第13章前往闪亮的旧时光(3)

第13章前往闪亮的旧时光(3)

此刻，我已经忘记了那块蜜桃派，入迷地听着祖母说话。“然后发生了什么事情呢？”当她停下来吃了几口派时，我追问道。“我告诉他，他并不是唯一失去了一条腿的人，尽管我的腿没给截掉。我给他看了关于我发生车祸的剪报。所以，如果你觉得我会让你在余生自怨自艾，想都别想。在外面还有全新的生活在等待着我们！我不打算为此而顾影自怜。而眼下我要做的事情已经够多的了，所以你最好也赶紧给我振作起来。而且你可别想我会背你——你要自己向前走。，”祖母咯咯地笑着，这位满头银发的老妇人令人吃惊地发出了少女般的笑声。

“我一瘸一拐地走开了几步，然后让他看我从口袋里掏出的一样东西。现在让我看看，你还是个男子汉。我可不会说第二次。，他弯下腰从地上拿起他的拐杖，挣扎着从那副轮椅中站出来。可以看得出他之前从未这样做过，现在只有一条腿的他差点扑倒在地。但我没打算帮他。接着他设法自己站稳了，向我走来，而且在他的后半生里再也没有坐回到轮椅上。”

“你给他看了什么东西呢？”我一定要知道。祖母看着我咧嘴而笑，说道：“当然是一对订婚戒指了。在他从军参战的第二天我就买了这对戒指，我可不想把戒指浪费在其他任何男人身上。”

我看着厨房墙壁上的那幅画像，那是多年前我祖父亲手绘就的。我眼中满含泪水，眼前的画像变得模糊起来。“你才是我的幸福。爱你一生。”我轻声低语道。画像中的年轻女人坐在公园长椅上，眼神清亮、笑容可掬地看着我，她的手指上被精心地画有一枚订婚戒指。

cripple

【释义】v.使成跛子adj.残废的，跛腿的

【短语】cripplecart残疾人用手推车

stiffly

【释义】adv.顽固地；呆板地；生硬地

insensible

【释义】adj.昏迷的；无知觉的；麻木不仁的

【短语】beinsensibleof对……没有感觉；不知道

pirouette

【释义】n.（芭蕾舞）脚尖旋转vi.（芭蕾舞）以脚尖旋转

【短语】pirouetterenverse仰翻轴转

abruptly

【释义】adv.突然地；唐突地

【短语】ratherabruptly冷不丁；stopabruptly戛然而止

mesmerize

【释义】vt.施催眠术；迷住；以魅力迫使

【短语】mesmerizeblade梅兹马拉斯之刃

grin

【释义】n.露齿笑v.露齿而笑，咧着嘴笑

【短语】grinandbearit逆来顺受

broadly

【释义】adv.明显地；宽广地；概括地；露骨地；粗鄙地

【短语】broadlyrepresentative有广泛代表性

auntdolly，shat/多莉姑姑的帽子

threethingsiwassureofasachild：myfamilylovedme.thesunwouldcomeuptomorrow.ihadawonderfulvoice.

ifiguredthelastonewasunquestionablytrue，becauseiparticipatedatthetopofmylungsinallthefamilysing-alongs，andnooneeverstoppedme.soiwasdelightedwhenmysecond-gradeteacherannouncedherplansforamusicalpageantatchristmas.

“singing，”saidsisterkathleentoourclass，“isoneofthemostimportantwaysyoucantellgodhowmuchyoulovehim.”shesaidshewouldcastsingersaccordingtoability.all26ofusstudentsraisedourhandsineageranticipation.

“thosewhofeelconfidentaboutasolorole，fromalinetotherightofthepiano，”shesaid.“ifyoufeelmorecomfortableasachorusmember，standtotheleft.”

withouthesitation，istandinthelinetotherightofthepiano.

itwasmyturnandisangwithalltheemotionaseven-year-oldcouldmuster.“thankyou，jacquelyn，”shesaid，interrupting.“next，please.”i，dbarelysungadozenlines.someofthekidssnickeredasireturnedtomyseat.whathadidonewrong？

onebyonethesolorolesweresoonfilled.whiletheotherchildrenstudiedtheirmusic，sisterkathleenmotionedmetoherdesk.shelookedkindlyatme.

“jacquelyn，haveyouheardtheexpressiontone-deaf，？”

ishookmyhead.

“itmeanswhatyouthinkyouaresingingisdifferentfromthemusic.”shepattedmyhand.“it，snothingtobeashamedof，dear.youwillstillbeinthepageant.youmaymouththewords，butnosoundmustbeuttered.doyouunderstandwhati，msaying？”

“iunderstood，allright.”iwassoashamed，ididn，tgohomeafterschool.itookthebusstraighttoauntdolly，shouse.shehadananswerforeverything.independentlysingleinanerawhenmostwomenwed，she，dgoneonsafari，shookhandswithpresidenteisenhower，kissedclarkgableonthecheek，andplannedtovisiteverycountryintheworld.morethananyoneelse，shewouldunderstandthatmyworldhadbeenturnedupsidedownbythisterriblerevelation.

auntdollyservedmecookiesandmilk.“whatwillido？”isobbed.“ifidon，tsing，godwillthinkidon，tlovehim.”

shedrummedherfingersonthekitchentableasherbrowcreasedinthought.finallyhereyesgrewwide.“i，vegotit！”shesaid.“iwillwearmyhat！”

hat？howcanahathelpmewithbeing“tone-deaf”？auntdollyleveledherbrowneyesonme.hervoicedropped.“jacquelyn，i，mabouttorevealabitofsecretinformationaboutangels，butfirstyoumustswearthatyouwillnevertellasoul.”“iswear，”iwhispered.

auntdollytookmyhandinhers.“wheniwasinrome，prayinginst.peter，s，”shesaid，“ioverheardaconversationinthenextpew.theywerealsotone-deafpeople，andalsohaveconcernsaboutgodnotunderstandingtheirsilenceinsong.theyweretold，inthestrictestconfidence，ofcourse，thatasimplepieceofaluminumfoilistheanswer.”

“idon，tunderstand.”

“youmouththewords，”shesaid.“yoursilentwordsreflectoffthefoil.angelscapturethewordsandputtheminspecialpouchestheycarryuptogod.theresultisthatgodhearsyourbeautifulvoice，singinginhispraisealongwithyourclassmates.”

asfantasticasitseemed，icouldpictureangelsdoingthis.absolutefaithshoneinauntdolly，sface.shewouldnotcheatme.

“wherewillihidethefoil？”

“i，llhideitinmyhat.”saidauntdolly，“i，llsitinthefrontrow.asforsisterkathleenandyourparents，notasinglewordtothem.”

myentirefamilyattendedthepageant.withmyeyesfirmlyonherhat，thefactthatnonepresentcouldhearmyvoicedidn，tmatter.mysilentsingingwasforgod，searsalone.igavewhatauntdollycalled“anoscar-winningperformance”.