最珍貴的禮物 the gift (第1/5頁)
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茹涅吉爾JunieGirl
Itwaswellaftermid-night，wraedinmywarmfleecyrobe，IstoodsilentlystaringouttheninthfloorwindowofthedauntingNewYorkhosital。Iwasstaringatthe59thStreetBridge。ItwasassarklingandbeautifulasaChristmastree。NewYorkcityhasalwaysbeensecialtome;theBroadwaytheatre，themusic，therestaurants—fromthedelistotheTavern-On-the-Green。“Thisiswhatthecityissuosedtobeabout，”Ithought，dreadingthemorningtocomeandalltheuncertaintyitheld。Butthemorningdidcomeandatninea。m。onthatMarch17th，Iwaswheeledintoanoeratingroom。Elevenhoursandforty-fiveminuteslaterIwaswheeledintoarecoveryroom，andaveryfewhoursafterbeingreturnedtomyownhositalroom，Ifoundmyselfactuallyonmyfeet，halfwalking，halfroelledbymedicalequimentandmembersofmyfamily。Theordersweretowalkthelengthandbackofthelonghositalcorridor。
ItwasthenthatIfirstsawhim。Isawhimthroughahazeofdrugs，ainandthedreamyunrealitythatcouldbehaeningtome。Hewasstandinginthedoorwayofahositalroom。Inmytwilight，unfocusedstateIsawhimalmostasasiritshaeratherthanafullblownerson。Yetthebodylanguageofthisshaewassomehowsendingoutsymathyandencouragementtome。
Thisbecamemydailyroutineforthenextthreeweeks。AsIgainedalittlemorestrengththemanwouldbestandinginthedoorway，smilingandnoddingasIwouldasswithoneormoremembersofmyfamily。OnthefourthweekIwasallowedtosolouthecorridor。AsIassedhisroom，therewasmyfaithfulfriendinthedoorway。Hewasaslenderdarkcomlexionedman。Istoedaminutetochat。Heintroducedmetohiswife，andhissonwhowaslyinglistlesslyinahositalbed。ThenextdayasImademyscheduledwalk，hecameoutandwalkedwithmetomyroom。HeexlainedthatheandhiswifehadbroughttheirteenagesontothishositalofhoefromIran。Theywerestillhoing，butthingswerenotgoingwell。HetoldmeofhowIhadencouragedhimonthatfirstdreadfulnightswalkingtourandhowhewasrootingforme。Forthreemoreweekswecontinuedourconversations—eachgivingtheotherthegiftofcaringandfriendshi。HetoldmeofhowheenjoyedseeingmyfamilyastheyralliedaroundmeandIwassaddenedbythelonelinessofthatsmallfamilysofarfromhome。
Miraculously，theredidcomeadaywhenthedoctortoldmeIwouldbedischargedthefollowingmorning。ThatnightItoldmyfriend。Thenextmorninghecametomyroom。Ihadbeenuanddressedsincedawn。MybrightyellowdressgavemehoeandIalmostlookedhuman。Wetalkedabit。ItoldhimIwouldrayforhisson。Hethankedmebutshruggedhisshoulders，indicatingthehoelessness。Weknewwewouldneverseeeachotheragain，inthisworld。Thismaninhissorrowwassohayforme。Ifelthislove。Hetookmyhandandsaid，“Youaremysister。”Iansweredbackandsaid，“Youaremybrother。”Heturnedandlefttheroom。
Myfamilycametoretrieveme。Doctorsandnurses，tosaytheirgoodbyesandgiveorders。Allbusinesshadbeentakencareof。AftersevenandahalfweeksIwasleavingthehositalroomIhadwalkedintowithsomuchtreidation。
AsIturnedtowalkdownthecorridortotheelevator，mybrotherstoodinthedoorway，smiling，noddingandgivinghisblessing。
Itwas14yearsagotodayonMarch17th1990thatIenteredthatoeratingroomandmuchhashaenedtotheworldsincemybrotherandIsaidourlastfarewell。YetIthinkofhimoftenandheisalwaysinmyheartasIfeelIaminhis。Irememberhisintense，darkbrowneyesasweledgedourselvesasbrotherandsister。Atthatmoment，IknewwithoutadoubtthattheSiritofGodhoveredoverussmiling，noddingandblessinguswiththeknowledgethatweareallone。
ManytimesIhaveonderedovertheyearswhywehumansmeetourdearestfriendsorbondsodeelywithanotherersonwhenwearemostvulnerable。Ithinkitisbecausewhenwefacealifethreateningillness，jobloss，whateverthecatastrohemaybe;weareleftcomletelywithoutanyretensionandourheartsandsoulsareoentothosearoundusandweareabletoaccettheloveandkindnessesofothers—almostasfreelyandthankfullyaschildrenaccetlove。Thiskindofloveisblindtorace，colorandcreedandleadstoaairofdarkbrowneyesseekingaairofveryblueeyesandledgingalovethatwilllastthroughtime。
我是紐約醫院的老病號了。午夜早已過去，我站在九樓病房的窗前，身上裹着暖和的羊毛大衣，默默地凝視着窗外的第59街大橋。它如同聖誕樹般閃爍着美麗光芒。對我而言，紐約城永遠都是那麼特別，有百老匯大劇院、音樂以及形形色色、不同檔次的餐館。“這個城市本就應該是這樣。”我想着，早晨的到來和其伴隨的未知狀況使我驚恐不安。然而早晨終究來臨，那天是3月17日，上午九點，我被推進手術室，等我。再次被推回療養室時，已經過去11個小時零45分鐘了。沒過幾個小時，我就被送回自己的病房。我發現自己居然可以站起來，並可以在家人和醫療器械的幫助下行走。遵醫囑，我要在醫院的長廊裏走上一個往返。
