Enough Time - Chapter 5
Genre: AU - Not Dead Jack
Summary: Based on the premise of the film Groundhog Day. Ennis relives one day over and over until he gets it right.
This chapter is dedicated to my beta
rt_in_town, who discovered to his chagrin that he is just an ordinary male after all when he failed to understand why Jack gets pissed off at Ennis in the scene in the tent.
Chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
He awoke to snow. He'd sat up late talking to his brother about the summer, about KE's job, their sister, money, sports; veering around the subject of Alma and also what he really wanted to talk to him about. Easier maybe, to come back and get Peggy alone, find out what she knew about Earl. She was a little older than KE, and he didn't know her very well. But she always looked at him like she could see through him. When she'd introduced him to Alma at the store, the girl's warm brown eyes had been a relief, her gaze gliding over him like a caress, never penetrating. But now he was impatient to get through the day so he could brave Peggy's stare, learn from her.
The ewe bleated and the dutiful dog leapt into action while the other one slept on. He sat up and took the horse from his pocket but he didn't feel like working on something that wouldn't last. He felt so distracted he didn't even feel like seeing Jack. He lay down again and thought about him anyway, and after a little while he did feel like seeing him. A lot. So he crawled out of the tent and left the other dog sleeping, saddled up and hurried down to camp, Cigar Butt slip-sliding in the snow.
He arrived so early that he caught up to Joe Aguirre heading along the path toward the camp site. When Aguirre looked back and saw Ennis, he stopped and waited for him, squinting and chewing his toothpick. Ennis quailed a little, recalling the honeymoom remark, but... so what? Tomorrow would be a brand new day.
"Howdy," Ennis greeted him heartily.
Aguirre remained impassive. "Tell Twist his uncle's outta the hospital. You got much snow up there?"
"Bout two inches, but it's wet and when the sun comes out it'll be gone in an hour."
"So yer an expert on the weather, huh?" Aguirre sneered. "Well, what you don't know is that-"
"There's another storm gonna blow in, prob'ly from the Pacific," Ennis said, studying the sky and rubbing his chin. He sniffed the air. "Yep, I can smell it. I reckon you'd be better off gettin them sheep off the mountain."
Aguirre glared at Ennis for a few seconds before he muttered "That's what I was comin up here ta tell you boys. You gotta bring 'em down. Be quick now, you hear?" He wheeled his horse away, adding "Want you at the jump off point no later'n two."
When Ennis rode in to camp, Jack was brushing snow off the fire circle stones. He looked at him in surprise and straightened up.
"Hey, why're you down so early?"
"Was cold up there in the snow," Ennis replied as he dismounted. "Wanted to come down and get warmed up." He walked up to Jack, took off his gloves and tossed them onto the chopping block. Then he slid his hands under Jack's coat and rubbed circles on his warm back, tugging his shirt out of his jeans as he did so. Jack gasped as Ennis' chilled fingers made contact with his skin.
"Aagghh! Shit Ennis! Yer hands're fuckin freezin!"
"That's why I'm doin this, dumbass. Anyway, got good news and bad news," Ennis went on, drawing Jack closer and wrapping his arms around his torso to soak up his warmth. "I talked to Aguirre, he said your uncle didn't die after all, and he's outta the hospital."
"Yeah?" Jack looked him in the eyes expectantly, like that good news about his uncle was no big deal and it was the bad news he was interested in. Ennis' jacket wasn't buttoned and Jack shifted his body, trying to get inside it.
"Bad news is, there's another storm comin, worse than this one, and he wants us to bring 'em down." Ennis nuzzled his nose into Jack's neck to smell the smoke and sheep and sweat. "Today," he added, his words muffled. He felt Jack go perfectly still.
Ennis brought his head up and Jack stared at him, obviously stunned. "Ennis... I don't get it... When did Aguirre tell you this?"
"Just met him over on the trail a ways, comin up to let us know. Yeah, I don't usually come down this early but... I wanted to... I missed... thought I better check the snow situation at this elevation."
"So we gotta leave, then."
"Yeah," Ennis breathed. As always he had to remind himself that Jack didn't have this morning to look forward to again and again, that this was the end for him. "C'mere," he whispered, though Jack hadn't made a move away. "Let's get in the tent."
The harsh cawing of a crow nearby roused Ennis from his sated stupor; he untangled his limbs from Jack's and sat up, patting around on the ground cloth to locate his clothes.
"Well, better get packed up and head down," he murmured. He was anxious to get going so he could arrive in Riverton well before KE.
