Guardian On The Road 01
In the winter of 1985 my mother and I were heading home from work. We were running a little late and the weather was cold and foggy. We knew if we didn't get home soon everyone would start worrying. I was 16 years old at the time. I, being the youngest of 10 children had taken a job at the restaurant where my mom worked to help make a few bucks to get us by. Things were very hard at this time and Christmas was nearing. We were talking about the situation on our way home and speaking of how we should all just be grateful that we are all very healthy. And speaking of the fact that there are many other people out there who have much less than we did.
Well the gas tank was nearing empty and we still had almost two weeks to go until payday. We were on our regular route home when rounding one of the sharp curves, there in the midst of the fog stood a slender figure in a long overcoat. This startled us both as we slowed down to a roll. This figure was nearly standing in the road. My mother pulled to the side of the road to my disapproval. She rolled her window down to check if this person was all right. I clenched my fists and started shaking tremendously, thinking of what my father had always said. "Never pick up a stranger." I begged my mom to roll up her window and just continue on, but she insisted that if this person needed help she was going to give it to them.
那是1985年冬天的一個晚上,我和媽媽下班回家。時間有點晚,天氣很冷還霧蒙蒙的。我們知道要是不早點到家大家都會擔心的。我那時16歲,有9個哥哥姐姐,在媽媽工作的餐館打工掙點小錢補貼家用。日子過得很苦。圣誕節(jié)快到了,我和媽媽談論著時下的境況,覺得全家人都很健康已經(jīng)很值得慶幸了。有很多人的境況還不如我們。
油箱的油不多了,但還有將近兩周才會發(fā)薪水。我們沿著常走的路回家,車開到一處急轉(zhuǎn)彎時,我們看到霧氣中有一個穿著長大衣的瘦弱身影。我們深覺驚訝,減慢車速。那人幾乎站到了車道上。媽媽不顧我的反對,把車停在了路邊。她搖低車窗,好確認那人是否無礙。我握緊雙拳,想到爸爸平時的告誡:“不要搭載陌生人”,開始不停發(fā)抖。我央求媽媽搖起車窗繼續(xù)開車,但她堅持說如果這個人需要幫助,那她一定會施以援手。