I was 18, about to start college and broke¹.To make some money, I plodded² down a quiet street of older homes, selling books door-to-door.As I approached one gate, a tall, handsome woman in her 80s came to the gate in her bath robe³.“There you are， darling!I’ve been waiting for you!God told me you’d be coming today.”Mrs Link needed help around her yard and house, and, apparently⁴, I was the one for the job. The next day I worked for six hours, harder than I had ever worked before.Mrs Link showed me how to plant bulbs⁵, what flowers and weeds to pull up, and where to haul the wilt－ed plants.I finished off the day by mowing⁶ the lawn⁷ with a mower⁸ that looked like an antique⁹.When I had finished, Mrs Link compliment－ed¹⁰ me on my work and looked under the mower at the blade.“Looks like you hit a stone.I’ll get the file¹¹.”I soon learned why everything Mrs Link owned looked like an antique, but worked like brand-new¹².For six hours of work she gave me a check for three dollars.It was 1978.
　　 The next week I cleaned Mrs Link’s house.She showed me exact－ly how to vacuum¹³ her antique Persian rug¹⁴ with her antique-looking vacuum.As I dusted her beautiful treasures, she told me where she had acquired¹⁵ them while she traveled the world.For lunch she sauted¹⁶ fresh vegetables from her garden.We shared a delicious meal and a lovely day.
　　 Some weeks I got to be a chauf－feur¹⁷.The last gift to Mrs Link from Mr Link was a glorious¹⁸ new car.By the time I met Mrs Link, the car was 30 years old, but still glorious.Mrs Link was never able to have children, but her sister, nieces and nephews lived nearby.Her neighbors also were fond of her, and she was active in civic¹⁹ affairs.
　　 A year and a half passed since I met Mrs Link.School, work and church were taking up more of my time, and I saw Mrs Link less and less.I found an－other girl to help her around the house.
　　 Valentine’s Day was coming, and being very undemonstrative²⁰ and very broke, I was compiling a very short list of my valentines.Mom glanced at my list and said, “You need to get Mrs Link a valentine.”
　　 I incredulously²¹ asked, “Why?Mrs Link has a lot of family, friends and neighbors.She’s active in the communi－ty.I don’t even spend a lot of time with her anymore.Why would Mrs Link want a valentine from me?”
　　 Mom was unimpressed²².“Get Mrs Link a valentine,” she insisted.
　　 On Valentine’s Day, I self-con－sciously²³ presented Mrs Link a small bouquet²⁴, which she graciously²⁵ ac－cepted. A couple of months later, I visited Mrs Link again.Centered on her mantle²⁶, in her living room full of beau－tiful things, stood my wilted²⁷ and faded Valentine’s Day bouquet—the only valentine Mrs Link received that year.
　　


　　
　　那时候，我18岁，即将开始大学生活，但是我一文不名。为了挣些钱，我迈着沉重的脚步，沿着一条两旁布满旧房子的静谧的街道缓缓前行，挨门挨户地兜售书本。当我走近一扇大门的时候，一位身着浴衣的女人站在门口，她80多岁的样子，个子很高，看上去很慈祥。“你来了，亲爱的！我一直在等你！上帝告诉我你今天会来。”林克夫人需要请人打扫院子和房子，显然，我是被选中做这份工作的人。
　　 第二天，我工作了六个小时，比我以前做过的所有工作都要辛苦得多。林克夫人指点我如何种植植物球茎，什么样的花和什么样的杂草要被拔掉，以及把枯枝烂叶拖到哪里去扔掉。那天，我最后干的活儿是用一台看起来像古董一样的割草机割草坪上的草。当我干完的时候，林克夫人称赞我活儿干得好，然后看了看割草机底下的刀口：“看起来你好像碰到了一块石头。我去拿挫刀。”我很快就明白了为什么林克夫人的每一样东西看起来都像古董，而使用起来却像新的一样。六个小时的活儿，她付给我一张三美元的支票。那是在1978年。
　　 第二个星期，我为林克夫人打扫房子。她指点我如何正确使用她的那台看起来像古董一样的真空吸尘器打扫她的古董波斯地毯。当我为她的美丽珍宝除尘的时候，她告诉我那块地毯是她在哪里旅行时得到的。她炒了一些从她的花园里采摘的新鲜蔬菜作为午餐。我们一起分享了一顿美味佳肴，共同度过了令人愉快的一天。
　　 有几个星期，我为她开车。林克先生送给她的最后一份礼物是一辆光彩夺目的新汽车。到我遇到林克夫人的时候，那辆汽车已经用了30年了，但仍然光彩夺目。林克夫人没有孩子，但她的妹妹、侄子和侄女们都住在附近。邻居们也喜欢她，她对社会活动很积极。
　　 自从我遇到林克夫人到现在，一年半的时间过去了。学校、工作和教堂占去了我大部分时间，我见到林克夫人的次数越来越少。我发现另一个女孩在替她打扫房子。
　　 情人节到了，由于我是一个非常含蓄且极其缺钱的人，我列了一份非常短的情人节礼物单子。妈妈瞥了我的单子一眼，说：“你必须送林克夫人一份情人节礼物。”
　　 我疑惑地问：“为什么？林克夫人有许多亲人、朋友和邻居。她在社会上是很活跃的。何况，我已经不怎么和她来往了。为什么林克夫人会需要我送给她一份情人节礼物？”
　　 妈妈不为所动。“为林克夫人买一份情人节礼物，”她坚持说。
　　 在情人节那一天，我忸怩地送了一小束鲜花给林克夫人，她亲切地收下了。
　　 两个月以后，我又去拜访林克夫人。在她的那间摆满了美丽物品的起居室里，在壁炉架的正中央，摆放着我的那束已经枯萎了的情人节鲜花——林克夫人那年收到的惟一一份情人节礼物。
　　飞鸢 摘译自Teens