(no subject)
Title: Decisions.
Chapter 4
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; I try to translate and Sam tries to correct my translation, we’ll see how our efforts will be appreciated.
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 and also Jen.
Thanks to all of you who left a comment and thanks for your patience, too.
Ennis was happy his driving was useful; he needed time to accept the luxurious reality of Jack’s house and so he preferred to meet Jack’s parents in a public place instead of inside those walls. Mrs. Newsome had compelled him to stay in the kitchen and eat a large sandwich before allowing him to leave in Jack’s truck.
-----
Meanwhile, Mrs. Twist was lost in the hall of the bus station. Although the place wasn’t crowded, she glanced around like a rabbit outside its cage; she felt nervous and afraid when a group of people heading for Fort Worth crossed her path on their way to the bus.
She had never been so far from home; the journey to mourn her only grandchild -a child she had seen only in pictures - had lasted two days.
Her husband had always refused to go south and she was afraid to travel alone. Every year Jack promised her that he would bring Larry to the ranch, in vain.
Mrs. Twist didn’t believe in Jack’s marriage; Jack had married so fast, without telling them ahead of time that he was going to, so she imagined it was a quick decision, due to the impending birth of Larry. She remembered that after the second summer spent working for Aguirre, Jack had changed; he was much quieter, sometimes refusing to speak at all. Then he had left for the rodeo season.
The news of the child had silenced John’s acid remarks; he had believed Jack wasn’t good with women at all. But she was the mother and loved Jack deeply, always forgiving his strange attitudes during high school, when Jack wanted to be the first in very possible sport.
Now Mrs. Twist was waiting near the exit while her husband sat on a bench, guarding their small bags. She checked every car approaching, to see if the driver was Jack. She saw a truck parking nearby and a tall blonde man looking around cautiously
Ennis entered the station and briefly scanned the various groups; somebody was looking at the timetable, other people were paying for their tickets or drinking at the small bar. Travellers were scattered around, trying to find comfortable seats for themselves and benches for their bags.
Then he saw the middle aged woman dressed in black, standing near a man. Ennis approached and then felt silly for his fear of not recognizing Jack’s parents; Jack was his mother’s portrait, the same blue eyes.
Her gaze met Ennis’ and a signal passed between them. Ennis went closer and took off his hat.
“Mrs. And Mr. Twist? I’m from Jack.”
“Yes,” the woman answered; John Twist stood up.
Ennis offered his hand. “I’m Ennis Del Mar, an old friend. I’ll drive you home.”
He bent to collect the bags, faster than John Twist, who looked a little disappointed for being slower.
Ennis led them to the truck, opened the passenger door for Mrs Twist and stowed the baggage; it wasn’t heavy, as if they wouldn’t or couldn’t take too many things for the journey.
The engine roared and Ennis focused on the road, but Mrs. Twist stared at him.
“You said your name is Del Mar.”
“Yes, Mrs. Twist.”
“You’re the friend from the Aguirre summer, aren’t you?
“It was 1963.”
“Ennis…Jack always talked about you, didn’t he, John?” she said, turning to her husband.
“Jack and his fool plans….”
“He said he wanted to fix up our ranch with you, someday. He wanted to come back home. Then he got married, but once or twice he remembered his plan.”
“Bad idea, Mrs. Twist…too many problems to solve.”
“Are you married?”
Mrs. Twist still could not believe she was in presence of her son’s best friend, the only one Jack spoke about. Jack was so happy when he remembered the summer of ’63, he and Ennis working together, then their fishing trips twice a year and their lasting friendship. Now she wanted to know more about that man.
“Yes, I got two girls, Junior and Frannie.”
“And do you still live in Wyoming?”
“Riverton. First time I’ve ever been here, for the funeral.” Ennis wasn’t happy to be questioned so much, but he tried to understand the situation.
“Jack promised me…” Mrs. Twist’s voice died into a murmur; her husband put a hand on her shoulder.
Ennis tried desperately to find something appropriate to say, but a mother’s pain wanted only silence. They reached the destination swiftly.
The front door opened and Jack came running out to embrace his mother, who started crying.
The neighbors had again offered dinner to the mourners; they rang the bell carrying large plates covered in shining silver aluminium foil.
The Twists sat at the table in silence with LD and Ennis, while Faye and Lureen were combing their hair with the help of Margie, the most famous hairdresser in town. Ennis sat at the right of Mrs. Twist, Mr. Twist on the other side and Jack was obliged to stay between his father and his father in law.
