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奇迹就在身边

作者: 日期:2008-7-22 16:11:47
　　Back during the Vietnam war, when I was stationed in Thailand, I met a beautiful Thai woman named Surapun. We fell in love and got married soon after. When my wife learned, aftera trip to a doctor, that she couldn’t have children, we both prayed that somehow God would change things, that we would be able to have a family of our own.
　　My tour ended, and I went back to the United States, to my assignment in Nevada. I started the huge amount of immigration paperwork necessary for Surapun to join me back in the United States.
　　A short time later I received a letter from Surapun. She was pregnant! The doctor had been wrong. We were ecstatic. I couldn’t wait till she joined me. I rushed the paperwork to her for her signature.
　　A long time went by with no response. Letters I sent to her went unanswered. I was getting frantic. Then a letter came from her mother, telling me my wife had died. I was devastated. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t have the money for airfare back to Thailand to pay my respects. I hadn’t known my in-laws well, and soon I fell out of touch. I vowed someday I would return to Thailand. Eventually, I moved on with my life. I remarried and had two children. I earned a Master’s in psychology. Later I became a writer. It was nearly 30 years till I went back to Thailand.
　　After searching many official records, I found my wife’s grave. Alone with my memories I stood beside it and prayed. Just then a young Thai woman walked up. She put her hands together in the wye position, a Thai gesture of respect. “Did you know her?” I asked her.
　　“No,” she said. “But I am the reason she’s dead. It weighs heavy on my mind. I have no family. They all died. And when I feel lonely I come here.”
　　“Why here?” I asked.
　　“She died while giving birth to me. I have spent my life searching for my father, but he is American, and I think he doesn’t want to be found.”
　　Now, after so long, there I stood with my daughters Sirikit, an answer to a 30-year-old prayer.
　　
　　那是在越南战争接近尾声的时候，我被调至泰国，在那里驻扎。在那个美丽的地方我结识了一位漂亮的泰国女人，她叫苏拉潘。我们一见钟情，坠入爱河，没过多久我们便结婚了。在一次体检之后，医生告诉我妻子说她不可能怀孕了。我们听到这个消息后如同五雷轰顶，于是只能默默祈祷，希望上帝能让这个事实发生转机，祈祷上帝让我们也能拥有一个属于我们自己的完整的家庭。
　　任期结束后，我又回到了美国，开始在内华达的巡查任务。我开始大量搜集有关移民的信息并进行整理，我想要苏拉潘和我一起生活在美国。

　　没过多久，我收到了苏拉潘寄来的一封信。天哪！她怀孕了！那个医生误诊了。我们感到阵阵的狂喜。我迫不及待地想要她和我一起回美国，一起开始幸福的生活。我火急火燎地继续为她办理移民的基本资料。
　　很长一段时间过去了，苏拉潘杳无音信。我寄给她的信一封也没有回应。我焦急得有点发狂了。后来终于收到了回信，不过寄信人是她的妈妈。在信中，她告诉我说，苏拉潘——我的妻子——已经不在了。我感觉周围的一切都在旋转，天昏地暗。我无所适从，不知道该做些什么。我连去泰国的机票钱都没有，我甚至无法亲自表示自己的哀悼。我和苏拉潘的家人不太熟悉，不久我们也失去了联系。我发誓有一天我一定要回泰国，并最终要在那里生活。我再婚了，并且有了两个孩子。我取得了心理学的硕士学位。后来，我成了一名作家。几乎30年后，我又回到了泰国。
　　我在官方记录上进行了仔细的查询，最后终于找到了我妻子苏拉潘的墓地。带着我所有的回忆，我站在墓碑旁默默地祈祷。就在这时，有一个年轻的泰国姑娘走上前来。她双手合十摆成一个倒着的“Y”字，这是泰国人表示尊敬礼貌的手势。“你……认识她吗？”我问道。
　　“不，”她回答道。“但是她是因我而死。我始终因为这个而感到内疚、伤痛。我没有家庭。他们全都去世了。每当我感到孤独无助的时候就会来这里。”
　　“为什么会选择这里？”我的心一阵悸动，继续问道。
　　“她刚生下我便死了。我到现在为止一直在寻找我的父亲，但是他是个美国人，我想也许他根本不想被我找到。”
　　现在，在与过去阔别很久之后，我和自己亲爱的女儿Sirikit终于站在一起，一个长达30年的祈祷应验了！( 水　绘／编译 )