19 My father stammered, “What are we going to do?” My mother exclaimed in a fury: “I always thought that he never would achieve anything. Sooner or later, he’ll come back and burden us! What hope can there be for such a man! Take care that this jerk doesn’t come near us!” They then hurried to the other end of the boat.
20 I approached the old oyster seller and held out the five-franc coin, and he returned the change. I looked at his hand; it was a poor, wrinkled, sailor’s hand, and I looked at his face, an unhappy old face, sorrowful, full of hardship.
21 I thought to myself: “This is my uncle, my father’s brother!” I gave him a ten-centimes as a tip, and he thanked me:" God bless you, young sir!" He spoke in the voice of a poor man accepting charity. He must have begged over there as well, I thought.
22 When I returned the remaining two francs to my father, I said in a firm voice, “I gave him ten centimes as a tip.” My mother exclaimed in surprise,“You must be crazy! Give ten centimes to that stinky vagabond!…” She stopped at a look from my father. While no one spoke, Jersey rose out of the sea like a purple dark cloud.
23 As we approached the breakwater, a strong desire seized me once more to see my Uncle Jules, to be near him, to say to him something consoling, something tender. But the poor guy had disappeared, having probably gone below, back to the dirty and stinky hold.
24 Of course, we took a different ferry when we returned. I never saw my father’s brother again, my Uncle Jules! —-Now you understand! That’s why sometimes I give a five-franc silver coin to a vagrant.