Mrs. Twist said a short prayer, asking Jesus for peace for her family.
When dinner was finished, Jack and Ennis went out into the back garden to smoke a cigarette.
Jack explained he had arranged a motel room for his parents, after his mother had asked him to find a place for them; she didn’t want to share Jack’s house. “My parents will stay at the Traveller’s Lodge motel tonight, Mom doesn’t like this place. Lureen will sleep at LD’s house, our doctor will visit her later and maybe give her something to help her relax. Do you want to stay here or go to the motel, too? A guest room is already made up…”
Jack’s tone was unsure, like a child who wants a present and doesn’t know how to ask for it.
For the whole evening he wondered how to persuade Ennis to stay, only stay; it didn’t matter in which bed, he only wanted Ennis around, until the end of this personal hell.
Ennsi was looking at Jack with burning eyes, his gaze seemed to ask “ Do you want me to stay?” but his words were respectful and polite.
“Would you rather be alone?”
“Damnit, Ennis, you even think I can refuse you?”
Ennis’ nervousness quickly melted, he didn’t want to leave Jack alone that night. “Sorry, Jack, this is such a strange situation. You… you choose what to do.”
“Stay. Please. ”
Jack touched his arm and went inside; Ennis heard his voice in the corridor.
“Mom, Ennis will drive you to the motel. You’ll be more comfortable in Lureen’s car. See you in the morning.”
During the short drive Ennis’ silence surpassed Mrs Twist’s attempts at conversation. “Thank you very much, Mr. Del Mar,” she said while leaving the car, “I wish we could have met under other circumstances.” Her husband took their bags and entered the motel lobby without a word.
Coming back from the motel, Ennis got lost when he turned left one too many times; the roads were quite identical, s if all the houses had been built from the same mold.
He drove around for a few minutes, then asked a woman walking a dog where Primrose Lane was.
He felt relieved when he parked Lureen’s Cadillac outside her garage; the house was dark, no light coming from the sitting room or from the bedrooms upstairs. His eyes adapted to the darkness as he turned the corner and walked on the grass; it was soft, maybe one of the flowerbeds under the front windows. Ennis was deadly tired, his feet like stones; the weight of the long drive and the emotional turmoil he was experiencing were too much for him.
TBC
Please add your opinion.
Chapter 4
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; I try to translate and Sam tries to correct my translation, we’ll see how our efforts will be appreciated.
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 and also Jen.
Thanks to all of you who left a comment and thanks for your patience, too.
Ennis was happy his driving was useful; he needed time to accept the luxurious reality of Jack’s house and so he preferred to meet Jack’s parents in a public place instead of inside those walls. Mrs. Newsome had compelled him to stay in the kitchen and eat a large sandwich before allowing him to leave in Jack’s truck.
-----
Meanwhile, Mrs. Twist was lost in the hall of the bus station. Although the place wasn’t crowded, she glanced around like a rabbit outside its cage; she felt nervous and afraid when a group of people heading for Fort Worth crossed her path on their way to the bus.
She had never been so far from home; the journey to mourn her only grandchild -a child she had seen only in pictures - had lasted two days.
Her husband had always refused to go south and she was afraid to travel alone. Every year Jack promised her that he would bring Larry to the ranch, in vain.
Mrs. Twist didn’t believe in Jack’s marriage; Jack had married so fast, without telling them ahead of time that he was going to, so she imagined it was a quick decision, due to the impending birth of Larry. She remembered that after the second summer spent working for Aguirre, Jack had changed; he was much quieter, sometimes refusing to speak at all. Then he had left for the rodeo season.
The news of the child had silenced John’s acid remarks; he had believed Jack wasn’t good with women at all. But she was the mother and loved Jack deeply, always forgiving his strange attitudes during high school, when Jack wanted to be the first in very possible sport.
Now Mrs. Twist was waiting near the exit while her husband sat on a bench, guarding their small bags. She checked every car approaching, to see if the driver was Jack. She saw a truck parking nearby and a tall blonde man looking around cautiously
Ennis entered the station and briefly scanned the various groups; somebody was looking at the timetable, other people were paying for their tickets or drinking at the small bar. Travellers were scattered around, trying to find comfortable seats for themselves and benches for their bags.
Then he saw the middle aged woman dressed in black, standing near a man. Ennis approached and then felt silly for his fear of not recognizing Jack’s parents; Jack was his mother’s portrait, the same blue eyes.
Her gaze met Ennis’ and a signal passed between them. Ennis went closer and took off his hat.
