重聚

Old friends. They finish your sentences， they remember the cat that ran away when you were twelve， and they tell you the truth when you’ve had a bad haircut. But mostly， they are always there for you—whether it’s in person or via late night phone calls—through good times and bad. But as the years pass， it becomes increasingly difficult to see each other， to make new memories. Fortunately， my high school girlfriends and I vowed long ago not to let this happen. We vowed to have reunions.

A few months ago， we met up for a three-day weekend in the American Southwest. We grew up together in Maine1 and have said for years that we should have an annual event， yet it’s often postponed or canceled due to schedule conflicts. Not this year.

Four of us—two from San Francisco， one from Boston， and one from Seattle—boarded planes bound for2 Santa Fe3， New Mexico4， where one of the gang5 lives and works for an art gallery. Two years ago， she moved there—escaped， rather—from the film industry in New York City， where she led a life that felt too fast， too unfulfilling. The artist in her longed for vibrant landscapes and starry6 moonlit skies. She wanted to drive a truck on dusty roads， a trusty dog at her side， riding shotgun7. She got all that and found love， too. She is happy.

The rest of us—still big city folks—converged8 on her like a cyclone9 straight out of the pages of a girlfriend novel. Chattering and memory swapping10， we were fifteen again in a space of five minutes. Naturally， we relived some of the stories of our youth— angst11 an dall—but we also brought much more to the gathering this time. We were new people. We were wives and girlfriends to someone back home. We were businesswomen， artists and writers. We were no longer girls， no longer post- college grads. We were women.

I shared an air mattress12 that night with my friend from Boston， the one who calls me， while rubbernecking13 in traffic， to catch up on14 her cell phone， to tell me of her life and love. On the next mattress was a gal15 from San Francisco， newly single and enjoying her independence. Our host， the artist， shared her bedroom that weekend with a married dot-commer16 from San Francisco. Yes， we are different， but we are also the same. The years of our youth say so.

The apartment was open and we talked late into the night， our voices carrying back and forth between the rooms as we laughed， cackling17 about things that would only be humorous to friends with this kind of history. The next morning， I awoke to a brilliant blue sky， beautifully contrasted by the earthy brown of the surrounding adobe. It was Saturday and the art enthusiasts were out， so， with coffee in hand， I dropped off our host at work. I returned to find the others still deep in slumber18， deep lines19 on their faces evidence of a restful20 sleep.

We checked out town and headed to the airport to pick up the last straggler21， who came in from San Francisco for one night. “I wouldn’t have missed this for anything，” she said， despite her 4 a.m. trip to the airport. That night we celebrated over margaritas22 and Southwestern fare23， each of us gazing at the faces around the table as we wondered， who would have thought the bonds of childhood could last this long? Some of us have been friends since the age of five， some since age twelve and， yet， here we are approaching the age of thirty. Quite rapidly， I might add.

The weekend consisted of long talks by the pool， wonderful meals， and a hike that brought the entire group to tears. Not tears of sadness or anger， but an outpouring of emotion over the sheer wonderment that we can be this close—twelve years after graduation—with such physical distance between us. It’s heartbreaking that we can’t spend our days together in the same neighborhood， walking the same streets， reading the same newspaper at the same coffee shop. But that’s life. Grown-up life.

Most amazing is the group’s adaptability to one another. The months we spend apart are non-existent. No need to get reacquainted， we jump back in the saddle24 and it’s as comfortable as ever. Old friends—friends with an ever-present sense of support and sisterhood， friends that know each other innately25—are hard to come by26 and yet we remain as tight today as we were， years ago， giggling in the back row of Mr. McKechnie’s 9th grade math class.

Life today， however， is no math class. Our world， spinning slightly off its axis， is full of doubt， full of fear. Yet it reminds me—now， more than ever—how vital it is that we stay in close touch. We may have questions about our future， but we have true faith in our past， and though this reunion of friends has come to a close， we are already drawing up plans for the next one.

老朋友。他們會接完你沒說完的句子，他們記得在你十二歲時跑掉的那只貓，如果你剪了一個很糟糕的發型，他們會跟你說實話。但主要的是，不論是在美好抑或糟糕的日子里，他們總會在你身邊——或是面對面交流，或是深夜與你通電話。但是隨著年月流逝，彼此越來越難見到對方，也越來越難制造新的回憶了。幸運的是，很早以前，我與我的一幫高中女友們曾立下誓言不讓這樣的事發生。我們許諾一定要重聚。

幾個月前的一個周末，我們在美國西南部聚了三天。我們一起在緬因州長大，這幾年來一直都在說我們應該有個一年一度的聚會，但通常都因為日程計劃沖突而延遲或取消。今年終于如愿了。

我們一行四人——兩個來自舊金山，一個來自波士頓，還有一個來自西雅圖——登上了飛往新墨西哥州圣菲的航班。我們這幫人中有一個住在圣菲，為那里的一家畫廊工作。兩年前，她搬到那里——更準確地說是從紐約的電影業中——逃離出來。她當時覺得在紐約生活節奏太快，太沒有成就感。她那藝術家的本性向往生機盎然的自然景致和繁星點綴的月夜。她希望能在塵土飛揚的路上開著卡車，有只忠誠的狗坐在前排的乘客座位，陪伴她左右。這一切都實現了，她還找到了愛情。她是幸福快樂的。

