canon one shot - Aguirre on the Beach
Well look what the wind blew in.
Lightweight. What I thought the first time he showed up. Wouldna hired him but it was late, nobody else for the job. Sent him up alone, that was a fuckin mistake. Kid didn’t know the mountain, what to do when a storm’s comin. Don’t sit and wait for it to roll over the stock, you gotta anticipate and prepare.
Howdy Mr. Aguirre. Wonderin if you was needin any help this summer.
Saw him outside my trailer again last year, thought: not on yer fuckin life. Knew what that rodeo buckle meant. Fancied himself a cowboy, wasn’t gonna take the sheep serious. Checked out that other, plain-buckle kid through the window, thought: send ‘em both up. Couldn’t get ‘round the Forest Service rules much longer anyhow. Higher count at the end woulda made the extra expense worth it.
Wastin yer time here.
Watched ‘em for ten minutes that morning. Even if the herder HAD stayed the night up with the sheep, it was late, he shoulda been back up there, ON GUARD. They had a job t’do. Farmers dependin on ‘em - on me - to bring back ALL them ewes and their lambs. Think they raise ‘em for fun? Think I sent ‘em up there t’have fun? Hell no. Careless, them two. No care for the sheep, no care for each other.
You aint got nothin? Nothin up on Brokeback?
I saw the way they left, right outside here. Do THAT with a guy and then, NOTHIN? Not even a handshake? Must be crazy, thinking I’d hire him again. He can go back to his bullridin.
I ain't got no work fer you.
Maybe the army’ll get him, send him to fight in the jungle. Jimmy Cortez, he woulda made a joke about that, woulda said sailin to the tropics was in his genes. That’s why you and me’re buddies, Joe, he useta laugh. He said we had gallions and guns in our blood, that we were born to invading and fighting. We’ll make it through as long as we stick together, amigo.
Ennis Del Mar ain't been around, has he?
He said When this is over, we oughta go where it’s warm, Joe. We should go to the gulf of Mexico, got some fine beaches there. He was always talkin bout the Texas beaches, how white the sand was. I know a little island, San Padre, we can a take a boat out there.
You boys sure found a way to make the time pass up there. Twist, you guys weren’t bein paid to let the dogs babysit the sheep while you stemmed the rose.
The boat was crowded. Spotted land at dawn. Too bad it’s cloudy he said, while I was pukin my guts out over the side. I was hoping to get a tan today. Always the joker. They made us get out before we scraped bottom. We was in up to our chests, wadin to shore. In no time at all we was stretched flat out on the sand, Jimmy lookin up at the gray sky, water lappin at his feet. I inched close to him, grabbed his hand. He didn’t squeeze back.
Someday I’ll go back there, find the cross with his name on it.
Now get the hell outta my trailer.
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