再次回到那一带,恍若隔世,那里不同于downtown的繁忙,不同于Markham的热闹,不同于北约克的高楼比邻,虽然20分钟地铁就可以直达downtown, 那里仍然按照自己的节奏生活,多伦多的人口暴涨,交通阻塞,日新月异对它似乎没有什么影响。
这家去过的小咖啡馆还在,女主人也不见老,依然笑容满面。
里面的布置都和过去一样,那种德国小镇的咖啡馆样子。
洗手间里的景象
食物依然美味
靠柜台的一张小桌子放着reservation, 过了一会推着senior walker的Mary走进来坐在那里。攀谈了几句,她跟我说她每天都来,又说这里都是男主人一手布置的,而男主人去年去世了。我看着女主人忙而不乱笑容满面地样子,再看看整洁有序的咖啡馆和玻璃柜里诱人丰富的食物,不禁肃然起敬。
我坐的小桌墙上有个镜框,里面是一首诗,读了一遍,很感动,觉得真是女主人的写照啊:
Grandmother, on a winter's day,
Milked the cows and fed them hay.
Slopped the hogs, saddled the mules, and
got the children off to school.
Did the washing, mopped the floors,
Washed the window and did some chores.
Cooked a dish with home dried fruit,
pressed her husband's Sunday suit.
Swept the parlour and made the beds,
baked a dozen loaves of bread.
Split some fire woods and lugged it in ... ...
Enough to fill the kitchen bin.
Clean the lamps and put in oil,
stewed some apples she thought would spoil.
Cooked a super that was delicious, and
afterwards she washed all the dishes.
Fed the cat and sprinkled the cloths,
Mended a basketful of hose.
Then opened the organ and begin to play,
"when you come to the end of a perfect day."
临走,Mary再三说, 要再来啊,带朋友来。我说好。