很烦躁的中午，竟无法入眠。外面阴着天，风也无精打采，像是沉沉欲睡，只是偶尔地懒懒伸一伸腰，树也很无奈地跟着动一动。动得极不情愿，极没有规律。
没有一丝阳光，时已是仲夏，天依旧很凉。一片片乌云压过来，让你越发觉得寒冷。几只鸟飞过，急匆匆的，很是吝啬，没有留下一个音符。窗前的那片蒲公英似乎没有受到天气的影响，“没心没肺”地开得正盛，随着微风过后，几粒种子，乘着小伞，在母亲的期待中，开始了一个慢慢的征程。生活就是这样按部就班，和以前没有什么不同。
就在这猝不及防，毫无征兆之时，那对银镯突然跃出记忆。那银亮的颜色，那拙朴的外形，那清脆的声音……也许是它在我们的记忆中积压的太久了，怕是被我们遗忘？还是怕遗忘了我们？谁能说得清楚。或者它只是出来晒一晒太阳，在我们的记忆中，它是一直躲在柜子深处的。
曾经关于那对银镯问过家里人，但奇怪的是，我们的记忆中都留有那对镯子的影子。而且，那影子不因岁月的冲刷而模糊。甚至是它的一些细节都能说得很清，比如它的大小、分量、由三股银条拧成，姐姐还能准确地说出那上面的花纹。但奇怪的是，我们居然都不知道它的出处，更不知道它最终去了哪里。可是它实实在在地在我们家里静静地待了几十年，真实地给过我们许多梦想；许多等待；许多期盼。我们也曾猜测过，那对镯子是母亲婚姻的定情物吗？我们又马上否定这种猜测，那时父亲家境贫寒，一贫如洗，断然买不起银镯子。是母亲的陪嫁物吗？我们仍持怀疑态度，对于母亲娘家来说，那陪嫁物又有些寒酸。就这样，那对手镯成了我们这一代人的一个谜。
对于姐姐来说，那对银镯是偶尔的装饰和点缀。每到年节或什么隆重的日子，总之，只要有新衣服穿，姐姐就会拿出那对镯子，戴在手上。姐姐拿镯子无需搬凳子，无需翘起脚。那时姐姐已高出柜子，取放都很方便。只是手镯戴在姐姐的手上有些滑稽，姐姐要高高地举着两手，像要投降的样子。如果母亲吩咐姐姐做些什么，姐姐就会放下手急忙赶过去。姐姐早已习惯了忙碌，匆忙中放下的两手给了镯子一个机会。那对银镯会很顽皮地从姐姐的手臂上溜下来，高兴地在地上歌唱着，舞蹈着。惹得我和弟弟不停地送过白眼，在我们眼里，那镯子怎么会属于某个人，那是大家的。倒是母亲一脸的慈祥，欣喜多余责备，嗔怒少于幸福。姐姐急急地捡起镯子，扔进柜子中。先是镯子碰撞柜子的窒闷声，接着便是两只镯子相互碰撞的清脆声。于是，那两种声音杂糅子一起，深深地刻进了记忆。
“还不放好，轻一点。等你出嫁时，妈妈一定给你买对更好的。”母亲说得急了些，引发了一阵咳嗽，身子深深地弯下去，脸也红涨起来。
“我才不嫁人呢？一辈子伺候妈妈。”姐姐说的很坚决。
我和弟弟倒不相信姐姐的话是真的，谁不想得到一对更好的镯子？要不然，姐姐以后干活为什么更加卖力气？真到姐姐出嫁时，母亲并没有“兑现”她的诺言。姐姐并没有戴着那对更好的镯子出嫁，而是带上了自行车、洗衣机。在母亲眼里，新式的家电要远远胜过镯子。在我们眼里，对镯子更富感情。
弟弟要想取出镯子是要费一些周折的，先要搬来凳子，差不多头都完全进入柜子中，才勉强拿到镯子。那一定是母亲许诺给我们买什么好吃的，弟弟迫不及待，先拿出镯子畅想一番。那时，麻花对于我们来说，是世间最美的食品。那种美味无可替代，无限诱惑。
“不急，等有人来收购镯子，妈卖了镯子，给你们买好多麻花。”母亲说得不急不慢，似乎是毫不在乎。
这给了我们无限的遐想，很多麻花有多些？我们每人能分到几根？能吃一顿还是几天？有时看到那三股拧在一起的镯子，像极了那美味的麻花。看着看着，我们会偷偷一笑，有时竟用舌头舔一舔。凉凉的，滑滑的，好像那味道也有了丝丝缕缕的甜香。于是我们的生活多了一份念想，盼着收购镯子的人早些到来，盼着飘香的麻花。
