Was: Laramie Tales: New Working Title: Tales of Greenlea County (ARCHIVE)

[MaineWriter]

I have been thinking about Wayne and this chapter. It is obvious he is very jealous...jealous of Ennis whom he "admires from afar"; jealous of Ellery for being with Ennis and jealous of their relationship. I think he is filled with regret about choices he has made, choices that have made him sick with a life-limiting illness. It is understandable that under the circumstances, the worst parts of his personality are coming out. Even so, I feel bad for him. I don't think Wayne is a bad guy, just a "lippy aggravating little shit," as Ennis would say.

Leslie

[louisev]

Yes, Leslie, a very good assessment of him.  And now because he is a customer of the bar instead of the bartender, he also has suffered a major "demotion" within the community he is so proud to be a part of, and that is also a cause for jealousy: and he is jealous of Lauren on two counts, for having the job of bartender, as well as for having an intimate, romantic relationship that considering Lauren's youth, is relatively long term and stable.  And so far no one has really called Wayne on his being jealous.  He had a relationship with Pete, and drove Pete off through his demands, and his jealousy of the time Pete spent being serious about his job at the insurance agency.   So unless he is the cock of the walk and has something to wave in other people's faces for them to envy him, he strikes out at those he himself is jealous of.

But - he is also sick, and Lauren cried a lot of bitter tears over Wayne's suffering, too... and since he has been in a state of relative remission, Lauren and others have pushed away that fact about Wayne, and this will come back to haunt them - all of them.

[yb]

I love Ennis very much, but I feel he's always a little unfair to Wayne.  As far as I remember, Wayne hasn't done anything disrespectful to him, except for his overly explicit crush on Ennis.  I hope Ennis will turn around and ease up his attitude to Wayne a bit, who knows how long would Wayne live! 

[MaineWriter]

I love Ennis very much, but I feel he's always a little unfair to Wayne.  As far as I remember, Wayne hasn't done anything disrespectful to him, except for his overly explicit crush on Ennis.  I hope Ennis will turn around and ease up his attitude to Wayne a bit, who knows how long would Wayne live! 

I agree, Betty, but unfortunately, Ennis seems to have gotten himself into a very anti-Wayne attitude and I think it will take quite a bit of effort on his part for him to change...and he has to want to change, too.

I am trying to remember...wasn't it Wayne who showed up with the bottle of Drambuie, when he got discharged from the hospital? They sat around and had a cordial drink together then. Things have really deteriorated since then but I think a big part of it is Wayne's bad attitude.

L

[mariez]

Getting a late start this morning after a girls' night out - but it was so great to wake up to all these thoughtful comments about Wayne!  Thank you all. 

I've been giving him a lot of thought myself and kept coming back to the fact that I can't help but like him and admire the courage he has displayed in facing AIDS.  I am sure that in his quiet, contemplative moments (and I know that Wayne must have them) he must be terribly, terribly frightened and feel terribly, terribly alone.  This just makes me so sad and also makes me more forgiving for his admittedly rude and hurtful behavior.  Sigh.

Yes, Leslie, I remember him coming by with that bottle of Drambuie - that was a nice moment.  I do wish Ennis could lighten up about Wayne - but Wayne does seem determined to push Ennis's buttons - and not in a good way.  Another sigh.  And to be fair, maybe Ennis isn't quite as forgiving of Wayne as everyone else  because of the Bill fiasco and Wayne's involvement there - Ennis got another punch in the face from Bill because of it.  But Wayne did finally come clean about it.  I do think, however, Ennis's strong annoyance with Wayne has more to do with Wayne just being Wayne and the "anti-Wayne attitude," as Leslie called it, that he just can't shake.  I don't know - very complicated situation and so many complicated personalities involved.

. . . .and since he has been in a state of relative remission, Lauren and others have pushed away that fact about Wayne, and this will come back to haunt them - all of them.

Oh, God, Louise - you're killing me here. 

Thanks, everyone!

Marie

P.S.  Jeremy deserves a raise!   

[Lumière]

Mornin' everyone!

As promised, here are the other three of the LT covers I've worked on.
Feel free to use 'em when you print the stories .. I will  ..

[Lumière]

[Lumière]

[Lumière]

Just so they are in the same place .. Here are the first two ..

[richardg49]

Some more thoughts about Wayne and his bizarre behaviour:

I think it was DavidinHartford who memorably described Ellery as 'the Mayor of Queer Laramie' (or something similar). His marriage to Ennis and now the prospect of a 'reception' would no doubt be the biggest event in queer Laramie's social calendar, if not the only one. Naturally, everyone who knows Ellery and Ennis would be clamouring to be there. When he was the bartender, Wayne was a relatively significant figure in that community, and perhaps now that he has lost his job and possibly is about to lose access to the bar itself, he is anxious to hold onto whatever links he is able to maintain. Probably his only friends are those in the gay community, even though he seems to be going out of his way to antagonise them all.

It is interesting to remember that Wayne was in fact the very first gay man (apart from Jack) that Ennis ever met and talked to, on the day he went into the bar at the start of 'Taking Chances'. Ennis didn't like him very much even then, of course.