Lucky to Be Alive
Maria，a gentle，soft－spoken woman o f seventy，had always managed to view the world with a child's sense of wonderment.She greeted the dawn of each new day with the brightness of the sun itself and found joy in the smallest of things：a dove perched on her birdfeeder，the fresh morning dew，the sweet scent of jasmine in her garden.
A widow1），Maria lived alone in a run－down2） neighborhood in Deerfield Beach，Florida.One day while out tending the small garden in front of her modest home，Maria had been injured in a drive－by shooting.The bullet had pierced through her skin with a ferocious3） bite and lodged itself in the old woman's right thigh.Crying out in agony，she had dropped to the sidewalk.When the mailman found her unconscious nearly an hour later，her injured leg had been bleeding profusely4）。She'd made it to the hospital just in time and later，the doctor had told Maria she was lucky to be alive.
Returning home，Maria didn't feel so lucky.Before the shooting，the elderly woman had always been grateful that she was healthy for her age.Now just getting the daily mail required a Herculean5） effort.In addition，her medical bills were mounting alarmingly，straining her meager income.And although she had watched the neighborhood deteriorate6），somehow things had seemed safe in the daylight――but not anymore.For the first time in her life，Maria felt frightened，alone and vulnerable.
“I feel defeated，”she had told her friend Vera.“I'm just an old woman with nothing to do and nowhere to go.
“When Vera came to pick up Maria for her checkup at the medical center，she hardly recognized her old friend.Maria' s soft brown eyes held a haunting sadness and her face was gaunt and haggard.All the curtains were drawn and her hands shook with fear as she hobbled out onto the front porch，a cane stabilizing her injured leg.
They were a little early for Maria's appointment，so to try to cheer up Maria，Vera took a longer，more scenic route.They were stopped at a red light when Maria suddenly shrieked.“Look at that cat.It's trying to run across the street.”Vera looked up to see a small black－and－white cat bounding out in to the middle of traffic.Both women screamed as they saw one car，then another，and finally a third，hit the cat.The cat lay motionless，its small body flung onto the grass.Cars slowed，but no one stopped to help.
“We must save that poor creature，”said Maria.Vera pulled over，got out of the car and went to the hurt animal.Miraculously7），it was still alive，but badly injured.
“Take my jacket and wrap the kitty in it，”said Maria.Vera carefully put the cat on the seat between them.It looked up at Maria and gave her a plaintive，barely audible meow.
“Everything will be all right，my little friend，”Maria said tearfully.
Finding an animal clinic，they went inside and told the receptionist what had happened.
“I'm sorry，”she said，“but we cannot accept stray animals.”
It was the same at the next clinic.Finally，at the third clinic，a kind veterinarian8），Dr.Susan Shanahan，agreed to help and quickly started working on the cat.
“This little guy is lucky to be alive，”she told Maria and Vera.“If you hadn't been there for him，he never would have made it.”
The vet took Maria aside.“The cat's injuries are very serious，”she said.“He has severe head trauma，crushed paws and a cracked collarbone.He'll need a lot of expensive medical attention.Today's bill alone will cost at least ＄400.”
Maria gasped.But taking her worn cloth wallet out of her handbag，she gave the doctor all the money she had after paying her bills――＄50.
“It' s all I have right now，but I promise I will pay you the rest over time.Please don't put that kitty to sleep.” she pleaded.“I'll take him home.We need each other.”
Sensing how important this was，Dr.Shanahan kneeled and took Maria's hands in hers.“I could get into trouble with my boss for doing this，”she said gently.“You see，I really shouldn't have helped the cat in the first place，but，don't worry.……I will personally pay for this.”
While the cat was at the clinic，Maria went to check on him every day.She spoke softly to him and gently stroked his chin with her little finger.As the days passed，the cat began to purr9） and the sparkle returned to Maria's eyes.
The day arrived for the cat to come home.As excited as a little girl on Christmas morning，Maria smiled brightly as she walked into the clinic to pick him up. “What have you decided to name the cat？” asked Dr.Shanahan.
