陈太
老公告诉我，他昨日凌晨五点在北京接到陈太从伦敦打来的电话，老人家有些着急，说是她前一阵子回大陆，给我家的电话打不通，没能联系上。老公立马又将家里的电话告知。
陈太是我在伦敦勤工俭学时，'take away' 的老板娘，广东人，30 几年前，年轻的陈太万里迢迢，带着5个孩子从广东乡下到伦敦跟在餐馆打工的老公团聚，几年后，他们终于盘下了一个'take away' ，遗憾的是在好日子刚刚有盼头的时候，老公一天出门办事后就再也没有回来，这个辛苦了一辈子的汉子不幸脑中风，撇下了陈太和5个很小的子女。
几十年风风雨雨，世态炎凉，性格倔强的陈太靠自己勤劳加上朋友的帮助，艰辛地带大了五个孩子。往事不堪回首，那个年月，陈太常常一个人流着泪拖着车去进货，每天都工作到凌晨。
几年前，陈太退休了，一个人住在伦敦，虽不富裕但也衣食无忧，我告诉她我会带敦敦去游伦敦，顺便去看望她，她希望我住到她家里，我知道老人是真心的，没有拒绝她的好意。
电话里说好，陈太在中国城的'麦当劳'等我们，15年前我是孤身一人的穷留学生，十五年后，我混得还不赖，身边有了个十岁大的儿子，伦敦的重逢不容易，老人拉着我的手真是喜笑颜开，我问陈太，当年给她打工的很多人如今都是有出息的大老板了，有没有人带着孩子来看她，她说这多年来没有过，你是第一个。
在伦敦的半个月，我跟敦敦每天吃完早饭轻松出门游玩，晚上回来享用陈太准备好的热乎乎的中国家常菜。陈太做茶楼30几年，会做很多的菜，她看敦敦因天气干燥流鼻血，很心痛，第二天我看到她泡了一盆黄豆，晚上专门给我们做了鲜嫩的豆腐，又听敦敦说喜欢吃咖喱，陈太拿出看家的本事做出很好味的咖喱鸡。蒸排骨，炒饭，烤鸭，靓汤应有尽有。饭后，我一边洗碗，一边用生硬的'普通广东话'跟陈太聊天，老人一个人住很寂寞，讲起15 年离别后的喜怒哀乐自然滔滔不绝。
喜，陈太的屋后有一个很大的菜园子，她每天早上花时间伺候菜园子，蔬菜不仅能自给自足，还经常分送给朋友们吃。每天陈太都去伦敦中区的中国城，那里是她感情的寄托，跟老朋友们饮茶吃饭聊天。天黑之前赶回家看中文电视节目。
怒，邻居见陈太一个老人独居，又不懂英文，欺负陈太，左边的邻居是个失业汉，他偷了陈太修菜园的砖头，在花园里明目张胆地砌起了个吃饭用的台子。还故意把自己的大破车停在陈太的大门口。右边的邻居是个意大利坏老太太，她不理解陈太为何要把花园改成菜园，就把死老鼠扔进陈太的菜园，变相地逼陈太搬家。我听后很气愤，问陈太要不要我跟他们论理一番，讨个公道，陈太摇了摇头，她说，连她儿子都不敢那样做，因为你们走后还是剩下我一个人对付他们。
哀，陈太也有苦恼，几十年熬夜劳作使她患上了失眠，有时整晚睡不着，只能楼上楼下走动和坐在在电视机前消磨时光。有一晚，我带敦敦看歌剧，看到半夜，回家很晚，老人很担心，当晚没睡好，事后我也很内疚，老人的担心是有道理的，因为深夜的伦敦并不安全。
乐，陈太如今儿孙成群，儿女们都很孝顺，给陈太钱让她出国旅游，老人辛苦一辈子，到了应该享受的时候了。去年玩法国耍意大利，今年就要走葡萄牙逛西班牙。
今年69岁高龄的陈太，走起来一路生风，跑起来比年轻人还利落，她高声地回顾自己的坎坷人生路，没别的，就是一切靠自己。中年丧夫的伤痛触发了这个农村妇女坚韧的求生力量，外在的弱势成了内心强势的条件，咬牙吞泪携子立命。她的艰难经历，在60年代的第一代中国移民中是很典型的，为孩子们的生存，别无选择，只有顽强地付出。我问敦敦如何看待陈太坚强的性格，敦敦来了一句，我倒觉得陈太很可怜，她并没有选择坚强，而是在恶劣的条件下不得不变得坚强起来。
临别前，我想留给老人一些英镑，老人执意不肯，还严肃地说：你是我的好朋友，你这老远带孩子来看我，我又没特意招待你，怎能收你的钱。我太了解这倔强的老人了。只好邀请年底她回国时，来我在上海的家小住，享享福，我留下些礼物和她需要的补养品。陈太一路送我们到'大象城堡'站，眼湿湿地拥着我们娘俩依依不舍。后来朋友来电话告诉我，在我们走后的一段时间，老人家很不适应。没完没了地唠叨我和敦敦在她家的好日子，巴不得我们不走。
Dear journal:In the morning i went to school.When i got their I sat down with my friends Yasmin,Alex,Tilly& Sofie.They were playing sit down handball so I put my bag down and sat down but Tilly the little snorty,bitch.retarted punie girl just shoved her bag over 2 the left and smiled at meThen my other friend came her name was Erin she and another girl found an injured bird on the way to school.So she told Mrs Graham our pricipal and she went to the office and got a little box 4 Erin 2 put the baby bird in.Then the bell rang and we went 2 class.I sat in my chair then our teacher was talking onand on and on so i just sat their in my seat. Then after she finished talking she gave us a spelling sheet we had to do.Then half way through Mrs proudfoot said that there was a christmas concert on in the hall that we had to go to.After that it was recess then we went into the classroom done the rest of our work then it was lunch after that we went home.
