第2章 Talking Before the Sea[第1頁/共10頁]

“I know.”

“He was a great manager,”the boy said.“My father thinks he was the greatest.”

“Good luck,”the old man said. He fitted the rope lashings of the oars onto the thole pins and,leaning forward against the thrust of the blades in the water,he began to row out of the harbor in the dark.There were other boats from the other beaches going out to sea and the old man heard the dip and push of their oars even though he could not see them now the moon was below the hills.

They walked down the road to the old man's shack and all along the road,in the dark,barefoot men were moving, carrying the masts of their boats.

“Do you remember when he used to come to the Terrace? I wanted to take him fishing but I was too timid to ask him.Then I asked you to ask him and you were too timid.”

When they reached the old man's shack the boy took the rolls of line in the basket and the harpoon and gaff and the old man carried the mast with the furled sail on his shoulder.

The old man opened his eyes and for a moment he was coming back from a long way away.Then he smiled.