The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!

[MaineWriter]

I echo Dagi's Happy New Year to all my fellow drabblers! We'll have our one year anniversary of this thread in a month -- January 31st. Hard to believe!! I am sorry I have been less active lately but real life has interfered a bit. But I am still reading and when a drabble pops into my head, you can be sure I will post it here.

Have a peaceful 2008....

Hugs,

Leslie

[Cameron]

I know I haven't been here much lately either, wow, I cannot believe it has been just about a year!  I did want to say how much I have loved this thread, and still do, and I also wanted to wish you all

Happy New Year!!!

 

[mariez]

Thank you so much, Fern.  You know what's on my early 2008 reading wish list, don't you?   

Nice to see you, Dagi!  I love that picture of Jack, too - but I can't imagine not loving any picture of Jack! 

Almost a year of drabbles!  Thanks for starting the thread, Leslie.   

Always wonderful to see you, Marl!

All the best to everyone in 2008.  Hope it brings good health, peace, love and happiness!

Marie

[cwby30]

Each January he made the same resolution, to do what was important, to say what was important, to say to him just how important he was, to say to him those three little words.  Each year for the past 16 years he had broken his resolution, just couldn't bring himself to say it.  Not this year, not this time, it was too important.  He'd tell him when they met up in May.  Satisfied with his decision, he took another pull on his beer, and wrote on the postcard in front of him, "Jack, How about May?"


96 words

[fernly]

Resolutions, May 1966

   Jack lay in his hospital bed, trying to ignore the ropes and pulleys and hanging sand bags keeping him trussed up while his bones slowly, goddamn, so slowly, built themselves back up into some kind of working form. He watched the sky outside, white with heat he couldn't feel, pass, unchanging, as he tried not to feel the manipulations of the nurses and orderlies and whoever the hell these people were, and tried to shut out the forced cheerfulness of his family. Family. How in the hell did the Newsomes become his family. Most days he tried to be friendly and optimistic, but today his resolutions failed him. He looked over at the farm machinery calendar Fayette had hung on the wall. Days X'ed off every time she came to visit, bringing too-bright smiles and too many plans for what his and Lureen's life was going to be like when he came home. June 24th, when the doctors said he'd be ready to leave. When he'd start his life over. Get ready to be a father. Get used to rodeo being something he'd never do again. Hang that calendar in the garage and mark the days off on his own. One by one until 1966 was over. Tried to believe next year would be better. Closed his eyes and tried to forget, everything.

[Cameron]

The Letter Never Sent

Jan 1, 1983

Jack

I decided to write this letter to you, it won’t be too good, I didn’t write a letter for a long, long time, to anyone.  But I wanted to write this to you.  It’s the New Year, on TV they keep talking about resolutions and shit.  I never made a resolution before, I ain’t even sure what they really are, but I will try to make one, for you.  This is really important, I’ve been thinking a lot.  I don’t know if I can change, but I will try for you, I promise.  I just wish you would understand how hard it is, but I will try.  I swear.

See you in the spring,

Ennis


Like most, another resolution that didn't last long.

(124 words)

[mariez]

Each January he made the same resolution, to do what was important, to say what was important, to say to him just how important he was, to say to him those three little words.  Each year for the past 16 years he had broken his resolution, just couldn't bring himself to say it.  Not this year, not this time, it was too important.  He'd tell him when they met up in May.  Satisfied with his decision, he took another pull on his beer, and wrote on the postcard in front of him, "Jack, How about May?"

"Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today" are wise words, arent they?  Nicely done, cwby.  Thanks

Resolutions, May 1966

   Jack lay in his hospital bed, trying to ignore the ropes and pulleys and hanging sand bags keeping him trussed up while his bones slowly, goddamn, so slowly, built themselves back up into some kind of working form. He watched the sky outside, white with heat he couldn't feel, pass, unchanging, as he tried not to feel the manipulations of the nurses and orderlies and whoever the hell these people were, and tried to shut out the forced cheerfulness of his family. Family. How in the hell did the Newsomes become his family. Most days he tried to be friendly and optimistic, but today his resolutions failed him. He looked over at the farm machinery calendar Fayette had hung on the wall. Days X'ed off every time she came to visit, bringing too-bright smiles and too many plans for what his and Lureen's life was going to be like when he came home. June 24th, when the doctors said he'd be ready to leave. When he'd start his life over. Get ready to be a father. Get used to rodeo being something he'd never do again. Hang that calendar in the garage and mark the days off on his own. One by one until 1966 was over. Tried to believe next year would be better. Closed his eyes and tried to forget, everything.

Fern - thank you for making one of my New Year's wishes come true!  Can I hope to see this in a Quicksilver chapter?    June 24, 1966 and June 24, 1967.  What a difference a year can make.  Beautifully done. 

The Letter Never Sent

Jan 1, 1983

Jack

I decided to write this letter to you, it won’t be too good, I didn’t write a letter for a long, long time, to anyone.  But I wanted to write this to you.  It’s the New Year, on TV they keep talking about resolutions and shit.  I never made a resolution before, I ain’t even sure what they really are, but I will try to make one, for you.  This is really important, I’ve been thinking a lot.  I don’t know if I can change, but I will try for you, I promise.  I just wish you would understand how hard it is, but I will try.  I swear.

See you in the spring,

Ennis

Like most, another resolution that didn't last long.

Nice to see you drabbling, Marl.  So touching, as always.  Thanks.

Marie

[mariez]

How about these prompts for the first Friday of the New Year:

• "thank your lucky stars"
• emergency
• relief

Marie

[fernly]

cwby and Marl, I felt like your drabbles were letting us right into Ennis' heart, with everything he thought, but didn't and couldn't say to Jack, not in time. Thank you both.

Marie, thank you for your kind words. And far as this bit of Quicksilver expanding into a real chapter...can't begin to say when it will, but eventually... Thanks very much for asking about it.

[MaineWriter]

Lazy L Farm
Quanah, TX
Date unknown

Ennis grabbed at Jack's hand and pulled him towards the stairs. "C'mon, c'mon!" he said.

"Slow down, cowboy," said Jack, chuckling. "Ain't no emergency here, we got all night."

"Yeah, but I got a throbbin and I need relief!" said Ennis, pulling Jack even harder.

"You should thank your lucky stars you got me for relievin ya," said Jack, now laughing outright.

"Believe me, babe, I do...every day. Now git!" And he gave Jack a slap on his butt and pushed him up the stairs.


(86 words)