Disclaimer: I do not own Brokeback Mountain or it's wonderful characters, they are used for entertainment purposes only.
I dreamed a dream
Chapter 2
"Hello?", answered a familiar voice.
"Jack?" he whispered.
"Ennis? That you?" came the surprised reply.
"Uh… yeah, Jack…"what could he say? 'Hi, I heard a song, made me realize I was bloody miserable and felt like I was killing both of us, so I want to have a life with you'? Yeah, right.
"Why you callin' friend?" Jack asked, his voice faintly worried, "Everthing alrigh'?"
"Yeah, yeah… I juss… Jack, I…" Ennis choked up. He had to say it. Before he lost Jack for good, before the silence did kill one of them. No more fear.
"Ennis? What is it?" Jack queried again.
Ennis took a deep breath, and was about to spill it all out when he heard a voice in the background… a man's voice.
"Who's that on the phone, Jack? Hang up, boy, we ain't got too much time afore Lureen comes home"
He heard Jack's sharp intake of breath, could picture his startled jump, like a little kid getting caught opening up the Christmas presents before time.
Ennis could feel a torrent of emotions surging through him… fear, anger, jealousy, pain… pain. Had Jack replaced him already? Had he finally figured out how to quit him?
"It's my fishin' buddy… gotta talk to him about our next trip." Through the blinding haze of his emotions, he heard Jack answer.
"Uh… Ennis? Still there?" Jack's hesitant voice made Ennis react.
"Who the hell is that with you Jack?" he growled, low and dangerous like a threatened lion.
"It's… it's my friend, Randall… he…"
"Oh, your 'friend', is he? Like I'm your friend? Answer me, dammit!" Ennis demanded, almost yelling now.
"Listen, Ennis, Randall is just a friend who I might take up to my daddy's place, to fix it up" Jack said quickly.
"A friend, is he? Jack fucking Twist… you tell me the truth!"
"It's the truth you sonofabitch! He might help me out with my daddy's ranch…Like I asked you to a million times, only you wasn't interested! You ain't never interested! So don't try an' make me feel like I'm the scum o' the earth for havin' a friend here." Jack replied, anger and sadness in his voice.
Ennis was about to make an angry reply when he remembered the song… remembered why he had called Jack in the first place.
He shut his eyes, took a deep, calming breath. If Jack had tried to find someone who was actually there for him… it really wasn't Jack's fault. He had asked Ennis to go with him to Lightning Flat more times than he could count, and every single time, Ennis had said no. The tire irons always killing the small part of him that still dreamed.
"Why did you call me anyway Ennis?" Jack whispered.
"I… I got to thinkin' Jack. I can't rightly say it on the phone but… d'you think I could… come an' see you?" Ennis asked. It was about time he started making the moves, not letting Jack do everything.
"You'd come Ennis?" Jack's voice had an almost childlike wonder. Ennis wondered just how hard it had been on him that he was always the one making the effort, putting in the miles, never getting anything back.
"Yeah, Jack. Juss… juss tell me when."
"Uh… how 'bout… next weekend?" Jack hesitated "Ennis, you sure you can? Don't you got work?"
Ennis had to smile in tenderness. Even after all the pain, all the disappointment, Jack still worried about what would be best for him. He deserved Ennis' effort.
"Next weekend sounds fine, Jack. I'll be there." Ennis assured him. "See you soon, rodeo."
They hung up, and Ennis was left with his jumbled thoughts and feelings. He was going to see Jack… he missed him bad. But, even if he saw him, could he fix it? Could one meeting make up for twenty years of keeping quiet, of holding back?
He felt another jolt of anxiety… and what about Jack's new friend?