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Road Trippin' with Ed and Hank (12)
Freeway of love...
Disclaimer: Hank told their story to Annie Proulx. Jack and Ennis are all hers. Ed and Hank belong only to each other. Rating: PG-S (For 'Sappy'. It's all Ed's fault. Well... not all... but he started it.) $$: Nope. Comments: Always appreciated.
Everything else is here:
http://myeyesaintblue.livejournal.com/10082.html
Freeway of love...
"Hey, Ed...?"
"Yeah, Hank...?"
"I been thinkin'..."
"Thought we agreed
ya wouldn' do tha' no more?"
"Know I sure as hell have made fun of 'em
'nough over the years...
But..."
"What're ya talkin' 'bout...?"
"Think 'm beginnin' ta see the up side
a ownin' one a them RVs."
"No way."
"Jus' hear me out..."
"Shit."
"C'mon, Ed... Think 'bout it...
We could jus' hop on in 'n take care a things righ' proper-like
whenever tha' ol' urge hits..."
"Ferget about it."
"'N we'd have a real bed 'n runnin' water
'n whatnot..."
"Got 'long jus' fine withou' no whatnot fer a lotta years now.
Don' need no whatnot now."
"Some a them can be purty interestin' lookin'..."
"Don' give a damn wha' they look like."
"Okay... But...
We'd be able ta get 'way from mosquitoes...
Know how ya hate them mosquitoes.
Remember how bad they were
a couple a weeks ago?"
"Ya had us camped in a swamp, dumbass.
Be lucky if'n I don' get tha' West Nile Virus 'n keel over."
"Think ya woulda keeled over by now
if'n ya were gonna. 'Sides... it were dark when we got there.
Didn' have no idea it were a swamp 'til mornin'."
"Think the eighty billion mosquitoes
mighta tipped ya off."
"'N we'd be able ta have more privacy...
'n get outta the rain or the heat or the cold."
"Hell...
We migh' as well stay in a motel.
How many nights in a motel ya figure we could get
fer the cost a one a them plus all the extra gas we'd be usin'?
'N we need them trucks, but buyin' an RV don' seem real respons'ble...
'N then there's all the cost a keepin' the damn thing up
'n the cost a repairin' it when it's broke down
'n the cost a parkin' it somewheres
with them hook-ups..."
"Ain't looked inta the specifics. 'Sides...
A trailer migh' not be so 'xpensive. Gas-wise or otherwise.
'N we could get somethin' used."
"'N I'd like ta see ya take one a them down some a them roads
we go down back home."
"Seen folks take 'em down some purty rough roads."
"Yeah... 'Cause folks are crazy.
'Sides... them things are explodin' all the time."
"When ya take inta account how many are out there...
ain't really tha' many explodin'
on any given day."
"Shit."
"Jus' think 'bout it fer a while 'fore ya say 'no'
right off..."
"Don' need ta think 'bout it...
...Ain't no way 'n hell we're drivin' a damn house
'round the damn country."
A few minutes later...
"Hey, Hank...?"
"Yeah, Ed...?"
"Uh... I been thinkin' some too..."
"'Bout wha'?"
"Know how I said... It were a while ago now...
Know how I said I didn' wan' us gettin' no kinda matchin' rings...
on accounta we migh' get 'em caught up on somethin'
'n maybe end up rippin' our fingers
clean off...?"
"Kinda hard ta ferget tha'..."
"Well... Think I migh' be willin' ta risk it...
Gettin' a finger ripped off 'n all..."
"Yeah..?"
"Yeah... If'n ya think 'bout it...
We wear gloves when we're workin' most a the time anyways...
So's it shouldn' be too dangerous."
"Reckon yer righ'."
"Would jus' wan' somethin' real plain though...
Justa gold or silver band is all...
...If'n ya'd still wanna...
'tha' is..."
"Yeah. I'd still wanna."
"Good."
A minute later...
"Hey, Ed...?"
"Yeah...?"
"Wha' made ya change yer mind...?"
"...I dunno...
Maybe jus' noticin' other folks' rings...
I like them watches we got a lot... A whole lot...
But... jus' wan' somethin'... somethin' I can see I guess...
when I look atcha I mean. Cain't look atcha 'n see tha' watch...
'S always in yer pocket. A ring I could see.
On me too... Ya know...?"
"Yeah...
I know 'xactly wha' ya mean.
But... Ya do know tha' everybody else'll
be able ta see 'em too...
dontcha...?"
"Yeah... I thought 'bout tha'...
Travelin' like this... Ain't hardly no one been payin' us no mind.
'N back home... Well... I guess it jus' wouldn' be
none a their damn business...
Now would it?"
"Nope. 'S nobody's business but ours."
"'Sides...
kinda seems like it'd... I dunno...
Know it ain't nothin' legal-like... but still...
seems like maybe it'd mean more... or somethin'...
Havin' rings 'n all..."
"Yeah... I think it would too."
"...So... Uh...
Ya maybe wanna turn on the radio or somethin'...?
Find some good drivin' music..."
"Sure, Ed."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU_9-uuKz0I
"We've only just begun to live, white lace and promises
A kiss for luck and we're on our way."
"Shit.
Ya cain't leave it on tha'..."
"Why not...?
After all... seems kinda appropriate 'n all...
C'mon, Ed... sing 'long with me."
"No way. Tha' song's fer young folks...
Sappy young folks..."
"No it ain't, dumbass...
Song's so old it's more fer old folks these days... Sappy old folks.
So's get yer damn hand away from the damn radio..."
"White lace...? Shit."
"How 'bout black leather then?"
"Shit."
"We've only begun.
Before the risin' sun, we fly. So many roads to choose
We'll start out walkin' and learn to run."
