The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!

[ifyoucantfixit]

           Ennis lay on the old worn couch.  The sagging springs, and the flattened cushions.  His feet were on the coffee table, and a beer in his hand.  He was watching the television, but not really seeing it.  His little girls were in front of the set, playing some sort of game with their dolls, and Alma sat in the opposite corner of the room, calmly knitting.  He was ruminating about the last time he and Jack had been "fishin."  He knew this was the night Alma had asked him about going somewhere, on Saturday night.  He hated the thought of going to one of those damn church meetins.  It made his skin crawl.  He knew they could look at him, and he could tell they all knew.  Just like he said to Jack.  "He felt sometimes like he could see they all knew.  When he went out on the pavement."  No way he was going to go anywhere near that fire and brimstone crowd.  I'm sure glad she hasn't mentioned it after all.  "Maybe she forgot."  "Ennis, Alma cleared her throat, and said, its
Saturday night we could still smarten up, and go on over to the church social."  His heart sank.    Uuuuhhhhhgh.  sheeit  I wish she would just let me be.

[cwby30]

Circle JE Ranch, September 1992

Ennis stared intently at the chess men, trying to figure his next move. Damn, wasn't easy, this game, even if they had been playin' it for nearly five years now. Knights, kings, pawns, black, white, made his head swim sometimes. Still, he thought with a frown, a lot easier than tryin' to figure his next move ten years ago. Jack, Junior, Frannie, Alma, Monroe, Lureen, Bobby, made his head swim most of the time back then. Glad he made the right move finally, checkmate to all of them except Jack. Mate to Jack. 

"What the hell you still doing up at 2 AM, looking so bright eyed and bushy tailed? Haven't you decided on your move yet? Been hours. Turn out the light and come up to bed!"

Ennis turned to see cranky Jack standing on the bottom step, hair going every which way, boxer shorts, no shirt, scratching his right side, running his left hand through his disheveled hair. 'Geez, how I love that man!' he thought, saying his daily prayer of thanks.

"Yeah, decided just now. I'm comin'." And he got up and turned off the floor lamp next to the end table, plunging the living room into darkness. He followed his man up the stairs towards the soft light coming from the bedroom, where they both made some more moves before giving into the Sandman.

[mariez]

I have a dabble too..
 . . ..
The memories seep into my soul, feeding my thirst
He starts to fade away, just as I cling tighter;
His essence flows like blood in my veins,
Soon he becomes air and light; my last and my first..  . . .

I beg to differ, M - that's not a dabble.  It's a Thing of Beauty.  And I have to add to the chorus of praise for your artwork - it's mesmerizing

. . . No way he was going to go anywhere near that fire and brimstone crowd.  I'm sure glad she hasn't mentioned it after all.  "Maybe she forgot."  "Ennis, Alma cleared her throat, and said, its Saturday night we could still smarten up, and go on over to the church social."  His heart sank.    Uuuuhhhhhgh.  sheeit  I wish she would just let me be. 

Janice, I like these drabbles that give us insight into actual scenes.  This reminds me of what you said about the impact of short drabbles.  The movie really was a series of vignettes, each one packing an emotional punch - and drabbles are a great reflection of that.

Circle JE Ranch, September 1992

Ennis stared intently at the chess men, trying to figure his next move. Damn, wasn't easy, this game, even if they had been playin' it for nearly five years now. Knights, kings, pawns, black, white, made his head swim sometimes. Still, he thought with a frown, a lot easier than tryin' to figure his next move ten years ago. Jack, Junior, Frannie, Alma, Monroe, Lureen, Bobby, made his head swim most of the time back then. Glad he made the right move finally, checkmate to all of them except Jack. Mate to Jack.  . . . .

Ennis contemplating a chess move - I love it!    And yes, being with Jack is the best move ever.  Always great to see one of your drabbles, cwby!

Thanks, all
Marie

[Lumière]

Hello Janice, Merrily, Susie and Marie! 
  Thank you for your lovely comments. 

I am so glad to see the drabblefest kicking again.  I know we went quiet for a while.

Cheers everyone!

~M

[Lumière]

Morning all!

Why don't I offer some ideas for today? 

* warm summer days
* no strings attached
* strawberries

Have fun!

