A few days later Benjamin arrived at the company in St. Luis where he was greeted with many smiles by colleagues, anxious to know every details about his work. Some of them had bet on failure. Matthew had him put in his office.
“We are pleased with your work. The Navajo community called today, urging a meeting for the realization of a big plant. They will soon arrive with the drawings of the structure in order to realize it.” He smiled very pleased. “You have been a valuable resource to us and, if you agree, we would like to continue our cooperation. Of course we will also discuss about your compensation.”
Benjamin smiled pleased.
“I want to be honest with you. The current experiment is innovative and, for this reason, is hosted by many members in that company but. Also with your help, I am eager to carry it forward. I ask you to accept to being sent to work in the most critical situations, making good use of your imagination.”
Benjamin listened carefully, sometimes nodding in approval.
“Solving the situation up there in the mountains was a good start. Now take a break. Next week I will show you the new destinations.”
So Benjamin was accompanied to his new home on the outskirts of St. Luis in a small cottage with a porch and a garden. He couldn’t have asked for better. He finished settling down and fell asleep staying locked in the house until the following afternoon when he decided to go out and explore the surroundings.
 
                                          ***
 
The cottage was located in a beautiful neighborhood called Venice, near the railway, not far from the Missouri River and a small lake called Horseshoe.
While he walked, he paused to reflect the different environment here from the one he had spent the last few weeks. The habits and also the flavors were different. People here ran at his side without any kind of communication between them. They looked at the floor or in small screens of their smartphones. The guys on the sidewalks were discussing about applications and social networks.
He went across the neighborhood to admire the lake. The shores, though sparsely crowded, were clean and well cared for. Only the fishing rod of a few fishermen occasionally appeared between the leaves of the trees.
Benjamin, approaching with curiosity, stopped trying to discover the quantity of fish inside the small bag next to them.
Behind a curve, just a step from the water, a fisherman was leaning on himself with the pole hanging on one side. Thinking he was sick, he came up to shake him.
“Excuse me, are you all right?”
Man opened his eyes. “Of course, boy, don’t you see? I’m fishing.”
Benjamin could not refrain from a good laugh. “Has this particular strategy given many advantages?”
The fisherman laughs in turn. “I am not here to capture them, but to spend time.”
Benjamin was invited to sit down and they remained silent for a long time while, having opened their eyes again, the fisherman was checking the barrel and the linen. The bait was gone.
“That damned fish has cheated me again.” he exclaimed, laughing and shaking his head. “It’s about Fred. He likes to make fun of me. He wait till I fall asleep to steal my bait.”
Benjamin smiled at the image of the fish stealing the bait from the fisherman, similar to the sequence of a cartoon. “There are so many fish in this lake, how can you be sure it’s Fred?”
“Yes,” he replied with determination. “that’s him. Now he’s curled up next to some rock, glad to screw me over again. He just wait for the moment when I decide to leave to make a leap of water and say goodbye.”
Benjamin burst out laughing another time.
“Do you find it strange to have a fish as a playmate?” asked the fisherman.
“Rather unusual,” Benjamin replied. “I thought you were enemies.”
“You don’t know the real fisherman, dear boy. I don’t stay here all afternoon to bring home a prey but to enjoy the silence and solitude.” He got serious and quiet. “I come here to play with Fred. He keeps me company and I can bear when he mocks me.”
Benjamin remained silent. The fisherman shook his head.
“I know, everyone thinks I’m a little silly. I see them when I come home. They look each other in their face. So now you too will think you are talking with a fool.”
Benjamin didn’t know what to say. “I don’t know you, I can’t judge you. I’m not the right person to ask if someone is stupid because of his weirdness.”
“Good answer.” said the fisherman. “But the world is full of strange things. There are legal and illegal weirdness. I’m part of the latter for which it’s customary to smile with compassion. I’d rather stay here with Fred than hang out at some bar pool.” He gave a long sigh looking at Benjamin with a smile. “Do you want to know my weirdness? You may not find many more like them around here.”
Benjamin nodded and smiled. Fortunately, the fisherman was unaware of his own. He would have laughed at him with compassion.