女兒開始了她人生的新章節－－大學生活

八月二十二日，生命中又一個值得記住的日子，女兒離家上大學了。這是所有父母心中期盼，但又越近越情怯的日子。擔心老媽的眼淚，老爸提前就把女兒的行李搬上了車。吃過簡單的中午飯，趁老媽的感情還沒有醞釀好，一聲“bye-bye”，父女倆就上路了。

女兒開半程，老爸開半程，兩個小時就到了機場。女兒買來了點心和老爸的咖啡，父女倆就開始了對話。

“You noticed that your mom's eyes were wet? It is better to start earlier than scheduled. We will missed you a lot. So call us or write emails. I will open an email account for your brother so he can write to you, too. Use more encouraging words to him.” 老爸叮嚀女兒。

“I will. I will come back during winter break.”女兒點頭答應。

“Once you have your full sememster schedule, let me know. I need to reserve your air tickets as early as possible. For next summer, you have to make your own decision. From my heart, I'd like you come home. I am sure you can get the same job as this summer since you did such a terrific job. However, an intern job using your knowledge from college education will benefit your future. So, you make decision for your first summer in college. After that, you have to go for intern job. You can always visit dad and mom during summer breaks.”老爸又在老生常談了。

“I know. I am not sure about my major yet.”

“Economics is ok, though I am not sure how much help you can get from your assigned faculty advisor. He is a big name. Explore more during the first year in college to find out what you really like. If you study hard, you will definitely have a better future than dad's.”老爸鼓勵女兒。。。。。

 

周末，波士頓，父女倆在朋友的輪流陪同下，party和shopping。乘飛機，行李就少帶一些，幹脆在波士頓買。先買好女兒必需的床上用品，其它的家具還得等進了寢室後才能決定。三大箱從家裏帶去的東西，加上波士頓買的，禮拜一把朋友的車賽得滿滿的。可到了學校，一看人家開車來的家長，嗬嗬， 我們是帶得太少了點。 給女兒說，不用擔心，缺什麽，到時候找波士頓的叔叔阿姨周末幫忙。

要獨立生活了，老爸知道的第一件大事就是女兒的銀行戶頭。看著忙碌的室友一家，老爸和女兒一商量，幹脆先去銀行吧。在Wellesley的downtown,找到Bank of American辦公室，就給女兒開了一個專給大學生的package:一個支票賬戶，一個saving account,一張debt card, 一張信用卡（十六歲就行）。了解到至少一個禮拜女兒才能拿到銀行戶頭上的錢，老爸又給女兒留下了４００塊的現金。

學校的事情就簡單多了。趁人少，女兒趕緊把學校的ID辦好，打聽了一下學校需要的有關貸款和健康的情況，到十一點，父女倆就辦完了最基本的入學手續。已經饑不可耐的女兒想出去找地方吃飯，老爸趕緊聯絡約好的文學城網友，看是不是一起出去吃午飯。誰知女兒很快就發現學校有免費的午餐，老爸隻好改約網友在免費午餐的地點見麵了。

匆匆忙忙地吃過中飯，就得趕回女兒的宿舍參加家長會。家長們大都是第一次有孩子上大學，問題問了一大堆。從安全到學習，從假期安排到飲食結構。。。風趣的介紹，讓家長們忘卻了多餘的擔憂。

幫女兒大致整理一下房間，參加完校長的歡迎會，就到了和女兒告別的時候了。陪女兒在校園裏走走，古色古香的建築，喚起了父女倆兩年前campus visiting時依稀的記憶。當老爸坐進朋友的車，一聲“Bye－bye”，揮揮手，女兒快速走出了老爸的視野。隻是朋友倒車離去的時候，老爸的眼角掃到了遠遠地站在一塊大石頭上的女兒在向老爸揮手。

 

回到家，麵對空蕩蕩的女兒房間，多少不舍！隻是一聲“Dad, look at this, sister left me 500 pennies!”將思緒帶回現實。看著捧著姐姐留下來的大錢罐，“年少不知愁滋味”的兒子，知道老爸肩上的責任還任重而道遠呢。

（８／２８／２００８）

[A-mao]

回複SINEAD4273的評論:
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[SINEAD4273]

That's really something.

All the best!