第一章: 一月一日

2017年的第一個清晨,天光還沒打散黑夜,溼答答的雨滴,把寒冬的空氣飽和了濕冷. 我和兒子趕著清晨的飛機,把車停妥到北卡洛麗機場的停車場,然後坐了接泊車到航空站,下了車才惱人的發現,不經心的我們,在匆忙間把費心準備的早餐,留在巴士站的地上了。雖不是值錢的東西,但是總是一個小遺憾!

坐著飛機西行亞利桑那州,我的2017年的第一個日出,便是如此在天空中迎來的。兒子在身旁沉睡, 我輕輕地把窗蓋推上,週邊的雲彩被朝陽染得一片燦爛,這奪目的光彩,對我來說是一個特殊的難得,因為尋常的日子裡,我多半是一個擁抱黑夜的貓頭鷹。

不知道,是不是我們把北卡的烏雲拖在機翼帶到亞利桑那州靛藍的天空, 在我們抵達時,這冬季的天堂被罩在烏沉的陰釐。開著出租車, 經過舊家門前, 看到棕櫚樹已經多竄得幾尺高, 仙人掌叢也拓展開不少。16年如一日的同一扇門,進進出出、說再見說回家,卻還是老樣子。我們不敢去騷擾現在的屋主, 因為人在變, 家易手！失望的是我們最喜歡的日本料理店在新年這一天休業;慶幸的是,我們常去的鄰家中國餐廳還是一樣的在開張營業, 服務人員認出我們, 抱怨著我們怎麼好久沒來。但是,當她知道我們飛行千里, 才能來吃這一頓,又暖暖的笑開來了。 『雲耳牛肉』還是爽脆牙間,  『鍋燒鴨』還是香濃入口, 我們大口吞入家鄉的味道, 是歸人訪客!

Day 1, January 1: The Outbound Trip

The darkness of night had not been broken on the first morning of 2017, and the air was damp, saturated by drizzling rain. My son, Joey, and I arrived at the Terminal of Raleigh-Durham International Airport by a shuttle that had taken us from the parking lot and regretfully realized that we had carelessly left our breakfast on the floor in bus shelter.  The year started with a little dent of disappointment.

Traveling west bound toward our old home state of Arizona, I welcomed my first sunrise of 2017 in the sky.  As Joey was catching up some sleep, I carefully pulled up the shutter to soak in the view of clouds splatter-painted with glorious sun rays.  It felt like I had been allowed a special opportunity; for I am typically an owl, holding onto mysterious darkness of nights, witnessing the breaking dawn of the year was an unusual treat.

We landed Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport under a gloomy sky, wandering if we had brought the clouds from North Carolina to the typically  untainted AZ blue sky.  Driving in a rental car, we passed our old home: At the front yard, the palm tree was much taller than we could remember, and the prickly bear cacti had sprawled in greater masses. But, the front door remained the same; for 16 years, we went in and came out through the door, leaving or coming home.  We had to resist the urge to visit the new owners for its their home but ours. Tme flied by, people moved on, and we must also do so. 

Sadly, our favorite sushi place was closed for the New Year day; nevertheless, we found the small Chinese neighborhood restaurant operating faithfully as usual.  The waitress still recognized us and complained we had not been there for a long time. She broke out a warm smile though, upon realizing we had travel thousands of miles to be there. Our usual dishes were served, the taste and the smell were still the same: homey, rich, soothing with the hightened senses of familiarities.

We were the "home-bound" visitors.