Think of the great DiMaggio

“Have faith in the Yankees my son. Think of the great DiMaggio.”
“I fear both the Tigers of Detroit and the Indians of Cleveland.”
“Be careful or you will fear even the Reds of Cincinnati and the White Sax of
Chicago.”
“You study it and tell me when I come back.”
“Do you think we should buy a terminal of the lottery with an eighty-five? Tomorrow
is the
eighty-fifth day.” “We can do that,” the boy said. “But what about the eighty-seven of
your great record?”
[17] “It could not happen twice. Do you think you can find an eighty-five?”
“I can order one.
“One sheet. That’s two dollars and a half. Who can we borrow that from?”
“That’s easy. I can always borrow two dollars and a half.”
“I think perhaps I can too. But I try not to borrow. First you borrow. Then you beg.”
“Keep warm old man,” the boy said. “Remember we are in September.”
“The month when the great fish come,” the old man said. “Anyone can be a
fisherman in May.”
“I go now for the sardines,” the boy said.
When the boy came back the old man was asleep in the chair and the sun was down.
The boy took the old army blanket off the bed and spread it over the back of the chair and
over the old man’s shoulders. They were strange shoulders, still powerful although very
old, and the neck was still strong too and the creases did not show so much when the old
man was asleep and his head fallen forward. His shirt had been patched so many times
that it was like the sail and the patches were faded to many different shades by the sun.
The [18] old man’s head was very old though and with his eyes closed there was no life in
his face. The newspaper lay across his knees and the weight of his arm held it there in the
evening breeze. He was barefooted.
The boy left him there and when he came back the old man was still asleep.
“Wake up old man,” the boy said and put his hand on one of the old man’s knees.
The old man opened his eyes and for a moment he was coming back from a long way
away. Then he smiled.
“What have you got?” he asked.
“Supper,” said the boy. “We’re going to have supper.”