“但是，我想孩子们会喜欢这里的体育用品，”我极力劝说他，“况且，那些小船、钓鱼用品之类的东西，你也喜欢。要不，这么多年，卫生间的镜子上怎么一直都贴着你那幅梦想之舟的图片呢？我可是看够了。也许你正想进去看看呢!”
“你疯了吗？”他用戏弄的眼神看着我，说道：“我想要的可是巴à-巴à一等小舟，一旦我攒够了6000美元，我就会直接去厂家那儿订购一艘银光闪闪的小船。这种即将停业的小店不会有那种货色，我可不想拼命挤进去上当受。”
“你简直不可理喻且无趣!”我反驳道。“我偏偏喜欢凑热闹，我觉得这让我不至于无所事事。我保证不买东西，只是逛着玩玩，你去喝会儿咖啡，半小时后我来找你。”
“做那些言而无实的保证了，老伴。”他得意地笑着，好像心里在说“等着瞧吧”，他总是这样激我，“我知道你准会买些没用的东西回来。你一向如此。”
他的话令我极度气恼。他竟敢说我草率行事！我自认为自己从来都是理性购物。我向来很会讨价还价，从不乱花我们的养老金，可现在，我真是生气到家了，“好吧，老兄，我倒要让你看看。”我暗下决心，不管有什么好东西，我绝不买回家。哈！我可不会把笑柄留给这个自以为是、自作聪明的家伙。
我下定决心，于是走进拥挤的商店。商店的过道里摆满了曲棍球、排球、高尔夫球和健身器材、渔具以及儿童玩具等，旁边写着醒目的标语：停业大甩卖，2折优惠，已售商品，概不退还。
我一边在过道里逛来逛去，一边又提防着那挤来挤去的购物者。我嘴里哼着小调，情绪高昂，全身心地享受着逛街的乐趣。
突然，在商店的后门，一个银光闪闪的东西吸引了我的注意，那正是我丈夫照片上的那只独木舟，里面放着救生衣、船桨、渔具。我屏住呼吸，眨了几下眼睛。啊，的的确确就在那儿，巴à—巴à一等小舟。我的心顿时激动起来。我奋力挤开拥挤的人群，跌跌撞撞地跨过过道里杂七杂八的东西，中间还差点跌进那只独木舟里，我急不可待地去找价格牌。
那张破烂的价格牌上标着，厂家建议零售价：6750美元，另加税价，上面打了一个大大的叉叉，旁边加上手写的字体，清仓价：750美元，售出不退。少了6000美元？一定是搞错了。我得去问一下售货员。
我瞅了一下那个胸前戴着“你好，我是马修”字样的年轻人。他正奋力从淘便宜货的人群中挤出身来。我抓住他的袖子，问道：“马修，那艘独木舟怎么回事，为什么只卖750美元？”
“噢，没什么问题，船是全新的。我们店要关门了，这船和其它东西一样，清仓贱卖。我想这价格还包括救生衣、船桨以及一些钓鱼用具。我去确认一下。”
几分钟后，他回来了，对我说道：“夫人，真的很抱歉，价格标错了，所有一切应该是4750美元。我刚问过我父亲，是他负责甩卖，他说这船价是8000多美元，所以，买下来还是很划算的。”
我的眼泪马上涌了出来，“噢，是这样，”我难过地说，“当然，这几乎不太可能，一直以来我丈夫都梦想拥有这样的小船。当我看到价格标签时，我认为自己简直在做梦。这个星期五，他就要满62岁了。因为身体不好，他早早就退休了。靠退休金维持的生活是很艰难的，但是数年来，这个顽固的老傻瓜还是每周省下10美元，就为拥有这样的船。都知道，这只是一个老人在痴人说梦。他总说退休后要驾着独木舟去钓鱼”我的声音哽咽了，于是转身离去。
快到大卖场门口时，马修赶了过来，“对不起，夫人，你有750美元吗，加上25美元送货费及一点儿税金？”我激动得快要′不过气来了，说道：“有的，有的，我口袋里刚好有那么多钱。”我边说，脑子里边飞快地想着那笔我攒下来要做白内障手术的钱。
“那好吧，让你先生星期五上午10点在家里等着，我会和我父亲把那艘新船送来。我们还会为他庆祝生日，给船装上一个船头。”
我要哭了，两只老手颤抖着，填支票时，我不得不眯着眼睛。马修也有些哽咽。
“夫人，我想告诉你一件事。这家店是我爷爷开的，他经营了30多年，总是说有一天会退休，然后好好放松一下，划着独木舟去钓鱼，去年，他为自己订购了这艘船。可是，唉，他最终没能等到这一天。”
他强忍着泪水，继续说道：“爷爷突然在上周去世了，他只活到了68岁，我想，如果他知道你丈夫买下这艘船，一定会很高兴，我父亲也是这样想的。你能保证你丈夫经常使用这艘船吗？”
我递给马修一张纸巾，我们一起默默地站在那里，任思绪飞扬，激动不已。
“我保证!”说完，我飞快地奔了出去，去找我亲爱的丈夫。
爱的救生绳
Homemaking
佚名 / Anonymous
One rainy November morning I had about all I could take. I knew if I didn't leave the house soon I would unleash a storm of anger on my husband, A.K..
