〈Parallel Universes〉 平行時空

《平行時空》 短篇奇幻小說集
5、〈海上情書〉
從大學退休後，我隻身來到台東太麻里海邊，租屋長居。好山好水，有份可以安養的退休金，每天徜徉在沙灘上，光著腳丫逐浪，躺在暖軟的沙灘上看雲聽風；去山坡踏青，置身金針和百合花海，感受鹹味海風裡的花香。舒緩的生活步調，淡泊的身心，享受退休後的夕陽餘暉。
這天，我剛從沙灘漫步回來，門前郵箱口掛著半截信封，我把信封抽出來，那清秀的筆跡似曾相識，抽出信紙和一張照片，是我和秀鳳高中畢業那年，在郵輪上的合照。信紙簡短，說一週後蓮花號郵輪停靠花蓮港時，我能夠到碼頭上和她見面。一看落款日，郵輪靠泊花蓮港，不就是明天？回到屋裡，我找出那套30年前的西裝，騎著黑都麥到街上，把西裝交給洗衣店乾洗，接著去理髮廳理髮理容。
次日一早，我開著房車來到花蓮港，走了十來分鐘來到碼頭邊，果然停泊一艘郵輪，旅客正魚貫走去扶梯。一刻鐘後，一個穿著時髦，身材曼妙的輕熟女，拖著一只行李箱，朝我走來。那張五官漸漸清晰，不就是30年前的陳秀鳳嗎？
女孩手持一張照片，來到我面前：「請問，你是陳去非嗎？」
「是，我是陳去非，妳是…。」我端詳著她的五官，感覺彷如隔世。
「母親過世前，交代我找到你。」
「母親？過世？你是秀鳳的女兒？」
「是的，我叫陳念非，我們母女長住日本京都，母親上個月剛過世。」
「陳念非？妳的五官，和當年的秀鳳幾乎一模一樣」
「為了讓你認得她，她複製並生下我。」
「複製？妳的意思是…」我被這女孩搞迷糊了。
「25年前，母親以無性生殖方式，生下我。她一直沒嫁人，她說過這一生除了你，她不會跟第二個男人在一起。」女孩平靜的話語，卻如流星撞擊那般撼動我 。
「這是何苦呢？妳們……。」我低語著。
「母親要我代替她，來陪伴你。」
「她，怎知我隱居在台東太麻里海邊？」
「直覺吧！母親跟我說，當年和你在太麻里的沙灘上分手。」
女孩跟我來到停車場，坐上我的房車。房車往花蓮街上，我想盡地主之誼。
「這裡的山海風景，就像母親日記裡描述的那樣，一個與世無爭的世外桃源。」
念非表情一派輕鬆，接著說：「在如詩如畫的地方長住下來，感謝母親安排。」
「不會吧？我已經是花甲之年的老人，妳應該回去日本。」
「母親在京都的物業，我都處理掉了，前來陪你實現夢想。」女孩說得輕描淡寫，可我卻聽得一頭霧水。
「實現夢想？都黃昏之年了，我還能有什麼夢想？」
「你的電影夢啊！你寫的百來部電影劇本，貼在網路上的每一篇劇本故事，母親在世時都詳細閱讀過。母親交代我，把她的物業處理掉，帶著資金來找你。」
「可我的體力，還能拍幾部電影呢？」
「這你不需要操心。」女孩從小提包裡取出一只金屬罐說：「從現在起，你每個月服用一粒藥丸，身體機能和外觀就能保持現在的樣子。」
我好奇問：「怎麼神奇啊？這藥丸怎麼來的？」
女孩娓娓道來：「母親離開你，來到日本後，就到京都大學醫科就讀，畢業後留在研究部門，專注生化科技研發，這藥丸是她致富的起點，之後經過一再改良，直到去年她過世前，藥效才完全穩定。」
「原來如此！當年，你母親就已經是個理科奇才，可惜我上有高堂離不開台灣。」
我說著，思緒拉回30年前，秀鳳約我一起去日本留學，結婚成家，我學藝術，她投身醫學，但當時我走不開，只能黯然和她分手…。
房車回到太麻里，安頓行李後，念非揹起一只背袋，要我陪她去沙灘。來到沙灘，
海風吹拂她的長髮，她取出背袋裡的一只黃玉罈子，我知道那是只骨灰罈。
女孩走進海水裡，海水及膝，她打開那只骨灰罈，把骨灰撒向波浪，嘴裡似乎念念有詞。
一刻鐘後，念非轉身走回來，臉上升起一抹紅暈，靦腆著說：「從今天起，我們就是夫妻」她伸出手來牽我：「母親說，你會以愛她的心情，來疼愛我。」
我盯著她認真的臉，會心地笑了。
女孩娓娓道來：「母親離開你，來到日本後，就到京都大學醫科就讀，畢業後留在研究部門，專注生化科技研發，這藥丸是她致富的起點，之後經過一再改良，直到去年她過世前，藥效才完全穩定。」
「原來如此！當年，你母親就已經是個理科奇才，可惜我上有高堂離不開台灣。」
我說著，思緒拉回30年前，秀鳳約我一起去日本留學，結婚成家，我學藝術，她投身醫學，但當時我走不開，只能黯然和她分手…。
房車回到太麻里，安頓行李後，念非揹起一只背袋，要我陪她去沙灘。來到沙灘，
海風吹拂她的長髮，她取出背袋裡的一只黃玉罈子，我知道那是只骨灰罈。
女孩走進海水裡，海水及膝，她打開那只骨灰罈，把骨灰撒向波浪，嘴裡似乎念念有詞。
一刻鐘後，念非轉身走回來，臉上升起一抹紅暈，靦腆著說：「從今天起，我們就是夫妻」她伸出手來牽我：「母親說，你會以愛她的心情，來疼愛我。」
我盯著她認真的臉，會心地笑了。

