The Power of Love
Chapter 2 – First Day
The two men sat in the bar down the road, side by side and sharing a bottle of whiskey. Jack reckoned that if they were going to be working together, they should start drinking together also, and Ennis had quietly agreed, following him into the dusty inn where they were now perched.
It didn't take long for Jack to start talking away to Ennis. He told him that this was his second year up on Brokeback, as Ennis has suspected, and that last year, there had been a terrible lightning storm. 42 of his sheep had been killed and apparently, he damned near asphyxiated at the smell. Ennis didn't know what that meant but he kept on listening, nervously stroking the bottle in front of him and hearing Jack complain about Aguirre's temper at him the summer before and then about his Daddy.
'' That's why ah took to rodeo...'' he remarked, glancing over with his huge blue eyes. '' Ya ever rodeo, Ennis?''
'' Well...'' Ennis muttered, not meeting the other boy's gaze. '' Y'know, once in a while... When ah got the entry free in mah pocket...''
Jack nodded and grinned. '' Ya come from ranch people?''
'' Ah did...''
'' Your folks run ya off?''
'' Mmm...they ran 'emselves off...One curve in th' road in 43 miles an'...they miss it. Mah brother and sister raised me mainly...''
'' Damn...Tha's hard...''
Ennis shrugged and then took Jack's lighter on permission, drawing on another cigarette.
*****
The first day out on the mountain seemed long and hard for Ennis. He started off preparing his given horse, tying knots on the saddle while a fellow ranch hand counted and checked the sheep and another explained to him about the soup packets he dealt out for the workers. Ennis has just snorted at this and told him he didn't eat soup anyway, before standing up and watching Jack show off on his horse, ignoring the barking dog with him and obviously relaying his rodeo days.
'' Watch out,'' he called gruffly. '' That horse has a low startle point!''
Jack had just laughed at this. '' Doubt there's a filly that could throw me!'' he announced confidently. Ennis shook his head.
They spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon out on the mountain, tending to the sheep with the dogs and getting to know each of their positions and the landscape around them. It was a beautiful place to be with the peaks rising up ever so majestically on all sides and the fields and meadows stretching out to what seemed like eternity. Scatterings of trees lined the plains they were working on and within these, Ennis could see flowing rivers bubbling over pebbles and rocks and sometimes breaking out into open space, searching for a larger source. He rode past them through the day and at times had to cross them, watching and guiding the sheep through the shallow water.
Luckily, when they started the work, the temperatures began to cool quite sufficiently and Ennis didn't feel like he was going to constantly melt. It turned into a mild but lush day with a vast blue sky stretching up above and a dancing, soft breeze floating over the land. The sheep were relatively well behaved and the horses were obedient, along with the bouncing dogs along with them. Jack stayed up ahead for most of the hours they spent up there with the animals, hauling sheep over his shoulders every now and then and guiding them up hills. Sometimes he seemed a little frustrated but Ennis just guessed it was first day blues. It had been a pretty early start, after all.
As evening began to fall though, they found a spot near a lake, nestled in a small clearing amongst the trees, and decided to set up the main camp. Ennis gathered rocks and twigs for the fire and Jack hauled up the frame for the tent, getting it stable. Between the two of them working together, it didn't take too long to prepare completely and within about an hour, they were finished and it was high time for supper. Ennis broke open two cans of beans for food and shoved them over a flickering flame. They didn't talk much as they ate, Ennis's eyes shyly diverted from his companion's for most of the time, so all that could be heard was the soft burning and the sound of quiet nature around them. It was then that they truly realised how alone they were out there. There was no one, apart from Aguirre and a couple of other ranch hands, around for miles and it was such an open area. So still and peaceful and Ennis didn't know whether he liked it or not. But at least he wouldn't have to communicate with anyone but Jack. He wasn't one for words at all.
Once the beans had been eaten (even then, Ennis knew he'd be sick of them before even half way through the summer), Jack packed his stuff up onto his horse and nodding a quick goodbye to Ennis, rode out of the main camp back out to the sheep. Ennis watched him leave and then felt the air grow colder around him, sensing nightfall was near. He didn't have to tend to the animals now. All he had to do was look after the camp for the evening and wake up early the next morning to prepare breakfast for him and Jack. That sounded okay but he wasn't the best with food. He'd have to get used to that though – if he wanted to survive out here in the middle of nowhere.
By the time the moon had risen over the mountains and stars had begun to sparkle, his eyes were already itching with fatigue. The day had felt like it had slipped by so slowly and he was more than ready for bed. Leaving the fire to burn and give him some warmth if he woke up in the night, he stumbled towards the canvas tent and crawled inside, finding the bedroll waiting for him. Drawing the covers over him, he lowered his eyelids and before long, sleep had claimed him.
***
Jack sat outside the pup tent that night on the hill, a lit cigarette in his hand as he gazed tiredly out over the sheep resting in the meadows before him. He had been struggling to keep awake for a while now and every time his eyes began to drift shut, he cursed Aguirre even more for his rule breaking schemes. He had no right to be making him do this. Him and Ennis should have been in the main camp together and he shouldn't have to have been freezing out here all on his own. Last summer he had been up here, he'd never had to do anything like this. It was way too cold and late to be awake without a fire and there weren't any signs of coyotes about. If Aguirre cared about his money and losses so much then why didn't he come and watch the sheep? Then he'd see that it was no walk in the park.
Quietly, Jack blew a puff of wispy smoke into the bitter air around him and shivered, glancing in the direction of the main camp. He could see the orange glow of the fire still flickering there but apart from that, there was no other movement. Ennis had obviously packed up for the night and retired to sleep, wrapped up in the sheets and bedroll. Jack wished he could be over there. He'd rather be anywhere than on this cruel hillside.
As his eyes started to feel heavy again, he drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, suddenly thinking of the previous time he had been up on Brokeback. The summer nights of last year had seemed considerably warmer than this by a long way but that may have been something to do with the fact that he had a proper tent to sleep in. The work had also been much easier in the daytime, slow and almost relaxing, riding out with the animals in the sunshine. This time around, Aguirre had appeared obsessed with profit making and had asked them to do many more things, ensuring he got the money he wanted. Jack felt frustrated and agitated at his boss's greed. He'd never been particularly nice yet this year, he had seemed even worse.
But there was another reason for his fondness of his previous experience on the mountain. He'd never forget it.