The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!

[mariez]

A Life Divided

His mama told him the first frost of the season was the time when God tried to tuck the earth in for a short nap  - after the harvest and before the long winter slumber, a reflective time for giving thanks.  But since the summer of 1963, the first frost was always a bitter reminder of that first snow –that nothing ever worked out the way he wanted.

For that's how he defined his life. The time before Brokeback Mountain; the time after Brokeback Mountain.  Long months in Texas; short weeks in Wyoming. 

A sweet life with Ennis. 

No life without.

~~~~~~~
100 Words

[MaineWriter]

Marie, you know so many good adages that you manage to work into your drabbles. I just love them--they always fit so well.

Leslie

[jpwagoneer1964]

THE DANCE

Colorado fall 1990

Ennis set the plate of blueberry pancakes in front of Jack then a plate of his own across the table. As he sits down he spots a brightly colored flier next to his place mat.

"Whut's this?" Ennis spoke knifing at the slap of fresh butter.

"Square dance...Fort Collins town hall,  week from this Saturday." Jack as drowned his hotcakes in heated syrup.

"So...." Ennis taking the syrup from Jack.

"Weez goin' " Jack looked at Ennis, fork in hand.

"Weez....? " Ennis now purposely emptying the ladle of syrup.

"Yep..." Jack taking in a mouthful, enjoying the taste of melted butter, blueberry cake engulfed in maple syrup then halving a strip of bacon. Before the next bite. "Weez....going. Ya do  know how to  square dance don't cha?"

"Course Ah do!....did it all the time  in grade school" Ennis looking  back at Jack, fork in midair.

"Know the calls?"

"Sure"

"Weez going..."

"But...we don't have partners...."

"Don't matter none....wuz talking ta Sally down at the Food Mart...says aways need more men ta dance, plenty of ladies ta dance with...Weez going."

"But...."

"No buts Ennis." At that moment Jack reaches out and took Ennis's forearm gently squeezing. " Ya do remember the calls don't cha?"




to be continued

[cwby30]

Afternoon, JP.

Well, glad to see you're starting a new story.  Looking forward to seeing Ennis on the dancefloor, wonder if they'll have a chance to 'allemande [sp?] left' together. 

And, any more thought to 'Shirts, Suits and Silver Mean 25'?  Sure would like to read the rest of that story, too.

Thanks again. 

[mariez]

Marie, you know so many good adages that you manage to work into your drabbles. I just love them--they always fit so well.

Leslie

Thanks, Leslie.  I do have a fondness for adages, aphorisms and the like    I have a bunch of them framed around my office, and they do tend to inspire me sometimes - for my drabbles, and for life in general.  The bit today about the first frost and the nap - I made that up myself while I was trying to channel Jack's mom - I was hoping it sounded like something she'd say, but I wasn't sure about it - I'm so pleased it worked for you! 

.....
"Yep..." Jack taking in a mouthful, enjoying the taste of melted butter, blueberry cake engulfed in maple syrup then halving a strip of bacon. Before the next bite. "Weez....going. Ya do  know how to  square dance don't cha?"

"Course Ah do!....did it all the time  in grade school" Ennis looking  back at Jack, fork in midair.
"

Yay!  Mark's back. I've missed you, bud.  This is gonna be so great - the boys square dancing! 

Thanks,
Marie

[fernly]

Mark, great to see you back 'round here! Love how your Jack just isn't going to take anything but yes for an answer.

I'm so behind on commenting, tonight I'll just say a collective prayer of thanks for everyone here who always brightens my day with their writing.

and in the "same wavelength" vein...look what I wrote this morning, Marie, before I came back home and saw your beautiful drabble about Jack's lives before and after Brokeback, that included frost and snow and Jack's mother.


from a prompt from last month...

Garden

Orla leaned back against the fence around her vegetable garden, near-empty now, she'd picked the last of the chard and the shelling beans, left only the kale because the frosts that came without fail every night now improved its flavor, something her mama had taught her when she was a girl. There'd be snow tonight for sure, she thought, looking out at the lowering, dark gray sky, and she pulled her sweater tighter around her, fingers worrying at a hole where she'd snagged her sleeve on the fence wire. She'd spread a thick blanket of mulch over the soil, hay and manure that would steam and change under the months of snow, send heat from the vanished summer into the dirt that could rest, and wait for spring. She was glad her boy was in Texas, out of the cold, where she didn't think it ever snowed, where he could find warmth and happiness.

[MaineWriter]

Morning everyone,

Mark, glad to have you back. Glad to see everyone writing and getting involved. For today, let's try:

• Nabisco crackers
• dial tone
• day-glo orange

L

[mariez]

...and in the "same wavelength" vein...look what I wrote this morning, Marie, before I came back home and saw your beautiful drabble about Jack's lives before and after Brokeback, that included frost and snow and Jack's mother.

Garden

Orla leaned back against the fence around her vegetable garden, near-empty now, she'd picked the last of the chard and the shelling beans, left only the kale because the frosts that came without fail every night now improved its flavor, something her mama had taught her when she was a girl. There'd be snow tonight for sure, she thought, looking out at the lowering, dark gray sky, and she pulled her sweater tighter around her, fingers worrying at a hole where she'd snagged her sleeve on the fence wire. She'd spread a thick blanket of mulch over the soil, hay and manure that would steam and change under the months of snow, send heat from the vanished summer into the dirt that could rest, and wait for spring. She was glad her boy was in Texas, out of the cold, where she didn't think it ever snowed, where he could find warmth and happiness.

Fern, any time my mind is working in the same direction as yours is a good day.     That was incredibly moving, such beautiful prose.  Even though we only get a short look at Jack's mom, and only a small memory of Ennis's, I feel such a connection with both of them.  Thanks, as always.

Marie

[mariez]

Cracker Connoisseur

Ennis opened his duffel bag.  "Brought some of them crackers you like."

"Thanks, bud …….oh…"

"Whut?"

"Naw, nothin ….just….. these are Cheese Nips.  I like Cheez-Its.

"What the hell difference does it make?  Little square cheese crackers."

"Are you kiddin me?  Totally different.  Cheez-Its are made by Sunshine.  Cheese Nips are made by Nabisco - they're thicker, all soft and kinda mushy, and don't have hardly any cheese flavor.  Now, Cheez-Its – whole nother story.  They're harder, ya know, thin and crispy – got a real nice bite to 'em, lotsa flavor. 

Ennis cleared his throat.  "We done talking 'bout crackers?"

"Yup."

~~~~~~~
100 Words

[MaineWriter]

Hahaha, Marie, that's great! That could be my house...woe to the person who dares to bring in a Cheese-Nip!

L