Wheredidyouwash? , theboythought, ? Imustgethimanothershirtandajacketforthewinterandsomesortofshoesandanotherblanket.
“Yourstewisexcellent,” theoldmansaid.
“Tellmeaboutthebaseball,” theboyaskedhim.
“IntheAmericanLeagueitistheYankeesasIsaid,” theoldmansaidhappily.
“Theylosttoday,” theboytoldhim.
“.”
“Theyhaveothermenontheteam.”
“, .”
“.”
“DoyourememberwhenheusedtocometotheTerrace?”
“.”
“.”
“IwouldliketotakethegreatDiMaggiofishing,” theoldmansaid.“.”
“ThegreatSisler’sfatherwasneverpoorandhe, thefather, wasplayingintheBigLeagueswhenhewasmyage.”
“WhenIwasyourageIwasbeforethemastonasquareriggedshipthatrantoAfricaandIhaveseenlionsonthebeachesintheevening.”
“.”
“ShouldwetalkaboutAfricaoraboutbaseball?”
“BaseballIthink,” theboysaid.“.” HesaidJotaforJ.
“.”
“Hewasagreatmanager,” theboysaid.“Myfatherthinkshewasthegreatest.”
“Becausehecameherethemosttimes,” theoldmansaid.“IfDurocherhadcontinuedtocomehereeachyearyourfatherwouldthinkhimthegreatestmanager.”
“Whoisthegreatestmanager, really, LuqueorMikeGonzalez?”
“Ithinktheyareequal.”
“Andthebestfishermanisyou.”
“.”
“QueVa,” theboysaid.“.”
“.”
“Thereisnosuchfishifyouarestillstrongasyousay.”
“ImaynotbeasstrongasIthink,” theoldmansaid.“ButIknowmanytricksandIhaveresolution.”
“.”
“.”
“You’remyalarmclock,” theboysaid.
“Ageismyalarmclock,” theoldmansaid.“Whydooldmenwakesoearly? Isittohaveonelongerday?”
“Idon’tknow,” theboysaid.“AllIknowisthatyoungboyssleeplateandhard.”
“Icanrememberit,” theoldmansaid.“I’llwakeyouintime.”
“.”
“Iknow.”
“Sleepwelloldman.”
, .
HewasasleepinashorttimeandhedreamedofAfricawhenhewasaboyandthelonggoldenbeachesandthewhitebeaches, sowhitetheyhurthiseyes, .
.
Henolongerdreamedofstorms, norofwomen, norofgreatoccurrences, norofgreatfish, norfights, norcontestsofstrength, , .
, sittingonthebed, pulledthemon.
, “Iamsorry.”
“QuaVa,” theboysaid.“Itiswhatamanmustdo.”
Theywalkeddowntheroadtotheoldman’sshackandallalongtheroad, inthedark, barefootmenweremoving, carryingthemastsoftheirboats.
