Late one summer, Don Wroe offered Ennis the use of his cabin for a few weeks. Don Wroe put $15,000 into renovating the place, and the work took nearly 10 weeks to complete. He bought a rather large color TV for the living area, and equipped the family room with leather couches and a love seat. Ennis sent Jack a postcard inviting him for a week of food, fun, and love. Jack took less than 3 days to reply.
Jack couldn’t believe the improvements Don made to the cabin! The kitchen was pure luxury! While Jack put away the supplies he brought to cook up savory meals for his lover, Ennis wanted to relax and watch a little television. Jack almost dropped a side of beef when he heard a side-splitting guffaw spilling from the living room! Ennis was laughing uproariously! Jack ran into the living room, anxious to see what sort of sight would make a taciturn Ennis laugh out loud like that! This was historic! Ennis was watching a commercial: an ad for an absorbent paper towel that featured a very macho lumberjack. The man obviously just returned home from work, and instead of manly sons greeting him, he was surrounded by 3 daughters dressed like ballerinas and they were dancing around him. His dainty wife looked on in approval. The lumberjack stood still while his daughters danced and ran between his massive legs with a look on his face that ranged from disappointment to incomprehension. Jack, too, thought the ad was hilarious!
“Is that you and the girls? Jack asked Ennis as he smiled at his lover.
“Yeah that’s us, Bud!” Ennis managed between peals of laughter. “I know what this dude is going through. But you know what, Jack? I want a son, but if it doesn’t happen, I’ll be okay with that.”
“Of course you will, friend.” Jack answered. “Your girls are the apple of your eye, I can tell.” Jack gave Ennis an affectionate tap on the arm and returned to the kitchen. He had T-Bone steaks to marinade.
The day was over, and the dinner dishes were cleared away. Ennis and Jack sat next to each other in companionable silence and watched a TV cop drama. Ennis giggled a bit and told Jack, “I haven’t seen my commercial!” Jack smiled as he rememberd how that ad tickled his lover. Jack wished he could record the ad for him, so that Ennis could play it back whenever he needed a laugh. He made a mental note to check out that newfangled BETA device they had out now. He thought he read somewhere that the contraption could record TV shows as well as play movies. Jack took Ennis' hand in his and squeezed it. The joy of that moment would be recorded in his consciousness forever.