The Lie Behind the Postcard - A new chance
While Jack left his house and he decided to go to Lightning Flat Ennis was in his trailer, in Riverton, looking for a new place to live. He feelt that besides Alma Junior, Kurt, Francine and Ennis Junior nobody in Riverton would like to have him there. Not now that the whole town should now that he is a queer and that he cheated his Ex-wife with a man for over 20 years.
Ennis didn’t have any idea of what to do, he was still thinking that it would be hard for him to find a job there now, but the he remembered that conversation he had with his Ex-boss Charles.
“If I hear that someone is needin’ a foreman, I’ll call ya’ “Mr. Humphrey told to him.
“Thanks, but I’m not the travelin’ kind, I’ll like to stay here I don’t like Texas, bad remember come to my mind” he told his Ex boss.
He was not the traveling kind until now; he didn’t want to stay more in Riverton not anymore. He went to his car and went to the nearest public phone, which was about 2 miles. He was going to call Mr. Humphrey and ask him if he have heard about someone needing a foreman.
“Hello, Whose there?” asked a lady on the phone
“Can I speak with Mr. Charles Humphrey?” Ennis asked.
“Oh my G’d it is you Ennis! It’s me Ellen how are ya’?” the lady asked Ellen was the first daughter of Mr. Humphrey
“Well, I can be better!” he growled
“Ya’ know I heard somethin’ about ya’ is that true?” Ellen asked with some curiosity.
“I said is Mr. Charles Humphrey there?” said Ennis with an angry tone.
“How rude, Daaaaad it’s Ennis on the line!” Ellen yelled, Ennis heard a noise of someone running on the other side.
“Good lord Ennis! It thought that you won’t be callin’!” Mr. Humphrey said picking up the phone.
“I was thinking if that offer stills open? I mean if ya’ could find me a job there?” Ennis said in a low tone.
“Of course I can! As matter of fact I was goin’ to call ya”! Guess what? My friend Malone needs a foreman! And he asked me to call ya' and convince ya' he is willing to pay ya' at least a thousand a month!” Mr. Humphrey said happily
“What did ya’ just said? A thousand a month! That is more that I earned in two months workin’ with ya’!” he said anxious, a thousand bucks were more than enough for him. He could rent a good house with a place for his horses and still be able to have lots of whiskey.
“I know that Ennis! Ya’ don’t need to remind me that I was a cheap bastard!” Mr. Humphrey said laughing.
“So, what did ya’ think about the proposal? Are comin’ or what?” Mr. Humphrey asked.
“Riverton be damned! Of course I’ll go there! When I should go?” asked Ennis really exited thinking that it would be such a good opportunity for him.
“When ya’ can come here?” Mr. Humphrey asked
“I can be there tomorrow if ya’ want!” he said
“Nah, please be here by Friday!” Mr. Humphrey said.
“I’ll be there I promise ya’!” Ennis replied while he closed the phone.
“One thousand bucks for me as a foreman! That is excellent!” he thought, he was going to prepare his things it was Monday and he need to take a 18 hours and 22 minutes trip in which he was going to travel a distance of 1061.7 miles.
He went to his car was driving and listening to the AM Radio that was playing “King of the Road” he felt sympathized with that song he was the king of the road today looking for a new chance of his life. He was so happy when someone came to his mind and forced him to step on the break.
“How I’ll explain this to Alma Jr?” he said trying to think the perfect words to explain her that, he decided to tell her that the same day.
“Ya’ are not going! Your place is here with your family not in Texas!” Alma Junior told him in an angry tone of voice. He also saw that there were some tears dripping through her cheeks.
“ Alma, honey it sounds like a great opportunity to your dad!” Kurt said trying to help Ennis.
“No, no, no! I don’t think that he is just tryin’ to escape from here! That is what ya’ are doin’ Ennis Del Mar! you are escapin’ because ya’ are scared!” she said and at that same moment she started crying, she tried to clean her tears but her hands were not enough for them.
“Darlin’ please listen, there’s nothing here that would force me to stay here! You and Jenny are the enough older and I don’t have a job here! They will pay me good money I swear that once I am established I would invite you to go and visit me and stay there some days!” he tried to smile when he saw plate coming right to his head but he was the fast enough to avoid it.
“Don’t lie to me! You are goin’ there because you want to escape” cried Alma Jr. while she was throwing to Ennis and Kurt the whole set of dishes.
“Alma Del Mar Junior I order ya’ to calm down” said Ennis hiding behind a wall.
“Ya’ are orderin’ me? It was ya’ the one that told that I was grown enough” she cried and sat in the floor and put her hands on her hair let a desperate howl come from her mouth.
“The truth is that I don’t want ya’ to go Daddy! I don’t want to loose ya’” she cried while Ennis, who came from hidden place, went and gave her a hug.
“It is ok Alma, I promise that ya’ won’t loose me” he said to her
“Your rage cost us to much those were my Grandma’s dishes!” Kurt said angry.
“I’m sorry Kurt!” Alma said looking to the floor.
“Don’t worry I was tired of them anyway!” Kurt smiled to her.
“Well, Ennis if ya’ are leaving at least you should eat your last dinner in Wyoming! And since Mrs. Crybaby destroyed the dishes let’s go out! We need to pick up Ennis and Francine from my mom’s house then!” Kurt said smiling and they went to the car.
