THE WOMAN WHO HAD TWO NAVELS
479
"Maybe I shouldn't leave him alone," said Pepe. "Tony, wiIJ you
take Rita home?"
All that night, Pepe lay unsleeping in his room, conscious of his
father in the next room, unsleeping too. Toward dawn he heard the
old man moving about. He rose, pulled on a robe, and went to the
next room. The old man was rocking himself in a chair, in the dark.
Pepe turned on the light.
"You have risen early, Papa."
"I could not sleep."
"The rain has kept me awake too."
"Oh, not the rain-the dust, the dust, the dust . . ."
"We wiIJ make the boy wash this room thoroughly today."
"And crabs. Crabs crawling everywhere. Wherever I place a foot
I crush a crab."
Pepe heard his heart pounding.
"Dust and crabs, dust and crabs, dust and crabs ..." dully intoned
the old man to the wooden rhythm of the rocking-chair.
"Would you like a sleeping piIJ, Papa?"
"No."
"Would you like some coffee?"
"Thank you, yes."
When Pepe returned with the coffee the old man was stiIJ dully
rocking himself. Pepe pulled up a chair and sat in front of his father
while they drank the coffee.
"Tell me about Manila, Papa. How did you find it?"
The old man was silent, rocking himself in his chair; blowing into
his cup, then taking a sip, then blowing again.
Pepe slightly raised his voice. "Did you enjoy your stay in Manila,
Papa?"
The old man stiIJ did not seem to hear, slowly rocking himself up
and down.
Pepe put down his cup and leaned forward, placing his hands
on his father's lap to stop the rocking. "Listen to me, Papa. It is I,
Pepe, your son. You can talk to me. You can tell me everything."
The old man looked up from his cup but there was no expression
in his eyes.
"Tell me what happened, Papa. Do you hear me? I pray you to
tell me what happened."
The old man leaned ba<;k in his chair and shut his eyes.
"Leave me alone," he said woodenly. "Go away, go away
Leave me alone!"
