第2章 Talking Before the Sea[第1頁/共11頁]

“I have,”the old man said getting up and taking the newspaper and folding it.Then he started to fold the blanket.“Keep the blanket around you,”the boy said.You'll not fish without eating while I'm alive.

“I thanked him already,”the boy said.“You don't need to thank him.”

“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.”

“Sleep well old man.”

“They have other men on the team.”

“I know.It was a great mistake.He might have gone with us.Then we would have that for all of our lives.”

“Tell me about the baseball,”The boy asked him.

“I know.But this is in bottles,Hatuey beer,and I take back the bottles.”

The boy had brought them in a two-decker metal container from the Terrace.The two sets of knives and forks and spoons were in his pocket with a paper-napkin wrapped around each set.