The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!

[ifyoucantfixit]

     Ennis and the girls were watching the telivision in the living room.  The girls wearing their new jeans and shirts they had been given for christmas.  Alma jr. was wearing her green plaid, and Jenny in the blue.  It was a lazy Sunday afternoon.  Alma sits silently knitting.  She is
forever knitting, it seems.  She is thinking of the things she saw yesterday as she was walking
downtown for groceries.  She saw those new televisions in the furniture store.  All those
beautiful new and stylish things..Things she could never expect to have. She was getting
tired of trying to get him to get a better job.  He never seemed to care about anything that
made their life any nicer.  He just didn't care.  He never really wanted anything new.
     The girls were grousing about getting a snack, Alma pointed out, that they could get, some
bread and butter in the kitchen.."you could even put some cinnamon and sugar on it."   They asked their, "daddy, can't we go get an ice cream instead?"  He glances over at Alma
questioningly.  She shrugs with little notice, "I don't care, if your daddy has the money."  He
says, " I guess so.  I don't have much, will a dollar fifty do it?"  "Oh yes daddy, that is plenty."
"Ice cream is only thirty five cents at the store."    "Well can you get there by yourself, this
movie marathon is still going."  "I would like to see the end of this one.  Its real good.  "Its called "Duel at Diabalo" don't forget to put your new tennies on."  "Its still kind of rough 
out there, since they re graveled the parking lot.  It will be very tough on ya feet
darlins."  "Oh, thank you daddy, thank you, we will come right back we promise."  "Yeah,
Jenny echos, we promise."  Now their life again settles back to the sameness of normal,
Ennis, watching television, and Alma to her knitting.

[Cameron]

The Picnic

(July 1979)
Cassie was making little bread and butter sandwiches.  Just like the ones that she saw in one of those magazines.   She was making tiny sandwiches with little bits of cucumber and onion and tomatoes.  It was a beautiful sunny day and she had finally convinced Ennis to go on a picnic.  He was supposed to come pick her up soon.  She got dressed in her shorts and sneakers.  She was going to wear the sandals with the high wedge heels but she decided that the sneakers were better.

There was a knock on her door, Cassie opened it and it was Ennis, even earlier than he was supposed to come.

“Hey Cassie, see I’m all ready for your picnic, look at what I got.”

And from behind his back he now showed her a bottle of wine, the one she liked.

She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

They went out to the truck.  They drove to the hill, the large hill just at the foot of the mountains.  They passed a pair of young men running, in shorts but with no shirts, who ran as if they were getting ready for a marathon.  Cassie turned back to look at them, and stared at their bodies illuminated by the sweat glistening in the sun.

Ennis turned as they passed but he didn’t say a word, he barely said a word the whole ride up.

They got to the hill and out of the truck.  Cassie began to set up the picnic.  Ennis walked over to the stream a little farther away.  He stood there for a little while, than turned and came back.

“Here, Cassie”  he said and in his hand were some purple and pink wildflowers that she didn’t see him pick.

She smiled, and took them from his hand.  He stood there grinning like a little kid.

She stood up and went over next to him, he put his arms around her. She put her lips on his.
Even when they were kissing, Cassie kept smiling to herself, maybe this picnic really will turn out to be just like she hoped it would be.


(See, I kept my promise too)

[fernly]

an AU drabble...
(apparently I can write angst-free once in a while...)

