〈Parallel Universes〉 平行時空

27、〈X神父的預言〉

遇見X神父之前，我一直是個「鐵齒」的無神論者，每當有人跟我提起「命中注定」、「萬般皆有命，半點不由人」，我都會在心裡嗤之以鼻。尤其討厭那些宗教狂熱人士，似乎不理會「上帝」或「佛祖」，就是大逆不道的「異形」。
直到X神父出現，我才開始相信，真有人能預知我的未來。
那天，我跟公司新來的總經理易理玉直接槓上，由於她頒發一系列新規定，不僅限縮了各部門經理的行政裁量權，更剝奪了職員的許多福利。總經理的理由竟然是：「每個公司裡，只有約20%的職員能夠為公司創造利潤，其餘80%的職員都是公司的負資產。」
身為研發部門的領頭羊，心理上我雖然認同這一派的管理學理論，但是它抹殺了其他部門和個人所做出的貢獻，一切以實際效益為衡量標準，缺乏人性化管理所具有的溫度。
在許多老幹部的推舉下，我成為「開第一槍」的發難者，他們認為我提出的觀點，對公司的領導階層，向來具有「舉足輕重」的分量。這家公司，研發部門這些年在我手裡，做得風生水起有聲有色，開發出系列的生技產品，在市場上備受消費者青睞，位公司打下半壁江山。
在主管會議裡，我向易總經理提出一份「產品開發修正意見書」，主張維持穩健的路線，恢復員工既有的福利，可我的話還沒說完，面若桃李的總經理，就微笑著打斷我的發言：「陳主任，你要嘛接受我的決策和管理模式，要嘛走人！」我當下傻眼，懊惱地坐下來，把桌面上那份意見書，當著大夥兒面前，一頁一頁撕下來摺疊成一隻隻紙鶴，而會議持續進行，易總經理唱了一齣單口相聲，全場主管都安靜地「聽訓」。
回到研發部主任辦公室，我吩咐秘書打一份休假單，把大半年該休沒休的假一次填上，隨即要她遞給人事主任。我簡單地收拾一下，就在同事們的慰問聲中，帶著幾分幸災樂禍的心情，離開公司走出大樓。
我經過一個賣爆米花的攤子，買了一大包爆米花，晃到附近的小公園，那裡有魚池養著各色錦鯉，還有一些鴿子，我想讓自己先冷靜下來。我來到池邊的長椅，背對池塘，我抓起一把爆米包拿在手上，忽前忽後地往池塘和草坪上，一顆接一顆拋出爆米花，很快地我的面前圍繞著一群鴿子，身後的池塘水面上擠滿鯉魚，
場面變得熱鬧起來。紙袋裡的爆米花見底，鴿子群逐漸散去。這時，一個穿著老派西裝，銀髮的歐吉桑朝我走過來，主動跟我攀談。
「小兄弟，你似乎遇到不愉快的事情齁？」
我望著他咧齒苦笑，沒回答他。
「這世間，還有什麼事比生死交關重要呢？你惡運當頭，身旁緊跟著勾魂使者你知道嗎？」
老哥幾句話，立即引起我的好奇：「勾魂使者跟著我？在哪裡？」
「那青面獠牙的使者，手持索命長鉤，現在就站坐在你身後的池塘邊上。」
我趕緊轉頭去找，果然池塘邊有個傢伙，一襲黑色的披風，拿著麵包，一小塊一小塊私下麵包，丟進池塘裡。我懷疑地心想：「這傢伙，真的是傳說中的勾魂使者嗎？」
老哥一臉正經說：「別懷疑，打從你走出對面那棟大樓，那傢伙就盯上你，一路尾隨你，來到這裡。要不是我及時發現他，你恐怕就見不到明天的太陽了。」
「老哥，那麼這下我該怎麼辦？」我感覺毛骨悚然，一股寒意從胸口竄升上來。
「當然就是，不要給使者任何機會出手囉！」老人說完，從懷裡掏出一只十字架，
灰黑色材質︰「這只人骨十字架，給你佩掛，不論任何時刻，你都不能取下來。」