Jack propped himself on his elbows and watched him as he shrugged on his shirt. "Ennis, summer ain't near finished," he said slowly. "We oughta try an find some ranch work for a month or two."
"Mmm, I gotta go to Riverton first. Why dontcha give me your number in Lightnin Flat an I'll call you in a few days."
"You'll call me," Jack said flatly.
"Sure. What's the matter?"
Now he was glaring at Ennis. "You fucker."
Ennis frowned in confusion. All the other times that he'd asked him for his number - which he'd memorized by now - Jack had been elated.
"I ain't gonna sit by the phone at my daddy's ranch waitin for you ta call. You can come with me and we'll check out some ranches, or I'll go to Riverton with you. You do what you gotta do there and then we go look for work."
"Jack, no, see I gotta..." How to explain what he needed to do?
Jack was pulling on his clothes, his face like thunder. "No, I see. Just forget it. I'm gonna head south, hit the rodeos." He buckled his belt and stomped outside. Ennis could hear him banging pots, breaking down the camp site. He rubbed his face and sighed. Tomorrow's another day, he repeated to himself as he dressed and set about taking down the tent.
For all his haste and their early departure, they didn't get back to Aguirre's trailer any sooner than they had the other days. Time was elastic to the Basques when it came to sorting and counting the sheep, allowing Aguirre to expand on his opinion about their competence as shepherds. When at last they were collecting their pay, Ennis recounted his pile of bills. Jack saw what he was doing and counted his as well. Ennis heard him clear his throat.
"Uh, Mr Aguirre, I seem to be short twenty dollars here."
Before Aguirre could open his mouth, Ennis said "And I got an extra twenty so I guess it's yours." It pained Ennis to see the gratitude in Jack's eyes. How quickly he forgave him!
Then it was truck, carburator, hem and haw and in the end Jack did give Ennis his parents' phone number. He promised to call him, and before he turned to leave he put his palm to Jack's face and stroked his cheek with his thumb. He'd checked when they were in the trailer: Aguirre couldn't see them from his desk. He watched Jack drive off and made his way to the road.
Twenty minutes passed. Ennis stood in the dust, rubbing his thumb over the curves of the horse carving in his pocket, watching the golden sun creep closer to the immoveable mountain. He was so goddamn sick of this day! Two cars came along during the time he waited there but he ignored them. Finally he heard the unmistakeable rattle of the black truck in the distance. He was so used to getting a lift from the driver that he forgot to stick out his thumb as it approached. When the pickup failed to slow down he frowned, then thrust his arm in the air, palm forward. It screeched to a halt just past him; he walked over and looked in the window.
"Goin to Riverton."
The man looked amused. "I'm off duty."
"What?"
"You think I'm a taxi?" he chuckled.
Ennis felt his face heating up. "Uh, sorry... didn't mean..." but the man beckoned him to open the door.
"It's alright, get in. I am going near to Riverton."
Ennis climbed in but was too embarrassed to speak or even look at the driver.
"Feeling sheepish?"
"Well, been herdin sheep on the mountain all summer so yeah, guess you could say that," he muttered. Ennis felt even more foolish when the man burst out laughing. He tamped down his anger, knowing by now the guy wasn't making fun of him.
"Thank you for that. I haven't laughed in a long time. Don't be angry," he said, taking in Ennis' grim expression. "I was a shepherd once. I hated the sheep. They are very stupid."
Ennis allowed himself a little smile. "Yeah, much rather work with cattle."
The man pulled a cigarette from the pack in his shirt pocket and put it to his lips. Then he plucked a Zippo lighter from a space in the dashboard where a radio should have been, flicked it open and lit up. Ennis blinked in surprise at this quick maneuver. He had never noticed the lighter there.
"My cousin's cattle ranch is looking for help if you need a job. If you are interested I could take you there now."
"Maybe next time," Ennis replied. He wanted to talk to Peggy tonight. When he glanced at the man and noticed his puzzled expression, he realized his mistake. "I mean, I'll think about it. It's pretty far from Riverton."
"I didn't tell you where the ranch is." The driver puffed on his cigarette. "I think spending all summer with sheep did something to your mind. Were you all alone up there?"
Ennis sighed deeply. "Was with another guy, same age as me."
"What's the matter? You didn't get along?"
"Yeah, we did." He felt weary, tired of reminding himself that this guy didn't know anything about him. Yet it was clear to him, after all these rides, that this wasn't an ordinary man. If Ennis said something strange to him, he probably wouldn't kick him out of the truck, or sneer at him, or do any of the things he feared.
