跟小孩子討論死亡是父母的一個惡夢,講得太真實太灰,孩子不明白之餘,大多數都會以哭聲收場;但如果說人不會死,只是讓孩子有一個錯誤的觀念吧了;所以李太都小心處理跟小朋友討論死亡的問題。兩個子女還小,我跟李生沒有刻意跟他們討論死亡,但現在傳媒資訊發達,而且小朋友日漸長大,總會道聽途說聽到有關死亡的問題。
之前仔仔都曾經說過不想爸爸媽咪死,我們死了他會驚,說著說著就哭了。今天晚上原應早一點上床,因為明天要早起焗兩個蘋果批,但因為睡前仔仔跟豬扒妹提及退休和死亡,我要快快寫下,以免明天忘記了一段難忘的對話。
當我把仔仔叫到洗手間擦牙,仔仔突然說:Mommy I don't want you to retire?
我說:為甚麼?
他說:If you retire,I don't know how to go back home。
這真是丈八金剛,完全沒有頭緒兩者有何關連。
我說:When you grow up,you will know how to come home. Mommy will wait for you at home。
他哇啦哇啦的開始哭了起來,說:I don't want you to die。
我說:Retire means that Mommy and Daddy are too old to go to work. But, when you grow up, you will know how to go home。
豬扒妹聽著聽著都哭起來:Then, who take me to school?
我說:When you grow up,you can go to school yourself。
豬扒妹:No,I cannot walk across the street. The car will crash me。
慢著,他們似乎不清楚Retire的意思,我試著解釋:When Daddy and Mommy grow old,we cannot work any more. So we need to stop to go to work which means retire.
仔仔:But I don't want you die。
我問:Retire does not mean die. We can retire but we may not die。
兩個孩子哭得很慘,他們不明白retire的意思,以為即是死亡,當聽到媽咪爸爸會死,他們就感到很悲傷。李生原本已上床就寢,聽到兩個娃兒哭得慘了,就起來看個究竟,但最後都唯有由媽媽收捨場面,給兩個娃娃說:There is a long way to go before daddy and mommy retire,so you don't have to worry yet。
豬扒妹不竟還少,她居然就這一句反應說:I don't want a long way, it is too tired for me.
哈哈,都不知應怎樣再說下去,唯有保證媽咪爸爸不會這麼快離開他們,給他們一把毛巾抹去眼淚就帶他們到睡房去睡了。