搬家

作者 樊功生

水塘和围墙之间的洼地

有一排矮矮的平房

原来是工具屋

现在住着几户人家

虽然有些破旧

倒还安静

从没见过什么客人

傍晚  有人敲门

爸爸呆滞地站着

我记得这个高个子的叔叔

是他之前要我们搬这儿来的

他今天笑容满面

-- 听说嫂子兄长要从国外回来

还是个大学者! 

上边来了电话

校领导很重视

让我通知你们

马上搬回二号楼的那个套间

这几年让你们委屈了

爸爸越发愣了

妈妈接个茬

-- 收到过他的信

说是要回来看看

不过我们在这儿都习惯了

真不用麻烦... 

-- 那怎么行

这屋里连个厕所都没有

关系到形象问题

这是上级交代的... 

说着  大个叔叔的脸沉了下来

-- 顺便传达一下

你们的岗位被批准恢复了

那个晚上

爸爸还是坚持不搬

妈妈劝了一夜

肩头贴在一起

都在流泪

还是第一次看到... 

Moving

By Ken Fan

Between campus wall and a pond,

there're a few bungalows staying low. 

Used to be for storing tools, 

Now live a few families. 

Fairly quiet

Albeit a bit shabby ,

No visitors have been spotted there... 

One early evening, 

Someone knocked at door. 

Dad just stood there, totally lost. 

I had seen this tall man before, 

In fact it's he who had made us to move here a few years ago. 

This day he was all smiles:

-- Your brother in law will return from abroad, 

A big scholar, I heard. 

Someone called from all the way above, 

school president certainly listened,

And asked me to move your family back to that big apartment in No. 2 building. 

Sorry for all the inconveniences these years. 

Dad was dumbfounded, as mom cut in, 

-- yes, we got his letter

That said he wanted to come and see us. 

But we're comfortable here, 

There's really no need... 

-- That won't work!

There isn't even a toilet in here, 

It's a matter of our image. 

Besides we have orders from above. 

Said the tall man, with face suddenly darkened. 

-- By the way, both of your jobs are reinstated as well...

Later in the day, 

Dad insisted on not moving. 

Mom persuaded him through the night, 

Shoulders leaned against each other, 

Both weeping quietly, 

first time in many years ...