Missing Florence / 想念佛羅倫斯

佛羅倫斯是個來自馬來西亞的熱帶女孩，剛認識她的時候，老覺得她的英文名和整個人的氣質搭不起來。她像一般熱帶國家的女生，瘦小的身軀，看起來弱不禁風，帶著一副圓框的眼鏡，常被誤認是二十歲不到的小女孩。不過佛羅倫斯一開口，倒是給人一股歷盡滄桑之感，從大學時代開始，她便一人隻身在台灣生活，難免比同齡還住在家中的同輩成熟不少。

大學時期，我不愛同樣來自台北的友伴，外籍生又太陌生遙遠，我始終找不到波頻相同的知己。在某次旅行當中，我發現佛羅倫斯的光芒，她的話語直接卻充滿成人的智慧，我開始喜歡上這個原先不怎麼起眼的傢伙。著迷她對摯友的執著、對生活的堅韌力，還有那一點點悲觀卻不悲傷的認命，佛羅倫斯陪我走過生命裡最閃耀也最動盪的年歲。

佛羅倫斯扮演的角色是我這輩子最渴望的位置，當其他人深陷於生活的難題時，她總是用旁觀者的語氣，平靜老練地說出她的意見，即使後來她偷偷抱怨，大家根本只是想聽聽安慰的字眼，她的那些建議不久之後就被拋諸腦後。有一陣子她厭倦了被輕視，直呼她不想再提供什麼了不起的看法，我還是那樣無恥地糾纏她，希望在我傷心無助時，為我指引方向。有時她的建議理性地過火，我也知道，但是在我過度感性時，我需要聽到她的聲音。

去過佛羅倫斯之後，開始覺得這個城市名很適合她，她不像來自熱帶的女孩，情緒的高低起伏隱藏地再完美不過，倒像溫溫的佛羅倫斯，不光芒耀人，卻有溫暖人心的力量。

我在秋末的亞熱帶，想念著那個住在熱帶地區，叫佛羅倫斯的女孩‧‧‧

Florence is a girl from tropical Malaysia. When I first met her, it struck me as odd that a girl like her had such an European English name. She is no different from others from tropical countries. Her skinny little body was like a thin willow in the wind. The round glasses on her tiny face made her look much younger than her actual age. But when she started to talk, words of wisdom never stopped flowing out of her mouth. She came all the way from Malaysia to Taiwan at 18 and started a brand-new life far away from home by herself. No wonder she was much more mature than those peers who still lived at home.

When I was in college, I hardly got along with friends that were also from Taipei. Meanwhile, students from Southeast Asia were too foreign for me. I didn't find anyone who I could share my thoughts with. On a certain trip, I accidentally saw Florence's glow. Her comments were straightforward and wise. I found myself attracted to this unremarkable-looking girl. I was fond of her loyalty to her best friend, her tenacity to get the best out of life, and that pessimistic-but-not-sad resigned attitude. Florence was there in my most beautiful yet unstable years.

Florence played a role that I longed for all my life. When people were trapped in difficulties, she would state her objective opinions calmly and rationally, as a by-stander. In fact, she later complained to me that nobody really took her suggestions. What everyone sought for was some nice consoling words. After they were healed, they simply left her advice behind and moved on. Once she was so sick and tired of being taken so lightly and claimed that she wouldn't give suggestions anymore. I still clung to her like to a buoy on the vast sea, hoping that she would pull me up when I was down. I knew well that she was way too rational sometimes, but when I was overwhelmed with emotion, I needed to hear her voice.

After having been to Florence, I realized that the city name Florence was just right for her. She isn't like anyone from the tropical zone. Her ups and downs were perfectly hidden. She reminds me of the gentle and calm Firenze. There is no dazzling light, but she has that heart-warming magic.

At the end of autumn on the subtropical island, I am missing that girl named Florence, who lives in the tropical area…