NO REINS ON THIS ONE

NO REINS ON THIS ONE (part 2 of 2 parts)


Jack came through the kitchen door grinning from ear to ear; picked his Momma up and twirled her round and round.

“Morning, Momma! Isn’t this just the best mornin you ever did see?” He kissed her cheek and held on to both of her hands, still grinning.

“Why, I guess it certainly must be, the way you’re a grinnin. You got somethin to tell me?”

“I do for a fact! You got some time to sit and talk?”

“Always have or you, Jackie, always have!”

They sat down at the old kitchen table, Jack still holding her hands.

“It’s just the best news I ever did have to tell you, Momma. The best.”

“Well you’d better tell me then before you burst wide open!”

“It’s Ennis. Ennis and me.” He smiled at her.

“Ennis and you, what?”

“We’re back together, Momma. He’s gonna move in with me. Soon as we can get our cabin built.”

“That sounds like what you’ve always dreamed of, Son, but what about Randall?”

“I’ve already talked with him about it and you know what? He wasn’t all that surprised. I never lied to him, Momma. He always knew I loved someone else. I never told him who, so he didn’t know it was Ennis when he hired him.”

“I didn’t think he could have known.”

“He didn’t. He’s disappointed but not all that surprised. I think he already had an idea when I stayed in Childress for three months.”

“Is that why you stayed so long? I just couldn’t see what was taking so long. I mean I know you had things to do and all but three months was a long time.”

“I know, Momma. I just didn’t want to come back. I realized I had gotten myself right back into the same mess I had with Lureen. Living with someone I liked and respected, but not with someone I loved. Neither one of them could fill up the hole inside me that the way that Ennis can.”

She smiled and patted her son’s hands.

“I don’t know what changed Ennis’s mind, whether it was seeing me living with Randall or what, but things are different now. I talked with Randall last night. He’s making arrangements to leave right now. He never did really like it here. He’s used to those big Texas ranches, 1000 acres or more.”

“He knows about Ennis?”

“He does now. Soon as he realized who Ennis was, he says he knew it was all over. He says Ennis is a good man.”

“He, Son, he is!”

“I’ve always known that, Momma, never doubted that for a minute.”

“I’m so happy things are working out for you, but do you think it’s safe for Randall to travel?”

“Safe enough for him to fly; he’s already got his plane reservations for tomorrow.”

“This is all so sudden….”

“Not really, Momma. It’s been 20 years comin.”

“I guess you’re right about that. You’re waited half your life for him.”

“I’ve waited ALL my life for him. I always dreamed of someone like Ennis; years before we ever met.”

“I’m happy for you, Son. I know how much he means to you.”

“I gotta dig those papers out and get us a cabin on order; promised him I’d do it right away.” He stood from the table.

“That box with all them papers is still up in your room, Jackie, right next to the dresser in the corner.

“Thanks, Momma.” He gave her another kiss on the cheek and took off up the stairs.

Mrs. Twist sat at the table, hands together in prayer, “Thank you, God. Thank you for bringin Jackie home to me and thank you for bringin Ennis back to him. Please, please, I beg of you, let him have that sweet life he’s dreamed of all his life. He’s such a good boy and Ennis is too. They’ve waited so long. They deserve every bit of happiness this sweet earth has to offer. I thank you for listenin to me. Amen.

She ran her arthritic fingers over the worn table cloth and thought back over the years. She had sat at this table all her life. It held vivid memories for her.


1943
“Daddy, I’m sorry! I’m sorry! We didn’t mean for it to happen, it just did. We were plannin on gettin married when he came home next leave.” She remembered pleading with her father all those years ago.

“Well there won’t be no weddin now, will there? He’s gone off and got himself kilt in this damn war and left you with his bastard child and you no more than a child yourself!” Her father paced around the table yelling at her.

“I’m not a child, Daddy. I’m seventeen and I can take care of my baby.”

“Oh no you won’t! You won’t have that baby round here. I’ll find one of those homes, to send you to; put the kid up for adoption.”

“I won’t! I won’t! I can’t give Brad’s baby away and you can’t make me! I love him, Daddy and I love our baby!”

“Then you better find yourself some sucker and get yourseslf married pronto! Cause I ain’t havin no bastards runnin ‘round my place. I just thank the good Lord that you’re Momma’s in her grave and not here to see your disgrace!”

One week later……

“This here’s John Twist, Bertie. He’s gonna marry you.”

