這是一個(gè)關(guān)于咖啡廳，陌生人和五英鎊的故事。
如果我告訴你她不是J.K.Rolling, 不是特雷莎.梅沙合，不是任何知名人士再愈，而是一個(gè)最平凡的愛丁堡老夫人榜苫，希望你依然有足夠的耐心和興趣讀下去。因?yàn)橐苍S翎冲，我們大多數(shù)注定平凡垂睬，而又在平凡中閃著星星點(diǎn)點(diǎn)，人性的光輝。就是這星星點(diǎn)點(diǎn)的光輝驹饺，讓這個(gè)世界溫暖與燦爛钳枕。
Now, let's begin the story.
周二的中午，陪女兒游泳完畢赏壹∮愠矗回家取上馨兒的白色斑點(diǎn)狗狗（因?yàn)榻裉鞂W(xué)校要舉行Teady bear picnic），把她送到幼兒園蝌借。馨兒沒有說再見昔瞧，直接消失在了同學(xué)和老師的圍繞中。面對(duì)馨兒的合群骨望，獨(dú)立硬爆，我搖搖頭。想著這丫頭估計(jì)沒多久就要從我這個(gè)老母親身邊飛到更廣闊的天空了擎鸠。
包里放了手機(jī)缀磕，沖電器，瑞典語書劣光，耳機(jī)袜蚕，這就打算去馨兒幼兒園附近的星巴克用功了。短暫的從家的空間抽離绢涡，做個(gè)腦子不銹的文藝女青年牲剃，我喜歡這所謂的小資情調(diào)。
因?yàn)榭拷鼝鄱”ご髮W(xué)的George Square 校區(qū)雄可，Nicolson大街上的這個(gè)星巴克向來坐無虛席凿傅。很多的學(xué)生，往往是拿了個(gè)手提電腦数苫，買一杯咖啡聪舒，直接坐到‘作業(yè)寫完，地老天荒’虐急。那時(shí)候大桌子也多箱残，只留一條狹窄的過道。整個(gè)咖啡廳止吁，給人的感覺更像是個(gè)諾大的被辑，cosy 的自習(xí)室。我在這約見過老公敬惦，Sun, Vicky, Neil盼理，瑞士的博士。更有在馨兒狀況突發(fā)時(shí)俄删，來這如廁榜揖，確實(shí)算是個(gè)老顧客了勾哩。可能是咖啡廳厭倦了自己的“自習(xí)室”功能举哟，于是進(jìn)行了改裝思劳，大桌子都被撤掉，只留下一個(gè)個(gè)吧臺(tái)大小的小桌子妨猩，總共能容納20來個(gè)人吧潜叛。寬敞的過道，把點(diǎn)餐臺(tái)趁得像hotel 的前臺(tái)壶硅。而顧客則像是來這找寂寞與咖啡的souvenir shopper. 總之威兜，重新裝修過的這家星巴克怎么就少了之前可以讓人來此避雨思考的溫暖，舒適感庐椒。果真椒舵，來這約會(huì)聊天的更少了，雖然桌子過小约谈，手提電腦呆著偏委屈笔宿，還是有個(gè)別同學(xué)前來自習(xí)。
點(diǎn)了一杯綠茶棱诱，拿了一包堅(jiān)果泼橘，一根香蕉。我選擇了僅有的一張四座長(zhǎng)桌坐下迈勋【婷穑“May I share the table with you? ”“Of course, I will move my bag”.
