Theboycarriedthehotcanofcoffeeuptotheoldman』sshackandsatbyhimuntilhewoke.Onceitlookedasthoughhewerewaking.Buthehadgonebackintoheavysleepandtheboyhadgoneacrosstheroadtoborrowsomewoodtoheatthecoffee.
Finallytheoldmanwoke.
「Don』tsitup,」theboysaid.「Drinkthis.」
Hepouredsomeofthecoffeeinaglass.
Theoldmantookitanddrankit.
「Theybeatme,Manolin,」hesaid.「Theytrulybeatme.」
「Hedidn』tbeatyou.Notthefish.」
「No.Truly.Itwasafterwards.」
「Pedricoislookingaftertheskiffandthegear.Whatdoyouwantdonewiththehead?」
「LetPedricochopituptouseinfishtraps.」
「Andthespear?」
「Youkeepitifyouwantit.」
「Iwantit,」theboysaid.「Nowwemustmakeourplansabouttheotherthings.」
「Didtheysearchforme?」
「Ofcourse.Withcoastguardandwithplanes.」
「Theoceanisverybigandaskiffissmallandhardtosee,」theoldmansaid.Henoticedhowpleasantitwastohavesomeonetotalktoinsteadofspeakingonlytohimselfandtothesea.「Imissedyou,」hesaid.「Whatdidyoucatch?」
「Onethefirstday.Onethesecondandtwothethird.」
「Verygood.」
「Nowwefishtogetheragain.」
「No.Iamnotlucky.Iamnotluckyanymore.」
「Thehellwithluck,」theboysaid.「I』llbringtheluckwithme.」
「Whatwillyourfamilysay?」
「Idonotcare.Icaughttwoyesterday.ButwewillfishtogethernowforIstillhavemuchtolearn.」
「Wemustgetagoodkillinglanceandalwayshaveitonboard.YoucanmakethebladefromaspringleaffromanoldFord.WecangrinditinGuanabacoa.Itshouldbesharpandnottemperedsoitwillbreak.Myknifebroke.」
「I』llgetanotherknifeandhavethespringground.」
Howmanydaysofheavybrisahavewe?」
「Maybethree.Maybemore.」
「Iwillhaveeverythinginorder,」theboysaid.「Yougetyourhandswelloldman.」
「Iknowhowtocareforthem.InthenightIspatsomethingstrangeandfeltsomethinginmychestwasbroken.」
「Getthatwelltoo,」theboysaid.「Liedown,oldman,andIwillbringyouyourcleanshirt.Andsomethingtoeat.」
「BringanyofthepapersofthetimethatIwasgone,」theoldmansaid.
「YoumustgetwellfastforthereismuchthatIcanlearnandyoucanteachmeeverything.Howmuchdidyousuffer?」
「Plenty,」theoldmansaid.
「I』llbringthefoodandthepapers,」theboysaid.「Restwell,oldman.Iwillbringstufffromthedrugstoreforyourhands.」
「Don』tforgettotellPedricotheheadishis.」
「No.Iwillremember.」
Astheboywentoutthedooranddowntheworncoralrockroadhewascryingagain.
ThatafternoontherewasapartyoftouristsattheTerraceandlookingdowninthewateramongtheemptybeercansanddeadbarracudasawomansawagreatlongwhitespinewithahugetailattheendthatliftedandswungwiththetidewhiletheeastwindblewaheavysteadyseaoutsidetheentrancetotheharbour.
「What』sthat?」sheaskedawaiterandpointedtothelongbackboneofthegreatfishthatwasnowjustgarbagewaitingtogooutwiththetide.
「Tiburon,」thewaitersaid.「Shark.」Hewasmeaningtoexplainwhathadhappened.
「Ididn』tknowsharkshadsuchhandsome,beautifullyformedtails.」
「Ididn』teither,」hermalecompanionsaid.
Uptheroad,inhisshack,theoldmanwassleepingagain.Hewasstillsleepingonhisfaceandtheboywassittingbyhimwatchinghim.Theoldmanwasdreamingaboutthelions.