那時是凌晨三點鐘，我有種感覺，應該去海邊彈奏我的六弦琴。我收拾好六弦琴，驅(qū)車去了位于加利福尼亞州的舊金山的海灘。海灘的區(qū)域天氣陰暗，空中下著毛毛細雨。平時擁擠的木板人行道上只有兩個人，空寂寂的。海灘的一側(cè)有一位婦女，她似乎很憂慮，正揮舞著一把掃帚；另一側(cè)有一個孤零零的身影正騎在防護墻上，凝視著大海。我選擇了一個離他們不遠的地方，開始彈琴。

我彈奏時，拿掃帚的那位憂慮的婦女正掃到我的附近。她停下來，靠在掃帚上，沖著我笑。看樣子她是個無家可歸的人，身上沾滿了塵土。她的衣服破舊并且不合身。

“你干得怎么樣?”我問道，以便打破這種令人尷尬的沉默。

“還好?！彼f，“我正要將這里清掃干凈。這種事需要有人做?！彼钢爸灰魄颇切┥碁教幎际桥K兮兮的痕跡?！?/p>

她繼續(xù)說：“您彈奏的樂曲確實很動聽。以前我從未聽過這樣的琴聲。我想，我的朋友會喜歡您的音樂，我想聘請您為她演奏。”順著木板人行道，她指著那個凝視著大海的孤零零的身影，然后從幾個口袋里掏出幾枚硬幣?！拔夷貌怀龈嗟腻X，我知道您要價是很高的，可是我如果給您這點錢，您會為她演奏一曲嗎?她很不快樂，我明白音樂會使她感覺好些?！?/p>

我告訴她，我愿意為她的朋友免費彈奏一首樂曲。

我們向另一邊她朋友的方向走去時，掃帚婦女告訴我，她的朋友從未說過話，如果她好像沒有在傾聽我的演奏，也不要生氣，她還是能領(lǐng)會音樂的。我們靠近她時，掃帚婦女把我介紹給她。“安妮，我送你一份禮物，讓你振作起來。這位六弦琴演奏家要特別為你獻上一曲?！?/p>

安妮沒有動。她戴著墨鏡，破舊的外套甚至遮住大部分的面龐。她看上去有四十五六歲，可是也難以說清楚，因為在流落街頭時期，人的變化很大。

掃帚婦女對我說，還有許多木板人行道需要打掃，她又轉(zhuǎn)身朝著碼頭的方向掃去。

我坐在安妮的身邊演奏。彈琴時，我撥弄每一根琴弦，都真心地希望快樂之事能夠降臨到這位女士身上。我彈了很長一段時間。

突然，安妮轉(zhuǎn)向我并問：“您是怎么做那些事的?”

“做什么?”我問，對她的說話深感震驚。

“您彈奏的事，您演奏得這樣美妙，我能從內(nèi)心深處感知它?！?/p>

她摘下墨鏡。她的雙眼含著淚水，臉上帶著一絲微笑。她向我伸出手，手心里有幾枚硬幣，大部分是便士。她說“我不能付給您更多的錢，因為我正經(jīng)歷著不幸，可是我還是想要您收下這幾個錢?！?/p>

“噢，不!”我告訴她，“這是你朋友贈給你的一份禮物?！?/p>

我告訴她：“我彈琴時，助人為樂的事情就會出現(xiàn)。”

“那么，繼續(xù)彈吧。”她用一種悲哀的聲音說，“因為我愿意相信那些事?！?/p>

我騎在防護墻上為安妮彈奏。我沉浸于樂曲之中。我無法告訴你我彈了多久或者我彈了些什么。我只能對你說，我完全與六弦琴系在了一起，一種無法抗拒的寧靜溢滿了我整個身體，并且似乎向我的身體之外延伸。

我停止演奏，抬起頭時，驚奇地看到我們周圍有一小群人。一位笑容滿面的男士主動站出來，說：“我已經(jīng)站在這兒聽了很久了。您彈奏的樂曲令人驚嘆，我要給您一些錢?！?/p>

“我不能拿你的錢，可是你若把錢贈送給我身邊的這位婦女，以幫助她擺脫困境，我會很感激的?！?/p>

那位男士將手伸進口袋，拿出一沓鈔票。他把錢送給安妮時，咧嘴一笑，說“這是六弦琴專家送給你的錢。今天是你的幸運日!”

