Sunday, October 09, 2011


 
小食店里,食客零零落落。空置着的桌上杯盘狼藉。只剩角落一张二人座位的桌面已收拾干净。

一名中学生端着托盘走来,瞧见了一隅的位子以及周遭桌面的狼狈不堪。脚步对着角落的位子踌躇不定,对着满桌的垃圾也不甚喜欢。

于是,她来回地踱了很多……很多次,仿佛期待奇迹的出现。想坐其他座位,却不要采取主动争取解决当前的窘况;有了选择却不愿为自己的选择而付出必要的行动。宁愿端着托盘继续不知所措。后来,她母亲来了;也重演了女儿的犹豫不决。可惜,奇迹并没有眷顾母女两人。

还好,只是座位而已。

最终,两人都退而求其次,选择了干净的座位。

A small eatery with few patrons. But empty tables were cluttered with used cups and plates, leaving a two-seats-table at a corner free of any litter.

Came a secondary school girl with a tray. Shot an uninterested glance at that corner table and a disapproving look at the clutter on the rest of the available tables.

She paced up and down the aisle undecidedly for many, many times, probably in hope of a miracle. She was at a loss of the next step to take. Wanted to take other seats but at the same time, refused to initiate the necessary actions to resolve the imminent problem of the mess on the tables. She made her choice but was reluctant to walk the extra inch. She'd rather persist her dilemma than taking up any actions. Some time later, her mother came and joined in her daughter's dilemma. No miracle dawned on them.

Fortunately, it was only a seat.

And they both compromised and chose the corner seat after all.