Saturday, October 09, 2010

車仔糯米飯的茶, 筲箕灣到柴灣


12歲那年的秋冬,姑母失去姑丈。某一天,姑母對我說 “明早我帶你去晨運,好嗎?” 常常在山頭東跑西跑的我立即點頭。早上五時來了姑母清脆聲音,喚著我的名字。那時清晨的筲箕灣,山上青蔥翠綠,還有樹林霞霧。我和姑母沿著柴灣道(俗名:長命斜)邊走邊說。魚魚菜菜,山山水水,不著邊際地一問一答,熱與凍咖啡的燥熱與清熱功效,還有食物進食次序(先菜後肉)等等...., 這些比任何課本來得更早。走了一小時,到了當時仍是工廈居多的柴灣。就是相中的這個街角,一檔熱氣騰騰的車仔,吹來陣陣糯米飯香,急不及待叫著“兩碗五毫“。熱烘烘飯上,洒上豬油豉油花生蔥花,相信這是世上最美味的早飯。然而最香的茶也是同時出現,車仔檔旁放了一個大水煲,拿著還有半點飯香油香的碗,冲下暖暖濃茶。油香飯香茶更香。就這樣過了一個12歲的冬季。那一年多,身體好得很,一個噴嚏也沒有。

昨晚晚飯時,不慎將一點荷葉飯掉落茶杯裏,與姑母一起吃糯米飯的情景湧現眼前,突然身後的侍應將杯拿走“幫你換一杯”,我即刻說不用,但那侍應堅持要換,不知怎的牽動我的情緒“說了不用就不用,這杯茶沒問題,油飯香的茶是很好喝...." 走了一段路的她總要送回來這杯掩影著那車仔糯米飯的茶。

那侍應當然不知如何是好,同桌友人在問為何這麼著緊,只是一杯茶,自己才知道有點過了。寫了這段往事下來,日後仍要抱擁這杯車仔糯米飯的濃茶。

後記: 那年姑母也開朗了,笑了,不再失眠,放開了。那晨運也劃上一個句號。

11 comments:

Stella said...

Wow your Chinese writing is so good, both in terms of the flow, the touchy meaning behind, and the wordings. Also no "white" word at all. You are a good writer.

I really enjoy this a lot. It is so warm and touchy although no heavy duty words at all.

in the sea said...

However, I didn't pass my Chinese exam. and even got an unclassified grade on the matriculation exam. :) I didn't feel bad at all since that told me "it's a stop here. Go on your own way and make your living".

I need to thank Mak Sir - my high school Chinese teacher and he worked in a Taiwanese newspaper co. He corrected me so many "white" words and even some words we often made mistake like 人像. It should be 人象. Anyway, I was told lately this has been changed and both words can be correct due to too many cases endorsing the former one. BTW, Mak Sir helped me to post some of my articles in newspapers and I got some pocket money out of it. Pretty cool.

Daphne said...

很感人,我也忘了很多小時候的事了,若不是有時提起一點點也記不起來。
我還記得你那些登報的小品,好似是你一些課堂作文還有些獎金,你也好像把它們剪了下來,還有沒有收藏到現在呢?你好似用那些獎金為我們加餸:)

Stella: thanks all the gifts to Jason. You are very kind to the children. We enjoyed the chocolate very much. Thanks again.

Anonymous said...

Hi Sea,
You are lucky to have a good Chinese teacher. Teachers do play very important role to inspire the students and shape them the way it should be.
Can you share your newspaper article to let us enjoy and benefit?

Hi Daphne,
You are more than welcome. Jason is a cute and smart kid(I met him and his Jimmy and Donald in the blog).
Please let me know which chocolate he likes.

Hi Mr. Lonely,
Will view your blog lately when I have a chance to use computer longer.

Stella

in the sea said...

Thanks for your word.

Yes, Daphne, those are the Chinese composition in class and the weekly articles of mine. I'm not sure if I still keep those articles. Actually Mak Sir made an excuse to give me some encouragement and pocket money. There were times he saw me walking a long way from the school on 3rd street (Western district) to Sheung Wan (Macau ferry terminal) for taking bus no.2 back home. That's about 1.5 miles. He also saw me eating a "cross" bread on my walk. He asked if I like cross bread much. I replied to him "no, I like "piggy" or "pineapple" bread, but "cross" bread is more filling and that can get me full enough to go back home in 1.5 hours. Besides, I can save the tram ride from here to Macau ferry terminal for the bread.

The school I studied is a private school with many problem students. However, they are not bad in character but just in some way they have problems in their comprehension or problems from their families. At first, I got frightened with they way they talked loud and quite rude. The magic came when I started to explain to them about some grammar of English and I am the translator between them and the Filipino English teacher Mrs. Wong. Wow... now that I came to recall so many things in school. As time went by, they got me a nickname 恩公. I really don't like it as it sounds so serous. LOL. Anyway, the atmosphere became more ambient and the other classmates started to enjoy more in the class. Because of that, I get more energetic to chase back what I lost in my junior high school. They shouldn't get me such a name since I got the energy from them in return.

So the striking part is that I was a lousy student, who spoke against the Father, climbed over a 15 feet high gate for escaping the class in a 1st grade junior high school, but I was a behaving student who volunteered himself in helping the others in a 5th grade high school.

Daphne said...

Hi Stella, you are so kind not only to Jonahtan but also to all of us. The chocolates were so nice and suprising.

Anonymous said...

Hi Daphne,

Jonathan and Jason are both my "Yan Kung"(as mentioned in SEA's post above) as they gave me lot of joy reading this blog. Jason is so adorable and also his Jimmy and Donald.

Jonathan also shared many things with me including his good family, his good friends, his good trips, his good blogs, and the most importantly his impeccable, unbeatable, incomparable all time perfect MO-BKK.



SS

in the sea said...

Stella, we also share with you with your smart analytical son and cute handsome intelligent thoughtful brother.... :) Daphne, last time we had a great fun with Stella and family. We should plan for a trip for an even bigger gathering in BKK and eating trip in any of the school holidays. Mmh... I need to write a brief report on that trip. Each day has its special and lots of fun and enjoyment.

Har... now that we are often related to MO BKK as an index.

Stella said...

Thank you SEA for all the good memories every single day of our trip.
Thank you for the 7 meals a day.
Thank you for all the fun we made together.
Thank you Yan Kung.
The three of you are gorgeous.

in the sea said...

BTW, Yan Kung is because they named me of my Chinese name. :) I typed too fast to miss this line.

Stella said...

So you got the right Chinese name to match your Yan Kung character then.
How smart were your parents to predict this.
:)