Author Topic: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!  (Read 1178061 times)

Offline MaineWriter

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #510 on: March 04, 2007, 09:03:16 am »
“Boys like you,” said Ennis, running his hand down Jack’s flank, feeling the suppleness of his muscles.

“What d’ya mean, ‘boys like you’?”

“Ya know, queer.”

“Yer queer.”

Ennis chuckled. “Okay then, boys like me.”

“Yer hardly a boy.”

“Men like me, then.”

“Men like you.”

“Men like us.

“Men like us, but I don’t want another man. I only want you.”

“A man for you.”

“My man.”

“Yer lover?”

“My husband,” said Jack softly, reaching for Ennis’s hand.

(79 words)
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Offline Penthesilea

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #511 on: March 04, 2007, 10:05:48 am »
  Hmmm...  The point may be arguable...

Hunh? What is arguable?


Quote
...  It seemed to me no coincidence that the shirts were in a closet and that that is where Ennis found them and connected to them...  It seemed the imagery was inescapable...  -smile

Completely agree with you (therefore I don't know what you meant with arguable?).
Maybe I was unclear. I meant that although stories about the shirts have been done numerous times (over at LJ), peoples crativity here on BM didn't fail to bring new POVs to them yesterday on this thread.
Respectively take the symbol of "two bloody shirts" and make something different from it (like in the story with Cassie and the black and white movie). Different, but still reminiscent of the story/movie. I love all the creativity on this thread.

Offline TH

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #512 on: March 04, 2007, 10:21:25 am »
Hunh? What is arguable?

  I prolly wasn't clear...  What may be arguable is that the closet scene with the shirts is the climax of the movie/book...  I think it was... but others may not agree.  The closet imagery can't be lost on ppl that Ennis connects with Jack when he finds the shirts, that Mrs. Twist knew there were there and wanted him to see... and then, probably, have. 

  It seems that we all have our 'closets'... where unrecognized or unrealized parts of us are hidden...  Acknowledgement of the shadow in our lives is often a hard process to undertake and accomplish but its necessary because those shadow areas hold massive amounts of our personal resources.  Freeing those resources up so we can live our lives... is, I think, one of the main themes in/of the movie.  Just my take on it though...  -smile. 
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Offline mariez

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #513 on: March 04, 2007, 12:31:51 pm »

Complete communion ..
Lucise, that title alone said it all - lovely, as always.

Mind if go for another today?  It's like their starting to come out on their own

The Neighbor

That must be a great feeling, Marleen - and it shows in your writing!


    I know this is an odd happening, posting two different drabbles,  .....

Janice, I enjoy reading all of your drabbles - the goodness of your heart shines through every one of them.


.   .   .
“Men like us, but I don’t want another man. I only want you.”

“A man for you.”

“My man.”

“Yer lover?”

“My husband,” said Jack softly, reaching for Ennis’s hand.

Oh, Leslie - you really know how to push my buttons.  Happy Sigh.

Thanks, drabblers
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 Cameron

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #514 on: March 04, 2007, 12:57:02 pm »
Oh Marlen, this is my favourite drabble of the past few days. It warms my heart.

I am so, so glad.  Thank you, and thank you also for your kind words about the the black and white movie drabbe.

I do appreciate it so much.

Marl



Offline Cameron

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #515 on: March 04, 2007, 01:18:15 pm »
I guess this is a sort of a real preview for "Another Side of the Story" but with prompts.

The Question

(November 1982)
Cassie was talking to the old women at the store.  She always asks Cassie how she’s doing, if she is eating enough, but she also asks her other things.

“Hey, honey, don’t ya think its time for ya to get married?”

Cassie didn’t even look up.

“Ya ought to get married, have a couple a babies, sure is some sweet life, takin care of them sweet little ones”  said the old women, as her hand went to her dress, where she kept the picture of the one she lost with her always.
Cassie rushed out to the street.

‘Hey beautiful, doncha wanna come over?”
“Honey, why don’t ya come over and show me ya…”

Cassie rushed away, she hated passing by those fellas who just stayed out on the street, drinking all day, never shutting their slop bucket mouths.

Cassie made it to her little car. She hated it when they asked, when they started to talk about her getting married.  She knew that they meant well, but it felt like a knife cutting through her.  What did they think, that she didn’t want to?

She decided that she would take her chance.

Ennis came over for dinner.  She cooked it and made it especially nice, venison with those little potatoes.  But they ate in silence as usual.  She began talking about her friends, all married now, about what the lady said at the store.

“I told ya, I just don’t wanna talk about getting married, not now.” Ennis said with his face turning angry and red.

“Then when?”

“Don’t know”

Cassie felt the tears coming, “Why is it that I always end up with boys like you?”

