The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!

[mariez]

Lazy L Farm
Quanah, TX
Date unknown
.....
"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.

Hey!  Another New Year's wish granted.     A visit to the Lazy L. Can't think of a better use of those prompts - and I like the "Date unknown."  Your boys are timeless.

Thanks, L!
Marie

[MaineWriter]

Hey!  Another New Year's wish granted.     A visit to the Lazy L. Can't think of a better use of those prompts - and I like the "Date unknown."  Your boys are timeless.

Thanks, L!
Marie

Ah, thank you Marie! I love dropping in at the Lazy L, too!

[MaineWriter]

Let's start the new work week with a few prompts to spur our collective imaginations:

• stiff as a board
• grouchy
• pot holder

L

[mariez]

A Deeper Ache

The pain was always there, worse when the weather turned cold and damp and those long-ago crushed vertebrae and broken bones still conspired to make him stiff as a board; sometimes better when it was warm and dry, but it was a constant in his life that he'd long ago accepted. 

It seemed that the only time he was truly free of pain was in Ennis's arms, but the bliss of those infrequent times, those brilliant charges, brought forth a deeper ache of a different kind – he'd been given the key to heaven, only to have it snatched away, and the fall became longer and harder with each passing year.

110 Words

[mariez]

Hey, drabblers!  Some Tuesday prompts:

• thaw
• January
• each and every

Marie

[ifyoucantfixit]

         It was a cold winter and the barns and fields still having puddles of ice covered melt.  The January thaw
was in full fledge.  The ice cold winds were still whistling off the mountains, whenever the wind was from the
North.  Which it often was these days...Ennis reluctantly made his way on the back of his horse, Ford, out to
the south fields where he knew some of the herd had gathered daily from the chill early mornings..  Needing to
see if the any of the heirfers were calving or in need of help. 
         Each and every year this weather reminded him, as the wind blew on the dry scrub grass, of long ago, when he and Jack were young, and had no idea how short the time was to be.  How long they would be separated, by a tire iron that he probably never saw coming.  He hoped that he didn't anyhow.  It was just
about the only thing Ennis prayed for anymore.  That Jack had not suffered.  Please he didn't suffer.
171wds

[mariez]

         It was a cold winter and the barns and fields still having puddles of ice covered melt.  The January thaw
was in full fledge.  The ice cold winds were still whistling off the mountains, whenever the wind was from the
North.  Which it often was these days...Ennis reluctantly made his way on the back of his horse, Ford, out to
the south fields where he knew some of the herd had gathered daily from the chill early mornings..  Needing to
see if the any of the heirfers were calving or in need of help. 
         Each and every year this weather reminded him, as the wind blew on the dry scrub grass, of long ago, when he and Jack were young, and had no idea how short the time was to be.  How long they would be separated, by a tire iron that he probably never saw coming.  He hoped that he didn't anyhow.  It was just
about the only thing Ennis prayed for anymore.  That Jack had not suffered.  Please he didn't suffer.
171wds

Wow, Janice.  Such lovely descriptive writing leading us to such a powerful and moving moment.  Just excellent. 

Thanks,
Marie

[mariez]

Counting to Ten

Ennis peeked in the girls' bedroom and was surprised to hear Francie's trembly voice call out. "Daddy, will you sit with me?" 

He sat down gently on the side of the bed. "What's wrong, darlin'?" 

"I don't want to go to school tomorrow.  I get scared, like I'm not gonna be able to breathe again and everyone will look at me funny, and sometimes I just get scared for no reason at all and I feel like runnin' home.  Did you ever get scared when you were little?"

Ennis was still for a long moment.  "I sure did, got scared lotsa times."   

"What'd you do?"

"Well, it was something my mama taught me. I counted to ten real slow, and when I found out nothing bad happened, I kept going, and counted to ten again, and pretty soon I stopped counting and just kept going."

"Did that really help, Daddy?"

He brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead. "Yep."

Francie smiled.  "I can count to ten." 

"That's my girl."  He held her hand, sitting beside her long after she'd fallen fast asleep.

What he hadn't told her was that he still began each and every day counting to ten.   

~~~~~~~
200 Words

[ifyoucantfixit]

              Oh dear we are in a morose mood today i guess Marie.

       Very nice Drabble.  and thank you for the lovely words...
          Janice

[mariez]

Some Hump Day prompts 

• clumsy
• money
• at first glance

Marie