"We got along real well," he continued. "Real well. But I'm engaged to a girl, and... and..." He squeezed the knuckles of one hand with the other and stared through the side window at the plain unfurling beside the truck.
"And you don't want to disappoint her even though you would rather go off with the shepherd."
Ennis turned and looked at the man in astonishment. He'd said exactly what Ennis felt, but he made it sound so innocent.
"You spent a few months with only him for company. You have both had difficult lives, things you can't forget, and up there you felt free. Am I right? Yes, I see it's true." He smoked silently, his cigarette remaining between his lips as he inhaled and exhaled, so that his words were pinched as he talked around it. "Now you are back down in the real world. Your family expects you to do certain things-"
"My folks ain't livin."
"- especially when they are dead."
They rode in silence the rest of the way.
From the Esso station Ennis walked directly to KE's house. When he knocked on the door, he heard Peggy's voice call out "Be right there!" from inside. A long minute later she opened the door. She wasn't holding the baby.
"Oh hey, Ennis. Come on in, I'm just changin Melissa." He followed her into the small bedroom where her daughter was lying naked on a plastic mat on the dresser. "Weren't you s'posed to be up there for another month or so?"
He stood in the doorway and explained about the storm and watched her, noticing that she didn't mention him needing a shower. He could smell the competition.
"You hungry, Ennis? Want a sandwich?" she asked as she washed her hands in the bathroom. Then she led the way to the kitchen carrying Melissa, and set her down in the high chair. Ennis took a banana from the bunch on the counter, peeled one and set it on the high chair tray while Peggy took a plate of ham, mayonnaise and bread from the refrigerator.
Ennis leaned against the counter with his hands in his pockets and looked at the floor. "Uh, y'know when me and KE were kids there was these two old guys on a ranch..." he began, but suddenly his sister-in-law swore loudly. She brought her finger to her mouth and sucked on it for a few seconds. He could see she'd cut herself while slicing ham off the bone. Judging from the size of the drops of blood on the counter it was bleeding hard. Startled by her mother's cry, the baby started wailing, then KE arrived... Shit. As his brother tended to his wife and child, Ennis retreated to the living room couch. He stretched out and closed his eyes. Another fucking day to get through before he could try again.
merci pour la photo, Viviane
Summary: Based on the premise of the film Groundhog Day. Ennis relives one day over and over until he gets it right.
This chapter is dedicated to my beta
rt_in_town, who discovered to his chagrin that he is just an ordinary male after all when he failed to understand why Jack gets pissed off at Ennis in the scene in the tent.
Chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
He awoke to snow. He'd sat up late talking to his brother about the summer, about KE's job, their sister, money, sports; veering around the subject of Alma and also what he really wanted to talk to him about. Easier maybe, to come back and get Peggy alone, find out what she knew about Earl. She was a little older than KE, and he didn't know her very well. But she always looked at him like she could see through him. When she'd introduced him to Alma at the store, the girl's warm brown eyes had been a relief, her gaze gliding over him like a caress, never penetrating. But now he was impatient to get through the day so he could brave Peggy's stare, learn from her.
The ewe bleated and the dutiful dog leapt into action while the other one slept on. He sat up and took the horse from his pocket but he didn't feel like working on something that wouldn't last. He felt so distracted he didn't even feel like seeing Jack. He lay down again and thought about him anyway, and after a little while he did feel like seeing him. A lot. So he crawled out of the tent and left the other dog sleeping, saddled up and hurried down to camp, Cigar Butt slip-sliding in the snow.
He arrived so early that he caught up to Joe Aguirre heading along the path toward the camp site. When Aguirre looked back and saw Ennis, he stopped and waited for him, squinting and chewing his toothpick. Ennis quailed a little, recalling the honeymoom remark, but... so what? Tomorrow would be a brand new day.
"Howdy," Ennis greeted him heartily.
Aguirre remained impassive. "Tell Twist his uncle's outta the hospital. You got much snow up there?"
"Bout two inches, but it's wet and when the sun comes out it'll be gone in an hour."
"So yer an expert on the weather, huh?" Aguirre sneered. "Well, what you don't know is that-"
"There's another storm gonna blow in, prob'ly from the Pacific," Ennis said, studying the sky and rubbing his chin. He sniffed the air. "Yep, I can smell it. I reckon you'd be better off gettin them sheep off the mountain."
