The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!

[MaineWriter]

Thank you to Marie, for single handedly keeping the drabblefest going! Even though things have slowed down, I still check in every day and read all the wonderful stuff that people are writing.

Way back when, in the IMDb days, John Gallagher started a wonderful thread called "Cowboy Etiquette." The first entry was, "Sauteed elk should be served well salted." I thought of that when I saw today's prompts, and wrote this little bit of whimsy for all of you. Enjoy!


Brokeback Mountain
July, 1963

Jack picked up the generous piece of elk meat and gnawed on it, ravenously hungry and happy to have some filling protein to eat. “Thanks for shooting that elk, Ennis, this is damn good,” he mumbled, his mouth full of food.

“Ain’t too salty, is it?”

Jack’s head shot up and he looked at Ennis, not really comprehending what he heard. “Huh?” he asked, stupidly.

“I was thinking I was a little heavy handed with the salt shaker, I hope I didn’t wreck it.”

Jack shook his head. “No, Ennis, it tastes fine. In fact,” he said, grabbing another piece of meat from the pan, “I’m gonna have seconds…and prob’ly thirds, too.”

“I ain’t much of a cook,” Ennis said, chewing the meat off a rib bone.

“Tell ya what, when you and I are livin on a farm down in Texas, I’ll do the cookin. Deal?”

Now it was Ennis’s turn to look puzzled. “What the fuck are ya talking about, Jack?”

“I don’t know, just a little feeling I had—lookin inta the future.”

“I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear what ya just said. You must be drunk.”

Jack shrugged. “Whatever…” he said, this voice trailing off. But he tucked his head down and smiled to himself. He wasn’t drunk, and somehow, he knew it was all true.

(224 words)

[mariez]

Jack shrugged. “Whatever…” he said, this voice trailing off. But he tucked his head down and smiled to himself. He wasn’t drunk, and somehow, he knew it was all true.

    Yes, all true.  And Ennis appreciates Jack's efforts in the kitchen - even if they do include Crab Mongol!  LOL!  Thanks for smile, Leslie. 

Marie

[mariez]

Only a Morsel

He woke in darkness to the taste of salty tears on his lips, his heart pounding in his ears and his mind flailing in confusion.  As his heartbeat slowed, he heard her breathing gently beside him and resisted the urge to piece together the jumbled images of his dream, the tears turning sour on his tongue as he swallowed the lump in his throat.

But he found comfort in the thought that there were just three more days until he'd be able to wash away the bitter feeling with a taste – if only a morsel – of that sweet, sweet life.

~~~~~~~
100 Words

[mariez]

Hi everyone - some prompts for today!

• dabble
• dribble
• draggle

 
Marie

[belbbmfan]

Nice to see the boys again Leslie. That little peek into the future must have helped Jack during all their time apart.


  -----> Marie, the Crab Mongol! That brings back memories!

[belbbmfan]

Only a Morsel

He woke in darkness to the taste of salty tears on his lips, his heart pounding in his ears and his mind flailing in confusion.  As his heartbeat slowed, he heard her breathing gently beside him and resisted the urge to piece together the jumbled images of his dream, the tears turning sour on his tongue as he swallowed the lump in his throat.

But he found comfort in the thought that there were just three more days until he'd be able to wash away the bitter feeling with a taste – if only a morsel – of that sweet, sweet life.

~~~~~~~
100 Words

I've had a few moments like that myself the last couple of weeks, waking up in the middle of the night with a salty taste of tears on my lips. Ennis's loneliness must have been crushing.

thanks Marie, that was sad but lovely.

[mariez]

-----> Marie, the Crab Mongol! That brings back memories!

It sure does, Fabienne - great ones!   

I've had a few moments like that myself the last couple of weeks, waking up in the middle of the night with a salty taste of tears on my lips. Ennis's loneliness must have been crushing.

thanks Marie, that was sad but lovely.

(((((Fabienne))))))

[mariez]

The Cup of Life

Lureen swore he'd met the bride before, her second cousin or some such, but she didn't look even remotely familiar.  He set his face to amiable and interested; now he just had to try and keep it that way for the next few hours. 

"Drink deeply from the cup of life," he heard the minister intone and he let out a barely audible sigh.  Easy for him to say.  Seemed like nothing ever came to Jack's hand the right way and the joke was always on him - someone must've switched his cup with one of those damn dribble glasses.

~~~~~~~
100 Words

[mariez]

And to start the week, let's try:

• perturb
• provoke
• pacify

Marie

[mariez]

Mr. Fix-It

Ennis rubbed is forehead hard as he heard crying from the girls' room.  Jesus. Not again.  They seemed to have a gift for provoking each other sometimes. He pushed himself off the couch and took the few steps to the doorway.

"Now what's going on?" 

Both girls looked up at the sound of their daddy's stern voice and began talking at once –

"She promised…"

"Francie always…"

At times he felt so off-balance in his house full of females. His own momma would've given the "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" talk, while his Daddy was from the "Do to others, before they do to you" school. 

But his heart swelled as he looked into the two little faces, and he instinctively picked them both up at once, each one held securely in a strong arm.  "I think we all need to get out for a while, huh?  Let's get some ice cream."  He watched their quivering lips turn into smiles as he kissed each tear-stained cheek.

At least there were some things he could fix. 

~~~~~
180 Words