John had been on the road visiting clients for more than three weeks. He couldn’t wait to get back to Ohio to see his wife and children. It was coming up on Mother’s Day, and he usually tried to make it “back home”, but this year he was just too tired. He was in a small town just outside of Little Rock when he drove by a flower shop. He said to himself, “I know what I will do; I’ll send Mom some roses.” He went into the small shop and saw a young man talking to the clerk. “How many roses can I get for six dollars, ma’am?” the boy asked. The clerk was trying to explain that roses were expensive. Maybe the young man would be happy with carnations1. “No. I have to have roses,” he said. “My Mom was sick so much last year and I didn’t get to spend much time with her. I want to get something special. It has to be red roses, because that’s her favorite.” He was emphatic2. The clerk looked up at John and was just shaking her head. Something inside of John was touched by the boy’s voice. He wanted to get those roses so badly. John had been blessed in his business, and he looked at the clerk and silently mouthed that he would pay for the boy’s roses. The clerk looked at the young man and said, “Okay, I will give you a dozen red roses for your six dollars.” The young man almost jumped into the air. He took the flowers and ran from the store. It was worth the extra thirty-five dollars just to see that kind of excitement. John ordered his own flowers and had the clerk be sure that delivery would include a note telling his mother how much he loved her. As he drove away from the shop, he was feeling very good. He caught a light about two blocks3 from the shop. As he waited at the light, he saw the young boy walking down the sidewalk. He watched him cross the street and enter a park through two huge gates. Suddenly, he realized it wasn’t a park. It was a cemetery4. He could see the young man turn in there by the gate and walk along the fence. The light changed, and John slowly crossed the intersection5. He pulled over6 and on an impulse坰7 got out and began to follow the boy down the fence line. John was on the sidewalk, thirty or forty steps behind the boy, who walked inside the cemetery fence. The young man stopped by a small monument and went to his knees. He carefully laid the roses on the grave and began to sob. John felt like an intruder8 but he couldn’t leave. He stared at the little boy’s heaving9 body and listened to his muted10 crying. As he cried, he heard the young man speak, “Mommy, oh Mommy, why didn’t I tell you how much I love you? Why didn’t I tell you one more time? Jesus, please, find my Mommy. Tell my Mommy I love her.” John turned, tears in his eyes, and walked back to his car. He drove quickly to the florist11 and told her he would take the flowers personally. He wanted to be sure and tell his mother one more time just how much he loved her. 告诉妈妈你爱她 约翰外出拜访客户已经三个多星期了.他迫不及待要赶回俄亥俄州,去见他的妻子和孩子.马上就到母亲节了,通常他都会尽力赶回家中.但是今年他实在是太累了.在小石城外的一个小镇上,他驾车路过了一家花店.他对自己说:“我知道我要做什么,我要给母亲寄一束玫瑰花.” 他走进小花店,看见一个少年正在和店员说话.“小姐,6美元能买多少支玫瑰花?”少年问道.店员努力解释说玫瑰花很贵,或许这位少年应该买些康乃馨. “不,我就要玫瑰花,”他说.“我母亲去年病得很厉害,而我没有花太多时间陪她.我想买点特别的东西.必须是红玫瑰,因为那是她最喜欢的花.”他加强了语气. 店员抬头看了看约翰,无奈地摇了摇头.男孩的话触动了约翰的内心,他是那么地渴望得到那些玫瑰花.约翰在生意场上一直一帆风顺,他看着店员,嘴唇动了动,暗示他将为这个男孩付钱. 店员看了看少年,说道:“好吧,6美元这打红玫瑰给你了.”少年几乎跳了起来.他拿着玫瑰冲出了花店.这种兴奋的场面值得花那其余的 35美元来欣赏. 约翰订好自己的花,让店员务必在递送的花束里放一张便笺,告诉母亲他有多么爱她.当他开车离开花店时,他感觉好极了.在离花店两个街区远的红灯前停了下来.在他等待绿灯的时候,他看见刚才的少年走在人行道上.他看着他穿过了马路,通过两扇大门,走进了一个公园.突然,他意识到那不是公园,而是一个墓地.他看到那个少年拐进大门,沿着栅栏走着. 绿灯亮了,约翰慢慢地驶过十字路口.他把车停到了路边,一冲动便下了车,沿着栅栏跟在那位少年后面.约翰走在人行道上,距离前面的少年约三四十步远,少年则在栅栏里面走着.在一个小小的墓碑前,他停下然后跪了下来.他小心翼翼地把花放在墓前,开始抽泣.约翰忽然觉得自己像是一个入侵者,但他却无法抽身.他看着小男孩起伏的身躯,听着他无声的哭泣. 哭着哭着,他听到那位少年开口道:“妈妈,哦妈妈,为什么我那时没有告诉你我有多么爱你?为什么我没有再多说一次?主啊,求你了,请找到我的妈妈,告诉妈妈我爱她.” 约翰转过身去,眼含泪水回到了他的车里.他飞快地驶回花店,告诉店员他打算亲自去送花.他要确定母亲拿到花,还想再次告诉母亲他有多么爱她.
