Short Story | The Best Memory 最好的記憶力

2021-02-24 NeonLightHouse

The best memory

老劉得了老年痴呆,忘事忘得厲害。

Mr Liu is suffering from Alzheimer's disease and have a really terrible memory.

 

病是自己一個人去看的,怕兒女記掛,最怕的還是老伴擔心。

He went to the hospital alone for not being worried by his children and his wife especially.

 

幾天前的一個下午打完麻將,老劉又覺得渾身不得勁,站也站不起來,嘴也歪了眼睛也歪了,癱在椅子上動彈不得。幾個牌友嚇得不輕,趕緊打了120,七手八腳要把他抬起來。張老頭死掐著他的人中,扭頭對張太太喊著: 趕緊給他老婆打個電話,讓她一起到醫院去。

Yesterday afternoon, after playing mahjong, Mr Liu felt not well and even can not stand up with the eyes and mouth crooked. The friends were terribly scared and call 120 immediately while managed to help him up. Mr Zhang pinched him at the philtrum with might and main and  turned his head and shouted to Mrs. Zhang at the same time : 「Call his wife and ask her to the hospital together.」

 

聽到這句話,本來還癱如軟泥的老劉突然清醒了過來,反身就要去奪張太太的電話。「別!別!別!別告訴她!」見她放下了電話,就順勢癱回了椅子,喘了半天氣,終於又緩了過來。

Hearing this, Mr Liu, who was still paralyzed like mud, suddenly came to his senses and was about to grab Mrs. Zhang's phone. "No! No! No! Don't tell her!" Seeing her put down the phone,he paralyzed back to the chair and finally recovered himself after a long time’s gasp.

 

「我前兩天去醫院了檢查過了,沒什麼大問題」

I have went to the hospital few days ago. It's nothing serious. "

 

「你這可不像沒什麼大問題呢,醫生怎麼說?」

「Oh, it’s definitely not like nothing serious. What has the doctor said? 」

 

這可一下子把老劉難住了,他皺著眉頭,抓著頭髮,苦思冥想了半天,暴脾氣上來了。

Mr liu was stumped by this question at once. He meditated for a long time frowning and grabbing his hair and lost his temper at last.

 

「忘求了,忘求了!」

" Damn it! I just have forgot it!"

 

我們一開始就說過了的,老劉忘事忘得厲害.

We have said from the very beginning that Mr Liu had a really terrible memory.

.

老劉是典型的四川「耙耳朵」,在外面也是頂天立地,鐵錚錚一條漢子。回到家裡立刻成為胡適先生「新三從四德」的堅實護擁者,劉太太的喜怒哀樂就是他一年的四季,每天的晴雨表。

Mr Liu is a typical "rake ear"(hen-pecked husband) of Sichuan. He is absolutely a true man outside home. While he returned home, he immediately became a strong supporter of Mr. Hu Shi's " wifely submission and virtue". Mrs Liu's emotions are his four seasons of year and barometer of day.

 

劉太太是典型的四川辣妹子,脾氣的火爆程度和長相甜美程度成絕對正相關。年輕時,更是學校裡屈指可數的一枝花。

Mrs. Liu is a typical spicy girl in Sichuan whose temper is positively correlated with her sweetness and beauty and famous for that when she was at school.

 

老劉對劉太太窮追猛打的歷史得追溯到小學時期。那時候的老劉還是小劉,劉太太也還是扎著兩個小馬尾瘋瘋癲癲的丫頭片子,不過鬼心眼的小劉在那時候便早早打上了她的主意。我們也就如了他的願,權且叫她小劉太太吧。

It’s said that Mr liu』 pursuit for Mrs Liu could be traced back to their primary school.At that time, Mr Liu was still a young boy, and Mrs. Liu was still a little naughty girl with two ponytails. The tricky boy had already liked her at that time, and let’s just do as he wished calling her Mrs Liu.