Ennis gave her a look, a look that felt like a shot through her heart.  He got up and looked like he was moving toward her, his arm outstretched.  But then he sat back down, sat there for a while, then the put on his hat and walked out the door.

Cassie didn’t move for hours, just sat there staring at the door.

(346 words)
« Last Edit: March 04, 2007, 01:29:58 pm by marlb42 »



Offline ifyoucantfixit

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #516 on: March 04, 2007, 03:43:31 pm »
     Jack and Ennis are in the tent, they have had a fitful night.  Jack blinks back the tears that are flowing from his eyes, but he is facing toward the back..Ennis can't tell that he is quietly sobbing.  He just lays back to back facing out the barely open flap.
     Ennis cannot speak, and Jack refuses to at this point.  It seems like just one more time they have gotten no place.  No understanding, and no new arrangement.  No sweet life, nothin.
     Jack is getting to the point where he figures, Ennis doesn't want the sweet life.  He figures that the ideas he has are just so much slop, coming out of his mouth.    Jack is getting desperate.  His attempts have just been slammed yet again.  He wonders why he even continues to return, trip after trip.  Ennis doesn't seem to give a damn, anyhow.
     Ennis at last turns toward him.  His voice now also, fraught with unshed tears.  He is on the edge of the cliff, making the legs ready to give that final leap.  He is going over the cliff.  "Jack  you wake?  You wake?  I have been wonderin.  You think boys like us, could make it.  Make it nowdays, with all them people out there?  The ones carrying those tire irons? Ill tell you the truth.  I got my doubts, and thats no lie.  But all I know.  And I know this, if I don't know nothin else.  I can't go on like this.  I can't stand it no more. We gotta do somethin, we gotta fix it.
    " Jack, you hearin me?  "Yeah cowboy," he says voice barely above a whisper.  "I hear ya."   
« Last Edit: March 04, 2007, 09:49:39 pm by ifyoucantfixit »



     Beautiful mind

Offline jpwagoneer1964

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #517 on: March 04, 2007, 05:38:31 pm »
Mid April 1988 Ennis and Jack are up early preparing their usual hearty breakfast, today potato pancakes with onion and garlic simmering in olive oil, sausage, eggs and homemade biscuits from a large batch of dough made once a week. Both standing on the counter, Jack is slicing fresh cantaloupe, Ennis at the frying pan.

“Hey Ennis, know what coming on ta next month?”

Ennis focusing on the potatoes. “Nope…can’t imagine.”

“Ya have no idea?….nothing?”

“Nope”

“Ennis …what year is it?”

“Accordin’ at that calendar in the wall its 1988, thought you’d know that”

“Ennis….Don’t ya know…” Jack take the bowel of fruit to the table and sits down. Ennis turns off the stove, takes the plate with the potatoes and one the eggs and sausage to the table, sits across from Jack. Ennis looks back at him.

“What is it Jack?…what’s got your britches in a bunch?

“Next month…next month be 25 years since we met up, working up at Brokeback.”

“Damn!….25 years!…..don’t seem possible….Seems like a lot more happen’d than work.” Ennis laughs.

“Is why you’s sittin’ there across from me.” Jack smiles back at Ennis. “Sure enough is. Ennis I was thinking’, this calls fer a calibration, get ourselves all dressed up real sharp, mebe even get ourselves new suits, eat up in a nice restaurant, and then….”

“Hotel!…..New suits!” Ennis look back at Jack with apprehension.

“Yeah we can stay in Denver! Hell we go ever couple of months anyway….have us a real fancy dinner, get ourselves some real nice suits, none of that cowboy honky-tonk sh..t, we can stay in a nice hotel. We’re goin’ at make a trip there next couple a weeks anyway, we can go see that new movie “Young Guns” then pick out a pair of real sharp suits to celebrate in, go back next month dressed at the nines fer the big day.

Ennis looks wide eyed. “Sound like it might cost a lot.”

“Ennis, this is big, 25 years! Be worth every penny. We’ll get us a real nice room….not like that fleabag we were at in Riverton.”

“Don’t remember ya mindin’ so much.” Ennis grins.

“You neither.”

Ennis look intently at Jack just a hint of fear on his face. “Jack, you ….you really want too…stay….”

“Yeah Ennis I do…I would like that. Don’t worry it’ll be ok…you’ll see.” Jack starts in on his eggs.

“Alright….Jack…if that’s what ya want…” Ennis looks down at his plate begins eating enjoying his meal.

Jack grins back at Ennis, then to his plate.. “Thing is don’t know the exact date… that we met…so I thought we’d just pick…..”

“May 9th.”

“What? ” Jack looks up at Ennis.

“May 9th…it was May 9th. ” Ennis mouth full still on his meal.