     Ennis was bent over, lacing up his old sneakers, when Jack walked, yawning, into the kitchen. The sun wasn’t quite up yet, was just barely lifting the indigo of the sky that filled the curtainless window.
     “You still plannin’ on that marathon craziness?”
     “Yep.”
     “What distance you up to now?”
     “Ten miles, give or take.”
     “And how long’s that marathon?”
     “Twenty-six.”
     “You’re out of your fuckin’ mind.”
     Ennis muttered something in the direction of his feet.
     “What?”
     When Ennis looked up, there was the tell-tale wicked glint in his brown eyes that Jack knew meant his chain was about to be yanked. Damn, but he loved that look.
     “You’re just worried I’m gonna come home with a medal and you won’t be the only prize-winner in the family anymore.”
     “Right, that’s it. I’m threatened that my stayin' on the back of a two thousand pound bull that wanted to kill me won’t look so good up against your “I Was There” medal for being one of several hundred old fools runnin' down the streets of Denver.”
     Ennis shook his head, grabbed a water bottle and tore off a hunk of bread from the loaf sitting on the tiled counter. Reminded Jack of something he’d read about that John Muir fella who’d head up into the mountains with nothing more than a canteen of tea and some bread.
     “Wish you could run with me, Jack. Somethin’ about movin’ through all those miles, on my own two feet, helps me think, or stop thinkin’, whichever’s needed.”
     Jack shrugged, “Too busted up for that. How about after the chores’re done, if either of us got any energy left, we go for a long ride together?”
     The gleam in the brown eyes was back. “Which kind of ride you got in mind, friend?”
     Blue eyes flashed back, caught the sunlight that was just coming into their kitchen. “Either one, cowboy, just so’s we’re together.”

[mariez]

.  .  . "This time I will take the job of protecting you, and you will have to depend on me.  I promise I will try to do as good as you done Jack."  "Your shirt
is  goin inside of mine, this time.."it'll be me protecting yours." 

Loved that Janice - what a great use of the prompt!

.  .  .
     The girls were grousing about getting a snack, Alma pointed out, that they could get, some bread and butter in the kitchen.."you could even put some cinnamon and sugar on it."   . . .

This brought back memories for me, Janice.  When I was a wee thing I used to slather a slice of bread with butter and sprinkle (pour) sugar all over it.  Eeeww - now just the thought of that makes my teeth hurt! 

The Picnic

(July 1979)
Cassie was making little bread and butter sandwiches.  Just like the ones that she saw in one of those magazines.  .   .  .

(See, I kept my promise too)

You sure did - and very nicely!  I really like all your references to Cassie dreaming through her magazines. 

an AU drabble...
(apparently I can write angst-free once in while...)
.  .  .
     “You’re just worried I’m gonna come home with a medal and you won’t be the only prize-winner in the family anymore.”
     “Right, that’s it. I’m threatened that my stayin' on the back of a two thousand pound bull that wanted to kill me won’t look so good up against your “I Was There” medal for being one of several hundred old fools running down the streets of Denver.”  .  .  .  .

Apparently so!  That was wonderful - and it wasn't just angst free - this made me laugh out loud!   

Thanks, all.
Marie

[Lumière]

Hiya folks!

My contribution:
_{(p/s: Contains coarse language .. )}



Three days before ..

Saturday, August 10th 1963

Jack’s head was rolled back, his breathing laboured and his eyes squeezed shut as Ennis’ tongue formed a wet trail on his back.  He inhaled sharply when Ennis entered him again, this time riding him hard and fast.  A thin film of sweat glistened between their hot, sliding bodies.  When Ennis reached around and grabbed his erect, weeping dick, Jack could feel the fire shooting down his spine like electric current through a copper wire; Ennis’ fingers slid up and down the entire length of him.  They held nothing back, their cries of pleasure pierced through the stillness of the night, the sheep long forgotten.   

“Goddamn..” Ennis cried as they landed in a naked, sweaty heap on the bedroll, short of breath and sated.  Ennis pulled out and lay on his back, his dick still half hard; Jack lay beside him, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath. 

“Damn.  Feels like I jus’ ran a fuckin’ marathon ..swear to god!  Damn..” Jack added, a soft laugh escaping his lips.  In a rare moment, Ennis reached his left arm underneath Jack and pulled him closer to him, Jack’s head finally resting on his breast.  He was so close to telling Ennis how he really felt, but he bit his tongue and cracked a joke instead.

