101.
“Then you must come with me now!”, proclaimed Conrad in a deep, loud voice. “The El Telo sails at sunset.”
The matchmaker beamed with pride. She put one hand on my shoulder and the other on Conrad’s. “You boys have a long voyage ahead of you. Take your time through the city. Be around each other for a while.” She handed us shoulder bags stuffed with clothes and provisions. “Compliments of the house.” she grinned. “And something to remember me by.” As the four of us descended into the city, I glanced back to see her dancing on the patio, waving her arms with glee while her dog howled away in her hair.
Pat chuckled. “Will you come with me to Sumatra?”.
The matchmaker beamed with pride. She put one hand on my shoulder and the other on Conrad’s. “You boys have a long voyage ahead of you. Take your time through the city. Be around each other for a while.” She handed us shoulder bags stuffed with clothes and provisions. “Compliments of the house.” she grinned. “And something to remember me by.” As the four of us descended into the city, I glanced back to see her dancing on the patio, waving her arms with glee while her dog howled away in her hair.
Pat chuckled. “Will you come with me to Sumatra?”.
“To the ends of the earth, ya big galoot.”, laughed Nanette.
Conrad and I took the whole day to walk down and into the city to the harbor. I expected him to tell me his country’s struggle with Uncle Sam, but he said nothing. He had only shy smiles and sidelong glances to offer me.
“I’m sure you assume I’m American.”, I said with some reserve. “Pat and Nanette are from Ecuador. May I ask where you are from?”
“I am from a small island in the Indian Ocean.”, mumbled Conrad.
There was pain in his voice. I let him be. As we walked through the city, we soaked each other in. Words were sparse, a comment, a question, an answer here and there, punctuation to a silent symphony. There was something stirring in me, something I was only vaguely aware of.
Conrad and I took the whole day to walk down and into the city to the harbor. I expected him to tell me his country’s struggle with Uncle Sam, but he said nothing. He had only shy smiles and sidelong glances to offer me.
“I’m sure you assume I’m American.”, I said with some reserve. “Pat and Nanette are from Ecuador. May I ask where you are from?”
“I am from a small island in the Indian Ocean.”, mumbled Conrad.
There was pain in his voice. I let him be. As we walked through the city, we soaked each other in. Words were sparse, a comment, a question, an answer here and there, punctuation to a silent symphony. There was something stirring in me, something I was only vaguely aware of.
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