Dead of Winter, 1
Jul. 20th, 2012 07:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
morrobay1990Title: Dead of Winter, Chapter 1
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
morrobay1990
Warning: post canon
Word count: 900
Disclaimer: They are AP's
♥ Jack
Random possible conversations on one of their fishing trips. I’m trying to stay very close to short story canon, where Ennis was known to talk a bit more.
Got a cabin for next trip. Elk better look out. Meet up at the Salt River trailhead Feb 20.
Standing on the pavement outside the post office, Ennis read the words, kept his smile to himself.
“Puttin some weight on you, boy. Must have some soft life.”
“Better’n ridin range, that’s for sure.”
“Ain’t better than ridin range. Take range ridin or herdin over a inside job any day a the week.”
“I can just see Lureen’s face I decide to quit the sellin business and turn back into a cowboy. Think about it, tell the truth. Feel like I’m chokin sometimes, stay inside so much…get out much as I can. Kid likes ridin, so that’s an excuse to get out.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“You ever think about what I said that time, 'bout a cow and calf operation?
“Uh-uh.”
“We coulda done it back then, we was still young enough. Too late now by a long shot. I ain't ever in the saddle long enough to make a difference... sometimes I even miss them rodeo days. They was rough, but I miss em.”
“Yeah? Next time I'm up for a round-up you can take it for me, see if you miss ridin in pourin-down rain, eatin twice a day if you're lucky, tryin to keep the damn herd from driftin.”
“Didn’t you just say you’d rather do that than work inside? Anyway, different if it was our herd. Y'know? Don't seem like such a hard time when it's your herd. Learned that from workin for LD. He's a sonofabitch, but I seen how he looks after the business, cause it's his. Even Lureen. Gonna be hers one day, she knows it...why she's such a bitch about stuff sometimes. Like me takin off for two weeks right when the new combines come in.”
“She mad about this?”
“Well, she wasn't happy. Didn't Alma ever get pissed when you used to take off?”
“Shit, you don't know the half of it. Got the cold shoulder for two weeks when I'd get back. Wouldn't hardly cook, lucky if I got a clean shirt every couple days. She didn't wanna be home, didn't wanna do nothin for me, that's for sure. Always takin extra shifts down at the store. Guess I know now why she was takin them extra shifts.”
“You sorry she left you?”
“We was never that good. Liked it fine in the beginning...guess she tried, too. Thought maybe we'd make it, but we had a hard time right from the start. Kids came, never had enough money...she was always wantin to go out somewhere, never satisfied with stayin home...work all day, wanna come home and put your feet up, have a beer...she was always wantin more...then these trips...well, like I said, they really did piss her off.”
“You think she was cheatin? Or just plannin ahead?”
“Didn't never think about it. Guess she coulda been...don't matter now, though, does it? Lureen be mad when you get back?”
“Nah - she'll go out and buy some new clothes, jewelry, maybe somethin for the house, she'll be okay time I get home. Last time she bought a new barbecue, had me cookin outside for the whole fuckin summer...people comin over, drinkin my booze, eatin my food...didn't know most of em, but she kept sayin it was good for business. Figure she gets back at me in ways where I can't say nothin, cause she kinda makes sense. But Bobby'll stay away for a couple days…that hurts some.”
“How's he gettin on?”
“He ain’t learnin like he should. Got left back a grade, thought Lureen was gonna sue the school. But she don’t see it, she just can’t think that her son…I don’t know, I told her to take him to a doctor but she never did. She don’t listen to me much.”
“Why’s she stay? Didn’t take that much before Alma took off.”
“Guess she don’t never wanna give up on anything. She’ll never give up on Bobby, either. Take a while, but one day she’ll see it clear and then – look out. Kid won’t see nothin but doctor’s offices after that.”
“He rides?”
“Yeah, taught him how and he picked up quick. Lureen don’t like him ridin much, just enough to satisfy LD that he knows how…she says he needs school more, but then she won’t help him when it comes to that. I don’t fuckin know.”
“I got no say in Junior or Jenny. Guess Alma thinks they’re better off without me. How can a kid be better off without their father?”
“You want me to tell you? Cause I woulda been better off without my old man, better off by a mile.”
“He beat you more’n that one time?”
“That was the worst one….mostly beat me just by talkin…didn’t beat me up, bastard beat me down…couldn’t keep me down, though. Made my life so miserable, gave me the reason I needed to get the hell out, see somethin of the world besides that road outside my winda. Guess I oughta thank him for bein such a lousy father that it made sleepin in my truck, and eatin crappy food, getting tore up ridin bulls, made all that seem like a step up. Got me outta Lightning Flat. Got me to Brokeback. Gotta thank him for that.”
