第18章送给玛丽的鲜花Flarden
杰里·比德尔曼洛林·比德尔曼JerryandLorinBiederman
Iamiiesaeeers。Mylifehasbeendifficultbut，bythegraasurvivor。
Mygirlsamuchoftheirchildhoodiersandlivi。Thoughweweretogethersixyears，Inevermarriedthegirls’father。Hep;apos;tholdajobandalthoughIamahardworker，withoutacollegeeduoos;tenoughtosupportus。Hespentmostofmymoneyonhardliquor，andhedidn'tefordays。
&erhethreateokillme（hewasaviolentdrunk），Ipackedupmybabiesandingsandheadedforabetterpartoftown。IfiguredIwouldgivenaygirlsagoodedu，eveoliveo。
Imaofindajobasawaitressatalocalcoffeeshop，andIenrolledmygirlsinagoodpubliyjobdidn'tpayenoughforrent，sowemovedfromsheltertoshelter。Iwasnervousabouttheaddress，soIgotapostoffidusedtheaddressfortheschoolpaperwork。
edwewerehomeless。Mygirlswenttoschooleveryday。Iftheshelterwasnearby，wewalked。Ifwehadto，>
Mygirlsresehemgotofriends’housesasmuchaspossible，aobuythemspecialgifts。But，mostly，thelittlemoneyayfortheirfuture。
actthatwewouldnottellanyonewewerehomelessbecauseIwassurethisfinesp;apos;tallowmydaughtersremainiftheykoursituation。
Oneday，severalyearslater，ohegirlscamebacktotheshelterandtoldmeherfriend'smotherhadihreeofusoverforsuppertheevening。Imaalktothedirectoroftheshelterintoallowihekittobakecookies。
Wekhedoorofabeautifultwo-storyhome。Itotlessandary，themother，reciativeofthecookies。Wehadawonderfulevening，andIknewIhadfoundafriend。
Afewdayslater，Leticia，myyou，e。AndsaidthatMaryhadaskedforourphonenumber。Shewaocallmetogettogether。Leticiatoldherwewerehavihephones，andshewouldhavemecallher。Ihatedthatmygirlshadtolie。
IcalledMaryandagaiogetheratherhouse。SheandIbecamegoodfriends。ItlytoldherthatIwaohaveherovertoourplace，butthenIwouldlieandsaywewerehavihelandlordofourapartmentbuildingorthatsomething，likethestove，theairic。
MarytothecoffeeshoponedayandaskedifIdmybreakwithher。Wetookawalk，aoppedatavathouseafewblotheroad。IthadaFnoutfrontaadorablelittlehome。
Marysaid，“Doyoulikethisplace?”
“Oh，verymuch!”Iexclaimed。“Butit'swayoutofmyleague。”
“os;twedfindout?”Marysaid。Thisupsetme。ItoldherthatthemostIcouldaffordwas$350amonth。
Noonewouldrelittle-especiallythishouse。
&day，MarytothecoffeeshopwithabiggrinonherfadaFninherhands。Shewassoexcitedthatshep;apos;tholdbaews。“Ispokewiththeowhousea?They&apthehousefor$350amonth!Itp;apos;tbemoreperfectforyouandthegirls。”
Itoldher，“That'simpossible。Housesrentforthreetimesthatmuthisneighborhood。”
Sheexplaiheownersdidn'treallyheyjustneededsomeonewhoreciatelivingthereandecialcareofit。
Afewweekslater，wemovedin。WemasomefurheSalvationArmy，Shari，myoldest，tookwoodshopinsadeusafiable。WefixedthepladIevenplantedsomeflowers，whichmademefeellikeIlantingmyroots。Ihopedttime，raisemygifts，andallatoeto。
Butsecrets，I'vefound，don'tusuallystayseonth，Ihadmailedmyreitwasduringtheholidays，andIdidn'twantittobelate，soIdecidedtodropitoffattheappropriatepostofficebox。
IwasstandihepostoffiIheardafamiliarvoiceaskfefromtheboxwhereIse。Ipeekedaroundthelineandwasshoary!
&humbingthroughhermailwhenItouchedherarm。Tearswerestartingtoforminmyeyes，andIcouldbarelyspeak。“Mary，isityourhousein?Didyoudothisforus?”
&herarmaroundmyshoulderaside。Bythetimewereachedthesidewalk，Iwassobbing。Iamaverystrongwomanandtearsdon'teeasily。Ihavebeenthroughalotinoonehadeverbeensokind。
MarytoldmethatLeticiahadslippedaerwewerehomeless。Shesaidsheneverwouldhaveguessed。Thegirlswerealwayssodwelldressed。Shesaiditwasherandherhusband'sfirsthome，andite，thattheyhadowhehtime，anditaidfor。Sheandherhusbandhadtalkedaboutitathehousetous。Shehadn'twaoknowbecauseshewasafraidIwouldthinkit>
Shariisgraduatingfromhighschoolthisyear，andbecausewewereabletosaveenoughmoney，sheisgoingtocollege。
MaryismyEarthAngel，andIwaoknoreciateherkindnessay，andthatIloveher。
IbringMaryfreshflowerseveryweekfrarden。
我年近五旬，膝下有两个尚未成年的女儿。虽然生活很艰难，但承蒙上帝的恩赐，我仍然活着。
在临时收容所和街头，两个女儿陪我度过了她们的大部分童年时光。尽管我和她们的父亲共同生活了六年，但一直没有结婚。他什么活都干不长。由于没有受过高等教育，即使我很努力地工作，赚的钱依然无法贴补家用。我赚来的大部分钱，都被孩子的父亲拿去买烈性酒了，他还常常不回家。
在他威胁要杀死我（他是一个狂暴的酒鬼）的那天，我带着女儿和少得可怜的家当来到城里更繁华的地区。我盘算着，即使我们沦落到在街头流浪，我也要让女儿接受良好的教育。
我在本地一家咖啡馆，找到了一份服务员的差事，两个女儿则到一所不错的公立中小学上学。我的薪酬不够缴付房租，一家人只好辗转于收容所之间。不过，最令我头痛的还是我们家的住址。于是，我在邮局租了一个信箱，以便接收学校寄来的作业。
如此这般，再也没有人会怀疑我们无家可归。女儿每天都去上学，收容所在学校附近，就走路过去；离学校较远，就搭公车。
两个女儿很讨人喜欢。我尽量让她俩到朋友家去玩，也经常尽我所能给她们买些别致的小礼品。然而，微薄收入中的大部分都储存了起来，以备不时之需。
我很清楚，这样的好学校，一旦知晓我们的家境，就不会允许女儿继续在那儿上学。于是，我跟女儿约好，无论如何都不能告诉别人我们无家可归。