__老病死｜沒有結局 The Cycle of Life and Death｜No Finality（雙語寫作）
不是每個故事都有結局。
老
在機場工作那幾年不乏看到需要坐輪椅的乘客，但大部分需要輪椅的乘客不是老邁長者，而是不只為何衰老提早附身的中年人。
這天乘客所需額外服務名單裡需要輪椅的是一位五十出頭的太太，我不會白目到去問不良於行的原因，但我猜她有點過於肥胖的身形應該不至於是主因，但足以塞滿航空公司提供的那座輪椅。太太話不多態度客客氣氣的，同行的先生也是。
從國際航線接到他們後，先生說他們需要去轉搭國內航空。我客客氣氣的回他們：「沒有問題」。沒料到，話說得太早了。
當年的約堡機場國際航線航廈和國內航線航廈還未開通可以直接通行，所以從一個航廈到另一個要走出建築物外，步行到外面的走道。航廈內的地板光滑，推著有點重量的旅客的輪椅輕鬆容易；一推出到外面不平的磚塊走道上，就令我心中一驚，不妙。
我要出的力道增加一倍，腳上穿的三公分的高跟鞋卻是滑面，沒有足夠支持我的摩擦力。平面的步道慢慢有點斜坡，我體力受迫的呼吸聲也越來越大。我開始在心裡咒罵：地勤如此需要勞力的工作為什麼要規定穿皮鞋，如果我現在腳上是運動鞋，我也不需要用盡全身其他地方的肌肉來推著輪椅了。
平常根本沒感覺的坡度，現在正在慢慢一點一滴的謀殺我，令我一度想放棄，但礙於面子問題，我一步一步艱難得繼續前進。終於在體感一世紀之後到達國內航廈，一刻間的如釋重負足以讓我飄向雲端。
伴在旁邊慢慢隨行的先生終於開口：「你們的工作不容易呀！」我喘到無法回答只能苦笑回應，我推的是他的老婆，我做任何都顯失禮。他默默遞給我二十塊錢的小費，我默默收下，收下他的些微歉意和感謝。
在走回國際航廈的路上，摸著那輕盈無重量的小費，心想：來去買罐運動飲料補一下吧！
病
本來以為今天的工作結束了，卻突然被叫到登機門出任務。到了那裡，主管要求我帶著一位五十好幾的先生和另一位年輕女孩去領行李。他們被請下飛機，今天回不了台灣了。
女孩面無表情的坐著，好似身邊發生的人事物與她毫無相干。那位先生雖看似平靜，但平靜底下的焦躁與無奈還是透露了出來。我不明白，為什麼看似如此無害的兩人，需要請來機場保安在旁邊坐鎮，以防萬一。
就在我們這幾個人為了等行李作業人員卸下兩位乘客的行李而對著空氣發呆時，機場保安開始八卦起來。
女孩看似正常卻是個精神病患者，同行的先生是他叔叔。以為就是帶女孩坐趟飛機，應該不會有什麼突發情況，她卻在登機後，把自己鎖在飛機上的廁所裡，不論眾人怎麼要求她就是不出來。終於有人想到直接把廁所門拆下來的解決方案時，女孩卻笑瞇瞇的把門打開了。
於是主管決定，還是把他們請下飛機吧。並告知那位先生，女孩的狀況屬特殊病況，需要事先通知航空公司，讓所有人員做必要的準備。
已上了飛機的行李要卸下耗費時間，終於被通知可以領行李後，我們由保安領著走捷徑從原本的登機門直接走去出境行李區。整個過程中，我的加班內容只在讓台灣先生知道流程，讓他不會在令人沮喪的情況下還得迷迷糊糊的任人指控。
平時只會在旅客抵達時到行李區待命，在此之前體會過的行李大廳總是人聲嘈雜如市場般熱鬧。此時，我們進入的時間因為沒有任何班機抵達，整個大廳空曠到能聽到腳步聲在空氣中迴蕩。一個行李輸送帶寂寞的迴轉著，送出兩個孤零零的行李。
送兩位旅客走出原本不是他們今天該踏出的出境大門後，我簡單的向他們道別。無從得知，他們什麼時候可以如願的順利回台。
死
我很膽小，可是大白天被嚇到大概是第一次。
正在我今天負責的辦理登記證櫃檯忙著服務旅客，不小心瞄到一位淚如雨下的女乘客，心想：「常見到在櫃台前破口大罵的客人，就沒見過用哭的。」
等到今天大部分的旅客已辦好登機手續，主管把我叫過去，要我帶著這位淚水沒有停過的太太到登機門。主管對我耳語道：「以她的精神狀況，我怕她會走丟，妳就負責把她一路帶到她的機內座位上。」
我什麼都沒問，反正使命達成就好，我乖乖領著哭啼啼太太一關關的往登機口前進。注意到她手裡抱著一個化妝包，原本想開口替她拿，但我很尷尬的不知如何打斷她的啜泣，於是作罷。
一路從安檢到海關，機場工作人員都投以我極大問號的眼神，我不知所以然，只能聳聳肩的默默回應。還好遇到的每位工作人員都挺有同理心，不自覺得被哭啼啼太太的悲傷觸動到，我們一路順順的通關了。
在慢慢前往遙遠的登機口那端的路上（其實就十分鐘啦！），哭啼啼太太突然無預警開口：「兩個人來，一個人回去...」語畢，她繼續啜泣掉淚。我發揮內在一點點福爾摩斯偵探的精神，開始運轉頭殼裡的伺服器。
想起前幾天我在當地華人報紙裡看到一則新聞：一位初來約翰尼斯堡的已婚中國男子中槍身亡。身旁這位就是他太太？那，她現在手裡橫著抱的化妝包裡，是—他—的—骨—灰？還好，我剛剛沒開口說要幫她拿，怕就是一場冒犯了！
走到登機口，寥寥幾位旅客正在排隊登機，我領著哭啼啼太太站在商務艙的隊伍後等待，站在我們前面的一位太太聽到哭聲回頭瞄了哭啼啼太太一眼，又投給我詢問的眼神，我無奈回應：「她的精神狀態不是很好，妳介意讓她先通行嗎？」她馬上側身讓我們先過，當下在場的每位旅客都把目光集中在我們身上，大概都忍不住猜想發生了什麼事。
領哭啼啼太太到機艙門時，站在機艙門等候的空姐給我需要答案的眼神，我了解她的職責需要知道旅客情況，但為何她的眼神無意流露出一點八卦的渴望，我回應：「她先生剛過世。」空姐眼睛張大表示她理解了，默默的接下我的任務領著哭啼啼太太往她的座位去，走出了我的視線之外。
我和旅客都是彼此生命中的過客，我因為他們生命一剎那間的一個事件而有了擦肩而過的緣分，但最終只能目送一個個無結局的未知。