“Daddy! I don’t even know him!”

“You wanna keep that baby? You damn well are gettin married! We’ll set it up for next Sunday.”

“Why on earth would Mr. Twist wanna marry with me anyway?”

“Cause I promised him the ranch, is why. He’s a good worker, some ten years older than you. Both your brothers have gone off and have no interest in the ranch so it’ll go to him and then to your first born son. Already been to Jim Henderson, the attorney in town. He’s drawin up the papers now. Also got the marriage license. You gotta sgin it here and here.”

“Daddy I don’t wanna marry someone I don’t even know!”

“You’ll get to know him. You have a bunch of babies and you’ll have a sweet life together here on the ranch.”

A sweet life…………………a sweet life……………….


******

"YOU PROMISED! You swore to me you'd have lots of
babies to help me run the ranch!"

"I didn't! Daddy did!"

"It was your obligation! You OWE it to me!"

"I own you nothing. You got what you wanted. The
ranch. Ain't my fault, I can't have no more kids.
Doctor says the fall down the steps is what caused the
baby to come early so it's your own fault! Sides,
what'cha bitchin 'bout. You got a son, didn't you?"

"A worthless puny little purple thing. That ain't no
son of mine. It sickens me him gettin to carry my
name!"

"He'll grow up big and strong, John. You'll see.
He'll be a real big help 'round the place."

"That'll be the day! Little son of a bitch is all he
is; all he'll ever be!"

*******

1959

"I gotta go, Momma. I can't stay here with him hatin
me like he does!"

"Jackie, he don't hate you. That's just his way."

"Well it ain't mine! It ain't right him spittin on
me, callin me names like that!"

"You're right, Son, he's wrong to do you that
way....but he...."

"He nothin, Momma. I gotta go. Jamie Wilson says I
can stay with him till the Rodeo comes back in April.
When it does, I'm leaving with it. They're always
lookin for workers and I'm good with stock, you know
that."

"I know, honey, but you're only 15!"

"That's old enough. I'm almost 16 and I can pass for
older, I'm tall enough."

"What about school?"

"I'll keep up with my classes till I leave."

She dropped her face to her hands and wept.

"Don't cry, Momma. I'll come back and see you, you
know I will. And one day when I'm older, I'll come
back to stay and I'll fix this place up real nice. I
promise you, Momma. Maybe the old man will be in the
ground by
then and you and me can have that sweet life you used
to talk about how it was when you was a little girl."

"Oh, Jackie, don't talk like that!"

"I'll be back, Momma. I promise you."


******

1963

"Hey, Momma!" Jack jumped out of his beat up old truck
and grabbed his momma in a bear hug. "Have I got a
surprise for you!"

"You're a month early, that's surprise enough!"

"C'mon. Help me carry this stuff inside." He slung
his bag over his shoulder and handed his momma a bag
of groceries.

They put the groceries away in the kitchen and she followed him up stairs to his room. He tossed his
bag on the bed and started pulling dirty clothes out.

"Got something I wanna show you. Look here." He
pulled two bloody shirts out.

"Oh my goodness, Jackie, what happened?" She examined
the blood stained sleeves.

"You remember, Momma, you always told me that someday
I'd meet someone special?"

"Yes, I remember, Son, but what's that got to do with
these shirts?"

"I met him, Momma!" he said sitting down on the bed
beside her. "His name is Ennis Del Mar and I love him
like crazy!"

"Oh Son! Is he hurt? Are you hurt?"

"No, Momma. Neither one of us is hurt. He just had a
bloody nose is all. We was wrasslin and he got bumped
in the nose."

"Oh, thank goodness!" She was relieved but still
puzzled.

"Don't know how it's going to work out but I know it
will some..." With the last of his dirty clothes
something fell out on the floor.

He bent to pick it up and found a small wooden horse.
The horse he had watched Ennis working on for weeks.
He stood there staring at it.

"What is it?"

"Oh, Momma. This proves it! I know he loves me!"
His blue eyes filled with tears.

"Why it's a beautiful little horse. I never knowed
you to do much carvin?"

"I didn't, Momma. Ennis did. He worked on it for
weeks. He musta put it in my bag when we was packin."
He stared at the small wooden horse in his hand, the
most precious thing he had ever held!

"Well, land sakes! When do I get to meet this Ennis
Del Mar?" She smiled out through tears of her own.