 

二年級的時候,性烈如火的劉太太為給被扯辮子的同桌聲張正義,跟班上的胖墩大打出手,然而可想而知嬌小的劉太太哪裡是胖墩的對手。雖然當時老劉幻想中的英雄救美的橋段瞬即被老師噠噠的皮鞋聲踩成了泡沫,但是看著坐在地上哭得梨花帶雨的小姑娘,小劉那時就暗下決心,以後一定把她娶回家,不讓別人欺負她。要是老師沒來,小劉還真有膽量衝上去跟胖墩拼個你死我活,這話不是騙人的,小劉絕不是個膽小鬼。

In the second grade, Mrs. Liu, who was really hot-tempered, fought against the fattest boy in her class in order to defend her deskmate whose hair was pulled. However, it is obviously that it’s impossible for the petite Mrs. Liu to win the fatty boy. Although the fancy of being a hero was destroyed by the realist that the teacher was coming, when he saw Mrs liu who sat on the ground crying and crying , he was determined to protect her from any harm. If the teacher didn't come, young Liu would really have the courage to rush up and fight with the fatty. It's not a lie and young Liu is by no means a coward.

 

可是,只要到了劉太太那兒,管它小劉還是老劉,卻是誠惶誠恐,沒有什麼不怕的。這話也不是騙人的,而且毫不誇張,你看到後面就會相信了。

However,for the things related to Mrs Liu, no matter young or old he is, Mr Liu was absolutely cautious and feared a lot. There is no lie and no exaggeration. You will believe it as we continue the story.

 

也就是那一次,老師懲罰劉太太和胖墩打架,要見他們的家長,小劉站在旁邊聽到劉太太抽抽噎噎講出了家庭地址。

And it was that time, Mr Liu stood by them and heard Mrs. Liu sobbing out her home address when the teacher asked to meet their parents for punishment.

 

小劉家住在城南,劉太太家住在城北。小劉小時候也是個十足的懶蟲,每天要靠老媽的獅子吼功和奶奶的無限循環緊箍咒雙重夾擊才能起床,自從知道劉太太家的住址以後,每天早上都能雷打不動提前一個小時起床,跑過半個縣城在劉太太家樓下等她一起上學。

Mr Liu lived in the south of the city, while Mrs. Liu in the north. As a child, Mr Liu was also a complete lazy boy who could not get up without the double attack of his mother's lion-like roar and her grandmother's infinite chatter. However, since he knew Mrs. Liu's address, he could get up an hour earlier every morning, and ran half a county town to wait for her and go to school together.

 

這一等,就是十年,直到高二。

His waiting lasted for ten years until they were students of Senior two.

 

小城很小,時光很老,故事光著腳在大街小巷溜達,在日落之前就可以逛遍全城。街邊買豆漿的阿姨和轉角舊書店的老大爺都知道,城南那個姓劉的帥小夥看上了城北那個暴脾氣的姑娘。

The town is so small that stories could stroll all around it in barefoot before sunset. Even the woman who sells soybean milk on the street and the old man in the corner bookstore know that   the handsome boy named Liu in the south of the city likes that hot-tempered girl in the north.

 

可是那句喜歡,小劉自己從來沒有說過口。他怕她尷尬,怕她為難,怕她學習分心,怕她被她媽罵,怕更怕她壓根兒不喜歡自己。你該相信了,在劉太太面前,小劉誠惶誠恐,沒有什麼不怕的。於是他就默默承擔了提書包,打傘,買早點等等重任,開著不著邊際的玩笑,順路敷衍不過,就藉口說要討論習題。

However, Mr Liu himself never said anything about it in fear of her feeling embarrassment, of her getting distracted from study, of her being scolded by her mother, and in fear of her dislike for him the most. So he quietly assumed the heavy responsibilities of carrying bags, umbrellas, bring breakfast and so on. Playing indifferent jokes, he was always together with her on the pretext of discussing exercises for failure of the excuse of the same way home. 

