ENNIS AND JACK IN THE KNIGHT
Late fall 1988. Ennis and Jack are about to celebrate nearly four years of having their own ranch known as Broken Arrow southwest of Fort Morgan, Colorado east of Denver and the Rockies, the purchased in time for Christmas 1984. Long hours and hard work paid off turning a healthy profit for 1986. Andy Collins from Riverton was able to hire on as a ranch hand, living and fixing up a second house on the ranch with his wife Rita and now five children. This allowing Jack and Ennis to get away on occasion. Lines on their faces formed around nearly constant grins, rarely out of one another's sight, working in companionable fortitude. On this late morning the pair have ridden to a brick building on the property to look for more storage. Tried previously to break the lock, but attempts so far have failed, and time always never seemed to allow for a look at the yet unseen interior. This time Jack has a special hacksaw and is able to cut through the lock. They both have to pull on the garage type sliding door to free it and it finally gives. Dark inside, no windows the room is about 20 feet by 15. On one side are several large crates. Straight in is a large mound of canvas nearly as tall as Jack and Ennis.
Jack pulls it back first revealing headlights, radiator, fenders of a very old vehicle. "Ennis look at this"
Ennis remains outside. " Jack, it's just a old wreck."
Jack continues pulling back on the canvas, folding it over in sections. "No Ennis look, this aint no wreck." he opens the drivers door and steps in. "Ennis." Tilts his head motioning Ennis to follow.
"I can see from here"
"C'me here, I want to show you something" Jack looking back at Ennis.
Recognizing the devilish grin on Jack's face, Ennis responds. "What'a you got in there that you can't show me out here, huh. Sides the light better."
"Get in here! What'a you afraid of?"
"Spiders." Ennis answers quickly
"Oh yeah…since when?"
'Since we been ah poking around buildings nobody's been in fer 40 years!"
"Just get you ass in here." Jack opens the passenger door from the inside handle.
Ennis walks over to the passenger side and sits down with his feet on the running board.
Jack looks at him, his hands in the steering wheel. "Now get those long legs of yours in here stick 'm on the floor." Ennis has to negotiate his boots around the tight space between the seat and door sill. "Now pull the door shut." as he closes the door there is a solid click. Jack then turns toward Ennis, as he does the brim of his hat is caught by Ennis's so that it remains pointing straight, their noses nearly touching.
"Now what'a you think?"
Ennis notices that he is shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip, knee to knee against Jack on the narrow seat, his right shoulder against the door. Ennis gives Jack a pensive grin. "Well…um"
"Not a bad way to travel…eh?"
"Travel?…This thing hasn't moved in maybe 30, 40 years, don't think it's going nowhere."
Jack reaches down picks up an old piece of paper on the floor, pushing against Ennis as he does so.
"Looks like its been more than fifty" Hands the paper to Ennis.
In fountain penned handwriting Ennis reads:
December 5, 1937
1.crankcase filled
2.radiator drained
3.gas tank drained
4.differental filled
5.transmission filled
6.battery removed, for use in Fordson tractor.
7.emergency brake not engaged.
"Ennis someone parked it here for the winter back in 1937 when our daddy's were hardly grown, never used it again." Jack is excited.
Ennis finds the window crank, rolls the window down, rests his arm in the sill, sticks his head out looks down. "Guess that's why them tires are flat."
"Ennis, we could do some fine travelin' in this, boy."
"Thing 'ill never run, been sit'n too long."
Jack looks down at the dashboard, takes a small flash light brought along for this expedition, shines it on the instruments. Sees a panel in the center with two gauges on either side of what looks like a speedometer with numbers that roll around to the indicated speed. "See that Ennis. Says there 11,878.5 miles, that all she's traveled. Bet there is plenty of life left in this old girl."
"Betcha them numbers been around once already, least once."
"Betcha not!. Not when its been parked away here ever winter, bet only used to go to town on Sundays."
Ennis looks around running his hand along the door finish.
"What is this anyways? Sure aint no Ford!" Jack is remembering what is left of an old Ford Model A, nothing but a shell left, on the homestead at Lightning Flat. They both get out to inspect the exterior. Jack open one of the rear doors, hinged at the rear of the car. Inside are several card board boxes "Lookie that! Nice big back seat, look at that upholstery , heavy like fur, should try it out sometime." Gleam in is eye
"Sure enough, once make ya sure there's no spiders." Jack closes the door, they both walk around to the front, look at the enamel badge on the radiator.
"What the hell is a WK?"
"Dun no, never heard of it Jack" They stand back a bit to gaze. They see a spare tire mounted on each front fender, with a black rubberized canvas cover that has the same, 'WK' insignia , dark maroon almost brown paint, only slightly faded, black on the upper body, bright red pinstripe to match the wire wheels.
