Laughter of the Moment

Three men sat in a boat. They had just left for a fishing trip and each had packed bait, tackle, and rods for the outing. The first man spoke:
"I have longed for this trip for a good while. The sea is welcoming and the sun is warm. I have a wife at home and no son, but we have not spoken for a good time and when we lay next to each other at night I lie left and she right."
The second man spoke:
"I have no wife at home, but have many women with whom I share my bed. I am never alone save during the day, but my work is grueling. I come home tired and wake up tired."
The third man spoke:
"I have had a wife that I loved dearly. She has died and I have a son that is growing. I miss her and love him as much. It has been many nights since I have shared my bed and my son has outgrown my stories."

The three lifted the anchor together and christened their voyage with simple appreciation. The first man spoke:
"I toast to the love of my wife for I have never known another. I have been cold to her and she to me and hope the sun on the sea will be warm."
The second man spoke:
"I toast to the woman I have yet to meet. I have been the warmth for a night to many, but have known no warmth myself. Home lies at the end of our voyage and the sea air is crisp and new. I breathe this air now and it is fresh and clean."
The third man spoke:
"I toast to my only son. I have lost the woman I love, but my son is well and whole. The water beneath our ship will tide and I will ride its wave. The sea will wrench me up and the waves will cradle me down."
And so the three men set sail and the land drifted out of sight.

The sun was warm on the sea and the men's faces browned in time. They trawled their lines continuously, but no fish took bait. The first man spoke:
"I do not miss my wife. I had hoped this sea would prove me wrong, but my feelings are true and I am lost. It is a fault of mine that I have chosen this path and I cannot turn back now."
The second man spoke:
"You have met the woman whom you once loved. I have not met one. I envy your past for mine has been barren. This sun may burn your skin, but mine is immune to chafe."
The third man spoke:
"Your wife misses you though you do not know it. When you get home embrace her and hold her and you will know your flaw is none at all."

The air was crisp over the sea waves and the men breathed well. Their lines remained baited, but again no fish would bite. The second man spoke:
"I cannot recall the name of my last woman nor the one before. I am fated to never recall another and will know not one by name."
The third man spoke:
"This sea air tastes of salt and is bitter. This taste is known to me. Feel well, dear friend, for you will never taste this salt forever. Rejoice in your bland tongue."
The first man spoke:
"It is the fault of yours that you remember no names. When you get home quit your job. You will find pleasures in the uncomfortable and regret will cede to ambition."

The water swayed beneath the ship and lulled the men to sleep. When they awoke their rods were gone, lost to the sea. The third man spoke:
"The water beneath us has taken all that we have brought. I had hoped to bring my son a prize from the sea, but will return empty handed."
The first man spoke:
"The sea holds many fish, but we will know none of them. We will return home hungry. Recall the times you were full and be happy in their memory."
The second man spoke:
"I have baited many fish in my time and have devoured them all. Though we return home with less than we set out I find comfort in your companies. When you get home bring your son to the sea and show him where we have sailed. He will feel the sun on his face and taste the salty air and when his toes sink under the sand in the wet tide, he will look to you and smile."

And so the three men returned to the land with no sea harvest to share. The first man returned to his wife and embraced her. She buried her face against his chest and cried. He kissed her upon the head and they slept entangled together.

The second man quit his job. He wandered the streets aimlessly and sat down in a park distressed. There he saw an old man walking with his grandson. When he heard their laughter, he wondered at the bittersweet moment. He knew that laughter would soon be replaced by the child's tears and the old man's silence. But the laughter of the moment held his gaze and he felt his heart break and beat for the first time.

The third man came home to his son and shook the boy's hand. "Come with me," he said, at which his son followed him to the beach. "Look at where I have been," the man said and pointed towards the setting sun. "Did you see mother," the boy asked, at which the father replied, "No. But feel the warmth of the sand and taste the salt in the air and let your toes sink in the tide. This is what we have now and it will be good enough." The boy felt the warmth and tasted the salt and sank in the wet sand. "I missed you father," the boy said and the two of them smiled.