The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!

[Penthesilea]

Thank you Marie, Milli and Fabienne 

Btw, Chrissi, the boys could come to Canadaland and get married! 

But not in 1990....
Jack referred to "...since last year", with last year being 1989, so my drabble takes place in 1990. But since it's AU anyway, maybe I will send 'em over to Alberta  .

[fernly]

one for a prompt from a few days ago...took a while to surface....


Salt

No more. That’s the promise he made himself. No more tears, salt-stinging like those fell into the cuts on his hands he’d put up to try to block the raining blows. No four-year-old would’ve been up to it. Couldn’t save himself. Thought he was dead.
Cleaning up the bathroom floor, his clothes, his skin stinking of his father’s piss. This is what it means to be a father.
No.
This once, tears will wash his daddy off him. Keep something inside of him safe, along with all that was broken.

And that night, after he was asleep, into the silence, she said no more.
Said you’ll keep your hand from him or I’ll take him and you'll never see neither of us again.

There was no way to make it right, but there was at least a way to live, though poor and little enough.

Nothing to cry over.

 

[mariez]

Knowing Everything and Nothing

.  . . .“What the fuck is happenin’?”  Ennis tried to scream, but the words didn’t come out.  The noise was roaring in his ears.

 But then, suddenly, the silence returned.

What a perfect title, Marl - says it all (and can't we all relate to it at times?).

. . . This is what it means to be a father. .  .  .

God, that stops you cold.  Little wonder Jack never dreamed of being one.  Exquisite, as always, Fern.

Thanks,
Marie

[MaineWriter]

Well, I slept in a bit and am late with prompts. How about...

• oversleep or overslept
• missed a deadlne
• blew off an appointment or invitation

L

[MaineWriter]

No inspiration yesterday? Or maybe everyone was busy celebrating ANZAC day. Whatever, I am going to leave those prompts and see if the call forth anything today.

Leslie

[jpwagoneer1964]

July 1978

"This wuz the drop off point ta where we herd'd the sheep up the mountian." Looking around at the weathered fence, fallen gate Ennis remarks. "Don't look like they's herdin' sheep anymore....least not this year. Horse yer dad had...wuz skidish....remember Ah tried ta tell him ta watch it.... found out later Ah wuz right....  Ready ta head on up son?" Ennis securing the last strap on the pack.

The two men ride the same trail the older had so many years before with the father of the younger, Ennis in silent wonderment seeing all around him, Bobby thinking how his dad once rode up this mountain as young as he is now.

"See that bridge? ....Ever Friday one of us would ride down here meet of with one of Agguires men fer supplies....Yer daddy always made sure ta order beans." Didn't like 'm much himself.

Ennis stops at a crossing to let the horse drink."One time, early in the summer comin' back ta came down to this very spot....came upon a bear....horse bucked threw me....mules ran off....lost  most of the food...... Didn't get back till long after dark.... Yer dad tried to act mad askin' where the hell Ah's been....how come his supper wuzn't ready.....like Ah wus his wife er somethin'.....didn't fool me none... Ah knew he was scare't sometin' happened ta me .... he knew Ah wouldn't be  late 'less somethin happened"

[mariez]

. . .
The two men ride the same trail the older had so many years before with the father of the younger, Ennis in silent wonderment seeing all around him, Bobby thinking how his dad once rode up this mountain as young as he is now. . . 

Thanks for giving me my drabble fix, Mark - and for giving me some comfort and a smile today 

Marie

[MaineWriter]

Hello all,

Let's try...

• wild turkey
• vanilla ice cream
• long distance phone call

L

[jpwagoneer1964]

August 1974

Already hours late Ennis started to climb the grades on route 16, borrowed horse trailer in tow. A hectic week, all night twice at the ranch with  two of the heifers calving, choir recital for both girls, hardly time to pack. Ennis had noticed his pickup had been hard to start the last few days, he had meant to give it a tuneup before the trip, but there was no time and no funds. As the old Ford six began to labor up the windy road,  he thought only a little more than an hour and he's get to see Jack, whole week with just Jack in the mountains.

Suddenly there was a shutter, the motor lost power for a second, Ennis feathered the accelerator and all was smooth...for a moment.

Then a loud BANG!...the motor again lost power....Ennis shifted down to second....more sputtering, backfires....pushing in the clutch he gets it to rev...then shifting down to first...double clutching starts to gain some momentum...then....nothing. As Ennis coasted to a stop he tried the starter knowing it was in vain.

Looking under the hood Ennis searches for culprit...nothing obviously wrong...points and rotor not great but ok, wires worn but connected.... he realized it was likely the fuel pump. Not sure what to do...only enough  money in is wallet for gas for the trip and just barely.  He thought of Jack ..surely already at camp all set up as always ....alone...waiting for him...no more than  eight hours late would he think he wasn't coming...that this would be the time the he would quit..... just like that... Sometimes he had thought he  wouldn't come... anymore...that he should try and forget ....Jack... But the postcard always came lighting him up like a candle...

Ennis looked up as a large motor home pulling a camping trailer more than half again as it large strained the overload engine to climb the grade. His eyes fell back down on his silent motor....filling with tears. "Damn it ....Ah'm sorry.....Ah'm sorry yer up there all alone.. Sorry Ah ever thought Ah woudn't come ta see ya......" Silence for a moment, then he hears a twig break, one then another he looks up.

"Engine trouble cowboy?"


"Jack!....how did...."

Knew somethin' must ta happen'd.... knew you would be leavin' me up there....without no beans" Grabbing Ennis in a fierce embrace.

"Thanks bud...Ah..."

"Know what's wrong?"

"Think mebe it's ah busted  fuel pump."

"Come on ...let's put the trailer on my pickup 'n go find a phone....get yer truck towed."

"Jack.... Ah don't have any..."

"Got triple A...won't cost ya nothin'"

"But Ah don't have any...."

"Find a place in Sheridan ta fix it while we's at camp....don't worry none Enns....loan ya the money...can't cost that much.:" Looking at Ennis.

"Umm...all right...Ah guess."

*********************

"Ennis go check on the horses while I make the call...be ok."

"Yes sir...be havin' a 1966 Ford pickup being towed ta your shop...c'n ya check it over real good...we gonna be leavin' it a week...anything it needs....brakes, tune up. hoses....anything you c'n get done ok by next week ...c'n ya put on my credit card....yeah name is Jack Twist..and sir c'n you do me a favor....yeah that's right......"

Next week when Ennis had picked up his truck it had a full tuneup, new plug wires, front and rear brakes relined, new radiator and heater hoses, two good used front tires, new Ford fuel pump and gas lines, carburetor overhaul, new air filter and full lube job. The work order Ennis saw and would pay Jack for said:

Roberts Auto Repair
302 N Custer St
Sheridan, WY 82801

Fuel Pump repair kit.........................................$4.71

Labor in installation..........................................$6.50

[belbbmfan]

August 1974

The work order Ennis saw and would pay Jack for said:

Roberts Auto Repair
302 N Custer St
Sheridan, WY 82801

Fuel Pump repair kit.........................................$4.71

Labor in installation..........................................$6.50

Mark, thank you for sharing this story. It's so heartwarming and sweet.