Aguirre glared at Ennis for a few seconds before he muttered "That's what I was comin up here ta tell you boys. You gotta bring 'em down. Be quick now, you hear?" He wheeled his horse away, adding "Want you at the jump off point no later'n two."
When Ennis rode in to camp, Jack was brushing snow off the fire circle stones. He looked at him in surprise and straightened up.
"Hey, why're you down so early?"
"Was cold up there in the snow," Ennis replied as he dismounted. "Wanted to come down and get warmed up." He walked up to Jack, took off his gloves and tossed them onto the chopping block. Then he slid his hands under Jack's coat and rubbed circles on his warm back, tugging his shirt out of his jeans as he did so. Jack gasped as Ennis' chilled fingers made contact with his skin.
"Aagghh! Shit Ennis! Yer hands're fuckin freezin!"
"That's why I'm doin this, dumbass. Anyway, got good news and bad news," Ennis went on, drawing Jack closer and wrapping his arms around his torso to soak up his warmth. "I talked to Aguirre, he said your uncle didn't die after all, and he's outta the hospital."
"Yeah?" Jack looked him in the eyes expectantly, like that good news about his uncle was no big deal and it was the bad news he was interested in. Ennis' jacket wasn't buttoned and Jack shifted his body, trying to get inside it.
"Bad news is, there's another storm comin, worse than this one, and he wants us to bring 'em down." Ennis nuzzled his nose into Jack's neck to smell the smoke and sheep and sweat. "Today," he added, his words muffled. He felt Jack go perfectly still.
Ennis brought his head up and Jack stared at him, obviously stunned. "Ennis... I don't get it... When did Aguirre tell you this?"
"Just met him over on the trail a ways, comin up to let us know. Yeah, I don't usually come down this early but... I wanted to... I missed... thought I better check the snow situation at this elevation."
"So we gotta leave, then."
"Yeah," Ennis breathed. As always he had to remind himself that Jack didn't have this morning to look forward to again and again, that this was the end for him. "C'mere," he whispered, though Jack hadn't made a move away. "Let's get in the tent."
The harsh cawing of a crow nearby roused Ennis from his sated stupor; he untangled his limbs from Jack's and sat up, patting around on the ground cloth to locate his clothes.
"Well, better get packed up and head down," he murmured. He was anxious to get going so he could arrive in Riverton well before KE.
Jack propped himself on his elbows and watched him as he shrugged on his shirt. "Ennis, summer ain't near finished," he said slowly. "We oughta try an find some ranch work for a month or two."
"Mmm, I gotta go to Riverton first. Why dontcha give me your number in Lightnin Flat an I'll call you in a few days."
"You'll call me," Jack said flatly.
"Sure. What's the matter?"
Now he was glaring at Ennis. "You fucker."
Ennis frowned in confusion. All the other times that he'd asked him for his number - which he'd memorized by now - Jack had been elated.
"I ain't gonna sit by the phone at my daddy's ranch waitin for you ta call. You can come with me and we'll check out some ranches, or I'll go to Riverton with you. You do what you gotta do there and then we go look for work."
"Jack, no, see I gotta..." How to explain what he needed to do?
Jack was pulling on his clothes, his face like thunder. "No, I see. Just forget it. I'm gonna head south, hit the rodeos." He buckled his belt and stomped outside. Ennis could hear him banging pots, breaking down the camp site. He rubbed his face and sighed. Tomorrow's another day, he repeated to himself as he dressed and set about taking down the tent.
For all his haste and their early departure, they didn't get back to Aguirre's trailer any sooner than they had the other days. Time was elastic to the Basques when it came to sorting and counting the sheep, allowing Aguirre to expand on his opinion about their competence as shepherds. When at last they were collecting their pay, Ennis recounted his pile of bills. Jack saw what he was doing and counted his as well. Ennis heard him clear his throat.
"Uh, Mr Aguirre, I seem to be short twenty dollars here."
Before Aguirre could open his mouth, Ennis said "And I got an extra twenty so I guess it's yours." It pained Ennis to see the gratitude in Jack's eyes. How quickly he forgave him!
Then it was truck, carburator, hem and haw and in the end Jack did give Ennis his parents' phone number. He promised to call him, and before he turned to leave he put his palm to Jack's face and stroked his cheek with his thumb. He'd checked when they were in the trailer: Aguirre couldn't see them from his desk. He watched Jack drive off and made his way to the road.
