Author Topic: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!  (Read 1178259 times)

Offline MaineWriter

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #180 on: February 11, 2007, 09:20:19 am »
For today:

  • shoelaces
  • politics
  • a smile

Thanks to Mariez and Goadra who suggested these!

Leslie
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Offline MaineWriter

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #181 on: February 11, 2007, 09:52:20 am »
Riverton, WY

Ennis looked at his daughters, playing with their dolls, while the TV droned in the background. The kitchen phone rang and he hauled himself off the couch to answer it. “Hello?” he said, his voice more a question than a greeting.

“Ennis, it’s Jack.”

“Jack!”

“Yeah, Jack. I’m at the Siesta. Can ya meet me?”

“What the fuck?”

“I’m on my way ta Lightning Flat. My momma’s sick, I got ta see her. But I thought I could stop off for a few hours…," he paused, then, his voice soft, "I need ya, bud.”

“Gimme twenty minutes.”

“I’m in room eleven, same as before.”

Ennis slammed the receiver onto the hook and hurried into the living room. “C’mon girls,” he said. “That was my boss. The heifers are calvin’, I got ta go ta work.”

He grabbed Jenny’s tiny sneaker and jammed it on her foot, quickly tying the laces. He couldn’t stop smiling, thinking of Jack, waiting for him at the motel on the outskirts of town. “Junior, where are yer shoes, c’mon, we gotta get goin’!”

“But daddy, mama’s workin’. Yer s’posed ta be watchin’ us.”

“I’m takin’ ya over ta the store. Yer mama will figger somethin’ out. I gotta go!” He grabbed his daughters, one under each arm, and rushed out the door, dolls and TV forgotten, the lie of work between them. Jack was all that mattered.

(234 words)


« Last Edit: February 16, 2007, 06:16:21 pm by MaineWriter »
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Offline opinionista

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #182 on: February 11, 2007, 11:10:43 am »
“Where ya going, daddy?”, asked little Bobby, who was standing by the bedroom door, looking at Jack pack his clothes.
“I’m going fishing with a friend”, replied Jack as he folded a shirt and put it in his bag.
“What friend?”, Bobby said seeing how his dad folded another shirt.
“My friend Ennis”
“Where?”
“Wyoming”, Jack answered.
“Is that where grandma lives?”
“Yep, that’s where grandma lives,” said Jack as he lowered to grab a pair of shoes.
“I wanna see grandma”
“Well, maybe some other day Bobby.” Jack said, now rummaging through the closet, looking for his red shirt.
“Why?”
“Because I’m going fishing”
“I wanna go fishing”
“Ya ain’t big enough. When yer a little older maybe I’ll take ya to Lake Kemp and teach ya.”
“I’m big enough to go now, Daddy!”, Bobby answered angrily.
“No ya ain’t”
“I’m too!”
“No ya ain’t,” Jack replied, now annoyed.
“I’m too!
“Bobby stop it,” said Jack turning his head around, giving Bobby a hard look.
“I wanna go fishing in Wyoming where grandma lives!” the boy insisted
“Okay” Jack said, going back to search for the shirt in the closet.
“And when are ya coming back?” asked Bobby
“Next week”
“And who’s going to tie my shoes?”
“Mom can do it,” said Jack
“No she can’t. Mom don't do it like you do, daddy,” said Bobby now disappointed

Jack sighed, realizing there was no point in finding the shirt. Ennis wasn't going to notice it anyway. He turned around to face his son.

“Well, how about I teach ya tie the shoelaces so ya can do it proper while I’m gone. What ya say?”
“Okay!”, said Bobby cheerfully.
“Come on, bud”

Jack grabbed his son’s little hand, and together went down the hall to get Bobby’s shoes.

301 words.
« Last Edit: February 11, 2007, 02:32:21 pm by opinionista »
Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement. -Mark Twain.

Offline ifyoucantfixit

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #183 on: February 11, 2007, 05:51:55 pm »

   Leslie, you took that scene in a whole new direction,, and i loved it
thank you so much...great...


   Natalie,,,love yours too,,so sweet..Jack and his small son.  Its an
interaction we dont see much...   love this also

  I really like todays prompts leslie


                              janice 






     Beautiful mind

Offline ifyoucantfixit

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #184 on: February 11, 2007, 06:15:18 pm »
 

    Jack Twist was standing in the entryway to Ennis's and Alma's small apartment.
Hes sayin,,,"I got a boy,""smiles a lot." 
    He never really wanted none of them.  But when he looked in that sweet face
and saw those beautiful blue eyes lookin back at him.  He fell in love for the second
time in his life.  But there was gonna be some changes for his boy..His boy was
gonna wear cowboy boots. Least fer a while.  He wasn't gonna wear none a them
danged lace up shoes.  His daddy near beat him ta death once, fer not knowin
how to tie them damn things.  His boy was gonna be special, and treated that
way..None of them belts and such for him. 
    His boy was gonna have a lovin daddy.  Sure as shootin.
« Last Edit: February 11, 2007, 06:28:44 pm by ifyoucantfixit »



     Beautiful mind

Offline mariez

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #185 on: February 11, 2007, 06:58:55 pm »
What a pleasure it was to sit and read yesterday's and today's drabbles - you guys are all so damn good!   

