hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第42章
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¨Oh；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Then it must be true。〃
¨Donˇt you truly think I might be good for him？〃
¨You might。〃
¨There are some complications。〃
¨There always are。〃
¨Should I tell you now？〃
¨No；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨You better get dressed and comb your hair and get up there。 He might meet some other woman while he was waiting。〃
¨You werenˇt like this in the old days。 I thought you were the kindest man I ever knew。〃
¨Iˇm awfully sorry； Audrey。 And Iˇm glad youˇre here。〃
¨We are old friends； arenˇt we？〃
¨Sure；〃 he said。 ¨Change and fix yourself up and get up there。〃
He looked away from the girl and she shut the door of the shower。 He did not know what made him feel as he did。 But the happiness of the summer began to drain out of him as when the tide changes on the flats and the ebb begins in the channel that opens out to sea。 He watched the sea and the line of beach and he noticed that the tide had changed and the shore birds were working busily well down the slope of new wet sand。 The breakers were diminishing as they receded。 He looked a long way up along the shore and then went into the house。
XIII
THEY HAD A FINE TIME the last few days。 It was as good as any of the time before and there was no pre…going sadness。 The yacht left and Audrey took a room over the Ponce de Le？n。 But she stayed at the house and slept on a cot on the sleeping porch at the far end of the house and used the guest room。
She did not say anything again about being in love with Roger。 All Roger said to Thomas Hudson about her was； ¨Sheˇs married to some sort of a son of a bitch。〃
¨You couldnˇt expect her to wait all her life for you； could you？〃
¨At least heˇs a son of a bitch。〃
¨Arenˇt they always？ Youˇll find he has his nice side。〃
¨Heˇs rich。〃
¨Thatˇs probably his nice side；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Theyˇre always married to some son of a bitch and he always has some tremendously nice side。〃
¨All right；〃 Roger said。 ¨Letˇs not talk about it。〃
¨Youˇre going to do the book； arenˇt you？〃
¨Sure。 Thatˇs what she wants me to do。〃
¨Is that why youˇre going to do it？〃
¨Shove it； Tom；〃 Roger told him。
¨Do you want to use the Cuba House？ Itˇs only a shack。 But youˇd be away from people。〃
¨No。 I want to go West。〃
¨The Coast？〃
¨No。 Not the Coast。 Could I stay at the ranch for a while？〃
¨Thereˇs only the one cabin thatˇs on the far beach。 I rented the rest。〃
¨That would be fine。〃
The girl and Roger took long walks on the beach and swam together and with the boys。 The boys went bone…fishing and took Audrey bone…fishing and goggle…fishing on the reef。 Thomas Hudson worked hard and all the time he was working and the boys were out on the flats he had the good feeling that they would be home soon and they would be having supper or dinner together。 He was worried when they were goggle…fishing but he knew Roger and Eddy would make them be careful。 One time they all went trolling for a full day up to the furthest light at the end of the bank and had a wonderful day with bonito and dolphin and three big wahoo。 He painted a canvas of a wahoo with his strange flattened head and his stripes around his long speed…built body for Andy； who had caught the biggest one。 He painted him against a background of the big spider…legged lighthouse with the summer clouds and the green of the banks。
Then one day the old Sikorsky amphibian circled the house once and then landed in the bay and they rowed the three boys out to her in the dinghy。 Joseph sculled out in another dinghy with their bags。 Young Tom said； ¨Goodbye； papa。 It certainly was a swell summer。〃
David said； ¨Goodbye； papa。 It certainly was wonderful。 Donˇt worry about anything。 Weˇll be careful。〃
Andrew said； ¨Goodbye； papa。 Thanks for a wonderful； wonderful summer and for the trip to Paris。〃
They climbed up into the cockpit door and all waved from the door to Audrey； who was standing on the dock； and called； ¨Goodbye！ Goodbye； Audrey。〃
