Boatman

Dumaguete, Philippines (2015)

                    Jesus is blind in one eye, but knows where to find the clownfish in the coral reef. He is weather-worn but still hale, and hardly says a word. He simply gestures to show us the starfish and the sand dollars, conserving as much effort at speech.

                    Is it the humid heat of the tropics? The doldrums at noontide? Perhaps it’s having a deaf-mute boy for his first mate. They are in tune like the wind to the sea. Even gestures become needless. Together, they steer the boat in silence.