Thanks so much - I look forward to them every day!

Marie
The measure of a country's greatness is its ability to retain compassion in times of crisis         ~~~~~~~~~Thurgood Marshall

The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself.    ~~~~~~~~~ Mark Twain

Offline MaineWriter

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #186 on: February 12, 2007, 07:58:16 am »
Good morning, Drabblers!

JPWagoneer1964 suggested using a date as a prompt and I thought that was an intriguing idea. So here you go, let's see what these bring forth:

  • February, 1963
  • April, 1974
  • November, 1985

Leslie
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Offline ifyoucantfixit

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #187 on: February 12, 2007, 12:06:59 pm »
In the Political Arena

“Hi, Congressman Aguirre. I was wondering if you was needing any help this summer.”

“You’re wasting your time here.” His aide pulled papers away as quickly as he signed them.

“Well, you ain’t got nothing?” A beat. “Nothing up on the Hill?”

Aguirre lifted his head for a stern glance. “I ain’t got no work for you.”

Jack nodded uncertainly, turned to leave, then took a chance and laid bare his true quest. “Ennis del Mar ain’t been around, has he?”

“You boys sure found a way to make the time pass up there.” He clicked his pen shut. “Twist, politics makes for strange bedfellows, don’t it.”

Jack’s jaw was almost on the floor. He glanced at the aide, whose weasely eyes never met his.

“Now, get the hell out of my office.”

(133 words)
               very cute, and very funny Goadra
                               janice



     Beautiful mind

Offline ifyoucantfixit

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #188 on: February 12, 2007, 12:54:55 pm »
1963: Feb.
       Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar,,are out in front of the land equipment office..in Signal Wyoming. They shake hands, and Jack says "yur folks just
stop at Ennis?  He has no idea, that the next couple of months of his
young life are about to begin a new journey.  One that will effect the rest of his bland and thusfar lonely life. 
       He drags on his cigarette, that he holds between his fingers, like a cookie.  He looks off into the distance across the highway...Wondering
what the summer will hold..This guy sure,,,ain't much of a talker.  He has a nice and good lookin face.  "Well", Jack says.  "If we"re gonna start
working together, may as well start drinking together." " You do drink , don't ya?."  Ennis replies, "well you may be a drinker, but i ain't
yet had the opportunity."  
 
 1974 April
         Jack Twist rounds his truck into the loney ramshackled farm house
where he has been told, Ennis lives, these days.  He starts to madly
honk the horn on his pickup, to announce his arrival.  Ennis has called
him on the telephone,",wants me to come on up to Wyoming, he is
finally ready to start that new sweet life we always talked bout." I have
all these plans i been saving up just in case he ever finally decided to
take me up on my offer."   "He's gonna love em, I jus know it."

1985 Nov.
         Ennis Del Mar, gets in his old pickup.. He is tired and worn.  He has no idea what he is gonna find..  He is out of work, out of tears, and out of his mind.  He has got to do something, even if it is wrong.  He cani't stay in that lonely room at Jr's house no longer. " I need to find somethin else to do.  I gotta see what the other "'QUEERS"  do." " I gotta find out if I am like Jack."  He pulls on out to the main highway, he is headin south, towards Laramie.     










« Last Edit: February 12, 2007, 01:29:08 pm by ifyoucantfixit »



     Beautiful mind

Offline jpwagoneer1964

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #189 on: February 12, 2007, 05:34:51 pm »
November 2, 1985

Ennis and Jack are working in the barn on this cold morning. More than a year has passed since the pair bought the Broken Arrow ranch near Fort Morgan, Colorado. Days filled with long hours, hard but satisfying labor and most important warm heartfelt companionship resulting in the big wide grins worn on their faces.

Ennis in the stall of his horse Thunder hears Jack moving in the far corner of the barn. His thoughts turned to the last year and a half. This...this almost didn't never happen....Jack here with him...'  Friend ..this is a bitch of unsatisfactory situation.....' Jack asleep in his arms every night...'Let me tell you I can't quit this job...and I cant get the time off in August'  Jack across from at his meals..." I wish I knew how to quit you..'  Jack under the same roof as he is now...'Then why don't you....Its cuz of you Ah'm like this....nothin'.....nowhere....'

Ennis looked up, walked over to Jack reached his arms him holding tight pressing his face against Jack's.

"OK there Ennis?" Jack enjoying the comfort.

"Yep...real good......real good bud.....Just glad your here...Jack"

"Me too....me too." Jack leaning into Ennis.

"Hey Ennis....you...you wanna...you know go in the house...."

"Guess it's gettin' close ta lunch, huh?...Just wanna stay like this a while longer fer just a bit."

"C'n stay like this all day if ya want....all day cowboy." Jack smiled, eyes closed.


« Last Edit: February 12, 2007, 06:06:32 pm by jpwagoneer1964 »
Thank you Heath and Jake for showing us Ennis and Jack,  teaching us how much they loved one another.