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Not everystory has an ending.
Old Age
During my years working at the airport, I often saw passengers needing wheelchairs, but most of them weren't elderly; rather, they were middle-aged individuals who, for some reason, seemed to have aged prematurely.
One day, a middle-aged lady in her early fifties required a wheelchair. I wouldn't be so tactless as to ask why she needed it, but I guessed that her slightly overweight figure wasn't the main reason, even though it was enough to fill the wheelchair provided by the airline. She was polite and didn't speak much, as was her husband who accompanied her.
After receiving them from the international terminal, the husband mentioned they needed to transfer to a domestic flight. I politely replied, "No problem." Little did I know, I spoke too soon.
Back then, Johannesburg Airport's international and domestic terminals buildings were not connected, so you had to walk via the walkway outside to get from one terminal to the other. The smooth floors inside the terminal building made pushing a somewhat heavy passenger in a wheelchair easy. However, once we stepped onto the uneven brick walkway outside, I was taken aback; I am in trouble.
I had to exert twice the effort, and my three-centimeter high heels with smooth soles offered no traction and no help. The walkway gradually inclined, and my strained breathing grew louder. I began cursing in my mind: why did ground staff have to wear leather shoes for such labor-intensive work? If I were wearing sneakers, I wouldn't have to use every muscle in my body to manoeuvre the wheelchair.
A slope that I never noticed was now slowly but surely wearing me down, making me contemplate giving up. However, I persevered out of pride, trudging forward by arduous steps. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we arrived at the domestic terminal. The sudden relief was wonderful enough for me to float into the clouds.
The husband, who had been walking beside us, finally spoke up, "Your job is not easy!" I was too out of breath to reply and could only respond with a wry smile. After all, I was pushing his wife; any kind of comment would seem rude. He silently handed me a twenty-rand tip, which I silently accepted, taking in his small token of apology and gratitude.