母亲的身体日渐糟糕，时常要外出治病。我们不哭不闹，而且积极表现。我们知道，无论母亲外出多久，从来不会空手而归。每一次都要买回几根麻花，有时是母亲惦念我们，不肯空手而归。更多的时候，是姨妈们看母亲瘦弱可怜，要滋补一下，特意多买几根。但每一次，母亲都不曾独自吃下。记忆中好像从来没有母亲独食美味的影像，倒是母亲为我们分发麻花的记忆永远鲜活。我们排着队，翘首等待。弟弟小一些，常常能分到两股。我和姐姐只能分到一股，谁能舍得吃呢？不停地把麻花拿出来，小心地吃掉一小口，再闻上好久，然后收好。如此往复，一股麻花要吃好多天。有时硬掉了，但吃起来仍觉满口留香。
后来读师范，停电之日，就是吃麻花之时。停电的日子多了，吃麻花成了一种负担。直到如今，很少再吃麻花。但这丝毫没有破坏麻花最初留下的美好的回忆，每每回忆当初的往事，那份酥脆，甜香仍是其它美味所不可相比。
“麻花，蜂蜜大麻花。”
每次路过出售麻花的地方，每次听到那亲切的吆喝，幸福的滋味便随着那麻花的甜香一同走来。我会长时间驻足观望，看着那些忙碌的人们，我的思绪立刻飘得很远很远。
每年的春节将至，我们姐弟三人轮流请出那对镯子。母亲说过，春节要给我们每人做一件新衣服。我们知道，希望最大的就是那对镯子。家里除了镯子可以变成新衣服，还有什么可以换回新衣服呢？母亲似乎总是有办法，镯子没有卖掉，新衣服照穿不误。镯子就这样安然无恙，静静地躺在柜子底下。
日子，在等待中远去。苦涩的日子，因为有了等待而多了无尽的甜蜜。可奇怪的是，收购镯子的人一直没来，我们也一直没有亲眼看见母亲卖掉那对镯子。
每天夜里，万家灯火隐在了黑暗之时。母亲的咳嗽让你无法入眠，那镯子碰撞柜子的声音，在母亲咳嗽的间歇会及时照亮黑夜。是的，为什么不能卖掉镯子，买来世上最好的药，让黑夜里不再有母亲的咳嗽声。我们曾不止一次这样想过，哪怕我们再不能吃到那酥脆的麻花。有了这样的想法，我们的盼望更加强烈。可是，我们仍然无法等到那收购镯子的人。
我们渐渐大了，没有人再提及那对镯子。以至于连镯子什么时候离开我家，去了哪里竟无人知晓。但我们知道，一定是在某一个特别困难时期，母亲再无他法，偷偷卖掉那对镯子。
回忆那些困难时期，姐姐出嫁？我和弟弟到外面读书？无法找到确切答案。那一定是一个夜深人静，我们都不在家之时。母亲拿出那对镯子，同时，也拿出许多记忆。关于那对银镯一定有一个美好的承诺，那个承诺带给母亲许多幸福的时刻。灯光下，母亲专注地看着那对镯子。此时，不需要语言，母亲用沉默解读那对镯子，更用一份坦然面对困境。面对即将离去的镯子，母亲的内心该是何等的波涛汹涌。可是，那对镯子最终还是成了姐姐的嫁妆？成了我和弟弟的学费？其实，它更应该成为母亲生命的一部分。也许，它本来就是母亲生命的一部分。遗憾的是，它没能成为母亲生命的延续！当母亲去世后，我们不约而同想到了那对镯子。可是，柜子深处再也没有了那对镯子。那镯子叮当的碰撞声再也没有响起，就像母亲那远去的温厚的微笑。
那对镯子是我们困难时期的一丝期盼，一缕光亮，一份憧憬。更是如今的我们难忘的记忆，心痛的怀念，刻骨的感恩。
译文:
The Pair of Gracelet
It’s an too annoyed noon to make one feel sleepy. The sky looks cloudy outside ,when the laking animation and dizzy wind stretches himself sometimes, the trees waved a little reluctantly and irregularly.