Roger was helping them up and they said； ¨Goodbye； Mr。 Davis。 Goodbye； papa。〃 Then very loud and carrying over the water； ¨Goodbye； Audrey！〃
Then the door closed and locked and they were faces through the small glass panes and then they were water…splashed faces as the old coffee mills revved up。 Thomas Hudson pulled away from the rush of spray and the ancient； ugly plane taxied out and took off into the little breeze there was and then circled once and straightened course； steady； ugly； and slow across the Gulf。
Thomas Hudson knew Roger and Audrey would be leaving and as the run…boat was coming the next day he asked Roger when he was going。
¨Tomorrow； old Tom；〃 Roger said。
¨With Wilson？〃
¨Yes。 I asked him to come back。〃
¨I just wanted to know about ordering on the run…boat。〃
So the next day they left the same way。 Thomas Hudson kissed the girl goodbye and she kissed him。 She had cried when the boys left and she cried that day and held him close and hard。
¨Take good care of him and take good care of you。〃
¨Iˇm going to try。 Youˇve been awful good to us； Tom。〃
¨Nonsense。〃
¨Iˇll write；〃 Roger said。 ¨Is there anything you want me to do out there？〃
¨Have fun。 You might let me know how things are。〃
¨I will。 This one will write； too。〃
So they were gone； too； and Thomas Hudson stopped in at Bobbyˇs on the way home。
¨Going to be goddam lonely；〃 Bobby said。
¨Yes；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Itˇs going to be goddam lonely。〃
XIV
THOMAS HUDSON WAS UNHAPPY as soon as the boys were gone。 But he thought that was normal lonesomeness for them and he just kept on working。 The end of a manˇs own world does not come as it does in one of the great paintings Mr。 Bobby had outlined。 It comes with one of the island boys bringing a radio message up the road from the local post office and saying； ¨Please sign on the detachable part of the envelope。 Weˇre sorry； Mr。 Tom。〃
He gave the boy a shilling。 But the boy looked at it and put it down on the table。
¨I donˇt care for a tip； Mr。 Tom；〃 the boy said and went out。
He read it。 Then he put it in his pocket and went out the door and sat on the porch by the sea。 He took the radio form out and read it again。 YOUR SONS DAVID AND ANDREW KILLED WITH THEIR MOTHER IN MOTOR ACCIDENT NEAR BIARRITZ ATTENDING TO EVERYTHING PENDING YOUR ARRIVAL DEEPEST SYMPATHY。 It was signed by the Paris branch of his New York bank。
Eddy came out。 He had heard about it from Joseph who had heard about it from one of the boys at the radio shack。
Eddy sat down by him and said； ¨Shit； Tom； how can such things happen？〃
¨I donˇt know；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 ¨I guess they hit something or something ran into them。〃
¨Iˇll bet Davy wasnˇt driving；〃 Eddy said。
¨Iˇll bet so too。 But it doesnˇt matter any more。〃
Thomas Hudson looked out at the flatness of the blue sea and the darker blue of the Gulf。 The sun was low and soon it would be behind the clouds。
¨Do you think their mother was driving？〃
¨Probably。 Maybe they had a chauffeur。 What difference does it make？〃
¨Do you think it could have been Andy？〃
¨Could be。 His mother might let him。〃
¨Heˇs conceited enough；〃 Eddy said。
¨He was；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 ¨I donˇt think heˇs conceited now。〃
The sun was going down and there were clouds in front of it。
¨Weˇll get a wire to Wilkinson on their next radio schedule to come over early and for him to call up and save me space on a plane to New York。〃
¨What do you want me to do while youˇre away？〃
¨Just look after things。 Iˇll leave you some checks for each month。 If there are any blows； get plenty of good help with the boat and the house。〃
¨Iˇll do everything；〃 Eddy said。 ¨But I donˇt give a shit about anything any more。〃
¨I donˇt either；〃 said Thomas Hudson。
¨Weˇve got young Tom。〃
¨For the time being；〃 Thomas Hudson said and for the first time he looked straight down the long and perfect perspective of the blankness ahead。
¨Youˇll make it all right；〃 Eddy said。
¨Sure。 When didnˇt I ever make it？〃
¨You can st
