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空盒子 Even though it was only September, the air was crisp and children were already whispering about Christmas plans and Santa Claus. It made the already long winter months until Christmas seem even longer. With each passing day the children became more anxious, waiting for the final school bell. Upon its ringing everyone would run for their coats and go home, everyone except David. David was a small boy with messy brown hair and tattered clothes. I had often wondered what kind of home life David had and often asked myself what kind of mother could send her son to school dressed so inappropriately for the cold winter months, without a coat, boots, or gloves. But something made David special. It wasn’t his intelligence or manners, for they were lacking just as his winter clothes were. But I can never recall looking at David and not seeing a smile. He was always willing to help and not a day passed that David didn’t stay after school to straighten chairs and clean erasers. We never talked much, he would just simply smile and ask what else he could do, then thank me for letting him stay and slowly head for home. Weeks passed and the excitement over the coming Christmas grew into restlessness until the last day of school before the holiday break. I can’t recall a more anxious group of children as that final bell rang and they scattered out of the door. I smiled in relief as the last of them hurried out the door. Turning around I saw David quietly standing by my desk. “Aren’t you anxious to get home, David?” I asked. “No,” he replied quietly.
Ready to go home myself, I said, “Well, I think the chairs and erasers will wait, why don’t you hurry home?” “I have something for you,” he said and pulled from behind his back a small box wrapped in old paper and tied with string. Handing it to me, he said anxiously, “Open it.” I took the box from him, thanked him and slowly unwrapped it. I lifted the lid and to my surprise saw nothing. I looked at David’s smiling face and back into the empty box and said, “The box is nice David, but it’s empty.” “Oh, no, it isn’t,” said David. “It’s full of love. My mum told me before she died that love was something you couldn’t see or touch unless you know it’s there... can you see it?” Tears filled my eyes as I looked at the proud dirty face that I had rarely given attention to. “Yes, David, I can see it,” I replied. “Thank you.” David and I became good friends after that Christmas and I can say that with the passing years, I never again let the uncombed hair bother me, and never forgot the meaning behind the little empty box that set on my desk. 尽管现在还是风清气爽的9月,孩子们已经在私下里谈论圣诞节计划和圣诞老人了。这就使得圣诞节前原本漫长的冬月显得更加令人难熬了。随着日子一天一天过去,孩子们的心情越发急切起来,渴盼着放学的铃声。每当铃声一响,除了戴维之外,所有的孩子都急冲冲地穿上外套往家冲去。 戴维是一个头发蓬乱、衣衫褴褛的男孩。我一直不明白戴维来自于何种家庭,他的妈妈究竟是一个什么样的人,在这么寒冷的冬天给孩子穿的衣服是这么的不合时宜——戴维没穿外套、棉靴子和手套。可有一种什么东西让戴维很特别,当然不是因为他特别聪明或举止得当而使自己与众不同,因为他的穿着显得他既不聪明,也不文雅。在我的记忆中,戴维的脸上总是挂着微笑。他很乐于帮助别人。每天放学以后,戴维都要排好班里的椅子、清洗板擦。我和他说话很少,他一般是笑着问我还需要他做些什么,然后感谢我让他留下来做事,接着就慢慢地往家去了。 几个礼拜过去了,就在圣诞节假期的前一天,孩子们渴望与激动的心情变得焦躁不安起来。我还记得随着最后一次放学铃声的响起,一群激动无比的孩子一下子潮拥出了校门。看着最后一批孩子离开了学校,我轻松地笑了。我猛然一回身,发现戴维静静地站在我的办公桌旁边。 “戴维,你不急着回家吗?”我问他。 “不急,”他轻轻回答。我正要准备回家,便对他说:嗯,我想椅子和板擦并不急着要你的服务,为什么不赶紧回家呢? “我有东西送给你,”戴维说着从身后拿出一个用绳子和旧报纸包起来的小盒子。他把盒子递给了我,怯生生地说道:“打开看看!”我谢过他,接过盒子慢慢地拆开外包装,打开了盒盖。令我吃惊的是盒子是空的。我看了看戴维充满笑意的脸,转目再瞧瞧空空的盒子说道:“戴维,这盒子不错。可它怎么是空的啊?” “哦,不,”戴维说道,“它里面盛满了爱。妈妈离世之前跟我说,爱这东西你既看不见又摸不着,除非你感觉到它的存在。你看见它了吗,老师?” 戴维脏兮兮的脸上洋溢着自豪的神情。我看着这张平时很少关注的脸蛋,泪水在眼眶里打转。 “是的,戴维。我能看见。”我回答。“谢谢你。”那年圣诞节过后,我和戴维成了好朋友。可以这么说这些年来,我再也没觉得他蓬乱的头发有丝毫的讨厌。我也从未忘记至今还放在我桌子上的那只小空盒子背后所赋予的深意。
