Excerpt
taxis also took seamen from the anchored ships into the harbour,
seamen who had to go to the doctor, for instance, or do other required
things, and would then run them back to their ship when their
work was done. This runabout was racing full tilt to the outer part of
the bay and Eteo thought of a line on top of the water, a schematic
symbol of people creating and people working, a line of water sliced
into two parts, one closer and the other farther away, but coming together
to become one mass after the wake subsided. He admired the
image and promised to one day set it down in verse.
The tide was out now, and the rocks glittered in the sunshine, reflecting
the sky and the gulls above. Eteo watched a gull grab a mussel
from under one of the rocks, then swoop up as high as ten meters,
drop the mussel on the seawall and swoop down to gobble the broken
mussel. He admired the trick and smiled to himself at the ingenuity
of the bird.
There were lots of walkers today. The beautiful fall weather had
brought them to the seawall in droves. Eteo had to dodge oncoming
walkers and weave past slower ones. On many of the balconies of the
high-rises, the ones right on the water, people sat enjoying the view
in the warmth of the afternoon sun. The temperature must have been
in the mid-twenties, and Eteo began to feel hot in his light jacket. He
stopped for a moment to take it off and held it in his hand for the
rest of his walk. At 22nd street he walked to the end of the dock as
usual and leaned against the wooden railing, letting his eyes dive into
the shallow water. It was very clear today, and could see the bottom
with all its sea life.
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