讀點好英文:Forgotten and Forgiven 忘記并寬容

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2022年03月09日

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Forgotten and Forgiven 忘記并寬容

·Anonymous·

As I sat perched in the second-floor window of our brick schoolhouse that afternoon, my heart began to sink further with each passing car. This was a day I'd looked forward to for weeks：Miss Pace's fourth-grade, end-of-the-year party.Miss Pace had kept a running countdown on the blackboard all that week, and our class of nine-year-olds had bordered on insurrection by the time the much-anticipated“party Friday”had arrived.

I had happily volunteered my mother when Miss Pace requested cookie volunteers. Mom's chocolate chips reigned supreme on our block, and I knew they'd be a hit with my classmates.But two o'clock passed, and there was no sign of her.Most of the other mothers had already come and gone, dropping off their offerings of punch and crackers, chips, cupcakes and brownies.My mother was missing in action.

“Don't worry, Robbie, she'll be along soon.”Miss Pace said as I gazed forIornIy down at the street. I looked at the wall clock just in time to see its black minute hand shift to half-past.

Around me, the noisy party raged on, but I wouldn't budge from my window watch post. Miss Pace did her best to coax me away, but I stayed out, holding out hope that the familiar family car would round the corner, carrying my rightfully embarrassed mother with a tin of her famous cookies tucked under her arm.

The three o'clock bell soon jolted me from my thoughts, and I dejectedIy grabbed my book bag from my desk and shuffled out the door for home.

On the four-block walk to our house, I plotted my revenge. I would slam the front door upon entering, refuse to return her hug when she would rush over to me, and vow never to speak to her again.

The house was empty when I arrived, and I looked for a note on the refrigerator that might explain my mother's absence, but found none. My chin quivered with a mixture of heartbreak and rage.For the first time in my life, my mother had let me down.

I was lying face-down on my bed upstairs when I heard her come through the front door.

“Robbie，”she called out a bit urgently，“where are you?”

I could then hear her darting frantically from room to room, wondering where I could be. I remained silent.In a moment, she mounted the steps-the sounds of her footsteps quickening as she ascended the staircase.

When she entered my room and sat beside me on my bed, I didn't move but instead stared blankly into my pillow refusing to acknowledge her presence.

“I'm so sorry, honey，”she said，“I just forgot. I got busy and forgot, plain and simple.”

I still didn't move.“Don't forgive her，”I told myself，“She humiliated you. She forgot you.Make her pay.”

Then my mother didsomething completely unexpected. She began to laugh.I could feel her shudder as the laughter shook her.It began quietly at first and then increased in its velocity and volume.

I was increduIous. How could she laugh at a time like this?I rolled over and faced her, ready to let her see the rage and disappointment in my eyes.

But my mother wasn't laughing at all. She was crying.“I'm so sorry，”she sobbed softly，“I let you down.I let my little boy down.”

She sank down on the bed and began to weep like a little girl. I was dumbstruck.I had never seen my mother cry.To my understanding, mothers weren't supposed to.I wondered if this was how I looked to her when I cried.

I desperateIy tried to recall her own soothing words from times past when I'd skinned knees or stubbed toes, times when she knew just the right thing to say. But in that moment of tearful plight, words of profundity abandoned me like a worn-out shoe.

“It's okay, Mom.”I stammered as I reached out and gently stroked her hair，“We didn't even need those cookies. There was plenty of stuff to eat.Don't cry.It's all right.Really.”

My words, as inadequate as they sounded to me, prompted my mother to sit up. She wiped her eyes, and a slight smile began to crease her tear-stained cheeks.I smiled back awkwardly, and she pulled me to her.

We didn't say another word. We just held each other in a long, silent embrace.When we came to the point where I would usually pull away, I decided that, this time, I could hold on, perhaps, just a little bit longer.

逸名

那天下午，我坐在磚石教學(xué)樓二樓的窗臺上，心情隨著每輛車子的駛過而越發(fā)低落。今天是我盼了幾個星期的日子：帕斯小姐的四年級年終舞會。帕斯小姐從周一就開始在黑板上倒計時，我們這些9歲小孩等著周五舞會的到來簡直等得要造反了。

當(dāng)帕斯小姐要求家長贊助餅干時，我開心地給我媽媽報了名。媽媽的巧克力餅干在我們小區(qū)聲名遠(yuǎn)揚，我知道它們肯定會在我的同學(xué)中引起轟動。但是已經(jīng)兩點多了，她的身影還是沒有出現(xiàn)。別人的媽媽來，放下她們贊助的飲料、餅干、著片、杯仔蛋糕和布朗尼蛋糕（一種巧克力蛋糕），然后就走了。可我的媽媽卻在活動當(dāng)時不知去向。

當(dāng)我孤單地凝視著街道時，帕斯小姐對我說：“別擔(dān)心，羅比，她很快就來了?！蔽铱粗鴫ι系溺姡每吹胶谏姆轴樦赶虬朦c。

在我周圍，喧鬧的舞會開始了，但我還是不想離開窗臺。帕斯小姐使盡渾身解數(shù)想讓我從那兒走開，但我還堅守著，期盼著那熟悉的家庭轎車出現(xiàn)在拐角，載著我那理應(yīng)感到窘迫不安的媽媽，懷里還有一罐她親手制作的著名餅干。

3點的鐘聲很快將我從思緒中喚醒。我沮喪地將書包從課桌里拖出，腳步拖沓地走回家去。

走回家要經(jīng)過四個街區(qū)，我琢磨著發(fā)脾氣的辦法。我進(jìn)門時會將大門狠狠撞上，等她沖過來擁抱我時，不回應(yīng)她的擁抱，而且再也不和她說話。

等我到家時，家里空無一人。我想從冰箱上找到張能解釋媽媽失蹤原因的字條，但什么也沒有找到。我又氣又恨，下巴都哆嗦了起來。有生以來第一次，我的媽媽讓我失望了。

當(dāng)我聽到她從大門進(jìn)來的聲音時，我臉朝下趴在樓上自己的床上。

“羅比，”她喊著，聲音中帶著些焦急，“你在哪兒？”

接下來我聽見她瘋了似的從一個房間沖到另一個房間，看我在哪里。我不出聲。接下來，是她上樓的聲音。她的腳步聲越來越快。

當(dāng)她進(jìn)入我的房間，坐在床邊時，我一動也不動，眼睛直勾勾地盯著枕頭，無視她的存在。

“真抱歉，孩子，”她說，“我忘了。我一忙起來就忘了，就是這樣?！?/p>

我仍然一動不動?！安荒茉徦蔽腋嬖V自己，“她讓你丟臉了。她忘了你。罰她?！?/p>

接下來我媽媽做了一件完全出乎我意料的事。她笑了。我能感覺到她的身子在顫抖，起初她的笑是無聲的，漸漸地，動作幅度和音量越來越大。