"It's all here Ennis, nothing missing, headlights, door handles, even the hubcaps and look they have the same WK on 'em. Wouldn't take no time to maker her run"
"I don't know Jack" Ennis says without much enthusiasm.
Jack reaches down to unlatch one side of the hood and lifts. Piano hinged at the center at the top and opens revealing one side of the compartment at a time. Ennis looks down, see what appears to him to be an inline six cylinder motor, six spark plugs on top, normal distributor, carburetor not unlike the motor in his GMC pickup he kept running for so many years or Jack's for that matter that he helped him get started so long ago in Signal when them came back from Brokeback.
"Ever' things there Ennis." Jack looking into Ennis's eyes. "won't take no work at 'll. Whatta' ya say? Be fun ride 'n around close, can't do that in no modern pickup." Jack slips a finger in Ennis's belt loop giving a gentle tug.
Ennis looks at Jack, sees his pleading blue eyes, looks away, then back. "Well com' on then." Nodding his head to lead Jack away and starts to mount his horse.
"What" Jack looks puzzled.
"We gotta go get one 'na the pickups, bring some chain and haul that damn thing, whatever it 'tis near the garage so we can work on it. Com 'in or what, huh?"
Jack lets out a huge grin.
After a lunch of leftover roast beef, mashed potatoes with gravy and green beans Jack and Ennis headed out to the new found treasure, at least in Jacks mind, in Jack's ¾ ton Ford Pickup. Ennis said it was one time when an automatic transmission may be an advantage, not having to slip the clutch. Back at the brick building with the chain securely attached, Ennis has Jack sitting in the 'WK', both making sure brake is off, gearshift in neutral. Ennis was able to find the portable compressor and the boy's managed to pump air in to the tires. By standing on the bumpers, pushing and rocking the car they where able after a few tries to get it to break free from it's resting place of more than 50 years. With the truck Ennis towed it back to the space prepared for it in their garage, Jack in the driver's seat of the 'WK'. In no time Jack had all the doors open, hauled all the boxes in a corner.
Jack pulls out something from a pocket in the driver's door. "Ennis….look."
Operating Instructions
1930 Willys-Knight
Model 87
Willys-Overland, INC.,
Toledo, Ohio
October, 1929
"I heard 'da the Willys Jeep, bit this ain't no Jeep." Ennis looks blankly at Jack.
"Looks like maybe this was what they made before Jeeps, sure ain't no Ford Model A."
A few hours later after a supper of half bound burgers grilled on the barbaque, with cheese, red onion, tomatoes, lettuce, the rest of the mashed potatoes Ennis and Jack are on the porch enjoying the sunset. Jack is stretched out on the wooden bench with cushions leaning against Ennis absorbing the information in the manual.
"Says here she's got 55 horsepower at 3000 RPM, seven bearing crankshaft…." Jack rattles on.
"Don't sound like much, huh?" Ennis rests his arm on Jack's chest.
"Top speed 65 miles an hour, crusing speed 45-50 miles an hour…."
"Ya think you'd like that? Yer used to goin' eighty or more across the plains."
"Only reason was goin' so fast was to meet up with you. Don't seem much point now that I be ride'n with you. Be able to slow down, enjoy the ride."
Ennis tightens his hold, has doubts that it 'she' will ever run again.
"It'll be great Ennis, stick our camping gear in the back and head off." Jack continues his banter. "So tomorrow c'n we get a new battery 'n all get this show on the road, gotta go into town for supplies anyways?"
Ennis runs his fingers through Jack's hair. "Sure enough bud. Just dun' no if it'll ever run again."
Jack butts head against Ennis's chest a bit.
The two headed for town early the next morning, together they stocked up on groceries, supplies from the feed store. As Ennis headed for the auto parts store Jack slipped into the library. At the pickup the pair met, Ennis holding a bag of what appear to be various elixirs, Jack has three books with him. Already in the bed of the pickup aside from feed, and food for both animal and human consumption is a long narrow 6 volt battery, hope of bringing a new life out of hibernation.
"Lookie here! Is a picture of a 1930 Willys-Knight just like ours." Jack has checked out a copy of 'Standard Catalog of American Automobiles 1900-1942'. "They did start make 'n the Jeep during the war. And look at this one! They call the spare tire like we have on ours side mount'. And look Ennis! In the back here they list all 'm clubs for these old cars. One 'm called 'Willys Overland Knight Registry' . I'm gonna write 'm when we get back."
Ennis sees that there is no going back on this one, let out a sigh.
Jack reading his thoughts, looks to Ennis. "Ennis , this …this is a part of the ranch, part of us bud. Some 'm we can have together." And so went the rest of the hour ride back to the ranch, Jack sitting back with his knees on the dashboard reading his books, expelling all the highlights to Ennis. Ennis stoically watching the road, right arm across the seat, brushing against Jack.
