(no subject)
Title: Decisions.
Chapter 1
As I promised, this is a new story I wrote in Italian more or less 2 years ago, it’s my the first BBM fiction, since then I started writing in English directly. So this is a new challenge both for me and for Sam, I try to translate and she tries to correct my translation, we’ll see how ours efforts will be appreciated.
PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU FEEL MY STYLE IS DIFFERENT, DUE TO THE TRANSLATING AND ADAPTING PROCESS.
This is an AU settled in normal time and place, different from my Bluebells and Roses.
Disclaimer: the talented Mrs. Proulx owns the original story and characters.
Special thanks again to my dear beta Sam .
______________________________________________________________________________
Jack arrived at Wonder Pass an hour after Ennis, who - while waiting for him - walked his horses around and around the truck, so they could stretch their legs a little before being tied up for the night.
The next day they would move higher; Ennis had planned to spend the night in a nearby small field, close to the stream they wanted to follow in the morning, up the waters.
Ennis was waiting anxiously; usually it was the other way around, and by the time he arrived, Jack had already set up the tent.
Ennis imagined Jack was on his way, last week he had received another confirmation postcard, but he wondered why - strangely - Jack would need to confirm their meeting twice.
Finally a big black truck, with a side panel advertising “Newsome Equipment Ltd,” stopped near his old one. Jack switched the engine off.
Ennis noticed that his friend didn’t hurry to get off and run to him, like he normally did. Jack opened the door and moved slowly, like he was in some kind of trance. His hat completely covered his face and he kept his head low.
Ennis swiftly tied both horses and came closer, but Jack stood still, leaning on the truck door.
He’s tired, Ennis thought. Such a long, long drive every time.
When he was at arm’s length, Ennis saw Jack’s eyes were puffy and his face tired; he was now really close, but it was the agony on Jack’s face that stopped the arms that were ready to hug and greet his friend.
“Ennis, I don’t …” Jack murmured, shaking his head; and Ennis was suddenly afraid, afraid of what Jack might say - surely it was the end if Jack had arrived in such bad shape.
Ennis steeled himself, waiting for the news he feared the most - damned the part of him that denied the simple truth of his need for Jack - and was surprised when Jack extended an arm and caught him by the waist with strength enough to leave bruises.
Jack hid his face in the crook of Ennis’ neck, and something wet slid between skin and cotton; Jack was crying, for the first time in all the years they’d known each other.
“What’s going on? Tell me, damnit…tell me!”
Ennis insisted like this because he didn’t know how to react to tears and sobs; he was able to manage only rage, and barely his own at that.
It was worse than the end of their relationship; something very bad must have happened to Jack. Maybe the men with tire irons had won, in the end, without leaving Jack dead.
“I can’t bear it no more, Larry is so ill,” Jack said, shaking uncontrollably. Ennis tightened his arms around Jack, not caring about the bruises that later would mark skin, and Jack let Ennis hold him in silence for a long time.
In the evening, both sat near the fire, and Jack tied to explain, whiskey bottle at hand. Jack ate nothing, and Ennis was afraid for the first time of the effects of alcohol on an empty stomach.
He laid two plaid blankets near the fire and took Jack by the hand, making him nest between his legs, using himself like a support for his man.
Jack was feeling like he was separated from his body and from his surroundings. He had driven all the way north automatically, following an instinct like a migratory bird coming home.
When Jack had Ennis’ hot body touching his and strong hands massaging his neck and shoulders, he felt alive for a moment and words flowed easily.
“Lureen and me are a disaster, but for him we tried to keep going. I know she wanted me only to make LD angry, but in the end…she wanted a child, LD a grandson and they sealed a pact. It didn’t matter that he was half mine; for LD, Larry, was the son he never had.”
“But LD wasn’t honest with us. His brother died as an infant for the same reason, it seems it’s hereditary and there is a high risk of passing it on… and LD’s father and mother are first cousins and maybe there was a distant link with Lureen’s mother, too. You know, small towns where half the people in town are all related to each other in some way.”
Jack drank another swallow, the hand on the bottle was shaking.
“Don’t you see Larry was cursed from the beginning? He’s a real Newsome, the image of Lureen. Even his eyes aren’t mine, they’re hazel….I completely lost with him. Ennis, you don’t know what it means to see your son suffer so much. Lureen is desperate, and I ran away because I had to see you or go crazy.”
TBC
Thanks a lot for your opinion.