Cradling the cat in her arms，Maria answered happily，“I'm going to call him Lucky，because together we have found a new life.”
by christine E. Belleris
70歲的瑪麗亞性情溫和，說話輕聲細語。她總是用孩子般的新奇目光觀察世界。瑪麗亞以歡快的心情迎接每一天的到來，她善于從生活中最細微的事情中尋得歡樂：從棲息在食糟上的鴿子、清新的晨露、到花園里茉莉花的芳香。
寡居的瑪麗亞獨自一人住在佛羅里達州迪爾菲爾德市一個破敗的街區。有一天，她正在那間簡樸的屋前侍弄著她的小花園，一顆流彈擊中了她。子彈穿過皮肉，射入她的右腿，一陣鉆心的疼痛。瑪麗亞痛苦地叫喊著，倒在人行道上。被郵遞員發現時，她已經失去知覺近一個小時，受傷的腿流血不止。她被及時地送進了醫院。事后醫生說她能活下來真是幸運。
出院回家后，瑪麗亞并不覺得有多么幸運。遭槍擊前，這位高齡的婦女一直慶幸她這么大的年紀還很健康。可是現在每天出屋取一趟郵件都要費好大的勁。況且，她那微薄的收入已經不敷支付紛至沓來的醫院帳單。雖然從前她眼看著她所在的地區世風日下，但不管怎樣白天治安情況還算可以，可現在卻不行了。瑪麗亞有生以來第一次感到害怕、孤獨和脆弱。
“我垮了，”瑪麗亞告訴她朋友薇拉說，“我只是個老太太，無事可干，也無處可去。”薇拉來接她去醫院檢查，她幾乎沒認出她的老朋友。瑪麗亞那淺棕色眼睛顯露一絲令人難忘的憂慮，她面容瘦削，憔悴。屋里的窗簾全拉著。她拄著拐棍支撐那條傷腿，一瘸一拐地朝前廊挪動，兩手因恐懼而不停地顫抖。
離預約的時間還早了些，為了讓瑪麗亞心情好點，薇拉繞遠經過景致宜人的街區。在等紅燈的時候，瑪麗亞突然尖叫著說，“瞧那只貓。它想過馬路。”薇拉抬頭看見一只黑白相間的小貓從路邊向車流跳去。先是一輛，然后另一輛，接著第三輛，連著三輛車撞了小貓，薇拉和瑪麗亞同時尖聲喊叫。小貓給甩在草地上，躺在那兒一動不動。來往汽車都減速了，可是沒人停車相助。
“咱們得救救那可憐的小東西。”瑪麗亞說道。薇拉把車靠在路邊，下車走向那受傷的小貓。它還奇跡般地活著，但傷得很厲害。
“用我的上衣裹上它。”瑪麗亞說道。薇拉小心翼翼地把貓放在她們倆之間的座位上。小貓抬頭瞧著瑪麗亞，痛苦地發出輕到幾乎聽不見的一聲“喵”。
瑪麗亞含著淚水說，“小家伙，一切都會過去的。”
她們找到了一家動物診所，進去告訴接待員所發生的事。
“我很抱歉，”接待員說道，“我們不接待無主的動物。”
在第二家診所也是同樣的遭遇。最后，在第三家，心地善良的獸醫蘇珊?沙納漢同意相助，立即動手搶救。
“這小家伙能活著真幸運，”她告訴瑪麗亞和薇拉說，“你們要是不救它，它就沒命了。”
獸醫把瑪麗亞領到一邊。“小貓傷得很重，”她說，“頭部有傷，爪子壓斷，鎖骨骨折。治療費用會很昂貴。光今天一筆花銷就得400塊錢。”
瑪麗亞聽了倒抽一口氣，可她還是從手提袋里拿出舊布錢包，給了醫生50塊錢。這是她付了自己的醫療費后僅剩的錢。
“我的錢全在這兒了，不過我答應你過后還清其余的錢。請你不要讓它安樂死，”她哀求道，“我打算帶它回家。我需要它，它也需要我。”
沙納漢醫生意識到救活那只貓有多么重要，她彎下身來，握住瑪麗亞的雙手，溫和地說道，“老板要是知道我這么做，我就會有麻煩了。其實，一開始我就不該搶救這只貓，不過，別擔心……我自己掏腰包先把錢付了。”
小貓待在診所的日子里，瑪麗亞每天都去看望它。她輕聲細氣地跟它說話，用小指輕輕撫摸小貓的下巴。日子一天天過去，小貓開始嗚嗚做聲，瑪麗亞的眼睛又閃爍著喜悅的光。
小貓回家的日子到來了。激動得如同圣誕節早上的小女孩，瑪麗亞滿面春風地走進診所接小貓。“你給它想好名字了嗎？”沙納漢醫生問道。
瑪麗亞懷里抱著小貓，高興地回答說，“我打算管它叫'幸運'，因為我們倆一起獲得新的生命。”
1. widow n. 寡婦
2. run-down 破敗的
3. ferocious adj. <口>十分強烈的， 極度的
4. profusely adv. 豐富地，大量的
5. Herculean adj. 力大無比的， 巨大的
6. deteriorate v. （使）惡化
7. miraculous adj. 奇跡般的， 不可思議的
8. veterinarian n. 獸醫
9. purr v. 咕嚕咕嚕叫， 發出喉音
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