“Ya know, Ennis, me an’ you, we’re like bread and butter.  When I get hot, ya melt all over me .. when you get hot ..”

“Shut the fuck up Jack..” Ennis laughed.

“Whut?  I ain’t wrong am I?  Yer butter is salty, ya know that?” Jack teased, sticking his finger into Ennis’ navel playfully.

“Yer too much Jack!” Ennis smiled, his cheeks burning.  He pulled Jack closer to himself, as if to reveal an affection his lips could not utter.  They were starting to understand each other, relying on unspoken words, little gestures to acknowledge that what was transpiring between them was no slight affair.

Soon the two were fast asleep, naked in each others arms; completely unaware that in three short days, foot-high piles of the first snow would bring everything to a hasty and unexpected conclusion.

( ~ 360 words)

[mariez]

.  .  .
“Ya know, Ennis, me an’ you, we’re like bread and butter.  When I get hot, ya melt all over me .. when you get hot ..”

“Shut the fuck up Jack..” Ennis laughed.

“Whut?  I ain’t wrong am I?  Yer butter is salty, ya know that?” Jack teased, sticking his finger into Ennis’ navel playfully.

Dang, M!!!  Now that's bread and butter - thanks!

Marie

[MaineWriter]

Lazy L Farm
Quanah, TX
August 5, 1984

“What’re ya watchin’?”

“The Olympics.”

“I know it’s the Olympics, ya been watchin’ that for days. I meant, what event?”

“Women’s marathon.”

“That’s the long one, right?”

“Yup. 26.2 miles.”

“I didn’t know they had one a those for women.”

“This is the first year.”

“Ah, okay. Who’s winnin’?”

“A woman from Maine, name a Joan. Joan Benoit.”

Ennis slid down onto the couch. “Can I watch?”

“A course,” said Jack, moving over slightly.

“How far inta the race is she?”

“Near the end. I think there’s ‘bout a mile ta go.”

“Damn, she’s run 25 miles already? She hardly looks like she’s sweatin’.”

“I know, she’s like a machine. Lookit the muscles in her legs.”

Ennis nodded. “Yeah, she’s really strong. But ya know what?”

“What?”

“I like the divers better.”

Jack chuckled. “I know ya do, ya said that already. Too bad, though, the swimmin’ stuff is over.”

“All the swimmin’ stuff?”

“Yup, that was last week. Now they’re doin’ the track and field.”

“Track and field…races and relays and jumpin’ and shit?”

“That’s right.”

“Guys in shorts?”

“Yup.”

“That’ll do,” said Ennis, with a smile.

(196 words)

[mariez]

Lazy L Farm
Quanah, TX
August 5, 1984

.   .  .
“Guys in shorts?”

“Yup.”

“That’ll do,” said Ennis, with a smile.

   - and loved how it was all dialogue.  Joan Benoit and the 1984 Olympics - I remember that well.  That was almost 23 years ago?  Now I feel really old.  LOL!!

Marie

[MaineWriter]

  - and loved how it was all dialogue.  Joan Benoit and the 1984 Olympics - I remember that well.  That was almost 23 years ago?  Now I feel really old.  LOL!!

Marie

Joan was on TV last night, doing a public service spot for colorectal cancer screening, which gave me the idea of the "marathon" prompt. I originally thought I'd write something sort of along Milli's idea, but she beat me to it...LOL...besides, my muse wasn't working that way for me today.

Just a bit of trivia...on August 5th, 1984, while the marathon was going on, my husband and I were attending the Maine Festival which that year happened to be on the Bowdoin College campus, Joan's alma mater. As the race was progressing, the excitement throughout the crowd was building, and TVs even started appearing. It was a very cool place to be and totally coincidental. Until that day, I am not even sure I had ever heard of Joan Benoit!

Leslie

[Lumière]

I like the divers best too!