hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第47章
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¨They didnˇt have such coiffures。 They wore their hair shoulder length the way American girls did that year and the way many still do。 It was curled； too； very softly。 That was the way C。W。 liked them。 He had been in America and； naturally； he had seen the cinema。〃
¨Did you never have them again？〃
¨Only one at a time。 C。W。 would send me over one at a time as a present。 But he never sent all three。 They were new and naturally he wanted them for himself。 And； too； he said he did not want to do anything that was bad for my morals。〃
¨He sounds like a fine man。 What happened to him？〃
¨I believe he was shot。〃
¨Poor man。 That was a nice story though and very delicate for a story like that。 You seem more cheerful； too。〃
I guess I am； Thomas Hudson thought。 Well； that is what I set out to be。 Or was it？
¨Look； Lil；〃 he said。 ¨Donˇt you think weˇve drunk maybe just about enough of these？〃
¨How do you feel？〃
¨Better。〃
¨Make Tom？s another double frozen without sugar。 Iˇm getting a little drunk。 I donˇt want anything。〃
I do feel better； Thomas Hudson thought。 That is the funny part。 You always feel better and you always get over your remorse。 Thereˇs only one thing you donˇt get over and that is death。
¨You ever been dead？〃 he said to Lil。
¨Of course not。〃
¨Yo tampoco。〃
¨Why did you say that？ You scare me when you talk like that。〃
¨I donˇt mean to scare you； honey。 I donˇt want to scare anybody ever。〃
¨I like it when you call me honey。〃
This isnˇt getting anywhere； Thomas Hudson thought。 Isnˇt there anything else you could do that would produce the same effect rather than sit with beat…up old Honest Lil in La Floridita at the old tartsˇ end of the bar and get drunk？ If you only have four days couldnˇt you employ them better？ Where？； he thought。 At Alfredˇs Sin House？ Youˇre doing all right where you are。 The drinking couldnˇt be any better； nor as good； anywhere in the world and youˇre down to the drinking now； kid； and you better get just as far in it as you can。 Thatˇs what youˇve got now and you better like it and like it on all frequencies。 You know you always liked it and you loved it and itˇs what you have now； so you better love it。
¨I love it；〃 he said out loud。
¨What？〃
¨Drinking。 Not just drinking。 Drinking these double frozens without sugar。 If you drank that many with sugar it would make you sick。〃
¨Ya lo creo。 And if anybody else drank that many without sugar theyˇd be dead。〃
¨Maybe Iˇll be dead。〃
¨No； you wonˇt。 Youˇll just break the record and then weˇll go to my place and youˇll go to sleep and the worst thing that will happen is if you snore。〃
¨Did I snore last time？〃
¨Horrores。 And you called me by about ten different names in the night。〃
¨Iˇm sorry。〃
¨No。 I thought it was funny。 I learned two or three things I didnˇt know。 Donˇt your other girls ever get upset when you call them by so many different names？〃
¨I havenˇt any other girls。 Just a wife。〃
¨I try hard to like her and think well of her but it is very difficult。 Naturally I never let anyone speak against her。〃
¨Iˇll speak against her。〃
¨No。 Donˇt。 That is vulgar。 I hate two things。 Men when they cry。 I know they have to cry。 But I donˇt like it。 And I hate to hear them speak against their wives。 Yet they nearly all do。 So donˇt you do it； because we are having such a lovely time。〃
¨Good。 The hell with her。 We wonˇt speak about her。〃
¨Please； Tom。 You know I think she is very beautiful。 She is。 Really。 Pero no es mujer para ti。 But let us not speak against her。〃
¨Right。〃
¨Tell me another happy story。 It doesnˇt even have to have love in it if it makes you happy to tell it。〃
¨I donˇt think I know any happy stories。〃
¨Donˇt be like that。 You know thousands。 Take another drink and tell me a happy story。〃
¨Why donˇt you do some of the work？〃
¨What work？〃
¨The goddamned morale building。〃
¨T？ tienes la moral muy baja。〃
¨Sure。 Iˇm well aware of it。 But why donˇt you tell a few stories to build it up？〃
¨You have to do it yourself。 You know that。 Iˇll do anything else you want me to。 You know that。〃
¨OK；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨You really want another happy story？〃
¨Please。 Thereˇs your drink。 One more happy story and one more drink and youˇll feel good。〃
¨You guarantee it？〃
¨No；〃 she said and she began to cry again as she looked up at him； crying easily and naturally as water wells up in a spring。 ¨Tom； why canˇt you tell me whatˇs the matter？ Iˇm afraid to ask now。 Is that it？〃
¨Thatˇs it；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 Then she began to cry hard and he had to put his arm around her and try to comfort her with all of the people there at the bar。 She was not crying beautifully now。 She was crying straight and destructively。
¨Oh my poor Tom；〃 she said。 ¨Oh my poor Tom。〃
¨Pull yourself together； mujer； and drink a brandy。 Now we are going to be cheerful。〃
¨Oh； I donˇt want to be cheerful now。 Iˇll never be cheerful again。〃
¨Look；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨You see how much good it does to tell people things？〃
¨Iˇll be cheerful；〃 she said。 ¨Just give me a minute。 Iˇll go out to the ladies and Iˇll be all right。〃
You damned well better be； Thomas Hudson thought。 Because Iˇm feeling really bad and if you donˇt quit crying； or if you talk about it； Iˇll pull the hell out of here。 And if I pull the hell out of here where the hell else have I got to go？ He was aware of the limitations； and no oneˇs Sin House was the answer。
