月份的一個星期六，我和母親去商店，商店里擺滿了父親節賀卡。我愣愣地看著一沓卡片。母親安慰我道：“寶貝兒，媽媽知道這樣的日子你肯定很難過。”我立刻回答道：“不，媽媽，不是這樣的。為什么我們不能把父親節當作哥哥節來過呢?”

母親微笑著答道： “孩子，你說得對。你哥哥實際上就像你的父親啊!好了，挑一張賀卡吧!”

按照母親的意思，我挑好了一張賀卡。在父親節那天，母親和我一起把那張賀卡送給了他。

哥哥在看那張卡片的時候，我看到他眼睛里閃爍著淚花。然后他一下抱住我和母親，頓時我一句話也講不出來了。母親用已經變得哽噎的聲音對哥哥說道：“孩子，你父親要是能看到他的兒子已經長成一個真正的男子漢，還這么懂事地承擔起持家的責任，他一定為你感到驕傲自豪的。孩子，我們愛你，謝謝你!”

注釋

①trash n．無價值之物，垃圾

②mow n．干草堆，谷堆，v．收割莊稼，掃倒

③rack n．架，行李架

④crackle n．劈啪響，裂紋