Dear journal:
its nearly time 4 school . but im already to go but its too early so ye any got 2 go seya at 3:00 k peoples seyas
back again things seem to go from bad to worse in my house not only have i still got most of my christmas shopping still to do and shed load of appointments to goto now i find out my son has to gointo hospital on the 29th dec for his second op .which means the rest of the holidays running back and forwaard to hospitals and appointments he will be on cruches for about ten weeks and if thats not enough my house is getting modernised on the 18th feb .by the time i get through this lot i will need a holliday. fat chance of that though i havent had one of those for 20 years . well never mind i'm sure the christmas cheer will get me through it all or it will if i drink enough of it lol .
I have gone through this with myself over and over again, and each time when I thought I have found a new friend whom I can trust and depend on... I got disappointed again. I kept falling in and out of this belief of friends forever, or this belief could never be applied to me.
I don't know if it's my silly thinking, or the way I am that caused myself to be disapointed.
I know that no one is a lone island in this world and we are meant to work together. Yea, maybe. But I feel that other than that, I'm... all alone. People whom I called friends kept giving me false hope, empty promises.
I don't know what to say.
Come to find out it must not have been pink eye. I treated it for 3 days and it never got better. I started washing it with baby soap and it slowly got better! HUM! Went to the eye Doc Friday and she said it looked fine and that appt. went well, ordered another years worth of contacts and good to go!
My teeth, on my right side.still hurt a little off and on, not quite sure what that is, but I go in for my first crown in two days! NOT excited for that! Actually I am scared.
So good to have God on my side, we had safe travels this weekend (To spearfish and Belle) even in the 4-6 in. of snow we got around here and the Hills! My boys seem well again and BEST OF ALL!!!! JETT HAS BEEN DRY 4 NIGHTS IN A ROW!!!! I AM SOOOOO EXCITED!
Add comment