"I'm taking you to work." A.K. said. l struggled into my jacket, and then grabbed my satchel and lesson plans. "I've been driving that route for many years. I can drive it now."
"I said I'm taking you to work." He reached for his boots.
I looked at the stacks of newspaper, the dirty dishes still on the table. "Don't you have enough to do? I can take care of myself." l stalked out, not even kissing him good-bye.
"Don't take the shortcut, Donna!" He shouted after me.
A heart attack that past spring forced my husband to leave his job. l was in the middle of my twenty-second year teaching high school seniors, while A.K. stayed home and took over the household chores.
The new arrangement was a disaster. Exhausted after a day of dealing with faculty meetings and students, all I wanted was a hot home cooked meal and a good night's sleep.
A microwave package greeted me at the table.
One night, I was horrified to discover A.K. had turned our white sheets a suspiciously denimlike shade of blue.
"l found out how to save on water, soap and electricity." A.K. announced triumphantly."Just wash everything together."
During the months that followed, his cooking somehow managed to get worse. At least I cooked us balanced meals, I wanted to say. But then I would remember the time A.K. had eaten every beet and complimented the dinner, though I discovered later how he detested the sight of beets. So I wouldn't say anything to him.
As for as I was concerned, things couldn't get much worse. So that rainy morning when I found a now-blue half-slip stuffed in a dresser drawer, I could only grit my teeth, l had it!
Lord, can't you help him with just the basics of taking care of us? I stormed out of the house.
Ten minutes later, ignoring A.K.'s warning abort taking the shortcut in bad weather, I turned off the main route.
But as I rounded the corner a swirling mess gushed across my path. It can't be that deep, I thought. But after a few feet, the car stalled. Almost 20 minutes passed, the care swayed. The chocolaty water surged. Please, God, I prayed, take care of me.
Three long blasts of horn interrupted my praying. Looking over my shoulder, A.K. !
"Donna!I'm throwing a rope," he yelled. "Hang on to it and walk straight toward me. "
I opened the door, grabbed the rope. I slipped in the rushing water, "I can't! "I screamed, straining at the rope.
"Yes, you can. " His voice was calm.
If it had been anybody but A.K. , I don't think I could have done it. But I trusted my husband. I didn't exactly as he instructed, and finally fell into his arms. "Thank you, " I said, sobbing against his chest. "I'm sorry I got so angry with you. It's just that ..."
"Sssss ... " A.K. murmured. "It's okay now. I' ve got you. "
God had reminded me that A.K. understood a thing or how about taking care of us after all.
11月，一个雨天的早上，我已经对周围的一切感到极度厌烦，如果不马上离开家的话，我肯定会对丈夫艾·克发火的。
“我送你去上班吧。” 艾·克说。我猛地穿上夹克，抓起包和教案说：“我已经在这条路上开了很多年了，现在也可以。”
“我说了我送你去上班。”他说着，伸手去够他的靴子。
我看着桌上成堆的报纸和脏盘子，说道：“你闲着没事吗？我能照顾我自己。”说完就仰起头走了，连一个吻和再见都没有。
“唐娜，不要3近道啊！”他在我身后喊道。
春天时，心脏病迫使丈夫离开了工作岗位。在一所中学教高中的我从教已有22年了，而此刻艾·克则待在家里做家务。
新的生活简直是一场灾难。每天没完没了的开会和上课使我精疲力尽，我想要的只是能回家吃顿热乎乎的家常饭、睡个安稳觉。
然而，桌上摆的总是用微波炉热好的速食品。
一天晚上，我惊讶地发现艾·克把洁白的床单染成了粗布般的深蓝色。
“我发现怎样省水、肥皂和电了。” 艾·克兴奋地宣布，“就是把所有的东西放在一起洗。”
在接下来的几个月里，不知道为什么，他做的饭越来越难吃了。我很想说，至少我做的饭还能营养均衡呢！但我突然想起有一次做甜菜，他称赞我做得好，后来才发现，他最讨厌吃甜菜了，于是就没有说他什么。
此后，事情变得越来越糟，简直糟糕透顶。这个雨天的早上，我发现一件染成蓝色的裙子被塞进抽屉里时，我实在受不了啦！
上帝啊，在照顾人的基本常识方面，你就不能帮帮他吗？我气冲冲地出了门。
我没有理睬艾·克的劝告，十分钟后，在这个坏天气里，我驶离了主干道。
不料，拐弯时，污水一下子涌进了我要穿过的小道。我想水应该不会很深。但没走多远，车子就抛锚了。大概20分钟过去了，车子开始摇晃，污水也开始湍急起来。上帝，请保佑我啊！
突然，三声长长的鸣笛声打断了我的祈祷。我扭头一看，是艾·克！
“唐娜！我扔给你一条绳子，”他喊着，“抓住它，向我这边走。”