我接過手，邊摩搓邊端詳著︰「人骨十字架？」，原來灰黑色的十字，是兩小條人骨。
「它的法力可以完整保護你，切記！十字架不可離身。」
「知，知道了，老哥。」這時，我像個聽話的小學生，寧可信其有。
「你剛跟公司請休假，我沒說錯吧？」
「老哥，這事你怎麼知道？」我訝異地問他。
「其實，我是來自50年後的X神父，我能預知你現在正遭遇的災難。」
「那麼，X神父，你為什麼要出手救我？」
「現在，我不能告訴你太多，等休假結束，你去淡水的天主堂找我，我在那兒等你。我再叮嚀你一次，你休假這段期間，十字架絕不可離身。」
「洗澡時也不能取下嗎？」
「那是當然！」X神父說：「只有這樣，勾魂使者找不到任何機會出手，你才能擺脫他的糾纏。我是時候該離開了，你現在就把十字架佩戴上。」
我聽話地把那只十字架戴上，讓十字架貼著我的胸口。X神父輕拍我的肩膀，起身走出公園。望著X神父的背影，轉頭還看到池邊的那個使者背影，我感覺像是經歷了一次神鬼奇遇，可這回我「寧可信其有」。
我離開公園，那個使者竟然跟在我後面，離我二三十公尺遠，而跟他擦身而過的路人，似乎都看不見他，原來，勾魂使者只有我能看見。
我來到捷運龍山寺車站，排隊站在手扶電梯上，幾個趕時間的乘客，從我左手邊快步穿過，走往下方月台。我的前面有個阿婆，手上提著一袋東西，那袋東西就壓在她的腳盤上，我目測那袋東西可能有些重量。就在手扶梯下到月台時，阿婆一個踉蹌，被那只袋子絆倒，在她身後的我，趕緊上前扶起她，幫她撿拾散落的東西，一顆南瓜、一條絲瓜、一條苦瓜和幾枚番茄。短短幾十秒的時間差，我和阿婆都沒趕上那班停靠月台，正準備離站的列車。等我回到住處，打開電視吃著泡麵，螢幕上的跑馬燈讓我嚇出一身冷汗：「捷運列車隨機連續殺人，兇手已遭制伏。」我拿起遙控器轉了幾個新聞台，每一台都在報導這則剛發生的慘案。這時，我發現那個勾魂使者，就站在窗台外，面無表情地盯著我。
接下來的那幾天，我開著房車去環島旅行，每天都有人為和意外死亡事件，跟我擦身而過，我親眼目睹了一幕幕血淋淋的慘況，搞得每晚都噩夢連連，而勾魂使者果真陰魂不散，只要我的活動停止下來，他就會出現在讓我看得到的角落。當然，我謹記神父叮嚀，那只十字架絕不離身，時刻配掛著。
十天後，我的房車來到淡水，休假也到了尾聲，我想起X神父和我的約定。我
把房車停在天主堂附近的收費停車場，進到教堂找個座位坐下，X神父就在禮拜廳的十字架下，帶著信徒禱告。
我耐心等到儀式結束，信徒紛紛離開。X神父滿臉慈藹地向我招手，我起身走向他。
「小兄弟，你跟我來。」X神父領著我來到教堂後方，進到他的起居室。
「小兄弟，這間教堂，以後就交給你。」X神父從懷裡掏出一只銀質懷錶，抓起我的右手：「這只懷錶交給你，我把時間調好了。」
我望著手上那只懷錶，一時間五味雜陳，腦海中回想過去這十天，我經歷了惡夢般的一連串死亡事件，感覺這世間再沒什麼比死亡，這樣的判決更具有決定性。事業名利，戀愛婚姻和家庭，一旦遇上死亡，就嘎然而止，像一只鬧鐘，被取走電池。
「小兄弟，其實，我就是50年後的你，因為撒旦不想你待在淡水傳教，所以派出勾魂使者穿越時空，回到50年前想把你，應該說是年輕時的我給帶走。你安心待下來，完成你的使命。」X神父說著，身體逐漸透明，隨即消失在我眼前。
這時，握著那只銀質懷錶，我完全弄懂了，原來，我就是X神父。

