Waves from July 10.
September 18th, 1990
A bit sunburned Ennis and Jack step off the plane in Denver uncharacteristically dressed in Hawaiian shirts, khaki shorts and leather sandals. The pair returning from a week in Maui, a trip won in a contest sponsored by a major farm animal vitamin supplier, for guessing the number of vitamin tablets in a large mason jar. Ennis was very proud of the fact he guessed it exactly correct, never failing to point out to Jack that he was off buy more than 400. A lifetime on horses taught both good balance, after a few tries managing to stand up on their rented surfboard without a lesson. Ennis achieved this first, again pointing out his prowess to Jack, always challenging him that he could ride the longest, venturing out most mornings in their Avis Toyota Corolla wagon in search of the tallest surf. 'Ya like riddin' those waves don'tcha Ennis?' Jack would say. 'Yep....sure do!....but not as much as rid......' Ennis would reply without thinking. 'As much as what ?...what did ya say Ennis?...as much as....' Huh?..... Damn you Twist!.... ought'a hog tie ya....." On the first day Jack had said 'Gotta get us some of them Aloha shirts...cant be looking like we just stepped off a horse....don't even have us no shorts.' At a shop near the hotel 'How 'bout this one Ennis? see all them palm trees, and leaves in the design." Jack holding out a Tori Richard lawn shirt. 'It's over thirty dollars!...that's to much fer just one shirt!' 'It's ok Ennis...'member we got some spending money from the contest...we got enough.' "Well....all right then...where we gonna wear these back home?' 'Don't know...but we sure get use of of 'm here.' Jack replied picking out three a piece.
The two retrieve their luggage head out to the old Ford pickup, the one Ennis had long ago given to Andy now an extra vehicle for the ranch, Andy mostly using Jack's truck, left in the long term parking garage. His old truck fired right up for Ennis as if eager to leave the crowded lot, return to the open space of the ranch to serve a faithful friend. As Ennis merged out onto the highway Jack sitting back in the seat, left leg resting on the transmission tunnel, spoke up. "So there Ennis...did ya like Hawaii?"
"Yep Ah guess....but."
"But what Ennis?"
"But...Ah guess Ah like it here better......with...you..."
"Was with ya there..." Jack tilting his head west.
"Ah know...just like it here....better......with you....'
Jack looks at Ennis, Ennis looks back then at the road."This...here....with you ....our home....ours..." Ennis can no longer speak.
Jack gently reaches for Ennis's hand, links the fingers together, squeezes tight, rests it on his leg, gazes out the open window at the passing landscape, content. Two cowboys riding the their pickup in Hawaiian shirts, shorts and sandals returning home from a trip across the sea.