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20 S\ y ~ h e shipping company wa s situated right o n a dilapidated ol d ^ / pier , which was badly in need of repairs. It wasn't very grand, much %S t o Adozindo's disappointment , bu t then his opinion changed whe n he saw how busy it was. Apart from a n ancient, tiny cargo boat that travelled th e triangula r route between Macao, Hong Kong and Canton, there were two sailing ships belonging to the company that served the ports along the shores of the Pearl River delta . Stevedores an d coolies , me n an d women , al l subjecte d t o th e sam e arduous work, were carrying heavy packages on their backs, with rapid steps, and in response to the bellowed command s of the supervising foreman . A strong smell of the sea hovered in the air, bringing back fond memorie s to Adozindo o f morning s spen t fishing . O n the mudd y water s o f th e river , tankas gathere d and bobbed around the larger craft . They went into the office which was a shed built on the wooden planking of th e pier , an d consiste d o f tw o roug h desks , on e o r tw o chair s an d a cupboard, totally lacking in any comfort, an d with an unkempt air. On the walls made of thin planks, there were only Chinese calendars and a gaudy print o f a famous actres s fro m Canton . The surroundings onc e again lef t Adozindo dispirited, although they protected him from the cold wind coming off th e river . Behind the main desk sat a Chinese, wearing an austere winter kebaya and fixing hi m with a penetrating look . He immediately guesse d that this was the boss, for Valdemero steppe d forward ver y nervously t o introduc e him. The man got up to shake his hand, which was a sign of good manners. He was a well-covered man , wit h shor t hair, fe w sign s of a beard o n his face, and with the smooth skin of a woman. But his voice was unmistakeably deep and he was above average in height. For some time, he listened to Valdemero's words, as he sang his friend' s 112HENRIQU EDESENNAFERNANDES praises, in his anxiety to satisfy Adozindo's claim. It was all an exaggeration, but it sounded convincing and even moving. Eventually, he put up his hand to stop the torrent of words and began to ask the applicant direct question s in Cantonese, for he spoke neither Portuguese nor English. He nodde d appreciativel y whe n Adozind o answere d hi s question s fluently i n the same language. So they could understand each other, whic h was a useful discover y for both. And there was more to it than that. He had expected a simpleton, but what he had before him was a refined, educate d boy, with the clear facial sign s of being from a good family . 'You spea k well.' 'When I was a t primary school , I had a good teacher who taught m e how to speak Chinese ... But as far as the writing is concerned, I've forgotte n almost everything. ' They chatte d fo r abou t twent y minutes . The Chines e didn' t as k fo r references no r did he ask any indiscreet questions. He realised instinctivel y that the boy would only accept the humble position offered ou t of extreme need or because of the pressure of some adversity, for it was below his level of skill and education . He didn't reveal what he was thinking. He could very well test the boy's competence, give n tha t he seemed t o know abou t the work of a shippin g agency, over and above the mere recording of goods loaded and unloaded. At the sam e time, Adozindo avoide d an y mention o f his father's firm , i n case Wong Sang (Mr . Wong) knew him, and decided to ask embarrassin g questions that might prejudice his chances. It was imperative for him to get a job. Once the working conditions and the salary had been agreed, Adozindo started his duties immediately an d soo n learnt the tasks for which he wa s responsible. These...
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