27 Father X’s Prophecy

Before I met Father X, I had always been a staunch atheist. Whenever anyone mentioned “destiny” or said, “Everything is predestined; nothing is left to human will,” I would scoff inwardly. I especially disliked religious fanatics, who seemed to regard anyone who refused to worship “God” or “the Buddha” as some kind of blasphemous “alien.”
It was not until Father X appeared that I began to believe that someone could actually foresee my future.

That day, I got into a direct confrontation with Yi Li-Yu, the company’s newly appointed general manager. She had issued a series of new regulations that not only restricted the administrative discretion of department managers but also took away many employee benefits. The general manager’s reasoning was astonishing: “In every company, only about 20 percent of the employees are capable of generating profits for the company. The other 80 percent are liabilities.”

As the leader of the R&D department, I intellectually agreed with this school of management theory, but it erased the contributions made by other departments and individuals. Measuring everything solely by actual economic results lacked the human warmth of humane management.

At the urging of many senior executives, I became the person who would “fire the first shot” and challenge the new policies. They believed that my opinions carried considerable weight with the company’s leadership. Under my leadership, the company’s R&D department had flourished over the years. We had developed a series of biotechnology products that were highly favored by consumers in the marketplace, effectively securing half the company’s market territory.

At the management meeting, I presented General Manager Yi with a “Product Development Revision Proposal,” advocating that we maintain a steady course and restore the benefits employees had previously enjoyed. But before I could finish speaking, the general manager, whose face was as lovely as a peach blossom, smiled and interrupted me.

“Director Chen, either you accept my decisions and management style, or you leave!”

I was stunned. Frustrated, I sat back down and, right there in front of everyone, tore the proposal on the table page by page and folded each sheet into paper cranes. Meanwhile, the meeting continued, with General Manager Yi performing a one-woman monologue while all the department heads sat silently and “listened to their lesson.”

Back in the R&D director’s office, I instructed my secretary to prepare a leave request and enter all the vacation days I had accumulated but never taken over the past six months or more. I then told her to submit it to the head of human resources. After quickly packing up my belongings, I left the company building amid my colleagues’ words of consolation, with more than a little schadenfreude mixed into my mood.

I passed a popcorn stand and bought a large bag of popcorn before wandering into a nearby little park. There was a fish pond filled with colorful koi, along with some pigeons. I wanted to calm myself down first. I came to a bench beside the pond and sat with my back to the water. I grabbed handfuls of popcorn from the bag and tossed the pieces one by one, back and forth between the pond and the lawn. Before long, a flock of pigeons had gathered in front of me, while the surface of the pond behind me was crowded with koi.

The scene became lively. When the popcorn in the paper bag was almost gone, the flock of pigeons gradually dispersed. Just then, an older man with silver hair, wearing an old-fashioned suit, walked toward me and struck up a conversation.

“Young man, looks like something unpleasant happened to you, huh?”

I looked at him and gave him a forced grin, but I did not answer.

“In this world, what could be more important than life and death? You’ve got bad luck hanging over you, and do you know that a soul reaper is following right behind you?”

The old man’s words immediately aroused my curiosity.

“A soul reaper is following me? Where?”

“That blue-faced, fanged emissary, carrying a long hook to claim lives, is sitting right there by the pond behind you.”

I quickly turned around to look. Sure enough, there was a man beside the pond, dressed in a black cloak and holding a loaf of bread. He was tearing the bread into small pieces and tossing them into the pond. I thought suspiciously to myself, “Could this guy really be the legendary soul reaper?”

The old man said with a completely serious expression, “Don’t doubt it. From the moment you walked out of that building across the street, that guy set his sights on you and followed you all the way here. If I hadn’t spotted him in time, you probably wouldn’t have lived to see tomorrow’s sunrise.”

“Old man, then what am I supposed to do now?” I felt a chill run through me, and a cold sensation rose from my chest.

“Obviously, don’t give the emissary any chance to make his move!” After saying this, the old man pulled a cross from inside his coat. It was made of a grayish-black material. “This human-bone cross is for you. Wear it around your neck. No matter what happens, you must never take it off.”

I took it from him, rubbing and examining it in my hands.

“A human-bone cross?”

It turned out that the grayish-black cross was made from two small pieces of human bone.

“Its magical power can protect you completely. Remember! The cross must never leave your body.”