我收拾好六弦琴，掃帚婦女再一次朝我們的方向掃來。我轉(zhuǎn)身向我的汽車走去，這時我聽到安妮用輕柔的聲音說：“現(xiàn)在我相信您了?！?/p>

掃帚婦女停止掃地。我經(jīng)過她時，她正大聲地喃喃自語著?！八f話了!她從未說過話，我簡直不能相信!她說話了!”

A Gift of Peace for the Home-less Heart

By KEV

It was three in the morning，and I had a feeling that I should go tothe ocean and play my guitar. I packedup nay guitar and drove to OceanBeach， California. It was overcastin the beach area， and a slight rainydrizzle was in the air. The usuallycrowded boardwalk was desertedexcept for two people. On one side ofthe beach was a woman who ap-peared to be troubled and was wield-ing a broom; on the other side was alone figure sitting on the retainingwall and staring out to sea. I chose aspot equidistant between them andbegan to play.

As I played， the troubledwoman with the broom swept herway right next to me. She stoppedsweeping and leaned on her broom，smiling at me. She appeared to behomeless and was covered with dirt.Her clothes were tattered andmismatched.

\"How are you doing?\" I askedto break the awkward silence.

\"Just fine，\" she said. \"I'm clean-ing this place up. Somebody has todo it.\" She pointed to the beach.\"Just look at all that sand...getstracked everywhere.\"

She went on， \"You sure playbeautiful music. I never heard a gui-tar sound like that before. I think myfriend would like your music.I wantto hire you to play for her.\" Shepointed to the long figure staring outat the ocean down the boardwalk，then produced a few coins from herpockets. \"I ain't got much， and Iknow you're worth a lot， but if I givethis to you， will you play a song forher? She's had it pretty rough. I knowthe music will make her feel better.\"

I told her I'd be happy to play asong for her friend for free.

As we walked over to her friend，the Broom Lady told me that herfriend never talked and not to beoffended if she didn't seem to hearme...that she'd appreciate the musicjust the same. We approached， andthe Broom Lady introduced me.\"Annie， I got you a present to cheeryou up. It's a guitar man who's going toplay a song special for you.\"

Annie did not move. She waswearing dark sunglasses and had atattered coat pulled up to cover mostof her face. She looked to be in hermid-forties， but it was hard to tellbecause the streets age a person fast.

The Broom Lady informed methat she had a lot of boardwalk left tosweep and urged me to get on with it.She swept her way back down to-ward the pier again.

I sat next to Annie and played.As I played I put every thought intohaving good things happen for thiswoman. I played for quite a while.

Suddenly， Annie turned towardme and asked， \"How do you do that?\"

\"Do what?\" I asked， astoundedthat she'd spoken.

\"You play， and you make it sobeautiful. I can feel it inside myheart.\"

She took off her sunglasses. Shehad tears in her eyes and a smile onher face. She held out her hand to me.In her palm were a few coins， mostlypennies. She said， \"I can't pay youmuch 'cause I'm having a run ofbad luck， but I want you to havethis.\"

\"Oh， no!\" I told her. \"This isa gift from your friend.\"

\"She' s nuts， you know，\" shesaid， \"but she is a friend. I guess it'snot bad luck.\"

I told her， \"When I play， goodthings happen.\"

\"Go ahead and play then，\" shesaid in a sad voice， \"' cause I like tobelieve that.\"

I sat on the retaining wall andplayed for Annie~ I lost myself in themusic. I couldn't tell you how long 1played or even what I played. I canonly tell you that I was totally con-nected to the instrument， and anoverwhelming peace ran through myentire body and seemed to radiateout of me.

When I stopped and looked up，I was startled to see a small crowdaround us. A smiling man steppedforward and said， \"I've been stand-ing here listening for a while. It wasamazing. I have to give you somemoney.\"

\"I can't take your money， but ifyou give it to help out this womanbeside me， I would be grateful.\"

The man reached into hispocket and pulled out a wad of bills.As he gave it to Annie， he grinnedand said， \"This is from that guitarman. It's your lucky day!\"

As I packed up my guitar， theBroom Lady was sweeping towardus again. I was headed back to my carwhen I heard Annie say， in a quietvoice， \"I believe you now.\"

The Broom Lady stoppedsweeping. As I walked by her shewas muttering out loud. \"She talked.She never talks-I can't believe it!She talks!\"