5. “A Love Letter at Sea”

After retiring from the university, I came alone to the seaside in Tamali, Taitung, rented a place, and settled there for the long term.
Surrounded by beautiful mountains and clear waters, with a retirement pension sufficient to support a comfortable life, I spent my days wandering along the beach, walking barefoot through the waves, lying on the warm, soft sand while watching the clouds and listening to the wind.
Sometimes I would hike through the hills, immersing myself in fields of golden daylilies and lilies, breathing in the fragrance of flowers carried on the salty sea breeze.
With a relaxed pace of life and a peaceful state of mind, I enjoyed the lingering glow of my sunset years after retirement.
One day, I had just returned from a walk along the beach when I noticed half of an envelope sticking out of my mailbox.
I pulled the envelope out.
The elegant handwriting looked strangely familiar.
Inside was a letter and a photograph.
It was a picture of Xiufeng and me together on a cruise ship during the year we graduated from high school.
The letter was brief. It said that when the Lotus cruise ship docked at Hualien Harbor one week later, she hoped I could come to the pier and meet her.
I looked at the date on the letter.
The cruise ship was scheduled to arrive at Hualien Harbor tomorrow.
I returned to the house and dug out the suit I had worn thirty years earlier. I rode my black motorcycle into town, took the suit to a dry cleaner, and then went to a barbershop for a haircut and grooming.
Early the next morning, I drove my motor home to Hualien Harbor.
After walking for about ten minutes, I arrived at the pier.
Sure enough, a cruise ship was docked there, and passengers were streaming down the gangway one after another.
About fifteen minutes later, a stylish, graceful woman in her thirties came toward me, pulling a suitcase behind her.
As her facial features gradually became clearer, I suddenly recognized her.
Wasn’t she Chen Xiufeng from thirty years ago?
The woman was holding a photograph.
When she reached me, she asked, “Excuse me, are you Chen Qu-Fei?”
“Yes, I’m Chen Qu-Fei. And you are...?”
I studied her facial features, feeling as though I had suddenly crossed into another lifetime.
“Before my mother passed away, she instructed me to find you.”
“Your mother? She passed away? Are you Xiufeng’s daughter?”
“Yes. My name is Chen Nian-Fei. My mother and I lived in Kyoto, Japan, for many years. She passed away just last month.”
“Chen Nian-Fei? Your facial features look almost exactly like Xiufeng’s did back then.”
“To make sure you would recognize her, she copied herself and gave birth to me.”
“Copied? You mean...?”
I was completely bewildered by what the young woman was telling me.
“Twenty-five years ago, my mother gave birth to me through asexual reproduction. She never married. She once told me that throughout her entire life, she would never be with another man besides you.”
Her words were calm, yet they struck me with the force of a meteor.
“Why would she do such a thing? You two...”
I lowered my voice, unable to finish the thought.
“My mother wanted me to take her place and accompany you.”
“How did she know that I had secluded myself here on the coast of Tamali in Taitung?”
“Instinct, I suppose. My mother told me that she had broken up with you on the beach in Tamali all those years ago.”
The young woman followed me to the parking lot and got into my motor home.
As we drove into the streets of Hualien, I wanted to show her some hospitality as her host.
“The mountains and sea here look exactly like the paradise described in my mother’s diary, a secluded place untouched by the troubles of the world.”
Nian-Fei looked completely relaxed.
Then she said, “I would like to settle down and live in such a poetic and picturesque place. I’m grateful that my mother arranged all of this.”
“You can’t be serious. I’m already an old man in my sixties. You should go back to Japan.”
“I sold all of my mother’s properties in Kyoto. I came here to accompany you and help you fulfill your dream.”
She spoke as casually as if she were discussing something completely ordinary, but I was utterly confused.
“Fulfill my dream? At my age, what dreams could I possibly have left?”
“Your dream of making movies!”
She continued, “My mother carefully read the more than one hundred movie scripts you wrote, as well as every screenplay and story you posted online. Before she passed away, she instructed me to sell her properties and come find you with the money.”
“But do I still have the physical strength to make a few movies?”
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
The young woman took a small metal container from her handbag.
“From now on, take one pill every month, and your physical condition and appearance will remain exactly as they are now.”
I asked curiously, “How can it be so miraculous? Where did these pills come from?”
The young woman slowly explained.
“After my mother left you and came to Japan, she enrolled in medical school at Kyoto University. After graduating, she stayed on in the research department and devoted herself to biochemical research and development.
“This pill was the starting point of her fortune. She continued improving it over and over again until its effects finally became completely stable last year, shortly before she passed away.”
“I see! Your mother was already a scientific genius back then. Unfortunately, I had elderly parents to care for and could not leave Taiwan.”
As I spoke, my thoughts returned to thirty years earlier.
Xiufeng had asked me to go to Japan with her to study, get married, and build a family.
I would study art, while she would pursue medicine.
But at the time, I could not leave Taiwan.
All I could do was say goodbye to her with a heavy heart...
When the motor home returned to Tamali, we settled the luggage.
Nian-Fei put a backpack over her shoulders and asked me to accompany her to the beach.
When we reached the shore, the sea breeze swept through her long hair.
She took a small yellow-jade urn from her backpack.
I knew it was a cremation urn.
The young woman walked into the seawater until it reached her knees.
She opened the urn and scattered the ashes into the waves, murmuring something under her breath.
Fifteen minutes later, Nian-Fei turned around and walked back toward me.
A blush rose across her face.
With a shy smile, she said, “From today on, we are husband and wife.”
She reached out her hand and took mine.
“My mother said that you would cherish me with the same love you had for her.”
I looked into her serious face and smiled knowingly.