“Y-yes, I understand, old man.” At that moment, I was like an obedient elementary school student, choosing to believe that such things might be true.

“You just requested leave from your company, didn’t you? Am I right?”

“Old man, how did you know that?” I asked in astonishment.

“Actually, I am Father X from fifty years in the future. I can foresee the disaster you are facing right now.”

“Then, Father X, why are you helping me?”

“I can’t tell you too much right now. When your leave is over, go to the Catholic church in Tamsui and find me. I’ll be waiting for you there. Let me remind you once more: during your vacation, you must never take the cross off.”

“Not even when I take a shower?”

“Of course not!” Father X said. “Only then will the soul reaper have no opportunity to make his move, and only then can you escape his pursuit. It is time for me to leave. Put the cross on now.”

I obediently put the cross around my neck and let it rest against my chest. Father X gently patted me on the shoulder, stood up, and walked out of the park. As I watched Father X’s retreating figure, I turned my head and could still see the back of the emissary standing beside the pond. I felt as though I had just experienced a bizarre encounter between the worlds of humans and ghosts. But this time, I chose to believe that it was real.

I left the park, and the emissary actually followed me. He stayed twenty or thirty meters behind me, while the pedestrians who passed him seemed unable to see him at all. It turned out that I was the only one who could see the soul reaper.

I arrived at Longshan Temple MRT Station and stood in line on the escalator. Several passengers in a hurry hurried past me on my left and headed down toward the platform. In front of me was an elderly woman carrying a bag of groceries. The bag was resting against her feet, and I estimated that it was fairly heavy. Just as the escalator reached the platform, the elderly woman stumbled and fell after tripping over the bag. I was right behind her, so I quickly stepped forward to help her up and gathered the things that had spilled out: a pumpkin, a loofah, a bitter melon, and several tomatoes.

Because of the difference of only a few dozen seconds, neither the elderly woman nor I caught the train that had stopped at the platform and was preparing to leave the station.

When I returned home, I turned on the television and ate instant noodles. The news ticker on the screen made me break out in a cold sweat:

“Random mass killing on MRT train; suspect subdued.”

I picked up the remote control and switched through several news channels. Every channel was reporting on the tragedy that had just occurred.

At that moment, I noticed the soul reaper standing outside my window, staring at me expressionlessly.

Over the next several days, I drove my motorhome around the island. Every day, someone would narrowly escape a fatal accident or some other deadly incident by crossing paths with me. I personally witnessed one bloody tragedy after another, leaving me plagued by nightmares every night. And the soul reaper truly would not leave me alone. Whenever I stopped moving, he would appear in some corner where I could see him.

Of course, I remembered Father X’s warning. The cross never left my body; I kept it around my neck at all times.

Ten days later, my motorhome arrived in Tamsui, and my vacation was coming to an end. I remembered my agreement with Father X.

I parked the motorhome in a paid parking lot near the Catholic church and entered the church, where I found a seat. Father X was beneath the cross in the sanctuary, leading the congregation in prayer.

I patiently waited until the service ended, and the worshippers gradually left. Father X waved to me with a kindly smile. I stood up and walked toward him.

“Young man, come with me.”

Father X led me to the back of the church and into his living quarters.

“Young man, this church will be entrusted to you from now on.” Father X pulled a silver pocket watch from inside his coat and took my right hand. “I’m giving this pocket watch to you. I’ve already set the time.”

I stared at the pocket watch in my hand, overwhelmed by conflicting emotions. My mind returned to the events of the previous ten days. I had experienced a nightmare-like series of deaths, and I felt that there was nothing in this world more decisive than death itself as the ultimate judgment. Career and fame, love and marriage, and family—all of them came to an abrupt end when death arrived, like an alarm clock with its battery removed.

“Young man, actually, I am you fifty years from now. Because Satan did not want you to stay in Tamsui and preach, he sent the soul reaper through time and space, back fifty years, to take you away—or rather, to take me away when I was young. Stay here without fear and fulfill your mission.”

As Father X spoke, his body gradually became transparent and then disappeared before my eyes.

At that moment, holding the silver pocket watch in my hand, I finally understood everything.

It turned out that I was Father X.