Although it’s midsummer now,we cannot be covered by any sunshine, so it’s still quite cool .What’s more, the black clouds gradually come down to your head which makes you even more colder. Few birds flies by in a hurry,they’re all tightwads because they don’t willing to sing a simple word. It seems that only the dandelion beside the window haven’t effected by the lousy weather, on the contrary, they willfully flourishied a lot .Making use of the wind , some seeds helding their tiny pure white unbrella and setting their foot on a life-long journey under their mothers’ wish. Life is always like this, have nothing differient than any before.
At the sudden moment ,the memory about that silver bracelet came into my mind,without any implications. It’s twinkling colour , plain appearance and silvery sound…… Perhaps they have overstocked in my mind,or they’re afraid of being forget or forget us. Who knows?Maybe they just want to enjoy the sunshine,because they have been in the bottom of our memory for a long long time.
I have asked my family about the bracelet ,it’s strange that all the members have something in mind about that bracelet.Moreover, that memory cannot be wiped out easily. We can clearly describe out some dertails about it such as it’s size ,weigh ,made up with three section of cilver strips and my sister can even accurately tell about the covers on it. The weird thing is that no one knows where it came from and where it had been. However,it had been stayed quietly in our house for decades and brought us many dreams ,hopes and expectations.Indeed, we have guessed whether it’s a love token of mother’s, but we denyed it very soon, for father was badly off at that time and he couldn’t have enough money to buy the bracelet. Was it a dowry of mother’s? We still doubt it in that it’s a little inferior as a dowry .In this way, the bracelet become a riddle of our generation.
As to my sister,that bracelet is a an ornament at some time.She’d take it out when feast day comes or there’s something important happened, anyway, whenever she needed to put on a new dress,she’d wear it .At that period of time ,she’s taller than the cabinet,she can fetched it easily without the help of any stool and without lift her heels.The question is that it looks funny when she wore it ,since she must rose her hands up as give up.Sister always stop to my mum if the latter need her to do something.Sister have got used to being busy, the sudden put down of her hands give a chance to the gracelet to slide down naughtily,singing happily and dancing ,which always suffered from my brother’s supercilious look, all of us believe that the gracelet belongs to everyone,never a single person.Nevertheless,while mom always looked kind ,rejoicing exceed bless ,welfare exceed anger. Sister picked it up from the floor at once and threw it into the cabinet. The sickening thud the gracelet hit the cabinet then a tinkling sound the two gracelet hit each other mixed ,which latter deep grained in my memory.
Be softly,and put it in a right way.I’ll buy you a better one when you’re married.”mum said ,a little worried and caused a cough, her face blushed when she bent to pick up the gracelet.
“I won’t married! I would rather to be with you .”Sister said determined.
My brother and I didn’t believe what she said , everybody want to get a better pair of graceltet. Otherwise, what’s the reason that sister worked that harder? It’s a pity that when she married, mum didn’t cash in what she have promised. Sister didn’t get married with a better gracelet but the bicycle and washmachine.In my mother’s view, the new electric appliance is better than a gracelet as a dowry. While in our view, we’ve a special feeling on the gracelet.
It’s a little bother for my brother to take out the gracelet,he must first took the stool ,not his head stretched into the cabinet untill he can touch the gracelet.In that case ,it must be the situation that mum promised to buy us something good to eat, and my brother always too impatiant to take out the gracelet and wondered a lot. At that time ,the fried dough twist is the most decilious food in the world to us .It’s full of temptation and nothing can substitute it .