On my way back to the international terminal, I fingered the lightweight tip and thought, "How about a sports drink to replenish my energy!"
Illness
I thought my work for the day was over, but I was suddenly called to the boarding gate for one last task. When I got there, my supervisor asked me to escort a man in his fifties and a young girl to collect their luggage. They had been asked to deplane and would not be returning to Taiwan today.
The girl sat expressionless, as if everything happening around her was irrelevant. The man appeared calm, but a hint of anxiety and helplessness was evident beneath his composure. I couldn't understand why such seemingly harmless individuals required the presence of airport security, sitting nearby just in case.
As we stood around waiting for the baggage handlers to unload their luggage, the security guard began gossiping. The girl, who appeared normal, was actually mentally ill, and the man was her uncle. He thought that taking her on a flight would be uneventful, but after boarding, she locked herself in the airplane's bathroom and refused to come out despite everyone's requests. Just when someone suggested the drastic solution of removing the bathroom door, the girl emerged with a smile.
In result, the supervisor decided it was best to have them leave the plane and informed the man that the girl's condition required prior notification to the airline so that necessary precaution could be made.
Unloading the already boarded luggage took time. Once notified, we were escorted by security through a shortcut from the boarding gate directly to the baggage claim area. My overtime task was merely to guide the Taiwanese gentleman through the process, ensuring he wasn't left bewildered and confused amidst an already frustrating situation.
Usually, I would be on duty at the baggage claim area for arriving passengers. The hall was always bustling like a marketplace. However, we entered when no flights were arriving, making the hall eerily empty, with our footsteps echoing in the air. A single conveyor belt rotated lonely, delivering two forlorn pieces of luggage.
After escorting the two passengers out through an exit they weren't supposed to use today, I bid them a simple farewell. I had no way of knowing when they would finally return to Taiwan as they wished.
Death
I am usually timid, but getting scared in broad daylight is probably a first.
While I was busy at the check-in counter serving passengers, I accidentally noticed a female passenger crying like a torrential downpour. I thought, "I've often seen passengers yelling at the counter, but I've never seen one crying."
When most of the passengers had completed their check-in, the supervisor called me over and asked me to escort this continuously weeping lady to the boarding gate. The supervisor whispered in my ear, "Given her mental state, I'm afraid she might get lost. Please escort her all the way to her seat on the plane."
I didn't enquire further. As long as I completed the task, that was all that matters. I obediently led the weeping lady through each checkpoint to the boarding gate. I noticed she was holding a makeup bag. I initially wanted to offer to carry it for her, but felt too awkward to interrupt her sobbing, so I refrained.
From security to customs, airport staff gave me puzzled looks. I didn't know the weeping lady's story, so I just shrugged in response. Fortunately, every staff member we encountered showed great empathy. They were moved by the weeping lady's sorrow, and we proceeded smoothly.
As we slowly made our way to the distant boarding gate (actually just ten minutes away), the weeping lady suddenly spoke without warning, "Two came into the country, but only one is returning home..." With that, she continued sobbing. I channeled my inner Sherlock Holmes, activating the server in my brain.
I remembered a news story I had read a few days ago in a local Chinese newspaper: a newly arrived married Chinese man was shot dead in Johannesburg. Could this be his wife? And the item was in the makeup bag she's clutching...coud it be his ashes? Fortunately, I hadn't offered to carry it earlier, as that would have been quite offensive!
When we arrived at the boarding gate, a few passengers were queuing to board. I stood with the weeping lady in the business class line. The woman in front of us, hearing the sobbing, turned and glanced at the weeping lady, then gave me a questioning look. I responded helplessly, "Her mental state isn't good. Would you mind letting her go first?" She immediately stepped aside to let us through. Everyone present focused their eyes on us, undoubtedly speculating about what had happened.
As I escorted the weeping lady to the aircraft door, the flight attendant waiting there gave me a look that needed answers. I understood that she needed to know the passenger's situation, but why did her eyes betray a hint of gossip? I replied, "Her husband just passed away." The flight attendant's eyes widened in understanding, and she silently took over my task, leading the weeping lady to her seat, out of my sight.
The passengers and I are merely fleeting presences in each other's lives. I cross paths with them due to a brief moment in their lives. In the end, I can witness their departures and leaving behind unresolved unknowns.
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