Sierra Madres, 11/10/70, Morning – by morrobay1990

"Goddamn piece a shit!" Jack cursed the flat tire, cursed the last lugnut that wouldn't budge, cursed the day for dawning.

He had left Childress early that morning in a good mood, everything packed in the truck the night before, a thermos of coffee with him so he wouldn't have to stop till early afternoon...once he got on the road he hated to stop.

Now as he struggled to get the tire changed he knew he'd be at least an hour late meeting Ennis near Saratoga before following him God knew how far up into the Sierras to the cabin Ennis had got for them.

Thinking about the cabin made his mood brighten a little...sure be better than sleeping in a tent...he figured it was going to be high twenties, low thirties, and with the wind off those mountains...damn, good to be inside for a change.

His mind drifted...in the mountains, inside, warm, in a bed, with Ennis. That image spurred him on...he threw his weight into it and the final lugnut surrendered, he quickly changed the tire, jumped back in the truck and took off.

Now the closer he got to the meeting place, the more his mood lifted, thinking of Ennis...their last trip in April...what Ennis had said to him...the sweet spring days, long cold nights...

Those thoughts were what got him through the blistering summer days in Texas...the thick, airless summer nights with Lureen...she still wanted him, didn't know why he didn't want her any more...so he tried, he pretended… sex was sex, except it wasn't. He didn't want to hurt her, but he loved Ennis so much...missed him so much. Nothing she could say or do could make that disappear... Jesus, if he could make it disappear, he would...

Wouldn't he?

Eleven days in a bed with Ennis...he put his foot to the floor, risking a speeding ticket.

Jack was usually the first to arrive, he always had to wait for Ennis...looking at his watch he figured this time he was right on schedule...late as hell.

Sierra Madres, 11/10/70, Afternoon. by red2blue

For once Ennis was lost. It was way past due the meeting time but Jack was still nowhere to be seen.

Usually Jack would be the one to arrive first and waiting and somehow he'd always taken it for granted that his friend'd be there, at their meeting place, no matter what. But this time he wasn't and it'd suddenly struck Ennis how stuck-up it'd been of him to think that Jack had to be there, waiting on him.

Why's that, Ennis? 'Cause he's always so keen ta do whatcha want? 'Cause yer think he cain't wait ta…see yah? Fer you ta… get t'gether? That's what yer think, dickhead? Guess what, maybe he's not so keen no more, after all 'em years... of what? A few fucks a year? Maybe he's got other … stuff ta do… maybe it's you who cain't wait…maybe it's you who should be waitin' on Jack?... maybe doin' sumthin'…if yer don't wanna him ta… No, he cain't… not Jack… can he?...

Suddenly he panic enveloped him like a cold, damp blanket… But then if Jack couldn't do that to Ennis, then the only other option was… an accident? A flat tire? A tire…

No! Shut the fuck up, you! He refused to think on that, period.

Ennis kicked the tire of his truck viciously, tore his eyes from the ground to throw a furiously glare at the sunless November sky and howled "No, Jack, no!"

No… He's prob'ly jus'… tied up with… sumthin'…Please, Jack… Please!…

Ennis swallowed down the raising bile, exhaled sharply.

He'd wait, long as Jack needed. Whatever it was Jack needed ta take his time ta do. He could wait, right? He'd be right here, just right here, waiting for his Jack.

Soundtrack: Right Here Waiting For You, by Richard Marx