我微笑著，不禁打量起身邊的這位老年女性起來靡菇。
她上身穿著藍(lán)色的防雨小棉襖重归，銀白的頭發(fā)修剪得整整齊齊，瘦削的臉龐輪廓分明厦凤。棕色的大眼睛乎閃著鼻吮，上下睫毛都仔細(xì)涂著黑色的睫毛膏，沒有絲毫的暈妝泳唠。臉已談不上緊崩狈网，但因保養(yǎng)得當(dāng)宙搬，依舊白皙有彈性笨腥，更重要的是沒有明顯的魚尾紋和法令紋。手上挎著一個(gè)黑色的小messenger 包包勇垛，合適脖母，雅致。
“Oh, there used to be two decent tables, just behind this one ? Have you been here before?? I dislike the so small ones ” 她說闲孤。
“Yes, seems they have changed a lot. I do remember those big tables since I am an old customer too. ” 我回答道谆级。
“It is not a very good change,which means it is not comfy anymore if I bring all the grand children here. ”
“Oh, agree. I means I can meet another two mums together with their children either. ”
“I just like the taste of the coffee here. What are you writing? ”
“About my cat. He is so special that he followed my daughter and I to the swimming pool today. I was so afraid that he is going to cross the road like he did before. However, he waited for us at the corner for one and half hours. And he did the same thing last week when my husband I accompanied our daughter to the Garden party”. 有時(shí)烤礁，陌生人之間的距離竟然可以拉近得如此之快。熱茶都還是滾燙的肥照，我們就這么聊開了脚仔。
“Oh, a cat behaved so like a dog. I heard that before. Lucky you. While I have a dog, I am here to wait for her. She is getting clipping now. ”
于是，她打開手機(jī)給我看了她家狗狗的照片舆绎，那是一只貌似愛丁堡名人“Bobby”的狗狗鲤脏，長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的白毛一縷縷，卷卷的像美女的長(zhǎng)發(fā)吕朵，黑色的小鼻子濕濕的猎醇，不像Bobby 的銅像，已經(jīng)被游客們撫摸地發(fā)亮努溃。黑色的兩個(gè)圓圓的小眼珠硫嘶，閃著忠誠與狡黠的亮光。
“I love to make my dog tidy, I even give him a bath every month. I love my pets from the beginning, especially now the dog became my grandkids good friend. ” Then, she showed me her grandchildren's photos. She has eight grandchildren. Five girls and three boys. Three girls and two boys from her youngest daughter, who is 39 years old now and thinks it is fun to get children.
I admired and said that her youngest daughter must have been blessed to be so productive. She smiled, nodded and said yes, thinking her eldest daughter does not have any family and lives alone in the U. S. A. The youngest daughter's youngest son is five years old, who is so weird that he usually calls her sweetheart' on the phone. For example, he will say“Granny, today a little girl from class wanted to kiss me all over the face, but I refused since only mummy and you can kiss me. I don't want to be her boyfriend. By the way, granny, I am taking a bath now. Talk to you later, sweetheart ”.
老太太的眼角有點(diǎn)濕潤(rùn)梧税， “I married twice. The first marriage lasted for 28 years and my second lasted for 15 years, till my second husband's death. ”老太太吸了一口氣沦疾，繼續(xù)說道：“When he was alive, he used to say, take care, 'sweetheart' .It is interesting that my grandson call me”.
有些吃驚，我也同樣感嘆上帝的安排贡蓖，說：“Maybe your grandson is just like your husband, I mean the gene. ”
