Aguirre sat at his desk and wondered why he still bothered. He was well past the age of retirement, and had the good sense- or was it good fortune – to put away a nice nest egg. He owned his house free and clear, and his children were all college grads and off about their lives. He and his wife could be taking lazy, luxurious cruises, but he felt compelled to continue working. He looked around his trailer at all the tasks that needed completing. Trisha Smith quit a few months ago, but he never replaced her. Joe Aguirre looked at his age spotted hands and managed a smile. He was actually proud of all the things he accomplished, and found that he needed to work just a bit longer. After all, he can rest when he is dead.
Aguirre rose from his desk to fetch himself a cup of coffee. He noticed a stack of mail from yesterday that he hadn’t even bothered to open. His coffee mug in hand, Joe Aguirre sat back down and scanned the dozen or so letters that he neglected earlier. Most were bills, and a few were invitations to local town meetings. He noticed one letter encased in a fancy red envelope. Curious, Aguirre opened this one. It was an obituary of sorts. Joe’s mouth dropped as he read Jack Twist’s funeral announcement.
Aguirre sat the announcement on his desk and took a swig of the hot brew. He couldn’t believe that the sweet, handsome, good-for-nothin’ Jack Twist was deceased. Aguirre examined the envelope for a return address. There was none. He wondered who could have sent the notice, and why? And instantly, Aguirre was transported back to that summer when he hired a one Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist to herd sheep for him. He remembered giving them his point of view, cringed when he recalled telling them to break the rules. And then he saw them! Witnessed the rough housing, knew that they stemmed the rose to pass the time up there. Aguirre always wondered if Ennis and Jack ever kept in touch. How was Ennis handling the news of Jack’s death? Did he know? Aguirre reached into his desk and pulled out the company checkbook. He fetched his rolodex and found the address of Mr. and Mrs. John Twist.