 

那時候的年輕人大都很難體會到大學異地的痛苦,卻也趕上了浩浩蕩蕩的上山下鄉。小劉太太因為父親的關係,只被安排到最近的農村,可是小劉卻被分配到青海,真如了號召裡所說的廣闊的天地,卻也是十足遙遠的地方。

It was hard for most of the young people at that time to experience the heartbroken of being away from different colleges, but the movement which called on the educated youth to go to the countryside was waiting for them. Because of her father's concern, Mrs. Liu was only sent to the nearest countryside, While Mr Liu was assigned to Qinghai province where is actually vast but also far away.

 

出發的早晨,天還蒙蒙亮。小劉提著大包小包站在車站門口,黑暗中被一隻手不客氣地猛拉回頭。

On the morning of departure day, the sky was almost still sleeping in the night. Mr Liu stood at the gate of the station carrying a lot of luggage and was yanked back by a hand in the darkness.

 

「說你喜歡我,能要了你的命嗎?」

「Would you die if you said you like me?」

 

就這樣,兩個人從小到大第一次真正意義上的別離,也讓兩個人真正在了一起。

Then, the first real separation from childhood of the two made them be together.

 

哦,這些都是老照片裡舊的發黃的時光了!老得掉牙的故事自己已經不會說話,你不把它叫醒,它就在角落裡靜靜地打盹,沒有鼾聲,也不會引人注意。這些故事老劉最近逢人就講,他真怕呀,真怕自己把這些故事都忘記。你應該還記得我們說過,老劉忘事忘得厲害。

Oh, these are the old yellowing times in the photos!The old story likes the old man who lost teeth and can no longer speak. If you do not wake it up, it would just nap in the corner quietly, no snoring, attracting no attention.Mr Liu told these stories to everyone he met recently. He was really afraid that he would forget them. You may remember that we have said that old liu had a really terrible memory.

 

老劉下定決心要把病情瞞著劉太太,怕她擔心,怕她著急,怕她難過,怕她操勞要照顧自己。老劉從來不是說說的人,堅定的程度讓他想起了二年級時那個背著小書包站在她家樓下張望的背影。

Mr Liu was determined to keep his illness secret from Mrs. Liu for the fear of her worry, her temper, her sadness and her toil of taking care of him. He was never a talker, and his firmness reminded him of the little figure with a small schoolbag standing downstairs in her house in the second grade.

 

他也一度認為自己瞞住了。

For such a long time he thought that he has kept his secret.

 

劉太太雖然已經變成了劉奶奶,卻越發十足的小孩脾氣,越發容易生氣,罵起老劉來絕不含糊,底氣十足。他也樂得讓她罵,等她脾氣發完了就從背後變出一束花,一本書,一張她喜歡的老歌唱家演唱會的門票,當然還會附送額頭上輕輕的一個吻。

Although Mrs. Liu has became grandma Liu, she is more and more childish temper and easy to be angry shouting to Mr Liu with clear voice and absolute strength. He was so happy that she would scold him, and when her temper was over, he would produce from behind a bouquet of flowers, a book, a ticket to her favorite old singer's concert, and of course a soft kiss on her forehead would never be forgot.

 

老劉忘事忘得厲害,劉太太喜歡的東西都要記不住了,他就找來卡片努力回憶寫在上面,早晚背一遍,就像小學生在溫習課文。

 Mr Liu had such a terrible memory that he could not remember things she liked. So he found a card trying to write them down, and recited in the morning and evening, which just like a pupil reviewing a text.