Chapter 1
As I promised, this is a new story I wrote in Italian more or less 2 years ago, it’s my the first BBM fiction, since then I started writing in English directly. So this is a new challenge both for me and for Sam, I try to translate and she tries to correct my translation, we’ll see how ours efforts will be appreciated.
PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU FEEL MY STYLE IS DIFFERENT, DUE TO THE TRANSLATING AND ADAPTING PROCESS.
This is an AU settled in normal time and place, different from my Bluebells and Roses.
Disclaimer: the talented Mrs. Proulx owns the original story and characters.
Special thanks again to my dear beta Sam .
______________________________________________________________________________
Jack arrived at Wonder Pass an hour after Ennis, who - while waiting for him - walked his horses around and around the truck, so they could stretch their legs a little before being tied up for the night.
The next day they would move higher; Ennis had planned to spend the night in a nearby small field, close to the stream they wanted to follow in the morning, up the waters.
Ennis was waiting anxiously; usually it was the other way around, and by the time he arrived, Jack had already set up the tent.
Ennis imagined Jack was on his way, last week he had received another confirmation postcard, but he wondered why - strangely - Jack would need to confirm their meeting twice.
Finally a big black truck, with a side panel advertising “Newsome Equipment Ltd,” stopped near his old one. Jack switched the engine off.
Ennis noticed that his friend didn’t hurry to get off and run to him, like he normally did. Jack opened the door and moved slowly, like he was in some kind of trance. His hat completely covered his face and he kept his head low.
Ennis swiftly tied both horses and came closer, but Jack stood still, leaning on the truck door.
He’s tired, Ennis thought. Such a long, long drive every time.
When he was at arm’s length, Ennis saw Jack’s eyes were puffy and his face tired; he was now really close, but it was the agony on Jack’s face that stopped the arms that were ready to hug and greet his friend.
“Ennis, I don’t …” Jack murmured, shaking his head; and Ennis was suddenly afraid, afraid of what Jack might say - surely it was the end if Jack had arrived in such bad shape.
Ennis steeled himself, waiting for the news he feared the most - damned the part of him that denied the simple truth of his need for Jack - and was surprised when Jack extended an arm and caught him by the waist with strength enough to leave bruises.
Jack hid his face in the crook of Ennis’ neck, and something wet slid between skin and cotton; Jack was crying, for the first time in all the years they’d known each other.
“What’s going on? Tell me, damnit…tell me!”
Ennis insisted like this because he didn’t know how to react to tears and sobs; he was able to manage only rage, and barely his own at that.
It was worse than the end of their relationship; something very bad must have happened to Jack. Maybe the men with tire irons had won, in the end, without leaving Jack dead.
“I can’t bear it no more, Larry is so ill,” Jack said, shaking uncontrollably. Ennis tightened his arms around Jack, not caring about the bruises that later would mark skin, and Jack let Ennis hold him in silence for a long time.
In the evening, both sat near the fire, and Jack tied to explain, whiskey bottle at hand. Jack ate nothing, and Ennis was afraid for the first time of the effects of alcohol on an empty stomach.
He laid two plaid blankets near the fire and took Jack by the hand, making him nest between his legs, using himself like a support for his man.
Jack was feeling like he was separated from his body and from his surroundings. He had driven all the way north automatically, following an instinct like a migratory bird coming home.
When Jack had Ennis’ hot body touching his and strong hands massaging his neck and shoulders, he felt alive for a moment and words flowed easily.
“Lureen and me are a disaster, but for him we tried to keep going. I know she wanted me only to make LD angry, but in the end…she wanted a child, LD a grandson and they sealed a pact. It didn’t matter that he was half mine; for LD, Larry, was the son he never had.”
“But LD wasn’t honest with us. His brother died as an infant for the same reason, it seems it’s hereditary and there is a high risk of passing it on… and LD’s father and mother are first cousins and maybe there was a distant link with Lureen’s mother, too. You know, small towns where half the people in town are all related to each other in some way.”
Jack drank another swallow, the hand on the bottle was shaking.
“Don’t you see Larry was cursed from the beginning? He’s a real Newsome, the image of Lureen. Even his eyes aren’t mine, they’re hazel….I completely lost with him. Ennis, you don’t know what it means to see your son suffer so much. Lureen is desperate, and I ran away because I had to see you or go crazy.”
TBC
Thanks a lot for your opinion.