Twenty minutes passed. Ennis stood in the dust, rubbing his thumb over the curves of the horse carving in his pocket, watching the golden sun creep closer to the immoveable mountain. He was so goddamn sick of this day! Two cars came along during the time he waited there but he ignored them. Finally he heard the unmistakeable rattle of the black truck in the distance. He was so used to getting a lift from the driver that he forgot to stick out his thumb as it approached. When the pickup failed to slow down he frowned, then thrust his arm in the air, palm forward. It screeched to a halt just past him; he walked over and looked in the window.
"Goin to Riverton."
The man looked amused. "I'm off duty."
"What?"
"You think I'm a taxi?" he chuckled.
Ennis felt his face heating up. "Uh, sorry... didn't mean..." but the man beckoned him to open the door.
"It's alright, get in. I am going near to Riverton."
Ennis climbed in but was too embarrassed to speak or even look at the driver.
"Feeling sheepish?"
"Well, been herdin sheep on the mountain all summer so yeah, guess you could say that," he muttered. Ennis felt even more foolish when the man burst out laughing. He tamped down his anger, knowing by now the guy wasn't making fun of him.
"Thank you for that. I haven't laughed in a long time. Don't be angry," he said, taking in Ennis' grim expression. "I was a shepherd once. I hated the sheep. They are very stupid."
Ennis allowed himself a little smile. "Yeah, much rather work with cattle."
The man pulled a cigarette from the pack in his shirt pocket and put it to his lips. Then he plucked a Zippo lighter from a space in the dashboard where a radio should have been, flicked it open and lit up. Ennis blinked in surprise at this quick maneuver. He had never noticed the lighter there.
"My cousin's cattle ranch is looking for help if you need a job. If you are interested I could take you there now."
"Maybe next time," Ennis replied. He wanted to talk to Peggy tonight. When he glanced at the man and noticed his puzzled expression, he realized his mistake. "I mean, I'll think about it. It's pretty far from Riverton."
"I didn't tell you where the ranch is." The driver puffed on his cigarette. "I think spending all summer with sheep did something to your mind. Were you all alone up there?"
Ennis sighed deeply. "Was with another guy, same age as me."
"What's the matter? You didn't get along?"
"Yeah, we did." He felt weary, tired of reminding himself that this guy didn't know anything about him. Yet it was clear to him, after all these rides, that this wasn't an ordinary man. If Ennis said something strange to him, he probably wouldn't kick him out of the truck, or sneer at him, or do any of the things he feared.
"We got along real well," he continued. "Real well. But I'm engaged to a girl, and... and..." He squeezed the knuckles of one hand with the other and stared through the side window at the plain unfurling beside the truck.
"And you don't want to disappoint her even though you would rather go off with the shepherd."
Ennis turned and looked at the man in astonishment. He'd said exactly what Ennis felt, but he made it sound so innocent.
"You spent a few months with only him for company. You have both had difficult lives, things you can't forget, and up there you felt free. Am I right? Yes, I see it's true." He smoked silently, his cigarette remaining between his lips as he inhaled and exhaled, so that his words were pinched as he talked around it. "Now you are back down in the real world. Your family expects you to do certain things-"
"My folks ain't livin."
"- especially when they are dead."
They rode in silence the rest of the way.
From the Esso station Ennis walked directly to KE's house. When he knocked on the door, he heard Peggy's voice call out "Be right there!" from inside. A long minute later she opened the door. She wasn't holding the baby.
"Oh hey, Ennis. Come on in, I'm just changin Melissa." He followed her into the small bedroom where her daughter was lying naked on a plastic mat on the dresser. "Weren't you s'posed to be up there for another month or so?"
He stood in the doorway and explained about the storm and watched her, noticing that she didn't mention him needing a shower. He could smell the competition.
"You hungry, Ennis? Want a sandwich?" she asked as she washed her hands in the bathroom. Then she led the way to the kitchen carrying Melissa, and set her down in the high chair. Ennis took a banana from the bunch on the counter, peeled one and set it on the high chair tray while Peggy took a plate of ham, mayonnaise and bread from the refrigerator.
Ennis leaned against the counter with his hands in his pockets and looked at the floor. "Uh, y'know when me and KE were kids there was these two old guys on a ranch..." he began, but suddenly his sister-in-law swore loudly. She brought her finger to her mouth and sucked on it for a few seconds. He could see she'd cut herself while slicing ham off the bone. Judging from the size of the drops of blood on the counter it was bleeding hard. Startled by her mother's cry, the baby started wailing, then KE arrived... Shit. As his brother tended to his wife and child, Ennis retreated to the living room couch. He stretched out and closed his eyes. Another fucking day to get through before he could try again.
merci pour la photo, Viviane