 

 

他喜歡早晨起來給劉太太做飯吃,幾十年如一日,豐富的早餐是一天驚喜的開始。我們剛剛說劉太太越發的小孩脾氣了,可不是嗎,甚至越發挑剔。早上坐上餐桌就嚷嚷開了:「老劉,今天有點感冒,身體也不舒服,菜裡儘量不要放鹽啊!」

He likes to cook for Mrs. Liu when he gets up in the morning. For decades, a rich breakfast is the start of the pleasant surprise of a day.We just said that Mrs. Liu is more irritable, isn't she? She is even more critical.In the morning she shouted just after siting by the table: "Darling, today is a little bit cold and I felt not so well for getting a cold, could you put as little as possible salt in the dishes!"

 

你說這做都做的差不多了,才開始提要求,不是過分嘛。不過老劉不在乎,他樂得被她折騰。他扔了鏟子就趕緊跑出來要嘗一嘗桌子上的菜。

Don’t you think that she was such a trouble maker making requests while the work has almost done. However, Mr Liu did not care about that, and he was even happy to be asked by her. Hearing this, he tossed his shovel and ran out to taste the food on the table.

 

嘿!還真巧,他全沒放鹽,他全忘了!

Hey!What a coincidence! he didn't put any salt in it, he just forgot it!

 

老劉得意極了,這病倒還給他幫了忙!想著就興高採烈地要回廚房再準備兩個菜。

Old liu was so proud that he was unexpectedly helped by his illness! Thinking about this ,he was about to back to the kitchen to prepare two more dishes cheerfully.  

 

那頓飯,劉太太吃的很多,可是沒放鹽沒放辣的菜,卻吃得她眼圈一陣一陣的紅。

Mrs. Liu ate a lot that morning, but how did the food without salt and spicy made her eyes red.

 

病情仍然在惡化,老劉知道,遲早是瞞不住了。

The disease was still getting worse, Mr liu knew that he could not keep it secret from her anymore.

 

他不止一次忘記關水龍頭,把家裡搞成了決堤現場;要去超市買醬油卻在公園轉了一上午想不起來要做什麼;出門忘記帶鑰匙,把自己關在門外;甚至忘了家在哪,在自家小區樓下問路。

More than once, he made his home a swimming pool for forgetting to turn off the tap, walk around the park for forgetting his plan of buying soy sauce in the supermarket, shut himself out of the door for leaving the keys at home,and even ask for ways downstairs their house for forgetting where his home is.

 

可是這些這些他都不怕,他就怕有一天,忘記了劉太太。

But he was not afraid of all these, what he actually feared is that one day he would forget Mrs Liu.

 

終於,繼上次暈倒在茶樓以後,老劉終於在家裡暈倒在了劉太太面前。

Finally, after fainting in the teahouse last time, Mr liu finally fainted at home in front of Mrs. Liu.

 

問診室裡,醫生輕輕地說:「目前病人沒有生命安全,但是腦梗導致了嚴重的記憶障礙,可能會完全失憶,你們做好心理準備」

In the consultation room, the doctor said softly, "at present, the patient is safe for life, but the cerebral infarction leads to serious memory impairment, which may lead to total memory loss. Please be prepared mentally ."

 

女兒受不了,失聲痛哭,兒子也眼圈泛紅。劉太太卻沒有太大的波動,理理衣服站起身。

The daughter couldn't stand it and cried, and the son's eyes were wet. Mrs. Liu, however, did not show much emotion. She straightened her clothes and stood up.

 

「那個老傢伙逞強了一輩子,終於也輪到我照顧他了」

"That old guy tried to be brave all his life, and finally it was my turn to take care of him."

 

後來,果然每天家裡醫院兩頭跑,安排好家裡的事情就一刻不離守在病床前,把老劉前幾天嘮嘮叨叨那些年輕時候的故事一遍遍一遍遍講,等著他醒過來。

Later, as expected, she ran from home to the hospital every day, after arranging the affairs of the house she was keeping at the bedside without leaving,telling the stories of those young days over and over again and waiting for him to wake up.

