第8部分(第2/5 頁)

　bowls。 Often　at　family　gatherings　or　when　we　would　all　sit　down　for　a　Thanksgiving　or　Christmas　dinner； my　mother　would　say　something　about　the　missing　china　and　how　she　wished　it　had　survived　the　trip。　。　想看書來

祖母的瓷器（2）

When　my　mother　died　in　1983；　I　inherited　Grandmother’s　china。　I；　too；　used　the　set　on　many　special　occasions；　and　I；　too；　wondered　what　had　happened　to　the　missing　box。

I　love　to　prowl　antique　shops　and　flea　markets；　hunting　for　treasures。　It’s　great　fun　to　walk　up　and　down　the　aisles　early　in　the　morning；　watching　as　the　vendors　spread　their　wares　on　the　ground。

I　hadn’t　been　to　a　flea　market　in　over　a　year　when；　one　Sunday　in　1993；　I　got　the　itch　to　go。　So　I　crawled　out　of　bed　at　5　；　and　after　a　couple　of　hours　I　was　thinking　about　leaving。　I　rounded　the　last　corner　and　took　a　few　steps　down　the　row　when　I　noticed　some　china　strewn　on　the　macadam。　I　saw　that　it　was　hand…painted　china。。。　with　forget…me…nots！　I　raced　over　to　look　at　it　more　closely　and　gingerly　picked　up　a　cup　and　saucer。。。　forget…me…nots！　Exactly　like　Grandmother’s　china；　with　the　same　delicate　strokes　and　the　same　thin　gold　bands　around　the　rims。　I　looked　at　the　rest　of　the　items—there　were　the　cups！　The　saucers！　The　bowls！　It　was　Grandmother’s　china！

The　dealer　had　noticed　my　excitement；　and　when　she　came　over　I　told　her　the　story　of　the　missing　box。　She　said　the　china　had　e　from　an　estate　sale　in　Pasadena—the　next　town　over　from　Arcadia；　where　we　had　lived　when　I　was　a　child。　When　she　was　going　through　the　contents　of　the　estate；　she　had　found　an　old　unopened　carton　stored　in　the　garden　shed；　and　the　china　was　in　it。　She　queshoned　the　heirs　about　the　china　and　they　said　that　they　knew　nothing　about　it；　that　the　box　had　been　in　the　shed　“forever。”