“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.
“You ought to go to bed now so that you will be fresh in the morning.I will take the things back to the Terrace.”
“Should we talk about Africa or about baseball?”
The boy went out.They had eaten with no light on the table and the old man took off his trousers and went to bed in the dark.He rolled his trousers up to make a pillow ,putting the newspaper inside them.He rolled himself in the blanket and slept on the other old newspapers that covered the springs of the bed.
“When I was your age I was before the mast on a square rigged ship that ran to Africa and I have seen lions on the beaches in the evening.”
“I can remember it,”the old man said.“ I'll waken you in time.”
“We'll put the gear in the boat and then get some.”
“Black beans and rice,fried bananas,and some stew.”
“I know.It was a great mistake.He might have gone with us.Then we would have that for all of our lives.”
“I must thank him.”
“Come on and eat.You can't fish and not eat.”
“How did you sleep old man?”the boy asked.He was waking up now although it was still hard for him to leave his sleep.