 

劉太太雖然變成了劉奶奶,卻還是當初那個愛美的小姑娘。每次去醫院,必定把自己收拾得利利落落,帶上老劉種在院子裡開得最漂亮的花,就像他每次討她歡心時一個樣。

Although Mrs. Liu has became grandma Liu, she was still the girl who loved beauty. Every time she went to the hospital, she tided myself up and bring the most beautiful flowers that Mr liu had planted in the courtyard, just like every time he pleased her .

 

劉太太永遠也改不了孩子氣的脾氣,也永遠也改不了愛打抱不平的習慣。

Mrs. Liu could neither change her childish temper nor her habit of fighting injustice.

 

這不,才剛剛踏進病房就在門口跟隔壁病房老奶奶的兒子小聲吵了起來。

Look, she argued with the next ward grandmother's son soundlessly just when she entered at the door.

 

「你媽拉扯大你容易嘛,她現在神志不清是因為生病了,你就要嫌棄她了?你小時候.」

"Is it easy for your mother to bring you up? you dislike her because she's delirious now? When you were a kid..."

 

就在這個時候,老劉醒了過來。

Just then, Mr Liu woke up.

 

清晨的陽光透過窗戶上溫柔地灑下來,一個口齒靈落,動作麻利的老太太站在門口教訓著陌生人的兒子。直到那小夥子安安分分回去給老太太道歉,才以勝利者的姿勢整理著頭髮走向病床。她穿著素色的布裙,略顯花白的頭上別著早上最新開的茉莉花,陽光在嘴角勾勒出弧度,眼睛裡卻仍然藏不住悲傷。

The sunshine of the early morning shone softly through the window, under which a chattering old lady stood in the doorway lecturing the stranger's son. It was not until the young man went back to apologize to the old lady submissively that she made her way to the hospital bed.She wore a plain-coloured dress with the latest jasmine in the morning pinned to her white head.The sun draw the curvature of the corner of her mouth , but the sadness remains in the eyes.

 

看到老劉醒了,劉太太開心地差點連手裡的保溫桶都要扔了出去。

Seeing that old liu woke up, Mrs. Liu almost threw out her insulated bucket.

I forgot to be afraid

 

 

可是,可憐的老劉忘事忘得厲害。他不記得劉太太是誰,也不記得自己是誰。他甚至

But poor Mr liu had a really terrible memory. He did not remember who Mrs. Liu is or who he is.He even -- -- --

 

連害怕都忘記了

Did not remember what is fear.

 

他好奇地問:「你是哪家的老太太,這麼厲害。不過你絕對是我這輩子見過最漂亮的女人了,誰這麼好福氣娶了你,我真是要羨慕死他了。」

"Such a hot tempered old lady you are, and who are you?" he asked curiously. 「But you must be the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life. Who was so lucky to marry you I would really envy him to death.」

 

劉太太忽的楞住了兩秒,緩過神卻並不搭理他,悠悠閒閒卸下手上的大包小包,換下昨天半枯的花,止不住顫抖的手,弄掉了好多花瓣,掉進陽光裡,蕩起圈圈光暈。而後才緩緩轉身,俯身在老劉頭上輕輕吻了一下。

Mrs. Liu stared blankly for two seconds, but she did not pay attention to him while she came to her sense. She took off the bags and replaced the half-dead flower of yesterday shaking her hand.Then she slowly turned around and bent over Mr Liu's head and kissed him gently.

 

隨即立刻變臉,在老劉手上重重拍了一下:「老不正經的,那你就羨慕死你自己吧!」

Just one seconds she immediately change her face,clapping on the Mr liu’s hand heavy and said: " Old devil, you can just envy yourself as you well !"

.

 

老劉得了老年痴呆,忘記了這個世界,卻仍然擁有這個世上最好的記憶力---

Mr Liu is suffering from Alzheimer's disease and have a really terrible memory.

He forget this world, but still have the best memory on the world ----

 

那就是愛上劉太太。

That is falling in love with Mrs Liu.

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