36
PARTISAN REVIEW
"Bananas."
"What are you going to do with them?"
"What do you think?"
"I don't know."
"Hell, we want to eat," the boy said.
They weren't getting anywhere. The boy gave up trying. A cluster
drifted into the man's basket.
He manipulated the rope with care.
Driftwood and a rotted gunny sack tangled up the works but he set his
foot against the dock and drew.. Four or
five
of the group ate from the
cluster. They removed the skins without cleaning them. The boy ate
without taking the banana from his mouth, I chose one that looked water–
tight. I thought it could not have been contaminated in that short a time.
It
wasn't bad. When the cluster was gone two other men took up the
dragging. One of them said I could safely return to flop at the ,varehoust
because after the meal a new shift came on.
It
took so little to keep Eileen contented and I could not offer it.
There were women who accepted everything you had and smiled graciously.
They waited to see if you had more and you felt that, and kept on your
toes in conversation and in the display of your qualities. In the minor
tourneys if you preserved your detachment sufficiently to indicate a degree
of strength you preserved also her interest and the gracious smile. When
you were finished exploring each other you had brusque moments and
showed to disadvantage or you fell in love and dulled her interest.
Two seamen stopped before me where I sat and wanted to know if I
was applying for one of those workaway jobs. I said No, I didn't see
anyone begging me to take one. They pointed above my head to a sign
which I hadn't observed and it was an employment agency for marine work–
ers. One of them said this agency was hiring only workaways and he
didn't like to see any young fellows roped in, working your way was just
like strikebreaking, just as bad, you're likely to get into jams with some
of these crews, those boys are good and sick of scissorbilis.
He was pretty sure I came to apply for one of those jobs. The other
tried to soothe him, Why don't you find out where the hell you stand
first, that's no way to talk, Mac.
I told them I'd be tickled silly to ship as ordinary but I didn't have
papers, I hadn't known what the hell a workaway was anyhow but don't
worry about strikebreaking, I was kicked out of high school trying to
start a strike, not break one. I said, Just give me another week, I'll lose
the college boy look.
He said, Sure Mac, this guy's all right, you owe him a drink.
