TheOldManandtheSea
HewasanoldmanwhofishedaloneinaskiffintheGulfStreamandhehadgoneeighty-fourdaysnowwithouttakingafish.Inthefirstfortydaysaboyhadbeenwithhim.Butafterfortydayswithoutafishtheboy』sparentshadtoldhimthattheoldmanwasnowdefinitelyandfinallysalao,whichistheworstformofunlucky,andtheboyhadgoneattheirordersinanotherboatwhichcaughtthreegoodfishthefirstweek.Itmadetheboysadtoseetheoldmancomeineachdaywithhisskiffemptyandhealwayswentdowntohelphimcarryeitherthecoiledlinesorthegaffandharpoonandthesailthatwasfurledaroundthemast.Thesailwaspatchedwithfloursacksand,furled,itlookedliketheflagofpermanentdefeat.
Theoldmanwasthinandgauntwithdeepwrinklesinthebackofhisneck.Thebrownblotchesofthebenevolentskincancerthesunbringsfromitsreflectiononthetropicseawereonhischeeks.Theblotchesranwelldownthesidesofhisfaceandhishandshadthedeep-creasedscarsfromhandlingheavyfishonthecords.Butnoneofthesescarswerefresh.Theywereasoldaserosionsinafishlessdesert.
Everythingabouthimwasoldexcepthiseyesandtheywerethesamecolorastheseaandwerecheerfulandundefeated.
「Santiago,」theboysaidtohimastheyclimbedthebankfromwheretheskiffwashauledup.「Icouldgowithyouagain.We』vemadesomemoney.」
Theoldmanhadtaughttheboytofishandtheboylovedhim.
「No,」theoldmansaid.「You』rewithaluckyboat.Staywiththem.」
「Butrememberhowyouwenteighty-sevendayswithoutfishandthenwecaughtbigoneseverydayforthreeweeks.」
「Iremember,」theoldmansaid.「Iknowyoudidnotleavemebecauseyoudoubted.」
「Itwaspapamademeleave.IamaboyandImustobeyhim.」
「Iknow,」theoldmansaid.「Itisquitenormal.」
「Hehasn』tbeenmuchfaith.」
「No,」theoldmansaid.「Butwehave,haven』twe?」
『Yes,」theboysaid.「CanIofferyouabeerontheTerraceandthenwe』lltakethestuffhome?」
「Whynot?」theoldmansaid.「Betweenfishermen.」
TheysatontheTerraceandmanyofthefishermenmadefunoftheoldmanandhewasnotangry.Others,oftheolderfishermen,lookedathimandweresad.Buttheydidnotshowitandtheyspokepolitelyaboutthecurrentandthedepthstheyhaddriftedtheirlinesatandthesteadygoodweatherandofwhattheyhadseen.Thesuccessfulfishermenofthatdaywerealreadyinandhadbutcheredtheirmarlinoutandcarriedthemlaidfulllengthacrosstwoplanks,withtwomenstaggeringattheendofeachplank,tothefishhousewheretheywaitedfortheicetrucktocarrythemtothemarketinHavana.Thosewhohadcaughtsharkshadtakenthemtothesharkfactoryontheothersideofthecovewheretheywerehoistedonablockandtackle,theirliversremoved,theirfinscutoffandtheirhidesskinnedoutandtheirfleshcutintostripsforsalting.
Whenthewindwasintheeastasmellcameacrosstheharbourfromthesharkfactory;buttodaytherewasonlythefaintedgeoftheodourbecausethewindhadbackedintothenorthandthendroppedoffanditwaspleasantandsunnyontheTerrace.
「Santiago,」theboysaid.
「Yes,」theoldmansaid.Hewasholdinghisglassandthinkingofmanyyearsago.
「CanIgoouttogetsardinesforyoufortomorrow?」
「No.Goandplaybaseball.IcanstillrowandRogeliowillthrowthenet.」
「Iwouldliketogo.IfIcannotfishwithyou.Iwouldliketoserveinsomeways.」
「Youboughtmeabeer,」theoldmansaid.「Youarealreadyaman.」
「HowoldwasIwhenyoufirsttookmeinaboat?」
「FiveandyounearlywerekilledwhenIbroughtthefishintoogreenandhenearlytoretheboattopieces.Canyouremember?」
「Icanrememberthetailslappingandbangingandthethwartbreakingandthenoiseoftheclubbing.Icanrememberyouthrowingmeintothebowwherethewetcoiledlineswereandfeelingthewholeboatshiverandthenoiseofyouclubbinghimlikechoppingatreedownandthesweetbloodsmellalloverme.」
「CanyoureallyrememberthatordidIjusttellittoyou?」
「Iremembereverythingfromwhenwefirstwenttogether.」
Theoldmanlookedathimwithhissun-burned,confidentlovingeyes.
「IfyouweremyboyI』dtakeyououtandgamble,」hesaid.「Butyouareyourfather』sandyourmother』sandyouareinaluckyboat.」
「MayIgetthesardines?IknowwhereIcangetfourbaitstoo.」
「Ihavemineleftfromtoday.Iputtheminsaltinthebox.」
「Letmegetfourfreshones.」
「One,」theoldmansaid.Hishopeandhisconfidencehadnevergone.Butnowtheywerefresheningaswhenthebreezerisen.
「Two,」theboysaid.
「Two,」theoldmanagreed.「Youdidn』tstealthem?」
「Iwould,」theboysaid.「ButIboughtthese.」
「Thankyou,」theoldmansaid.Hewastoosimpletowonderwhenhehadattainedhumility.Butheknewhehadattaineditandheknewitwasnotdisgracefulanditcarriednolossoftruepride.
「Tomorrowisgoingtobeagooddaywiththiscurrent,」hesaid.
「Whereareyougoing?」theboyasked.
「Farouttocomeinwhenthewindshifts.Iwanttobeoutbeforeitislight.」
「I』lltrytogethimtoworkfarout,」theboysaid.「Thenifyouhooksomethingtrulybigwecancometoyouraid.」
「Hedoesnotliketoworktoofarout.」
「No,」theboysaid.「ButIwillseesomethingthathecannotseesuchasabirdworkingandgethimtocomeoutafterdolphin.」
「Arehiseyesthatbad?」
「Heisalmostblind.」
「Itisstrange,」theoldmansaid.「Heneverwentturtle-ing.Thatiswhatkillstheeyes.」
「Butyouwentturtle-ingforyearsofftheMosquitoCoastandyoureyesaregood.」
「Iamastrangeoldman.」
「Butareyoustrongenoughnowforatrulybigfish?」
「Ithinkso.Andtherearemanytricks.」
「Letustakethestuffhome,」theboysaid.「SoIcangetthecastnetandgoafterthesardines.」