“Mrs. And Mr. Twist? I’m from Jack.”
“Yes,” the woman answered; John Twist stood up.
Ennis offered his hand. “I’m Ennis Del Mar, an old friend. I’ll drive you home.”
He bent to collect the bags, faster than John Twist, who looked a little disappointed for being slower.
Ennis led them to the truck, opened the passenger door for Mrs Twist and stowed the baggage; it wasn’t heavy, as if they wouldn’t or couldn’t take too many things for the journey.
The engine roared and Ennis focused on the road, but Mrs. Twist stared at him.
“You said your name is Del Mar.”
“Yes, Mrs. Twist.”
“You’re the friend from the Aguirre summer, aren’t you?
“It was 1963.”
“Ennis…Jack always talked about you, didn’t he, John?” she said, turning to her husband.
“Jack and his fool plans….”
“He said he wanted to fix up our ranch with you, someday. He wanted to come back home. Then he got married, but once or twice he remembered his plan.”
“Bad idea, Mrs. Twist…too many problems to solve.”
“Are you married?”
Mrs. Twist still could not believe she was in presence of her son’s best friend, the only one Jack spoke about. Jack was so happy when he remembered the summer of ’63, he and Ennis working together, then their fishing trips twice a year and their lasting friendship. Now she wanted to know more about that man.
“Yes, I got two girls, Junior and Frannie.”
“And do you still live in Wyoming?”
“Riverton. First time I’ve ever been here, for the funeral.” Ennis wasn’t happy to be questioned so much, but he tried to understand the situation.
“Jack promised me…” Mrs. Twist’s voice died into a murmur; her husband put a hand on her shoulder.
Ennis tried desperately to find something appropriate to say, but a mother’s pain wanted only silence. They reached the destination swiftly.
The front door opened and Jack came running out to embrace his mother, who started crying.
The neighbors had again offered dinner to the mourners; they rang the bell carrying large plates covered in shining silver aluminium foil.
The Twists sat at the table in silence with LD and Ennis, while Faye and Lureen were combing their hair with the help of Margie, the most famous hairdresser in town. Ennis sat at the right of Mrs. Twist, Mr. Twist on the other side and Jack was obliged to stay between his father and his father in law.
Mrs. Twist said a short prayer, asking Jesus for peace for her family.
When dinner was finished, Jack and Ennis went out into the back garden to smoke a cigarette.
Jack explained he had arranged a motel room for his parents, after his mother had asked him to find a place for them; she didn’t want to share Jack’s house. “My parents will stay at the Traveller’s Lodge motel tonight, Mom doesn’t like this place. Lureen will sleep at LD’s house, our doctor will visit her later and maybe give her something to help her relax. Do you want to stay here or go to the motel, too? A guest room is already made up…”
Jack’s tone was unsure, like a child who wants a present and doesn’t know how to ask for it.
For the whole evening he wondered how to persuade Ennis to stay, only stay; it didn’t matter in which bed, he only wanted Ennis around, until the end of this personal hell.
Ennsi was looking at Jack with burning eyes, his gaze seemed to ask “ Do you want me to stay?” but his words were respectful and polite.
“Would you rather be alone?”
“Damnit, Ennis, you even think I can refuse you?”
Ennis’ nervousness quickly melted, he didn’t want to leave Jack alone that night. “Sorry, Jack, this is such a strange situation. You… you choose what to do.”
“Stay. Please. ”
Jack touched his arm and went inside; Ennis heard his voice in the corridor.
“Mom, Ennis will drive you to the motel. You’ll be more comfortable in Lureen’s car. See you in the morning.”
During the short drive Ennis’ silence surpassed Mrs Twist’s attempts at conversation. “Thank you very much, Mr. Del Mar,” she said while leaving the car, “I wish we could have met under other circumstances.” Her husband took their bags and entered the motel lobby without a word.
Coming back from the motel, Ennis got lost when he turned left one too many times; the roads were quite identical, s if all the houses had been built from the same mold.
He drove around for a few minutes, then asked a woman walking a dog where Primrose Lane was.
He felt relieved when he parked Lureen’s Cadillac outside her garage; the house was dark, no light coming from the sitting room or from the bedrooms upstairs. His eyes adapted to the darkness as he turned the corner and walked on the grass; it was soft, maybe one of the flowerbeds under the front windows. Ennis was deadly tired, his feet like stones; the weight of the long drive and the emotional turmoil he was experiencing were too much for him.
TBC
Please add your opinion.