Author:
morrobay1990Warning: post canon
Word count: 900
Disclaimer: They are AP's
♥ Jack
Random possible conversations on one of their fishing trips. I’m trying to stay very close to short story canon, where Ennis was known to talk a bit more.
Got a cabin for next trip. Elk better look out. Meet up at the Salt River trailhead Feb 20.
Standing on the pavement outside the post office, Ennis read the words, kept his smile to himself.
“Puttin some weight on you, boy. Must have some soft life.”
“Better’n ridin range, that’s for sure.”
“Ain’t better than ridin range. Take range ridin or herdin over a inside job any day a the week.”
“I can just see Lureen’s face I decide to quit the sellin business and turn back into a cowboy. Think about it, tell the truth. Feel like I’m chokin sometimes, stay inside so much…get out much as I can. Kid likes ridin, so that’s an excuse to get out.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“You ever think about what I said that time, 'bout a cow and calf operation?
“Uh-uh.”
“We coulda done it back then, we was still young enough. Too late now by a long shot. I ain't ever in the saddle long enough to make a difference... sometimes I even miss them rodeo days. They was rough, but I miss em.”
“Yeah? Next time I'm up for a round-up you can take it for me, see if you miss ridin in pourin-down rain, eatin twice a day if you're lucky, tryin to keep the damn herd from driftin.”
“Didn’t you just say you’d rather do that than work inside? Anyway, different if it was our herd. Y'know? Don't seem like such a hard time when it's your herd. Learned that from workin for LD. He's a sonofabitch, but I seen how he looks after the business, cause it's his. Even Lureen. Gonna be hers one day, she knows it...why she's such a bitch about stuff sometimes. Like me takin off for two weeks right when the new combines come in.”
“She mad about this?”
“Well, she wasn't happy. Didn't Alma ever get pissed when you used to take off?”
“Shit, you don't know the half of it. Got the cold shoulder for two weeks when I'd get back. Wouldn't hardly cook, lucky if I got a clean shirt every couple days. She didn't wanna be home, didn't wanna do nothin for me, that's for sure. Always takin extra shifts down at the store. Guess I know now why she was takin them extra shifts.”
“You sorry she left you?”
“We was never that good. Liked it fine in the beginning...guess she tried, too. Thought maybe we'd make it, but we had a hard time right from the start. Kids came, never had enough money...she was always wantin to go out somewhere, never satisfied with stayin home...work all day, wanna come home and put your feet up, have a beer...she was always wantin more...then these trips...well, like I said, they really did piss her off.”
“You think she was cheatin? Or just plannin ahead?”
“Didn't never think about it. Guess she coulda been...don't matter now, though, does it? Lureen be mad when you get back?”
“Nah - she'll go out and buy some new clothes, jewelry, maybe somethin for the house, she'll be okay time I get home. Last time she bought a new barbecue, had me cookin outside for the whole fuckin summer...people comin over, drinkin my booze, eatin my food...didn't know most of em, but she kept sayin it was good for business. Figure she gets back at me in ways where I can't say nothin, cause she kinda makes sense. But Bobby'll stay away for a couple days…that hurts some.”
“How's he gettin on?”
“He ain’t learnin like he should. Got left back a grade, thought Lureen was gonna sue the school. But she don’t see it, she just can’t think that her son…I don’t know, I told her to take him to a doctor but she never did. She don’t listen to me much.”
“Why’s she stay? Didn’t take that much before Alma took off.”
“Guess she don’t never wanna give up on anything. She’ll never give up on Bobby, either. Take a while, but one day she’ll see it clear and then – look out. Kid won’t see nothin but doctor’s offices after that.”
“He rides?”
“Yeah, taught him how and he picked up quick. Lureen don’t like him ridin much, just enough to satisfy LD that he knows how…she says he needs school more, but then she won’t help him when it comes to that. I don’t fuckin know.”
“I got no say in Junior or Jenny. Guess Alma thinks they’re better off without me. How can a kid be better off without their father?”
“You want me to tell you? Cause I woulda been better off without my old man, better off by a mile.”
“He beat you more’n that one time?”
“That was the worst one….mostly beat me just by talkin…didn’t beat me up, bastard beat me down…couldn’t keep me down, though. Made my life so miserable, gave me the reason I needed to get the hell out, see somethin of the world besides that road outside my winda. Guess I oughta thank him for bein such a lousy father that it made sleepin in my truck, and eatin crappy food, getting tore up ridin bulls, made all that seem like a step up. Got me outta Lightning Flat. Got me to Brokeback. Gotta thank him for that.”
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no subject
Date: 2012-07-21 01:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-22 12:43 pm (UTC)These 20 years of unknown meetings and communication between them is pulling me so far away from the au stories I have in WIP...I just need to know what happened between them.
Maybe you have another canon one-shot in you.. :)