The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!

[Lumière]

Hey TH,

Why don't you post this story on its own on the fanfic board? 
You could start a thread for it ..

[mariez]

Hey TH,

Why don't you post this story on its own on the fanfic board? 
You could start a thread for it ..

Great minds and all that, M - I was just gonna say that!   

Marie

[Lumière]

Okay .. another dabble .. 

 
Little worries ..

September 1982

Jack retreated to the bedroom after supper, it'd been a long day and he was exhausted.  He stretched his weary body and sat at the edge of the bed.  ‘I’m gettin’ too old to be sleeping on the hard ground for five straight days..’, he thought to himself, recalling fond memories of his last camping trip with Ennis only a week earlier.  He rubbed his sore eyes and lay down for a little nap.  He was starting to drift away into a world of tall pine trees, cold sweet air and mountain fog when a knock on the door brought him back to wakefulness. 

“Yeah?”

“Dad, can I come in?”

“Come on in Bobby..”, he said, sitting up and rubbing his lower back.

“Sorry to wake you, dad .. But I really needed to talk to someone ..”

“I’m listening, son ..” he interjected, now wide awake and slightly concerned by the look of anxiety and worry in the boy’s eyes.

“Well, it’s just that ..” he hesitated.  “Is everything okay with you and Ma?  I mean, you hardly talk to each other these days and when you do, you’re arguing or upsetting each other.  Is everything okay, dad?  You won’t be getting a divorce or nothing like that .. right?”  The young man shoved his hands clumsily into his back pockets and looked at his father anxiously. 

Jack lowered his eyes for a moment and then looked up at his son.  “Don’t worry about your mother and me.  We’ll be fine .. we work together day in, day out .. We’re bound to get on each other’s nerves every so often ..” he said, trying to reassure his son with a smile.  “And you know that your grandpa passed away .. your Ma needs time to deal with that as well..”

“I understand..” Bobby responded, a glimmer of hope flashing across his face.  He turned to leave and then stopped, “You promise everything’s gonna be okay, dad?”

“Hundred percent, son .. we just need a little time.. Now get back to your schoolwork young man..” he added with a smile and a wink, pleased to see an unflurried look on the boy’s face once more.

He lay back on the bed as Bobby left the room; he was motionless, staring blankly at the ceiling ..  Nothing would ever be one hundred percent right, not now, possibly never.  He'd made another promise destined for the pile of broken ones, along with a few fallen dreams and lost hopes.  He heaved a sigh and closed his eyes.  An hour later, he finally drifted off to sleep and welcomed dreams of a familiar face he never grew tired to behold...

[Cameron]

The Math Test

(March 1975)
Alma Junior ran all the way home from school.  She was by herself, Jenny was home with another cold.  Alma Jr. couldn’t wait to show her Momma and her Daddy the test.  She couldn’t wait at all.  She got her math test back today.  She got 100%, the first one ever.  Mr. Allen even said it to the whole class.   Ryan smiled at her.

Alma Jr. got home breathlessly “Momma, Momma look!”

Alma was sitting at the table which was covered with piles of bills.

“Don’t ya yell, Jenny’s finally takin a nap.”

“But Momma look!” she exclaimed, holding the test with the red one hundred in front of her.

Alma looked over.  “Oh, that’s nice, but you can change and help me with the laundry” she said.  Alma Jr. just stood there looking at her.  “How am I supposed to care bout anythin with all of these bills and no money?” Momma asked her voice just slightly lower this time.

Alma just stood there “But Momma, didn’t you see, Mr. Allen said…….”

“Alma, what did I tell ya, go start the laundry, go downstairs, you know which machine.”

Alma got the laundry, a big bagful, and dragged it down the stairs.

After Alma Jr. got the machine going she sat on the chair next to it.  She pulled out the piece of paper from her pocket.  It had the new words that they learned that day.  She always saved the words.  Anxiety, that was her favorite one today.  It made her think of her Momma.

It made her think of her Daddy too.  He came back from one of his trips just the other day.  He hardly talked to her either, since he got home.  He always left for the trips kissing her and telling her he would miss her.  But he never was the same after he came home from those trips.  This time was even worse.  He got home, and he just sat on the bed for three hours straight without saying a word to anybody.

Alma Jr. heard a car pull in.  She went to the door of the laundromat.  It was Daddy, just getting out of the truck, with his lunch pail in his hand.

“Hey Daddy, guess what, I gotta show you somethin.”  Alma Jr. said almost loudly.

He looked at her, smiled a little and gave her a little wink like he sometimes does.

“Later, honey” Daddy said and he went wearily up the steps.

[Lumière]

The Math Test

Awww..
I'll look at the test if everyone is too busy! 

Cheers Marl.

[Cameron]

Thanks M,  So glad someones finally gonna look at the test.
Jr. will be so happy.
 
Marl

[cwby30]

Evenin'.

TH: just read the entire story to date.  Ditto on creating a separate thread for this.  Truly amazing.  Ghosts as memories, and spirits with us to help us.  Now that Ennis is really looking at life, perhaps Jack will be with him more. 

Enjoyed especially your descriptions of Ennis being visited by the cowboys on trail, herding the cattle onward, and then seeing the house in the coulee.  And the difference between good people and fools. 

Thanks for writing this. Hope you continue to add to it. 

[mariez]

"Um.....Thanks....Jack......." Ennis looking at his reflection in the mirror. "You can do the same......if yer ever want too...." Jack reached his arms around  Ennis holding him close, chin on his neck.

What a wonderfully sweet image, Mark - times two. 


  "Y're a good man, Ennis."
   "An easy man, ya mean!"
   "Nope.  A good man...  I mean that, Ennis."

I think so, too.  Thanks, TH.

Little worries ..[/b]
.  .  .
He lay back on the bed as Bobby left the room; he was motionless, staring blankly at the ceiling ..  Nothing would ever be one hundred percent right, not now, possibly never.  He'd made another promise destined for the pile of broken ones, along with a few fallen dreams and lost hopes.  He heaved a sigh and closed his eyes.  An hour later, he finally drifted off to sleep and welcomed dreams of a familiar face he never grew tired to behold...

M, you seem to have a special rapport with these Twist boys - whenever they speak to you, the results are just amazing!  (Loved the title, too.)

.  .  .  Anxiety, that was her favorite one today.  It made her think of her Momma.

Oh, my.  That says so much.  Really nice, Marl. 


Thanks, all
Marie

[TH]

 
Little worries ..

The young man shoved his hands clumsily into his back pockets and looked at his father anxiously. 

  Its this line here that made Bobby suddenly materialize for me... 

[mariez]

Good Morning, all!

How about these for some Thursday prompts:

• brand new
• matching
• happy

Talk to ya later,
Marie