What?…you mean?”

“Yup….May 9th…was a Thursday.”

“You’re sure?”

Ennis reach back pulls out his wallet, opens it. In a plastic sleeve next to photos of his daughters he takes out a worn piece note pad folded in quarters with advertising letter head:, carefully unfolds it, hands it to Jack. Jack reads:

Shayde Seed & Feed

11255 State Highway 789

Riverton, WY 82501

(307) 856-5543


Mr. Joe Agguire

135 E. Main street

Signal

Thursday , May 9 8.00 o’clock
“So Ennis …You saved this all these years?” Jack feeling the depth of this revelation.

“Eat up food getting’ cold.” Ennis looks back down at his plate spearing a sausage with his fork.

“Ennis ya had….”

“Had with me when I went at Signal…musta just left it….”

“Fer 25 years!”

“Don’t mean nothing’ ….can’t a fella carry an old piece of paper in his wallet….Huh?…Did have no place else ta put up at Brockback….Just never cleaned it out is all….now eat up.”

“Ennis, that’s the wallet I got ya fer your birthday couple of years ago, remember when ya turned 42 couple of years ago, forty two! Let’s see that would make you….”

“What is this math day….Huh?….What year is it?….How old am I? ….Sides ya got a couple of months on me, we were both born in 1944. Come on now eat up….foods gonna get cold.” Ennis shovels a large piece of potato in his mouth.

“The wallet before you birthday one was old but it wasn’t the same as ya had up on Broke…”

“So a man can’t carry something’ in his private wallet….without a body getting’ all worked up……Huh?
Sides it was ….was ….” Ennis looks down.

“Was what Ennis.” Jack said pushing against his knee, more serious. “You c’n tell me….s ‘alright”

“Was the only thing I had left….that summer that we was …only thing I could take out…and…look at…to know I was really there…that…..we…I’m mean didn’t even know if I’d ever ….if I’d ever see ya again…Damn you Jack Twist!” Ennis’s eyes shut tight, biting his lower lip, eyes starting to fill.

Jack rises from his chair goes to Ennis pulls his face to his side. Ennis knife and fork in each hand still in a charade of trying to eat, leans hard into Jack. Jack gently holds Ennis’s head running his hand through his hair leans down and kisses the top of his head burying his face on Ennis.

“Ennis….Ennis look …this note getting’ all beat up in yer wallet, this…this is… important…we should frame it. That be ok ….with you?”

Ennis responds with a barely perceptible affirmative nod.

“Look, we could put it in in that picture we have of us in our room, in the corner , still see our faces . That be alright?”

Ennis gathering up some bravado. “Go ahead, do whatever ya want….just an old piece of paper….just….just don’t loose it Jack.”

“Don’t worry none, put it in there right now, be safe”

“Your food…”

“Only take a sec, just bend the tabs, be right back.”

Ennis wipes his eyes, gets up takes Jack plate to the stove, turns it on to about 220 degrees, sets it in.

In their room Jack hangs up the picture, stands back admiring his handiwork. Just a simple photo, two smiling men arm in arm in the mountains taken on their first trip in the Colorado Rockies after they moved to the ranch, now with a tattered handwritten note in the corner that lead Ennis to him so long ago, looking back in silent testimony through the journey of their lives in a wooden frame. Tear rolling down his cheek Jack remembers what he himself took ,saved and protected from their days at Brokeback.

“Jack! Are ya coming in here an eat er ya gonna stay in there hangin’ pictures all day! Gotta a lot a work at do today.”

“Coming Ennis .” Jack wipes his face with the back of his hand walks back to the kitchen, runs the same hand down Ennis’s face, then across his shoulders as he sits down. In silence, only the sounds of forks and knifes on plates, jeans and boots entwined, two cowboys relish their meal and companionship.
« Last Edit: March 04, 2007, 07:02:19 pm by jpwagoneer1964 »
Thank you Heath and Jake for showing us Ennis and Jack,  teaching us how much they loved one another.

Offline TH

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #518 on: March 04, 2007, 06:40:00 pm »
....

britches in a bunch?

“What is this math day….Huh?….

jeans and boots entwined, two cowboys relish their meal and companionship.

  What a hoot - these lines...  -smile....  and then at the last - real good...

thanks
« Last Edit: March 04, 2007, 06:42:45 pm by TH »
I know you think I know that you know what you think I said.
Know you what you think I know you know is not what I meant?

Offline Lumière

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Re: The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!
« Reply #519 on: March 04, 2007, 07:27:56 pm »
Whoa! So many drabbles ..  :D
I hope to catch up later tonight!.. (Who needs chores anyway?  :-\)

Cheers everyone for keeping the thread kickin'!  :)