"There's a small problem there. He's gettin married
in November."

"Married? Son, that ain't no small problem!"

"I know. He got promised to her 'fore we met. Maybe
he'll change his mind; not marry her?"

"Oh Son! I hope so."

"He loves me, Momma. I know he does. This proves
it!" He gazed back down at the little horse.

She put her hand on his shoulder and massaged the side
of his neck but could find nothing to say.

"I'm gonna carve me up a rider to put on him. Don't
you think he needs a rider?" He held the horse for
her to look at again.

"I think that'd be real nice, Son." She kissed his
temple and caressed the back of his head smoothing his
hair.

"Let me take these shirts and clean them for you."

"No, Momma. I'm gonna keep 'em. Just like this.
Forever. Promise me, you won't never wash them!"

"I promise, Son. If that's what you want, I won't
touch them."

******

1967

"Momma, I'm just so excited, I can't hardly stand it!
This cherry cake is great! Anyway, we met up again in
Riverton and I knew it, Momma, I just knew it! He's
been missin me as much as I been missin him and we got
to spend some time together up in the mountains and it
was wonderful! He says we can see each other once in
a while, but we gotta be careful cause he's 'fraid
people will find out. He's scared we'd get killed or
beat up or somethin cause of somethin happened to a
neighbor of his years ago. Any more milk?"

She poured her son another glass of milk and worried
for him. She'd heard the stories too about what some
terrible people had done to men like her son.

"What about Lureen, Son, and Bobby?"

"I don't know, Momma. But I know Ennis loves me and I
love him. We belong together. We'll work it out
somehow."

******

1984

"It’s over for good this time, Momma. Ennis doesn’t want any part of a life with me.”

“Oh honey, I’m sure that’s not true!”

“It is. He ain’t never gonna change and I’m tired, Momma; tired of bein alone. I want a life. Don’t I deserve a life with someone that loves me?”

“Of course you do, darling.” She placed a cup of coffee down in front of her son and sat across the table from him.

“I’ve decided I’m going to move back up here though. This place’ll be mine one of these days, and I’m gonna take good care of it. You’ll see, Momma. I’m gonna fix it up real nice for you. Paint the kitchen back yellow for you. Didn’t you say it used to be yellow when you was a girl?”

“Yes it was indeed. Buttercup yellow.” She said looking around her drab white-washed kitchen.

“I’ll see if I can find that same paint for you. Gonna fix it up all nice, I promise you.”

“Son, you don’t need to be worryin ‘bout me none.”

“I got no one else, Momma, ‘cept Randall. He says he loves me. Says he wants to build a life with me. All the things I wanted to do with Ennis. I guess if I want them things, it’ll have to be with Randall.”

“Son, if you don’t love him...”

“Don’t matter none. He knows I don’t love him. He thinks I’ll come to love him in time. Do you think that can happen, Momma?”

“I don’t know. You have to do what your heart tells you to do.”

“I gotta go. I wanna be gone before the old man comes back.”


“Hey Momma, I got the cabin on order. The man says it’ll take two weeks. Usually takes longer but we’re right close to where these things are manufactured so it won’t take as long. I can hardly wait to get started on it. He’s sending me the instructions about getting the foundation laid and all that stuff.”

“Sounds so exciting!” She stood from her seat at the table.

“It’s finally happening, Momma. I always knew in my heart that it would!”

“I know you did, Jackie!” She hugged her son.

“I haven’t forgotten my promise to fix your kitchen up neither. We’ll get to it shortly. Ennis says they are about finished with the cross fencing so the place will be ready for the stock in plenty of time for the auction next week. Once we get things settled a bit, we’ll get after it.”

“There’s no hurry, Son, the kitchen can wait; maybe next spring?”

“Nope, we ain’t waiting that long. I’m driving Randall to the airport in Gillette in a little while. On the way back I’ll stop in town and see if I can get that paint. I remember you said buttercup yellow?”

“Don’t know as that’s the name of the color, that’s about the shade of yellow that it was.”

“I know what a buttercup looks like. I’ll find the right paint, Momma.”


Christmas Day 1984

“Son, you did it! You and Ennis finished your cabin and it looks just wonderful!”

“Thank you Momma! Neither of us never done nothin like this before but the instructions were pretty easy to follow and with Glenn here helping, the three of us got it up in no time!”

