第17章 The Only Memory That Lingers

I have many memories about my father and about growing up with him in our apartment next to the elevated train tracks.For 20 years,we listened to the roar of the train as it passed by his bedroom window.Late at night,he waited alone on the tracks for the train that took him to his job at a factory,where he worked the midnight shift.

On this particular night,I waited with him in the dark to say good-bye.His face was grim.His youngest son had been drafted.I would be sworn in at six the next morning,while he stood at his paper-cutting machine in the factory.

My father had talked about his anger.He didn't want them to take his child,only 19 years old,who had never had a drink or smoked a cigarette,to fight a war in Europe.He placed his hands on my slim shoulders."You should be careful,Srulic,and if you ever need anything,write to me and I'll see that you get it."

Suddenly,he heard the roar of the approaching train.He held me tightly in his arms and gently kissed me on the cheek.With tear-filled eyes,he murmured,"I love you,my son."Then the train arrived,the doors closed him inside,and he disappeared into the night.

One month later,at age 46，my father died.I am 76 as I sit and write this.I once heard Pete Hamill,the New York reporter,say that memories are man's greatest inheritage and I have to agree.I've lived through four invasions in World War II.I've had a life full of all kinds of experiences.But the only memory that lingers is of the night when my dad said,"I love you,my son."

萦绕心间的唯一记忆

我有许多回忆是有关父亲和我在我们临近高架轻轨的公寓里那段日子的。20年里，我们听着列车经过他卧室窗口时的轰鸣声。深夜，他独自一人在轻轨上等待那列载他去工厂上班的列车，因为他在那里上零点班。

在那个特殊的夜晚，我与他在黑暗中一起等候着道别的时刻。他的脸色阴沉，他最小的儿子被征入伍。第二天早晨六点钟，我将被宣布入伍，而他却站在工厂自己那台切纸机前。

父亲曾表达过他的愤怒。他不愿让他们带走自己的孩子，让那个才19岁，还从未喝过酒抽过烟的孩子去欧洲打仗。他把手放在我单薄的双肩上。“你要小心，斯鲁里克，要是你需要什么的话，写信给我，我保证你会得到的。”

突然，他听到了列车驶来的轰鸣声，紧紧把我抱在怀里，温柔地亲吻我的脸颊，眼含着泪水，低声地说：“我爱你，我的儿子。”接着，列车就到了，列车门把他关在里面，他消失在夜色中。

一个月后，46岁的父亲去世了。如今，76岁的我坐着写下这些。我曾听《纽约时报》记者皮特·哈米尔说记忆中的往事是男人最宝贵的遗产，我必须认同。我在第二次世界大战中经历了四次侵略战争，我的一生饱经风霜。但是，萦绕在我心间的回忆只有父亲说“我爱你，我的儿子”的那个夜晚。