“Don't worry, I’ll sell the gracelet and buy you lots twists when there’s someone wants to buy the gracelet.”mum said slowly and it seemed that she didn’t care anything.
All of these let us made daydreams a lot : How many fried dough twists would it be ? How many twists can each of us get? How long can we finish it ,one meal or sevel days? Sometimes the three twisted section of gracelet reminded us of the tasty fried dough twist. Then we’ll laughed in our beard and licked our lips .It’s cool and smooth , as if we’re enjoying something sweety when we licked our lips.From then on , we always wish the man who comes to buy the gracelet can come out earlier and hope we can share the tasty twists earlier.
Unfortunately,mum got sick day after day , and needed to see the doctor frequently. We didn’t cry or made any noise , we behaved very oppotimistic.For we’re sure that no matter how late it was, mum never came back with nothing. Everytime, she’d take a few twists .Sometimes she didn’t come back without anything because she cares about we guys,hile in most times ,it’s because aunts consider that our poor mum need more nutritions ,but everytime ,mum didn’t take it alone.In our memories ,mum have never ate some delicious food alone but the vivid picture to distribute twists to us .We standed in a line and waited for the food ,brother is younger ,so he can got two sections while sister and I got only one section, but who’d grudge to eat ? Often, we just took out the twists, bit a little, smelt for a while and kept it in a safe place. Time after time ,it may took us several days to finish one twist.And it’s still tastes good even when it became harder .
Afterwards ,I study in the normal university, the time powered off is the time I ate the twists. When it’s powered off too often , eating twists became a burden to me,and even now I hardly eat the twist. Despite all of this, the first memory about the twist is still fresh ,and everytime I recalled the past ,the crispy and tasty feel is beyond all comparison.
“Fried tough twist, honey twist .”
Everytime I passed by the store where sell the twist,hearing the kind cry , the happy feeling with the tasty smell followed me all together. I stoped and watched the busy people, leaving my feeling flied far far away.
Every year near the Spring Festival ,sister, brother and I take out the gracelet one by one. Mum had said that she’ll make new clothes for us all. And we knew that the best wish is that gracelet, which can exchange new clothes for us,for there’s nothing more valuable than it in our house. To our surprise, mum seemed to have uncountable ideas, she didn’t sell the gracelet, and we guys still had new clothes every year. So that the gracelet still stayed steadily in the bottom of the cabinet safely.
Time flies while we’re waiting. We enjoyed many happy days during the hard time because of waiting .The weird thing is that ,the people who will buy the gracelet had never appeared and we haven’t seen mum sold it.
Every night when a myriad twinkling lights of a city died, mum’s cough made one sleepless,the sound the gracelet hit the cabinet will light the dark night in time at the internal of mum’s cough. Why we couldn’t sold the gracelet for the best medicine to stop mum’s cough? We have thought about it for many times even if we couldn’t enjoy the crispy twists. With this consideration, the hope that the people come to buy the gracelet can appear more earier is more fierce,but we didn’t see him all the time.
Nobody referred the gracelet when we growed up. As a result , no one knows that when the gracelet left our house and where have it gone.But we know that it must be sold by our mum at a especially enbarrassed time.
Cast back the hard time, sister got married, brother and I studied outside? Nobody can get the right answer. It must be a quiet night when we’re not at home ,mum took out the gracelet together with most of the memories. There must be a beautiful promise about the gracelet which sent mum many happy times .In the lanplight , mum starerf at the gracelet without any language at that moment ,she read the gracelet silently,and confronted the difficulties sraight forward.Facing the gracelet which will soon be away with her , I wonder ed the vomplicated feeling in her heart. Is that gracelet eventually to be sister’s dowry or the tuition of brother and i? In fact, it ought to be one part of mum’s life. Perhaps, it’s just one part of mum’s life. It’s a pity that it didn’t last mum’s life! We happen to think of that gracelet when mum left us forever. But we couldn’t find it in the cabinet forever. We couldn’t heard the sound of the gracelet as well as mum’s tender smile.
The gracelet is the only hope ,a drop of sunshine and the longing when we’re deep in trouble.And now , it’s the most memorable recollection,the most heart-wrenching yearning and the deeply ingrained grateful.