“I had helped put one together before so I had a pretty good idea what to look out for.” Glenn smiled and sipped his wine.

“We’da never made it without you, Glenn. We owe you big time.” Ennis clapped him on the back.

“Nah you don’t. It was a pleasure. ‘sides, I appreciate the way you folks have taken to me. My folks are long gone; my family too.” He sighed a sad little sigh.

“You’re a good hard worker, Glenn and we appreciate all the work you done ‘round here!” Mrs. Twist said.

“Are we gonna eat or not! I’m gettin tired of all this chit-chat and I’m hungry!” The old man complained from his wheel-chair.

“Oh my yes! Everyone come sit down. It’s all ready. Just can hardly believe how pretty my kitchen turned out! And my new appliances work like a dream!”


“Did we get the table and chairs stained the right color like you remember?” Ennis asked pulling out a chair and examining their refinishing job.

“Just perfect, Ennis. Exactly the way it was when my momma was here looking after it.”

“The leaf looks good in it too. Did you make this table cloth, Momma? It looks new.”

“Well yes and no.” They were all sitting down as Momma Twist brought the food over to the table. “I bought the white table cloth, but I crocheted the lace trim around the edge; thought I’d save it just for special occasions.”

“It’s beautiful.” Ennis added examining the trim. My Momma used to do this stuff too. Makes a place look real nice; homey.”

“My wife used to do this stuff. It was all over the place. She put it on the girl’s collars and on the curtains. It was nice.” Glenn said.

“How long they been gone now Glenn?” Jack asked.

“Be two years come February.” He looked down and fiddled with his fork.

“Well I’m hungry! Can we eat now?” The old man said from the head of the table.

“Certainly. Here why don’t you carve.” She handed him the butcher knife and he shook his head no.

“I ain’t the help, woman. Get someone else to do it.”

“I’ll do it, Momma,” Jack stood and took the carving knife and fork. He glanced around the room and thought to himself; “so this is what it’s like to have a family.” Tears stung his eyes; he blinked them back and held out a big slice of turkey. “Who’s first?” He asked.

“I’ll take that!” The old man held his plate up.

Jack chuckled and piled his daddy’s plate full.


Christmas dinner was over with and they were back in their cabin in front of the fireplace.

“Almost forgot. Here.” Ennis handed Jack a small rectangular package.

“What’s this?” Jack asked taking the gift-wrapped box.

“One more present for you. Did’t get put under the tree.” Ennis smiled up at him.

“What is it?”

“Well, open it and find out.”

Jack tore the paper off and opened the box to see a shiny new harmonica.

“Now I know you love me, Cowboy!” Jack laughed and ran him mouth over the thing and making it squall.

“Either that or I’m just plain crazy!” Ennis reached over to him and pulled him down on the couch beside him.

“Maybe both. Did you ever think of that?” Jack sat down beside him and started playing a tune.

“Could you maybe wait and do that later when I’m out in the field or somethin?” He made a face.

“I AM kinda rusty. I’ll get better though.” He smiled his appreciation at Ennis. “Thanks for my gift. I love it!”

“I love you, Jack. Merry Christmas.”

“I love you too, Ennis. Always have, always will.”

“I’ve always been yours, Jack. I mean, even when I was married and with Alma, I never felt like I really belonged there with her. Never felt like I belonged anywhere before until we came down off that mountain. I day dreamed for years of being back up there with you like we was. Figured it was the mountain that made me feel so good. It wasn’t the mountain, Jack, it was you.”

“I swear to God, Ennis, I knew it! I knew it back then when we was standing there by my old truck tryin NOT to say goodbye. I knew we belonged together.”

“I guess somewhere inside of me, I did too. I was just too afraid to admit it.”

“You still afraid?”

“Yeah, but not as much as I was. I’m comfortable here. I like Lightning Flat and this is a real nice little ranch.”

“I’m glad. Makes me wanna play a little tune on my new harmonica.”

“Oh Jesus, Jack! I’m going to bed.” Ennis stood up and headed for the bedroom.

“Ah ha! Harmonica music makes you want to go to bed? I’ll have to remember that!” Jack followed him into the bedroom.

Ennis grabbed the harmonica and flung it back into the front room and closed the door. “It ain’t the harmonica that makes me ready for bed, boy, it’s you!”

“Oh. OK. I guess I can live with that.” Jack grinned as he was pushed backwards onto the bed.

“Good. Get used to it!”


THE END