Its only a photograph of Freetown harbour.
Yaas, Mr. Pullen. But your auntie say
All right. Take it then. Where are you sleeping?
Wordsworth jerked his thumb at the floor. Ar more comfortable down below there, Mr. Pullen. The folks thar they sing an dance an have good time. They don wear no cravats an they no don go wash befo meals. Ar don like soap with my chop.
Have a cigarette, Wordsworth.
If you don mind, Mr. Pullen, I smoke this here.
He pulled a ragged reconstructed cigarette out of a crumpled pocket.
Still on pot, Wordsworth?
Well, its a sort of medicine, Mr. Pullen. Arm not too well these days. Ar got a lot o worry.
Worry about what?
Your auntie, Mr. Pullen. She allays safe with old Wordsworth. Ar no cost her nothing. But she got a fellah now he cost her plenty plenty. An he too old for her, Mr. Pullen. Your auntie no chicken. She need a young fellah.
You arent exactly young yourself, Wordsworth.
Ar no got ma big feet in no tomb, Mr. Pullen, lak that one. Ar no trust that fellah. When we come here he plenty sick. He say, Please Wordsworth, please Wordsworth, an he mak all the sugar in the world melt in his mouth. He live in low-class hotel, but he ain got no money. They go to turn him out an, man, he were plenty scared to go. When your auntie come he cry like a lil bebi. He no man, sure he no man, but he plenty plenty mean. He say sweet things all right all right, but he allays act mean[259]. What wan she leave Wordsworth for a mean man like him? Tell me that, man, tell me that. He let his great bulk down on my bed and he began to weep. It was like a spring forcing its hard way to the surface, spilling out of the crevices of a rock.
Wordsworth, I said, are you jealous of Aunt Augusta?
Man, he said, she war my bebi gel. Now she gon bust ma heart in bits.
Poor Wordsworth. There was nothing more I could say.
She wan me quit, Wordsworth said. She wan me for come bring you, and then she wan me quit. She say, I give you biggest CTC you ever saw, you go back Freetown and find a gel, but I no wan her money, Mr. Pullen, I no wan Freetown no more, and I no wan any gel. I love your auntie. I wan for to stay with her like the song say: Abide with me; fast falls the eventide; the darkness deepens: oh, with me abide Tears have no bitterness, but man, these tears are bitter, thas for sure.
Wherever did you learn that hymn, Wordsworth?
We allays sang that in Saint Georges cathedral in Freetown. Fast falls the eventide. Plenty sad songs like that we sang there, an they all mak me think now of my bebi gel. Here lingrin still we ask for nought but simply worship thee. Man, its true. But now she wan me to quit, an go right away an never see her no more.
Who is this man shes with, Wordsworth?
I won spik his name. My tongue burn up if I spik his name. Oh, man, I bin faithful to your auntie long time now.
It was to distract him from his misery and not to reproach him that I said, You remember that girl in Paris?
That one who wan do jig-jig?
No, no, not that one. The young girl on the train.
Oh yaas. Sure. I member her.
You gave her pot, I said.
Sure. Why not? Very good medicine. You don think I do anytin bad with her? Why, man, she was the ship that gone by one day. She too young for old Wordsworth.
Her fathers on the boat now.
He looked at me with astonishment. You don say![260]
He was asking me about you. He saw us on shore.
What he look lak?
Hes as tall as you but very thin. He looks unhappy and worried and he wears a tweed sports coat.
Oh, God Almighty! I know him. I seen him plenty in Asunción. You got to be bloody careful of him.
He was asking me about you. He saw us on shore.
What he look lak?
Hes as tall as you but very thin. He looks unhappy and worried and he wears a tweed sports coat.
Oh, God Almighty! I know him. I seen him plenty in Asunción. You got to be bloody careful of him.
He says hes doing social-research work.
What that mean?
He investigates things.
Oh, man, youre right there. I tell you sometin. Your aunties fellah he don like that man around.
I had meant to distract him, and I had certainly succeeded. He pressed my hand hard when he left me, carrying the picture concealed under his shirt. He said, Man, you know what you are to Wordsworth. You help of the helpless, Mr. Pullen. O abide with me.
Chapter 4
When I went up on deck after breakfast we were already approaching Asunción. Red cliffs were honeycombed with caves. Half-ruined huts stood at the very edge of the cliff and naked children with the pot-bellies of malnutrition stared down on us as the boat passed, moving like an overfed man who picks his slow way home after a heavy meal, giving little belches on the siren. Above the huts, like a medieval castle dominating some wretched village of mud and wattle, stood the great white bastions of Shell.
OToole came and stood beside me as the immigration officers arrived on board. He asked, Can I be of any help? Give you a lift or anything?
Thank you very much, but I think I shall be met.
The steerage passengers were going ashore. He said, If you want any help at any time I know most of the ropes.[261] Youll find me at the embassy. They call me a second secretary. Its convenient.