Love Is Just a Thread

蘇娟麗

Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents. Every day they are very busy trying to earn money in order to pay the high tuition for my brother and me. They dont act in the romantic ways that I read in books or I see on TV. In their opinion， “I love you” is too luxurious for them to say. Sending flowers to each other on Valentines Day is even more out of the question. My father has a bad temper. When hes very tired from the hard work， it is easy for him to lose his temper.

One day， my mother was sewing a quilt①. I silently sat down beside her and looked at her.

“Mom， I have a question to ask you，” I said after a while.

“What？” she replied， still doing her work.

“Is there love between you and Dad？” I asked her in a very low voice.

My mother stopped her work and raised her head with surprise in her eyes. She didnt answer immediately. Then she bowed her head and contniued to sew the quilt.

I was very worried because I thought I had hurt her. I was in a great embarrassment② and I didnt know what I should do. But at last I heard my mother say the following words：

“Susan，” she said， “Look at this thread. Some- times it appears， but most of it disappears in the

quilt. The thread really makes the quilt strong and durable③. If life is a quilt， then love should be a thread. It can hardly be seen anywhere or anytime， but its really there. Love is inside.”

I listened carefully but I couldnt understand her until the next spring. At that time， my father suddenly got sick seriously. My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month. When they returned from the hospital， they both looked very pale. It seemed both of them had had a serious illness.

After they were back， every day in the morning and dusk， my mother helped my father walk slowly on the country road. My father had never been so gentle. It seemed they were the most harmonious④ couple. Along the country road， there were many beautiful flowers， green grass and trees. The sun gently glistened⑤ through the leaves. All of these made up the most beautiful picture in the world.

The doctor had said my father would recover in two months. But after two months he still couldnt walk by himself. All of us were worried about him.

“Dad， how are you feeling now？” I asked him one day.

“Susan， dont worry about me.” he said gently. “To tell you the truth， I just like walking with your mom. I like this kind of life.” Reading his eyes， I know he loves my mother deeply.

Once I thought love meant flowers， gifts and sweet kisses. But from this experience， I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life. Love is inside， making life strong and warm.

有時候，我真地懷疑父母之間是否有真愛。他們天天忙于賺錢，為我和弟弟支付學費。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。他們認為“我愛你”太奢侈，很難說出口。更不用說在情人節送花這樣的事了。我父親的脾氣非常壞。經過一天的勞累之后，他很容易發脾氣。

一天，母親正在縫被子，我靜靜地在她旁邊坐了下來，看著她。

過了一會，我說：“媽媽，我想問你一個問題。”

“什么問題？”她一邊繼續縫著，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，繼續縫被子。

我擔心傷害了她。我非常尷尬，不知道該怎么辦。不過，后來我聽見母親說：

“蘇珊，看看這根線。有時候，你能看得見，但是大多數都隱藏在被子里。這線使被子堅固耐用。如果生活就像一

床被子，那么愛就是其中的線。你不可能隨時隨地看到它，但是它卻實實在在地存在著。愛是內在的。”

我仔細地聽著，卻無法明白她的話，直到來年的春天。那時候，我父親得了重病。母親在醫院里呆了一個月。當他們從醫院回來的時候，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。

醫生說父親將在兩個月后康復。但是兩個月之后，他仍然無法獨立行走。我們都很為他擔心。

有一天，我問他：“爸爸，你感覺怎么樣？”

他溫和地說：“蘇珊，不用為我擔心。跟你說吧，我喜歡與你媽媽一起散步的感覺。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。

我曾經認為愛情就是鮮花、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，使生活變得堅固而溫暖。

Notes： ③ durable /?dj??r?bl/ adj. 耐用的，持久的 ④ harmonious /h??m??nj?s/ adj. 和諧的，協調的 ⑤ glisten /?lIsn/ v. 閃光

?即學即練

1. be busy doing sth. 忙于做某事

I was too busy working to notice the time. 我忙著工作，沒注意時間。

2. out of the question不可能的

You cant go to the wedding in that old shirt， its quite out of the question. 說都不用說，你不能穿那件舊襯衫去參加婚禮。

in question 考慮之中的;被談論著的

That is not the point in question. 那不是考慮的要點。

3. lose ones temper 發脾氣

He was behaving so stupidly that I found it hard to keep my temper / that I nearly lost my temper. 他的行為如此愚蠢，我覺得難以按捺住我的脾氣（幾乎要發脾氣）。

4. It seems... 似乎，好像

—It seems there will be an election soon. 似乎不久就要舉行選舉了。

—So it seems. 好像是這樣。