Thenhelookedbehindhimandsawthatnolandwasvisible.Thatmakesnodifference,hethought.IcanalwayscomeinontheglowfromHavana.Therearetwomorehoursbeforethesunsetsandmaybehewillcomeupbeforethat.Ifhedoesn』tmaybehewillcomeupwiththemoon.Ifhedoesnotdothatmaybehewillcomeupwiththesunrise.IhavenocrampsandIfeelstrong.Itishethathasthehookinhismouth.Butwhatafishtopulllikethat.Hemusthavehismouthshuttightonthewire.IwishIcouldseehim.IwishIcouldseehimonlyoncetoknowwhatIhaveagainstme.
Thefishneverchangedhiscoursenorhisdirectionallthatnightasfarasthemancouldtellfromwatchingthestars.Itwascoldafterthesunwentdownandtheoldman』ssweatdriedcoldonhisbackandhisarmsandhisoldlegs.Duringthedayhehadtakenthesackthatcoveredthebaitboxandspreaditinthesuntodry.Afterthesunwentdownhetieditaroundhisnecksothatithungdownoverhisbackandhecautiouslyworkeditdownunderthelinethatwasacrosshisshouldersnow.Thesackcushionedthelineandhehadfoundawayofleaningforwardagainstthebowsothathewasalmostcomfortable.Thepositionactuallywasonlysomewhatlessintolerable;buthethoughtofitasalmostcomfortable.
Icandonothingforhimandhecandonothingforme,hethought.Notaslongashekeepsthisup.
Oncehestoodupandurinatedoverthesideoftheskiffandlookedatthestarsandcheckedhiscourse.Thelineshowedlikeaphosphorescentstreakinthewaterstraightoutfromhisshoulders.TheyweremovingmoreslowlynowandtheglowofHavanawasnotsostrong,sothatheknewthecurrentmustbecarryingthemtotheeastward.IfIlosetheglareofHavanawemustbegoingmoretotheeastward,hethought.Forifthefish』scourseheldtrueImustseeitformanymorehours.Iwonderhowthebaseballcameoutinthegrandleaguestoday,hethought.Itwouldbewonderfultodothiswitharadio.Thenhethought,thinkofitalways.Thinkofwhatyouaredoing.Youmustdonothingstupid.
Thenhesaidaloud,「IwishIhadtheboy.Tohelpmeandtoseethis.」
Nooneshouldbealoneintheiroldage,hethought.Butitisunavoidable.Imustremembertoeatthetunabeforehespoilsinordertokeepstrong.Remember,nomatterhowlittleyouwantto,thatyoumusteathiminthemorning.Remember,hesaidtohimself.
Duringthenighttwoporpoisescamearoundtheboatandhecouldhearthemrollingandblowing.Hecouldtellthedifferencebetweentheblowingnoisethemalemadeandthesighingblowofthefemale.
「Theyaregood,」hesaid.「Theyplayandmakejokesandloveoneanother.Theyareourbrothersliketheflyingfish.」
Thenhebegantopitythegreatfishthathehadhooked.Heiswonderfulandstrangeandwhoknowshowoldheis,hethought.NeverhaveIhadsuchastrongfishnoronewhoactedsostrangely.Perhapsheistoowisetojump.Hecouldruinmebyjumpingorbyawildrush.Butperhapshehasbeenhookedmanytimesbeforeandheknowsthatthisishowheshouldmakehisfight.Hecannotknowthatitisonlyonemanagainsthim,northatitisanoldman.Butwhatagreatfishheisandwhatwillhebringinthemarketifthefleshisgood.Hetookthebaitlikeamaleandhepullslikeamaleandhisfighthasnopanicinit.IwonderifhehasanyplansorifheisjustasdesperateasIam?
Herememberedthetimehehadhookedoneofapairofmarlin.Themalefishalwaysletthefemalefishfeedfirstandthehookedfish,thefemale,madeawild,panic-stricken,despairingfightthatsoonexhaustedher,andallthetimethemalehadstayedwithher,crossingthelineandcirclingwithheronthesurface.Hehadstayedsoclosethattheoldmanwasafraidhewouldcutthelinewithhistailwhichwassharpasascytheandalmostofthatsizeandshape.Whentheoldmanhadgaffedherandclubbedher,holdingtherapierbillwithitssandpaperedgeanddubbingheracrossthetopofherheaduntilhercolourturnedtoacolouralmostlikethebackingofmirrors,andthen,withtheboy』said,hoistedheraboard,themalefishhadstayedbythesideoftheboat.Then,whiletheoldmanwasclearingthelinesandpreparingtheharpoon,themalefishjumpedhighintotheairbesidetheboattoseewherethefemalewasandthenwentdowndeep,hislavenderwings,thatwerehispectoralfins,spreadwideandallhiswidelavenderstripesshowing.Hewasbeautiful,theoldmanremembered,andhehadstayed.
ThatwasthesaddestthingIeversawwiththem,theoldmanthought.Theboywassadtooandwebeggedherpardonandbutcheredherpromptly.
「Iwishtheboywashere,」hesaidaloudandsettledhimselfagainsttheroundedplanksofthebowandfeltthestrengthofthegreatfishthroughthelineheheldacrosshisshouldersmovingsteadilytowardwhateverhehadchosen.
Whenonce,throughmytreachery,ithadbeennecessarytohimtomakeachoice,theoldmanthought.
Hischoicehadbeentostayinthedeepdarkwaterfaroutbeyondallsnaresandtrapsandtreacheries.Mychoicewastogotheretofindhimbeyondallpeople.Beyondallpeopleintheworld.Nowwearejoinedtogetherandhavebeensincenoon.Andnoonetohelpeitheroneofus.
PerhapsIshouldnothavebeenafisherman,hethought.ButthatwasthethingthatIwasbornfor.Imustsurelyremembertoeatthetunaafteritgetslight.