Summary

One morning while summering in Madagascar, Shay returns from her regular early swim to find a young man named Blue in one of the trees in front of the Red House. He is a friend of her children, but they are in America with their grandparents. Blue has stopped by for some breakfast. Shay gets her cook to give him some food, and then drives him back to the bar run by his mother, an Italian immigrant named Giusy. The narration comments on how the bar is busy and popular, frequented by prostitutes and their wealthy clients. The Narration also describes the sign on Giusy’s building, a painting of a voluptuous mermaid.

When Shay arrives with Blue (given that nickname because of his intense blue eyes), Giusy welcomes him with both relief and anger, leading him to explain that he was spending some...