Back at the ranch Jack makes a beeline to Willys. "Come on Ennis let get that battery in and start her up!"
"Just hold 'm horses' Ennis arrives with his bag of goods, open the hood, take a new can of WD-40 sprays around the spark plugs, then grabs some tools from the cabinet.
"Sure that the right kind' a battery? don't look like none I seen"
"Sure is, has to be like this to fit" Ennis lifts battery to tray in the engine compartment. Begins to bolt down the bracket holding it in.
"Lem'me get the gas can, see if we can start her up" Jack can't hold his enthusiam.
"Now hang on. Stuff gotta do first, ain't goin' to a fire." Ennis then very gently plus off one of the spark plug wires, places a piece of masking tape on each one of the six to number it. He then slips a socket over the plug carefully twisting it to loosen.. With a few grunts from Ennis it breaks free.
Jack looking wide eye in awe, not having to do mechanical repairs on his own vehicles in over 20 years. "Oooweee! You got it Ennis!
Ennis, ego boosted enjoys his one man audience, he the takes a bottle from his bag labeled 'Marvell Mystery Oil' replaces the cap with a pointed one, cuts off the end , puts a few squirts in the sparkplug hole. Repeats the process for the other five cylinders, screws each plug finger tight. Then reaches over and closes the hood.
"Well 'bout time we went to check on the herd, got a lotta ranch'n to do Jack."
"But I thought we' s gonna start up…." Jack looking disappointed.
"Can't, just yet. Gotta let that oil soak in loosen ever' thing up. Com' on."
"But when….?"
"Few days."
"Few days? What….."
"Gotta be patent Jack. Been sittin' over 50 years, have go at her slow. To soon before ever things oiled up, we could ruin the whole engine, if' in we can save at all. Ya keep callen this a she, you know its like when your with a...ya gotta...you know...when...
"When what Ennis?" Jack with a huge grin, catching on, but not letting on.
"You know like when you...you were with Lur...ya cant just...not like sometimes when you and me..." Ennis is turning beet red.
"Like you and me what...?" Jack with his big smile, enjoying this."Whadder' meam?"
"Aw hell Jack can't 'xplain nottin' to ya, huh? Always gotta be funny. Should get 'cha a job on that there Jonny Carson.Wutz 'a matter with you, huh?"
Jack reaches over from behind squeezes his hands on Ennis's shoulders." Nottin' but you bud. Watta we gotta do next?"
Ennis calmed down looks back at Jack. "Few days do the same thing over, maybe you can make yourself useful then, huh? See about getting' rid of 'm spiders, 'stead standin' around makin' jokes, while I do that."Jack looks into Ennis's eyes. "How' d yah learn so much about motors?"
"Had to. Kept my old pickups runnin' all them years."
Jack looks down, long face. "I'm sorry….Ennis."
"Wha…"
"I should 'a got you that pickup lot longer ago, letting' you drive around in those…."
"Nah you did right. Wouldn't know what I was doin' now would I, huh? Sides how would I explain some 'n like that to Elma. Huh? Pretty clever of you leaving me down there in Rawlins so I'd have to take it."
Know'd it was the only way you would"
"You 's right. Better then, most folks just thought I saved fer it fer years. Thanks fer getting' the way you did, you know outta town and all, Riverton so small everybody talkin' an all. You know ….I could never tell you how much I appreciate that truck, feel like you 's with me almost when I rid'n in it….means a lot."
"Tax man say maybe Santa can bring a new one under the tree for you at Christmas."
Ennis looks back at Jack ,a little confused. "Must be a big tree were have 'n." Looks at his truck parked near the house, shimmering in the sunlight. "I wanna kept this one lot while longer, still looks just a new as first day I saw it. 'Sides, doesn't even have 40,000 miles on it yet. It's special yah know, reminds me of that trip up at the lake in the cabin, then coming back and….."
"Been there once since." Jack slaps him on the back.
"Yeah, and what did we ride up in, huh?" Ennis looks back at Jack "When we walked to that lot a saw the truck with the trailer and you said…you said it belong 'd to me…." Ennis looks down at the motor, bites his lip, still tinkering..
"Aw right then. Still need somethin' fer a tax write off." Jack looks back at Ennis.
Ennis looks silent then back at Jack." How 'bout we get one of them new mini vans fer Andy 'n Rita, she would be havin' ta take that old pickup gettin the kids to school 'n all?"
"Reckon that a good idea, still be considered a farm vehicle. Start shoppin' fer one next trip to Denver."
"Damn you Twist! Never could resist a truck lot." Ennis smiles back.
Jack looking at Ennis walks over wraps his arms around him in a tight bear hug, resting his head on Ennis's shoulder.
"Jack I got all this grease 'n me"
"Don't matter to me none, bud. Not a bit."
END OF PART ONE