第54章家书（1）
AllMum'sLetters
佚名Anonymous
TothisdayIremembermymum’sletters。ItallstartedinDecember1941。EveryhebigtableidwrotetomybrotherJohnny，whohadbeesummer。WehadnotheardfromhimsiheJapaackedPearlHarbor。
IdidandwhymymumkeptwritingJohnnywheeback。
“Waitaaletterfromhimoneday，”sheclaimed。MumsaidthattherewasadirekfromthebraienwordthatwasjustasstroGodhasgrantedus。ShetrustedthatthislightwouldfindJohnny。
Idon’tkhattocalmherself，dadorallofusdown。ButIdoknoedussticktogether，andonedayaletterreallydidarrive。JohnnywasaliveonanislandinthePacific。
Ihadalwaysbeehefactthatmumsigers，“CeciliaCapuzzi”，andIteasedheraboutthat。“Whydon’tyoujustwrite‘Mum’？”Isaid。
IhadhatshealwaysthoughtofherselfasCeciliaotasMum。Ibeganseeingheri，thissmalldelian，whoeveninhigh-heeledshoeswasbarelyoneandahalfmeterstall。
Sheneverorjewelryexceptforaweddingringofgold。Herhairwasfine，sleekandbladalinaknotinthehearofgettingahair。Hersmallsilver-rimmedpinlylefthernosewheobed。
Whenevermumhadfier，shegaveittodadforhimtopostit。Thehewaterontoboil，adowableahegoodolddayswhenourItalian-Amerifamilyhadbeenafamilyoften：mum，dada。Fiveboysandthreegirls。Itishardtouhattheyhadallmovedawayfromhometowork，enrollinthearmy，etmarried。Allexceptme。
Arouspringmumhadgottwomoresonstowritetshewrotethreediffereerswhichshegavetomeanddadafterwardssowecouldadds。
Littlebylittletherumouraboutmum’slettersspread。Onedayasmallwomaourdoor。Hervoicetrembledassheasked：“Isittrueyouwriteletters？”
“Iwritetomysons。”
“Andyoureadtoo？”whisperedthe>
“Sure。”
Theenedherbagaapileofairmailletters。“Read。。。pleasereadthemaloudtome。”
&erswerefromthewoman’ssonwhowasasoldierinEurope，ared-hairedboywhomumrememberedhaviingwithhisbrothersoairsinfrontofourhouse。MumreadthelettersorahemfromEnglishtoItalian。Thewoman’seyeswelledupwithtears。“etohim，”shesaid。Buthowwasshegoingtodoit？
“Makesomecoffee，Octavia，”mumyelledtomeinthelivingroomwhileshetookthewomahekitdseatedheratthetable。Shetookthefountainpen，inkandairmailnantowrite。Whenshehadfinished，shereadtheletteraloudtothe
“HowdidyouknowthatwasexactlywhatIwaosay？”
“Ioftensitandlookatmyboys’letters，justlikeyou，withoutaclueaboutwhattowrite。”
Afewdayslaterthewomahafrieheroheroheyallhadsonswhofoughtinthewar，andtheyallers。Mumhadbeethedentinourpartoftowimesshewouldwritelettersalldaylong。
Mumalwaysipeoplesigheirowhesmallwomanwiththegreyhairaskedmumtoteachherhowtodoit。“Isomuttobeabletowritemyowmysohehewoman’shandinhersandmovedherhahepaperagainandagainuntilshewasabletodoitwithoutherhelp。
&day，whenmumhadwrittehewoman，shesigherself，andherfacebrightenedupinasmile。