留學生的故事: 銀龍奨學金 (四) / Visa Student Story: The Silver Dragon Scholarship (Part 4)

話說台山阿伯,那晚埋舖之後,拖著疲惓的身體回家,開門入屋之後,正準備往雪柜找枝啤酒來喝(這也是兩年前開始的壊習慣),卻不料到他女兒從漆黑的客廳踏出來,一不留神,他還以為是死去的妻子,回魂來找他共往黃泉。再定一定神,妻子變回了女兒的容貌,也聽不清楚她在說什么,只知道她歇斯底里的喊爹喊娘,攪了好一陣子,才探過明白,這壊消息对阿伯來說,真是平地一聲雷,那老的攬著他的女兒,實不知如何是好。正是:『吾家有女初長成,養在深閨人未識』,可惜的就已是珠胎暗結,又沒有人肯付那個責任。阿伯自己男人老狗,对這些女人方面的事,雖是一曉不通,但駭人聽聞,用衣架毒藥打胎的,也間接地從他妻子與友人閒談中聽過來,他又怎会忍心令他女兒冒險、受折磿。翌日,他連歺館也沒心情去料理,打了個「喊線」叫頭厨看舖。他在家客廳來回踱步,終於想出了一個主意,如女兒談了一会,大家同意那是可行之計。

数天之後,大學校園唐人仔圈子,流傳了一個新聞,就是「銀龍」歺館的老板,願出一個獎學金,給一位年青、有上進心的男留學生,不獨免費供他讀大學,還可以立即移民,在加拿大定居做工,当然要面試,和詳談其中某種條件。於是,唐人仔之間,大家見面,一開口就是:『喂,你有沒有申請那「銀龍獎學金」?』那間一直做西人生意的小歺館,在数星期之內,突然客似雲來,擠滿了新食客,都是年青的留學生。『嗯,怎么你也來這裡吃歺?』『噢,想試試這裡的北美唐人歺口味罷,你呢?』『聽說這老板想請人, 我是有興趣來見工呀。』正是學無止境,有上進心的留學生是多的。

未滿一個月,「銀龍」老板嫁女,請客擺酒,簡單的婚讌,那兩個新人也頗双襯,那新娘或許是害羞關係,眼總是望著地下,那新郎倒是風灑自如, 樣子眉貌,有點南洋人的風味。約半年多左右,台山阿伯孫兒出世,滿月之日,他特別在家安了妻子的神位,也買了一些水果茶點放在靈前,他與女兒、孫兒、和女婿一家,在他亡妻的遺照前鞠躬。用膳之後,女兒忙著喂奶嬰兒,他的女婿也識事做人,幫助他収拾碗碟,清理厨房。当脕台山阿伯,夢見了他和愛妻,仍是年輕初婚時的情景, 對於未來,充滿了年青人的希望,懷抱著無数的憧景和美夢。

<<完>>

That night, Albert closed up shop and dragged his tired body back home. He closed the door behind him and just as he was about to get a beer from the kitchen (a bad habit he picked up since his wife had passed away), someone or something suddenly stepped out of the dark living room. Being caught by surprise, he thought for a moment that it was his dead wife's ghost coming back for him to join her in the Great Void. He rubbed his eyes, refocused, and his wife’s face changed back slowly to that of his daughter. However, he could not figure out what exactly she was saying except her hysterical cries for Mom and Dad. After some time, he finally understood her message. The news struck Albert like a thunder bolt out of nowhere. Embracing his daughter tightly in his arms, he did not know what to say or do.

He seemed to recall a poem that went something like: “In this house lives my precious maiden. On the family way the secret pearl hastens.” Unfortunately, no one wanted to be responsible for this secret pearl in his daughter’s belly. As an old dog of a man, Albert did not know much about “woman business”. But he had overheard his wife and her friends’ horror stories about women using coat hanger and poison to induce an abortion; and there was no way that he would subject his daughter to that kind of risk and torture. The sleepless night turned into morning and he was in no shape or mood to attend to his restaurant business. He made a phone call to Number One Chef and asked him to look after the shop. Pacing back and forth in the living room, he finally came up with an idea. He talked to his daughter and they both agreed it was a viable option.

Several days later, a rumour started to surface among visa students at the university campus. Let it be known that the owner of the Silver Dragon Restaurant was prepared to offer to a hard-working young man, a scholarship “package” that included full reimbursement of his university tuition fee, immediate sponsorship to apply for landed immigrant status, as well as a job and a place to stay – all subject to an interview and a discussion of certain conditions. Soon after, students would greet and ask each other "So, are you interested in the Silver Dragon Scholarship?" Within weeks, the little Chinese restaurant that used to serve "western customers" was suddenly filled with young Asian men. "Oh what a coincident, you like eating here?" said one young man to another. "Hmm, yeah, I just want to try some North American Chinese food for a change. And you?" replied his colleague. "Oh, yes, I mean no. I heard the owner wants to hire someone. I am interested and want to find out what the job is about. That's all." And, so it goes. There was no limit with the ambition of these young men to receive a good education and getting ahead.

Slightly less than a month later, there was a wedding banquet at the Silver Dragon. It was a rather simple ceremony with little fanfare. The bride and bridegroom looked like a well-matched couple. The bride, perhaps being shy, kept her gaze down at the floor most of the time. The bridegroom on the other hand was very much at ease. One would guess from his facial feature that he was from South East Asia. About six months later, Albert's grandson was born. As part of the baby's one-month-old ceremony, he installed a shrine of his life-long partner, put some fruit and other offerings in front of her picture, and asked his daughter and her husband, along with the baby, to kow-tow and pay respect to his beloved wife. After the ceremony and meal, the son-in-law helped him put the dirty dishes away and clean up the kitchen without being asked, while the daughter was busy breast-feeding the baby. That night, Albert had a vivid dream of he and his wife going back in time. They were just a young married couple then, full of hope for the future, with so many dreams and promises awaiting them.

[Fin]