Wheredidyouwash?Theboythought.Thevillagewatersupplywastwostreetsdowntheroad.Imusthavewaterhereforhim,theboythought,andsoapandagoodtowel.WhyamIsothoughtless?Imustgethimanothershirtandajacketforthewinterandsomesortofshoesandanotherblanket.
「Yourstewisexcellent,」theoldmansaid.
「Tellmeaboutthebaseball,」theboyaskedhim.
「IntheAmericanLeagueitistheYankeesasIsaid,」theoldmansaidhappily.
「Theylosttoday,」theboytoldhim.
「Thatmeansnothing.ThegreatDiMaggioishimselfagain.」
「Theyhaveothermenontheteam.」
「Naturally.Buthemakesthedifference.Intheotherleague,betweenBrooklynandPhiladelphiaImusttakeBrooklyn.ButthenIthinkofDickSislerandthosegreatdrivesIntheoldpark.」
「Therewasnothingeverlikethem.HehitthelongestballIhaveeverseen.」
「DoyourememberwhenheusedtocometotheTerrace?」
「IwantedtotakehimfishingbutIwastootimidtoaskhim.ThenIaskedyoutoaskhimandyouweretootimid.」
「Iknow.Itwasagreatmistake.Hemighthavegonewithus.Thenwewouldhavethatforallofourlives.」
「IwouldliketotakethegreatDiMaggiofishing,」theoldmansaid.「Theysayhisfatherwasafisherman.Maybehewasaspoorasweareandwouldunderstand.」
「ThegreatSisler』sfatherwasneverpoorandhe,thefather,wasplayingintheBigLeagueswhenhewasmyage.」
「WhenIwasyourageIwasbeforethemastonasquareriggedshipthatrantoAfricaandIhaveseenlionsonthebeachesintheevening.」
「Iknow.Youtoldme.」
「ShouldwetalkaboutAfricaoraboutbaseball?」
「BaseballIthink,」theboysaid.「TellmeaboutthegreatJohnJ.McGraw.」HesaidJotaforJ.
「HeusedtocometotheTerracesometimestoointheolderdays.Buthewasroughandharsh-spokenanddifficultwhenhewasdrinking.Hismindwasonhorsesaswellasbaseball.Atleasthecarriedlistsofhorsesatalltimesinhispocketandfrequentlyspokethenamesofhorsesonthetelephone.」
「Hewasagreatmanager,」theboysaid.「Myfatherthinkshewasthegreatest.」
「Becausehecameherethemosttimes,」theoldmansaid.「IfDurocherhadcontinuedtocomehereeachyearyourfatherwouldthinkhimthegreatestmanager.」
「Whoisthegreatestmanager,really,LuqueorMikeGonzalez?」
「Ithinktheyareequal.」
「Andthebestfishermanisyou.」
「No.Iknowothersbetter.」
「QueVa,」theboysaid.「Therearemanygoodfishermenandsomegreatones.Butthereisonlyyou.」
「Thankyou.Youmakemehappy.Ihopenofishwillcomealongsogreatthathewillproveuswrong.」
「Thereisnosuchfishifyouarestillstrongasyousay.」
「ImaynotbeasstrongasIthink,」theoldmansaid.「ButIknowmanytricksandIhaveresolution.」
「Yououghttogotobednowsothatyouwillbefreshinthemorning.IwilltakethethingsbacktotheTerrace.」
「Goodnightthen.Iwillwakeyouinthemorning.」
「You』remyalarmclock,」theboysaid.
「Ageismyalarmclock,」theoldmansaid.「Whydooldmenwakesoearly?Isittohaveonelongerday?」
「Idon』tknow,」theboysaid.「AllIknowisthatyoungboyssleeplateandhard.」
「Icanrememberit,」theoldmansaid.「I』llwakeyouintime.」
「Idonotlikeforhimtowakeme.ItisasthoughIwereinferior.」
「Iknow.」
「Sleepwelloldman.」
Theboywentout.Theyhadeatenwithnolightonthetableandtheoldmantookoffhistrousersandwenttobedinthedark.Herolledhistrousersuptomakeapillow,puttingthenewspaperinsidethem.Herolledhimselfintheblanketandsleptontheotheroldnewspapersthatcoveredthespringsofthebed.
HewasasleepinashorttimeandhedreamedofAfricawhenhewasaboyandthelonggoldenbeachesandthewhitebeaches,sowhitetheyhurthiseyes,andthehighcapesandthegreatbrownmountains.Helivedalongthatcoastnoweverynightandinhisdreamsheheardthesurfroarandsawthenativeboatscomeridingthroughit.HesmelledthetarandoakumofthedeckashesleptandhesmelledthesmellofAfricathatthelandbreezebroughtatmorning.
Usuallywhenhesmelledthelandbreezehewokeupanddressedtogoandwaketheboy.ButtonightthesmellofthelandbreezecameveryearlyandheknewitwastooearlyinhisdreamandwentondreamingtoseethewhitepeaksoftheIslandsrisingfromtheseaandthenhedreamedofthedifferentharboursandroadsteadsoftheCanaryIslands.
Henolongerdreamedofstorms,norofwomen,norofgreatoccurrences,norofgreatfish,norfights,norcontestsofstrength,norofhiswife.Heonlydreamedofplacesnowandofthelionsonthebeach.Theyplayedlikeyoungcatsintheduskandhelovedthemashelovedtheboy.Heneverdreamedabouttheboy.Hesimplywoke,lookedouttheopendooratthemoonandunrolledhistrousersandputthemon.Heurinatedoutsidetheshackandthenwentuptheroadtowaketheboy.Hewasshiveringwiththemorningcold.Butheknewhewouldshiverhimselfwarmandthatsoonhewouldberowing.
Thedoorofthehousewheretheboylivedwasunlockedandheopeneditandwalkedinquietlywithhisbarefeet.Theboywasasleeponacotinthefirstroomandtheoldmancouldseehimclearlywiththelightthatcameinfromthedyingmoon.Hetookholdofonefootgentlyandheldituntiltheboywokeandturnedandlookedathim.Theoldmannoddedandtheboytookhistrousersfromthechairbythebedand,sittingonthebed,pulledthemon.
Theoldmanwentoutthedoorandtheboycameafterhim.Hewassleepyandtheoldmanputhisarmacrosshisshouldersandsaid,「Iamsorry.」
「QuaVa,」theboysaid.「Itiswhatamanmustdo.」
Theywalkeddowntheroadtotheoldman』sshackandallalongtheroad,inthedark,barefootmenweremoving,carryingthemastsoftheirboats.