大媽的智慧
我家后面空置好久的屋子在大约半年前终于有人搬了进来。
在短短数个月内，本来杂草丛生的后院就翻天覆地变成了“良田”。
在短短数个月内，本来杂草丛生的后院就翻天覆地变成了“良田”。
这要归功于我这位新邻居大妈，一个在三四十年前嫁到马来西亚的宝岛姑娘。大妈说她是台南人。
哦，对了，大妈的媳妇也是台湾媳妇，来自台中。家婆和媳妇有时在后院聊天，传到耳中感觉 ... 嗯，好台湾。
大妈每天起早贪黑，拔草施肥，风雨无阻。有时半夜下来厨房喝口水时，还能见到大妈在昏暗的灯光下拔草。其实大妈的家境不错，孩子还是一名医生，我想大妈的勤奋已经成为她的生活习惯了。
大妈的园艺技能超赞，也不会吝啬和我分享她的心得，我家那几棵桑椹现在种得欣欣向荣，大妈给了我不少“贴士”。
大妈常把她劳动的成果从篱笆那儿塞过来，虽然一再婉拒，大妈还是乐此不疲。但是想想强硬地一再拒绝又怕会枉费大妈的一番好意，说不定还会给人家误会我这邻居自命清高呢! 人情这债啊我最怕欠人家，我篱笆这头也不时给大妈塞些东西过去，大妈也乐呵呵地一一收下，扯平了。
我常夸大妈很有本事，小小一个才不过数方尺的后院，经过她勤快的手指点了几下就魔术般地变成绿油油的菜园，看了让人满心欢喜。大妈谦虚地说，种菜只是个人兴趣，还说看到亲手栽种的蔬菜瓜果一天天地长大，心理就很满足，很有成就感。哈，难怪大妈每天都笑口常开。
大妈也常说自己种菜，即可运动流汗，又可天天吃到新鲜又没有农药的蔬菜，一举数得，何乐而不为？我想，大妈是个很有智慧的人。
今天下班回家，天空一片灰暗，又下着毛毛雨，看到大妈一个人又在菜园里劳动。
大妈的媳妇带着她的孙子回台湾省亲去了，家里比较冷清。突然有股想把大妈的菜园搬上我部落格的冲动，所以拿起相机就往她的后院猛拍。
“ 你在拍甚么？” 大妈笑嘻嘻地问我。
“ 哦，我想把你的菜园搬上我的部落格。” 我一边捕捉镜头，一边回应。
大妈似懂非懂地“ 哦 ...” 了一声。
我豪不客气地往大妈的菜园继续猛“咔喳” 。
雨越下越大，自觉镜头也捕捉够了，正想转身入屋 ...
“ 哎，等一下。来，这个新鲜的芥兰叶拿去。”
大妈的声音在耳边响起 ...
徐蔡斌 / 古晋 25.11.2008
My Neighbor Auntie's Wisdom
The long vacated building behind my house is finally taken about half a year ago and within this short period of time, its backyard has been transformed into a mini farm land, thanks to my neighbor auntie, a lady who has married to Malaysia more than 30 years ago from Taiwan, or Tainan to be more precise. And now her son has also married a girl from Taichung, Taiwan. Well, I guess it all runs in the family. One would have mistakenly thought that he has landed in Taiwan when overhearing the conversations between these two ladies in one lazy afternoon.
My neighbor auntie wakes up early and rests late everyday without fail, taking good care of her crops, rain or shine. Sometimes when I slipped into the kitchen for a midnight bite or sip, I could still see her rooting out the weed beneath the dusky light. In fact, my neighbor auntie is quite well off, one of her sons is a doctor, I guess it is just her habit to be so hardworking.
It is no secret that my neighbor auntie has got green fingers, and good thing she isn't shy to share her knowledge. My Mulberry Trees are flourishing, thanks to her useful tips.
My neighbor auntie also has a habit of sharing the fruits of her hard labor with my family which we find it very hard to resist. How could we turn down the kind gesture from a kind neighbor who just likes to share? But being a person who doesn't want or who doesn't want to be deemed to take advantage of other people, I give something back in return, well I guess we are equal.
Sometimes when we meet up at the backyards and over the fence, I would praise her about her green garden and tell her how much I enjoy looking at it. She would always smile at me and humbly says that planting vegetable is just her interest as it gives her a lot of pleasure and satisfaction when seeing the plants under her care grow and blossom. She says by keeping her self busy in the garden is also keeping herself healthy, as it is a good exercise and further the vegetable is also free from pesticide. I think my neighbor auntie is full of wisdom.
Today, upon returning home from work, the sky was grey and drizzling, and it did not come as a surprise when I saw my neighbor auntie was flexing her muscle in her garden again. Her daughter-in-law has gone back to Taiwan for a short visiting together with her grandson and it was very quiet at home. Suddenly, I had the urge of capturing her garden in my camera and post it on my blog. I didn't think twice and swiftly put my thought into action.
“What are you doing?” she asked me in her usual smile.
“Oh, I'm putting your garden onto my blog?” I answered while busy snatching pictures.
“ Oh, I see ...” she replied with puzzled expression on her face .
The rain was getting stronger ... and I thought I had taken enough pictures.
Just as I was about to turn back into my house. She said,
“Wait, come take this very fresh broccoli leaves.”
Oh man ...
Su Chua Phin / Kuching 25.11.2008