"Ain't runnin' nowheres.
'Cept maybe away from yer singin'..."
"And yet, we've just begun.
Sharing horizons that are new to us.
Watching the signs along the way."
"Yeah... you ain't too good 'bout watchin' them road signs..."
"Talkin' it over, just the two of us. Workin' together day to day."
Together...Together..."
"Or workin' neither..."
"And when the evening comes, we smile
So much of life ahead. We'll find a place where there's room to grow.
And yes, we've just begun...
"Hate ta break this to ya Hank...
But it ain't like we jus' begun... 'S real far from it."
"Think maybe it jus' depends on how ya look at it.
Hey, Ed... Take this here exit..."
"Why? Ain't nothin' there."
"I know. Jus' take it, dumbass."
"Okay... Okay..."
"...Pull over here..."
"Why...?"
"Ain't no one nearby...
Jus' wanna get tha' there 'kiss fer luck'...
'fore we get on our way again."
"I don' think..."
"C'mere, Ed..."
...
......
......
...
"Hank... I... Ya know I...
More 'n I..."
"Yeah... I know, Ed...
You know I do too, dontcha...?"
"Yeah. I know."
...
......
......
...
"Ya know, Ed... If'n we had a trailer
we could get real comf'rtable righ' 'bout now 'n..."
"Yer nuts, Hank...
Ya cain't jus' pull off at a freeway exit 'n..."
"Why the hell not?
Ya see folks pulled off all the time..."
"'N ya think they're all havin' sex?"
"Just assumed..."
"Ya don' think them highway patrol fellas migh' come knockin'
ta see if'n we're havin' engine trouble?"
"We could get one a them 'Do Not Disturb' signs
'n hang it on the door..."
"Think maybe
we been travelin' too long
'n ya mighta gone a l'il campground crazy...
Ya don' really wan' one a them RVs
or one a them trailers,
do ya, Hank...?"
"No... I guess I don'... 'N yer righ'...
Think maybe it's jus' been too long since we had
a real roof over our heads. 'N I think I migh' be missin' our bed.
A lot... A whole lot... Ain't nothin' like bein' in our bed...
In our room. In our house. On our ranch.
RV or trailer wouldn' be nothin'
like tha' neither."
"Cain't believe yer the one
gettin' all homesick..."
"Me neither.
S'posed ta be you."
"Yeah...
'N I do miss all tha' a lot...
Our bed. 'N our house. 'N our ranch.
'N Bill 'n them dogs 'n them
horses too..."
"Yeah..."
"Ya know... We can head home...
if'n ya wanna, Hank."
"Thanks, Ed... But 'm okay.
"Wha' 'bout you?"
"'M okay too."
"Okay, then...
Let's switch... 'S my turn ta drive."
"No way...
I ain't hardly been drivin' at all."
"You been drivin' fer a couple a hours easy."
"Hank... Get back in the damn truck."
"I ain't gettin' back in 'lessen
ya let me drive."
"'N I ain't gettin' outta the driver's seat
so's you'd jus' better get yer
dumb ass back
in here."
"Okay..."
"Wha' the hell are ya doin'?
Stop it, Hank..."
"Seein' as ya won' get out... thought I'd jus' climb in
'n sit on yer lap 'n drive..."
"Cut it out...
Ouch... Dammit..."
Beeeeep....
"Hey..."
"Lemme outta here..."
"Where ya goin', Ed...?"
"Ya know you can be real irritatin' sometimes..."
"Yep. I know."
"Least-wise now I get ta pick
the music anyways..."
"Lemme guess... Yer gonna put in a Johnny Cash cd.
A boy named Sue falls inta a burnin' ring a fire
'n then gets married in a fever hotter
than a pepper sprout.
In prison."
"Nope... Think I'll jus' see wha's on the radio...
...Nah... ...Ugh... ...Nah... ...Nah...
Ain't gettin' but a few stations...
maybe I better put
in a cd..."
"Go back ta tha' last one...
Tha' were tha' oldies station."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpAAqQoEWTM
"This it?"
"Yeah... Tell ya one thing...
If'n tha's a real DJ... 'n not justa tape recordin'...
I think he mus' be in love. You can always tell when they're in love...
or when they jus' split up with someone...
by the songs they're playin'."
"Guess so...
'S a real purty song."
"Ya like this one, huh?
Sure it ain't too sappy fer ya?"
"Nope.
Jus' sappy 'nough."
"Think yer righ'."
"Hey, Hank...?"
"Wha'...?"
"If not fer you...
I'd a never seen a goddamn thing.
'N no way in hell I'd be thinkin' 'bout gettin' rings.
I'd be sad 'n blue... If not fer you."
"Thanks, Ed."
"Got 'nother one...
If not fer you...I never woulda loved fer real.
Or maybe even know'd 'xactly how I feel.
I woulda jus' stayed confused...
if not fer you."
"Jeez, Ed...
Now lemme do one fer you..."
"Okay..."
"If not fer you...
I still woulda know'd that I were gay
But no other fella coulda mattered anyways
'cause I'd be sad 'n blue...
if not fer you."
"Tha's purty bad Hank...
'N bringin' 'nother fella inta it...?
Jeez..."
"Sorry, Ed...
Lemme try again..."
"Okay."
"If not fer you...
I'd a never know'd wha' true love means
'N I'd still be poor 'n eatin' beans
I wouldna had no clue...
if not fer you."
"Love ya, dumbass."
"Love you too, dumbass."
"Where we headed now, Hank?"
"How the hell should I know?
Yer the one tha's got
the map."
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"If not for you my sky would fall. Rain would gather too
Without your love I'd be nowhere at all...
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