她說其實(shí)她和第二個(gè)丈夫沒有孩子曹鸠，她的三個(gè)女兒都是跟第一個(gè)丈夫生的。而在小外孫出生之前斥铺，她的第二個(gè)丈夫就已經(jīng)去世了彻桃。但他們就是以同樣的口吻叫著她“sweetheart ”. 她又說起另一個(gè)大一點(diǎn)的外孫有autism, 如果去Cameron toll購物有音樂響起，有燈光在閃晾蜘，他就去發(fā)瘋邻眷，吼叫√藿唬“現(xiàn)在是怎么了?各種奇怪的病肆饶，我另一個(gè)朋友的孫子也是autism. 哪來的這么多autism.我們那個(gè)時(shí)代都沒聽說過。Though life is always difficult and complicated ”雖然生活總稱不易的岖常，她搖搖頭驯镊。
“May I have a look at your wee one? ”
我于是打開手機(jī)給她看了馨兒穿著泳裝的照片，順帶著也展示了Mr. Stanley 的照片竭鞍，考慮到他的地位確實(shí)越來越像我家兒子了板惑。
“Are you a student? How do you like Edinburgh? Where are you from? ” 說著老太太把椅子朝我旁邊了拉。
我說我不是學(xué)生偎快，但我的愛人在愛丁堡大學(xué)工作冯乘。我們一家從瑞典過來。愛丁堡是個(gè)不錯(cuò)的地方晒夹，但天氣有些差裆馒。我們喜歡陽光姊氓。
她說她從來沒去過瑞典，但她曾經(jīng)遇到過一個(gè)德國的姑娘喷好。她以為德國姑娘一定更喜歡自己的國家翔横。不料她卻說：“I love living in Edinburgh, since it gethers those who don't belong anywhere and then feel they themselves belong to Edinburgh. Interesting talking I think. ” 愛丁堡聚集了一群不屬于任何地方的靈魂，然后讓她們覺得自己屬于愛丁堡梗搅。也許吧棕孙，如果不是我們一家早前就被瑞典征服，也許吧些膨，我們會(huì)在這找到歸屬感蟀俊。我回答道。
“另外我非常討厭愛丁堡的老鼠订雾≈ぃ”我斬釘截鐵地說。
“Maybe you think I am mad, but I am OK with them. When I turned 60, my daughter asked me what I want. I said an African hedgehog. They are so cute. I put him into a heating box closure I even gave him a bath now and then.”“Of course, I need to put on gloves when I touch it. ”
想象刺猬的那些個(gè)刺洼哎，嗯烫映，她確實(shí)需要戴手套祷嘶。她說她也允許小刺猬上她的床萄传。愛心滿滿的老太太拓春，說起她的寵物來就想我談起馨兒一樣灶体，眼里放著光。她還告訴我她的珍寶還有兩只金魚排截。她又打開照片給我展示椭迎，說顏色便紅的那只今年已經(jīng)18歲了晴裹，便黃的那只4歲凭涂。我從不知魚可以有如此之長(zhǎng)的壽命祝辣，這也算是見識(shí)了。
我之前聽說魚可以殘忍地吞噬自己的幼崽切油，于是問眼前的專家此事是否屬實(shí)蝙斜。她搖頭道，從未見過她的魚下崽澎胡。希望我們也不要用有色眼鏡看魚了孕荠。
我們談愛丁堡的變化，她說之前Nicolson 的一條街都是非常漂亮的家居店攻谁，服裝店稚伍。甚至富裕的Morningside, 以前多漂亮，現(xiàn)在已然全是清一色的二手慈善店巢株。說得像二手店就像入侵的毒瘤槐瑞，吞噬著愛丁堡的優(yōu)雅與繁華熙涤。
我說這是因?yàn)閻鄱”ぴ谪瀼丨h(huán)保領(lǐng)先意識(shí)吧阁苞？她說這是“disgraceful ”丟臉的困檩。我不做argue, 點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭。她說她喜歡王子街的Marks & Spencer, 就那樣的綜合商場(chǎng)才像樣那槽。但現(xiàn)在王子街的很多店都拆了悼沿，建了一個(gè)hotel, God knows 王子街會(huì)沒落成什么樣。她問我一般去哪購物骚灸，我說Jenners 吧糟趾。她說Jenners 自從被人take over 之后也是每況俞下了（她講的是愛丁堡的Jenners 年初被一個(gè)做體育的商人購買了）。她說之前很多年甚牲，Jenners玩具區(qū)有一個(gè)特別特別大的熊义郑。每次她帶大外孫子們?nèi)ス涞辏⒆觽兌继貏e開心丈钙。而這唯一有特色的裝飾在近些年也被拿走了非驮。她說曾經(jīng)還開玩笑說等本外婆發(fā)財(cái)了，就把熊給娃哇們買回家呢〕猓現(xiàn)在算是徹底沒戲了劫笙。
跟Neil一樣，老太太推薦我一定要去哥拉斯哥星岗。容易相處的人們填大，漂亮的商店。真好俏橘。
還有人們的Manners 也在倒退允华。她丈夫死后，她去cancer research 捐獻(xiàn)他生前的遺物寥掐，很多是她曾經(jīng)精心為他挑選例获，他珍藏著從未穿過的。能夠理解她當(dāng)時(shí)去捐獻(xiàn)時(shí)心情是何等的復(fù)雜曹仗。由于丈夫死于癌癥榨汤，所以她要把這些對(duì)她來說如此重要的物件捐獻(xiàn)給cancer research charity (癌癥研究慈善基金會(huì)) 。但是店員竟然看都沒看她的臉怎茫，更沒有一聲謝謝收壕。于是她當(dāng)即決定把這些東西送給另一個(gè)charity shop, the Salvation army. “Manners are so small things, however, people just choose to ignore. My mum used to teach us to give the seats to the needed and I think it is good. ”
說著，有人推著輪椅要進(jìn)咖啡廳轨蛤。老太太起身要去幫忙蜜宪，我搶先幫輪椅人士開了門。
寵物店打來電話祥山，她的狗狗終于梳妝完畢圃验。走前她堅(jiān)持要給我5鎊錢，說要我put into Emma's bank缝呕，因?yàn)樗膵寢宻o so lovely. 我說那怎么行澳窑？請(qǐng)留下您的facebook給我斧散，我們保持聯(lián)系。她說自己太old fashioned, 不用Facebook, 但寫了電話和地址給我摊聋。也許我路過Liberton hospital, 請(qǐng)她喝一杯咖啡鸡捐。
今天下午，我遇到一個(gè)平凡的愛丁堡老太麻裁，一個(gè)我愿意去聆聽的靈魂箍镜。
她的名字叫Liz wortson。
有緣煎源，再見色迂。
Libby
June 25th, Starbucks
