Evenin'.
Just can't seem to get the hang of just three sentences/three paragraphs. Know I promised before, and plan to keep my promise, but just couldn't this time. No. 7 looks promising for keeping my promise. As does No. 8. I sure appreciate your letting me join in here, and sure enjoy your stories and camaraderie.
Thanks again.
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John Twist sat in his recliner, looking out of the parlor window onto the ranch landscape covered in white. He had argued within himself all afternoon, since the ‘partners’ had headed out to check the stock. He thought about what had happened that day to turn his well-regulated life upside down. Ennis del Mar had happened, a pure and simple fact, though not a pure and simple man to John Twist.
He had read the Bible, all the passages of hellfire and damnation, and then passages of love and forgiveness, ending with Luke’s telling of the Christmas story.
Abomination, hellfire, damnation, love, forgiveness, Thou Shalt Not Kill, the greatest of these is love, love thy neighbor, wedding garments, judge not lest ye be judged, Ennis is a present given to us, and more swirled around in his brain until he though it would explode.
He had listened to his father’s voice berating him for being weak, not doing as the Bible said, not dispatching those evildoers immediately to the fires of Hell. That reminded him of a story in all the papers about ten years before, about some rancher that was killed, beat to death because he was different, a rancher near Sage if he remembered right.
Wonder if Ennis knew about that? Wonder if his father had anything to do with that? Wonder if my own father would have done something like that? He shuddered at the prospect, both for Ennis and for his own son. And himself.
Then he remembered his mother’s expression when reminding him ‘not to forget the love’ on the day he married Elaine, and how sad he felt when he realized what his father had forgotten for so many years, and how he promised his mother that he never would be like his father.
But he had broken that promise. For good reasons or not, he had become his father in so many ways.
Until today. Until Ennis.
His mind registered the music coming from the old record player, the Walter Schumann Christmas album Elaine had bought 7 or 8 years ago. She’d played it so many times over the years it was a wonder that the needle hadn’t worn the grooves all the way through to the other side. The orchestra music swelled and the singers sang, and Elaine hummed along in the kitchen.
The First Noel, the Angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
While listening, his eyes involuntarily drifted over to the Manger scene on a shelf in the bookcase. The family, three wise men, shepherds, an angel, a star.
Could use the help of a wise man, three of them better yet, right about now, he thought.
Some movement outside caught pulled his eyes back to the window. He saw the tractor towing a now-empty hay trailer through the snow back towards the barn. Jack drove, and Ennis stood behind him, both hands on Jack’s shoulders for balance. Once in a while Jack would gesture towards something, and Ennis would look, and then bend down to say something in Jack’s ear. Could have sworn Ennis kissed Jack’s ear and neck once, Jack scrunching up his shoulders a bit at the contact. Friends, partners, lovers…
Then it hit, it all came together. Elaine was right, in more ways than she realized. Ennis had given him a present that he never realized he’d almost lost, his own self.
They love each other. All they want is each other, to be left alone to live a sweet life together, nobody else’s business. It’s up to God to judge them on the Last Day, not me or anyone else in this world. Maybe it is an abomination, maybe they are headed for damnation, maybe not, but anyone who takes their lives in the name of God certainly will be damned for breaking the Fifth Commandment. I won’t be my father any more. I won't!
He wouldn’t let up on them, had to be sure they understand the challenges and dangers, knew how to be careful and safe in this world. He wouldn’t let up, but he would allow them the chance to have a safe place to learn.
And if anyone dares to do anything to my son or Ennis, well as God is my witness …“Honey, supper’s near ready, best be calling the boys in ta wash up. Could use some help settin the table, too, if ya don’t mind,” Elaine tentatively requested
Don’t forget the love. “Comin, dearie, right on it, don’t mind atall.”
Topic: Introducing the "Jack with Ennis" Fan Fic Game - the BetterMost Edition (Read 2170736 times)