Kurt was driving to his mother house they were going to pickup Ennis Jr. and Francine and then take Ennis to a nice restaurant there to celebrate this new opportunity.
"Since you haven't being paid yet we will be payin' the food" Alma Jr. said to Ennis trying to smile but he knew that she was not happy at all.
Ennis started thinking in Jenny if she would be upset if he leaves but he was not going to risk to be rejected from her again it was enough for him the way the treat him the last time.
Ennis, Alma Junior and Jenny entered in the room and they looked that their mother looked old now, old and worried. They went and stood next to the window and Jenny went and hugged her mother.
“Mom, are ya’ ok?” Jenny asked
“I’m fine dear I just need to talk with all of ya’ now” she said.
“Junior, I’m sorry for all the things I said to ya’ that day I just want to say that all of what I did was to protect yer Daddy!” Alma Said to Alma Junior.
“What’ya talking about mom?” asked Jenny
“ Alma, what do ya’ mean with protectin' me!” Ennis said in with an angry tone.
“What I did is not the question! What you did to us is the real thing!” she said looking fiercely to Ennis
“ Alma you don’t know nothin’! Don’t say things ya’ don’t understand” Ennis said he raised his voice but then he lowered down remembering Alma’s state of illness.
“Oh yes I know, Ennis Del Mar and it is time to yer daughters to know the truth I’ve hidden this truth for almost twenty-seven years now! I’m tired of this sht! Your daughters need to now the reason I divorced from ya’! Jenny the reason I divorce yer dad was because he had a male lov….” she said, until Ennis’ rage exploded, he went straight to her but Junior stopped him.
“Daddy please! Calm down she’s tryin’ to cause this to you” Alma Junior Said while she gave a hate look to her mother she realized that her mother was a snake.
“What’ya talking about? Daddy had a male what?” Jenny asked to her mother crying and looking at her dad with repulsion
“A male lover, Jenny durin’ all my years of marriage yer dad cheat on me, with his fishin’ buddy. He never went to fishin’ he screwed his fishin’ buddy!” Alma burying her face on her hands faking she was crying but she wasn’t crying at all or at least not for real. She was laughing in her insides it was working as she thought it was going to be.
“What! Nooooo ya’ are lyin’ can’t be true! Daddy say that it is not true tell her that is a lie! ” Jenny said to Ennis crying.
Ennis started breathing faster and tried to talk, however, his anger was not letting him to do it.
“Jenny, it is not like that, is not!” he told to watching how her tears fell through her face.
“Ya’re a sick man! I can’t believe ya’ are my dad” Jenny said crying and horrified.
“Jenny shut up! You don’t have any right to say that do Daddy” yelled Alma Junior looking to her mother and holding her father.
“Deny it Ennis! Deny the fact that I saw ya’ both kissing on 1967, deny that ya’ never went to fishin’! Deny that ya’ almost kill me on that thanksgiving dinner at my house! Deny it Ennis!” yelled Alma
Ennis didn’t knew what to do he wanted to kill Alma, for revealing in that way his life to Jenny, however, he was shamed by the way looked at him. She was horrified and repulsed, she hated him. Alma was put his daughter against him, one of his most important things in his life more now that Jack was not with him.
“Jenny could you please listen to me?” said Ennis
“Ya’re a monster! I don’t want ya’ to be my dad!” she yelled at him.
Ennis was sitting in the back of the car and as soon he remembered that he fixed his hat so nobody could that he was crying his daughter must think that he was sort kind of monster and he would burn in hell. Ennis couldn't stop thinking that Jenny would never forgive him.
They pickup the kids and went to El Durango, located at 489 South Federal Boulevard street, the came out the car they were going to enter to the restaurant when a red haired man in his early thirties stood in the entrance looking at them.
“All of ya’ can enter but he can’t! He is not allowed here” the man said angry.
“May I ask why?” Kurt asked
“We don’t want any queers here!” the redneck said touching a bulk in his pants with the shape of a gun or at least that was Ennis noticed.
“What did ya’ called my dad” Alma said to the men pointing him with his finger
“Ya’ are going to listen bastard, my dad ain’t a queer so it is better that you get off the way before I kick your ass” she yelled at him angry.
The man started laughing for the comment when she took a plank of wood that was on the floor and hit the man on the face without mercy.
“Ya’ bitch look what that queer make you do to me I’m bleeding!” the man said upset bleeding trying to stop the blood with his sweater when he pulled his gun and start pointing straight to Ennis
“Lower the gun Mac! Don’t do it this ain’t right” Kurt told the man trying to get near him.
“Ya’ know this man?” Ennis asked while he was holding Alma Jr. who was trying to go straight to the man.
“We work together” Kurt answered
“Used to work I quit when I realized that the queer was your father in law” Mac said
Everyone in the restaurant was looking at the scene but nobody did anything until the Sheriff appeared.
“What the fuck is going on here Mac! Put that fucking gun down!” the Sheriff yelled.
“Rob, this bitch hit me with a plank, she is the daughter of the queer!” Mac said
“Is that so? Ennis Del Mar you are under arrest for improper behavior on the street!” the sheriff said and went straight to Ennis..