¨Give me another double frozen daiquiri without sugar。 No s？ lo que pasa con esta mujer。〃
¨She cries like a sprinkling can；〃 the barman said。 ¨They ought to have her instead of the aqueduct。〃
¨Howˇs the aqueduct coming？〃 Thomas Hudson asked。
The man next to him on his left at the bar； a short； cheerful…faced man with a broken nose whose face he knew well but whose name and whose politics escaped him said； ¨Those cabrones。 They can always get money for water since water is the one great necessity。 Everything else is necessary。 But water there is no substitute for and you cannot do without some water。 So they can always get money to bring water。 So there will never be a proper aqueduct。〃
¨Iˇm not sure I follow you completely。〃
¨S？； hombre。 They can always get money for an aqueduct because an aqueduct is absolutely necessary。 Therefore they cannot afford an aqueduct。 Would you kill the goose that lays the golden aqueduct？〃
¨Why not build the aqueduct and make some money out of it and find another truco？〃
¨Thereˇs no trick like water。 You can always get money for the promise to produce water。 No politician would destroy a truco like that by building an adequate aqueduct。 Aspirant politicians occasionally shoot one another in the lowest levels of politics。 But no politician would so strike at the true basis of political economy。 Let me propose a toast to the Custom House； a lottery racket； the free numbers racket； the fixed price of sugar； and the eternal lack of an aqueduct。〃
¨Prosit；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Youˇre not German； are you？〃
¨No。 American。〃
¨Then let us drink to Roosevelt； Churchill； Batista； and the lack of an aqueduct。〃
¨To Stalin。〃
¨Certainly。 To Stalin； Central Hershey； marijuana； and the lack of an aqueduct。〃
¨To Adolphe Luque。〃
¨To Adolph Luque； to Adolf Hitler； to Philadelphia； to Gene Tunney； to Key West； and to the lack of an aqueduct。〃
Honest Lil came in to the bar from the ladies room while they were talking。 She had repaired her face and she was not crying but you could see she had been hit。
¨Do you know this gentleman？〃 Thomas Hudson said to her； introducing his new friend； or his old friend newly found。
¨Only in bed；〃 the gentleman said。
¨C？llate；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨Heˇs a politician；〃 she explained to Thomas Hudson； ¨Muy hambriento en este momento。〃
¨Thirsty；〃 the politician corrected。 ¨And at your orders；〃 he said to Thomas Hudson。 ¨What will you have？〃
¨A double frozen daiquiri without sugar。 Should we roll for them？〃
¨No； Let me buy them。 I have unlimited credit here。〃
¨Heˇs a good man；〃 Honest Lil said to Thomas Hudson in a whisper while the other was attracting the attention of the nearest barman。 ¨A politician。 But very honest and very cheerful。〃
The man put his arm around Lil。 ¨Youˇre thinner every day； mi vida；〃 he said。 ¨We must belong to the same political party。〃
¨To the aqueduct；〃 Thomas Hudson said；
¨My God； no。 What are you trying to do？ Take the bread out of our mouths and put water in？〃
¨Letˇs drink to when the puta guerra will finish；〃 Lil said；
¨Drink。〃
¨To the black market；〃 the man said。 ¨To the cement shortage。 To those who control the supply of black beans。〃
¨Drink；〃 Thomas Hudson said and added； ¨To rice。〃
¨To rice；〃 the politician said。 ¨Drink。〃
¨Do you feel better？〃 Honest Lil asked。
¨Sure。〃
He looked at her and saw she was going to start to cry again。
¨You cry again；〃 he said； ¨and Iˇll break your jaw。〃
There was a lithographed poster behind the bar of a politician in white suit and the slogan ¨Un Alcalde Mejor；〃 a better mayor。 It was a big poster and the better mayor stared straight into the eyes of every drinker。
¨To Un Alcalde Peor；〃 the politician said。 ¨To A Worse Mayor。〃
¨Will you run？〃 Thomas Hudson asked him。
¨Absolutely。〃
¨Thatˇs wonderful；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨Letˇs draw up our platform。〃
¨It isnˇt difficult；〃 the candidate said。 ¨Un Alcalde Peor。 Weˇve got a winning slogan。 What do we need a platform for？〃
¨We ought to have a platform；〃 Lil said。 ¨Donˇt you think so； Tom？s？〃
¨I think so。 What about Down with the Rural Schools？〃
¨Down；〃 said the candidate。
¨Menos guaguas y peores；〃 Honest Lil suggested。
¨Good。 Fewer and worse buses。〃
¨Why not do away with transport entirely？〃 suggested the candidate。 ¨Es m？s sencillo。〃
¨Okay；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Cero transporte。〃
¨Short and noble；〃 the candidate said。 ¨And it shows we are impartial。 But we could elaborate it。 What about Cero transporte a？reo； terrestre； y mar？timo？〃
¨Wonderful。 Weˇre getting a real platform。 How do we stand on leprosy？〃
¨Por una lepra m？s grande para Cuba；〃 said the candidate。
¨Por el c？ncer cubano；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Por una tuberculosis ampliada； adecuada； y permanente para Cuba y los cubanos；〃 said the candidate。 ¨Thatˇs a little bit long but it will sound good on the radio。 Where do we stand on syphilis； my coreligionists？〃
¨Por una s？filis criolla cien por cien。〃
¨Good；〃 said the candidate。 ¨Down with Penicilina and other tricks of Yanqui Imperialism。〃
¨Down；〃 said Thomas Hudson。
¨It seems to me as though we ought to drink something；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨How does it seem to you； correligionarios？〃
¨A magnificent idea；〃 said the candidate。 ¨Who but you could have had an idea like that？〃
¨You；〃 Honest Lil said。
¨Attack my credit；〃 the candidate said。 ¨Letˇs see how my credit stands