我們其余幾人——仍然是大城市居民——像是從女性小說的頁面中直接跳出來的一股旋風似地向她襲去。我們聊天，分享回憶，仿佛在短短的五分鐘內又重返十五歲。我們自然而然地重溫了年輕時候的故事——憂愁悵惘等種種情感——但我們給這次聚會帶來的還不止這些。我們是有著全新身份的人。我們是家里那位的妻子或女友。我們是女商人、藝術家及作家。我們不再是小女孩，也不再是剛畢業的大學生。我們已成為女人。

那天晚上，我與來自波士頓的朋友共睡一張充氣床。路上交通堵塞時，她會邊看熱鬧邊給我打電話閑聊，說說她的生活及愛情。旁邊的另一張床上睡的是來自舊金山的朋友，她剛剛恢復單身，正享受著一個人的生活。我們的主人——那位藝術家，那個周末與來自舊金山，就職IT行業的一位已婚姐妹同住一間房。是的，我們變得不同了，但我們又仍然未變。我們的青春歲月可以證明這一切。

那房子的設計是開放式的，我們聊天至深夜，笑談著那些要有同樣經歷才覺得逗笑的事情，大家的聲音在各個房間之間來回飄蕩著。第二天早上醒來后，我發現外面陽光燦爛，在周圍那泥褐色的房屋的映襯下，蔚藍的天空顯得分外美麗。當天是周六，那些藝術愛好者們都出動了。于是，我手捧咖啡送我們的主人去工作?；貋砗?，我發現其他人還在熟睡，她們臉上壓出的深痕表明她們睡得很沉很香。

我們離開城里，去機場接最后一個“落伍者”。她來自舊金山，會來呆上一晚?！拔以趺匆膊荒苠e過這次聚會?！彼f。盡管她要凌晨四點趕到機場。那天晚上，我們喝著瑪格麗塔酒，吃著美國西南部的佳肴來慶祝。彼此都凝望著圍坐在桌子前的這些面孔，心生感慨:誰會想到孩童時的友誼可以維持這么長時間呢?我們其中一些人自五歲起便是朋友，有些是十二歲才開始成為朋友，然而，我們現在都接近三十歲了。真的過得很快，我不得不加上這句。

那個周末的活動包括在池塘邊長時間談心，享用美味的飯菜以及一次讓我們所有人淚濕衣襟的遠足步行。這些不是傷心或憤怒的眼淚，而是純粹驚嘆盡管畢業十二年了，彼此距離那么遙遠，但卻能保持如此親密的關系，眼淚是這種情感的迸發。我們不能在同一個社區里生活，不能每天走在同一條街道上，不能坐在同一間咖啡店里看同一份報紙，這都讓人感到悲傷。但，這就是生活，成年人的生活。

最讓人覺得不可思議的是我們這幫人對彼此的適應性。仿佛我們分開的那些日子不曾存在過。無須重新了解熟悉對方，只要跳回各自的角色，舒心依舊。老朋友們——那些不斷給予支持，姐妹情深的朋友，那些命定知心的朋友——是很難遇到的。然而如今，我們親密如故，就像當年念九年級時在麥基奇尼先生教的數學課上我們在教室后排咯咯傻笑那樣。

雖然我們如今已不用再上數學課了。我們的世界稍微有點離軸，其中充滿了猜疑和恐懼。然而，這反而提醒了我——讓我現在比以前更清楚地知道，保持親密關系是多么的重要。我們可能會對未來充滿疑問，但我們對于過去有真正的信念。盡管這次的朋友聚會已接近尾聲，但我們已經開始著手計劃下一次聚會了。

注釋

1)Maine n.緬因州，位于美國東北部

2)bound for 駛往

3)Santa Fe 圣菲，新墨西哥州首付，位于該州中北部

4)New Mexico 新墨西哥州，位于美國西南部

5)gang n.（一）伙/群/幫

6)starry a.布滿星星的，星光燦爛的

7)ride shotgun <俚>坐在卡車或小汽車前排的乘客座位

8)converged on 聚集，集中

9)cyclone n.旋風，龍卷風

10)swap v.交換，交流

11)angst n.憂慮，苦惱

12)air mattress 充氣床墊，充氣救生筏

13)rubberneck v.好奇地看環境四周，伸長脖子看

14)catch up on 得到……的消息

15)gal n.（=girl）女孩，少女

16)dot-commer 網絡公司的老板或雇員

17)cackle v.咯咯笑

18)slumber n.睡眠，沉睡狀態

19)line n.皺紋，皮膚褶皺，此指印痕

20)restful a.休息充足的，安閑的

21)straggler n.落伍者，掉隊者

22)margarita n.瑪格麗塔酒，一種由墨西哥龍舌蘭酒，酸橙或檸檬汁以及橙味酒混合調制而成的雞尾酒

23)fare n.食物，伙食

24)in the saddle 就職，開始掌權，此指扮演各自的角色

25)innately ad.天生地，固有地

26)come by 得到，取得