Старик и море

           Hedidnotrememberwhenhehadfirststartedtotalkaloudwhenhewasbyhimself. Hehadsungwhenhewasbyhimselfintheolddays andhehadsungatnightsometimeswhenhewasalonesteeringonhiswatchinthesmacksorintheturtleboats. Hehadprobablystartedtotalkaloud,whenalone,whentheboyhadleft. Buthedidnotremember. Whenheandtheboyfishedtogethertheyusuallyspokeonlywhenitwasnecessary. Theytalkedatnightorwhentheywerestorm-boundbybadweather. Itwasconsideredavirtuenottotalkunnecessarilyatseaandtheoldmanhadalwaysconsidereditsoandrespectedit. Butnowhesaidhisthoughtsaloudmanytimessincetherewasnoonethattheycouldannoy. 

           "IftheothersheardmetalkingoutloudtheywouldthinkthatIamcrazy,"hesaidaloud. "ButsinceIamnotcrazy,Idonotcare. Andtherichhaveradiostotalktothemintheirboatsandtobringthemthebaseball." 

           Nowisnotimetothinkofbaseball,hethought. Nowisthetimetothinkofonlyonething. ThatwhichIwasbornfor. Theremightbeabigonearoundthatschool,hethought. Ipickeduponlyastragglerfromthealbacorethatwerefeeding. Buttheyareworkingfaroutandfast. Everythingthatshowsonthesurfacetodaytravelsveryfastandtothenorth-east. Canthatbethetimeofday? OrisitsomesignofweatherthatIdonotknow? 

           Hecouldnotseethegreenoftheshore nowbutonlythetopsofthebluehillsthatshowedwhiteasthoughtheyweresnow-capped andthecloudsthatlookedlikehighsnowmountainsabovethem.