~M

[Lumière]

Okay, I'll go first .. 


Four Seasons in a Life..

Summer 1962

She was a gentle, shy thing.  He loved the way she lowered her head when she smiled; how her small hand felt in his when they took long walks together on warm summer days; and how wonderfully those tiny freckles graced her face.  She was so natural and beautiful.  He’d already saved up a little money for the engagement ring.  Come December, he would ask her to marry him...

Spring 1963

He had nothing left but two five-dollar bills stuffed in a tobacco can.  In a few short months, he would be a married man.  He needed some steady employment; anything to save up some money for a small spread.  She cried when he kissed her goodbye.  It would only be for the summer, he assured her; this was work he couldn’t afford to forego.  She dried her eyes and told him how much she’d miss him…

Autumn 1963

It was a one-shot thing, no strings attached, nobody need ever find out.  I sure as hell ain’t queer … and I ain’t never gonna see him again.  All that is behind me now… Barely a week ago, he’d seen Jack’s old truck parked outside the little post office in Signal.  Was he back?  He’d barely been able to contain his excitement at the thought ...  He’d hung around and waited a while, only to discover that he’d been mistaken. It hadn’t been Jack after all…

Winter 1963

Wedding night, at last.  He fell flat on his back, breathing hard and spent.  Alma cuddled up close to him and nestled herself snugly in his arms.  She soon drifted off to sleep..  He held onto her and closed his eyes. The face he’d dreamed about when he was making love to her returned.  Those damn blue eyes just won’t let me be…


(~307 words)

[mariez]

Four Seasons in a Life..

 . . . .   Those damn blue eyes just won’t let me be…

This is the first chance I've had to log on all day - and look what's waiting for me!     M, your way with words is nothing short of magical.  The Ennis who first went up the Mountain could never have imagined the Ennis that came back down.  (And those damn blue eyes won't let any of us be, will they?) 

Thanks,
Marie

[Lumière]

Thanks Marie!
And I am with you on the blue eyes thing! 

Cheers,
~M

[ifyoucantfixit]

                Happy birthday to our dear lucise (Milli)  Heres hoping you have many many more.
                              You definately make the world a brighter place to be.
                                                                                                        your friend and admirer
                                                                                                                Janice

[Cameron]

After the Visit

(September 1985)
“Junior, this is Tom” Ennis said.  Alma Jr. looked at Ennis and then at Tom and then at Ennis again.  Then she smiled her big broad smile.

“Daddy, you gotta come over for dinner tomorrow, it’s been so long.  Please, you gonna come, right?” she begged.   Then she turned to Tom.  “Why don’t you come too?.”

“Well, I don’t know.…” Ennis said, looking at the ground.

“Oh Daddy, please, your comin’ that’s it, and you are too.”  Alma Jr. said, then kissed Ennis on the cheek, smiled at Tom, and went back to her car and drove away.

Ennis sat down on the steps of the trailer, and began to pull out a cigarette.  But then he put his hands down on the steps as if to steady himself.  Tom stared at him, then sat down next to him.

“Whatya doin’ today?  Not many of these warm summer days left, we can’t waste it.”

Ennis looked at him and lit the cigarette.  Tom went on and said “that’s some girl you got there.”

Ennis smiled a faint smile.  “She knows” Tom said, quietly.

Ennis turned and stared.  He stood up and turned around as if he was going to go inside, but then he turned again.  “What the fuck are you saying?” 

Tom sat there calmly.  “She knows” he repeated.  Ennis glared at him.  But Tom didn’t look at him.  “You know, will you just make your damn mind up once and for all?  Now, there are no strings attached, yeah, I know that, but it just can’t be both ways, it can’t anymore at all.”  Tom said in a tone of voice that Ennis never heard before.

Ennis stood there motionless, as if in shock.  He looked down the road where he still could almost see the smoke from Junior’s car.  Then he turned to the door of the trailer, he started to open it, but he looked back down the road.

Ennis stood there, staring at the road.  Then he sat back down next to Tom.  “Do you still have any of that strawberry jam?  We oughta bring some to Junior tomorrow” Ennis said.  Tom turned to him, but for once he couldn’t find the words.

Ennis smiled his faint, nervous smile.  “I think she’ll like it” he said.