A Better Idea
Chapter Seven
By 11:oo a,m. Ennis had worked up a good sweat and was looking at his list to see what was next. He was anxious to get his hands on the herd of black baldies, they were one of his favorite breeds of cattle. He wanted to make sure they were faring well, since Mr. Twist had been out of pocket for several days.
Ennis decided to take the pickup, and some general first aid remedies when riding out to check the herd, 'cause you never know what you might run in to.
At that thought, he checked over the supplies, grabbed an extra length of rope and …
Startled at the sudden sound, Ennis realized that it was the phone ringing. He remembered Jack asking him to take calls and get a message, so he went toward the front stall to find the noisy instrument. "Twist Residence", he said, recalling how Jack had answered when he called on Thursday night.
A female voice came over the line, "Jack, is that you?"
Ennis: "No, ma'm, Jack's at the hospital just now. This is a friend of the family, may I take a message for Mrs. Twist?"
"No, this is Mrs. Twist, Jack's wife" explained Lureen, "he wasn't expecting me to call today, but I really need to talk to him as soon as possible, Mr. uh, what did you say your name was, sir?"
"This is Ennis Del Mar, ma'm. I just came up to help Jack and his mother for the weekend."
"Ennis Del Mar, you're the fishing buddy, is that right?"
"Yes, ma'm" said Ennis, "and" he thought but did not say, "the man who's stealing your husband." Ennis did not expect to feel this wash of guilt come over him. Lureen was a real person, a voice on the other end of the line. She was not just one o' Jack's stories. Damn. Ennis had never felt like such a shitheel in his life.
"Hello, Mr. Del Mar, are you still there?"
"Oh, yes ma'm, sorry. Was there a message you want me to give Jack?"
"Just ask him to call home as soon as he gets back, it's rather an emergency." Lureen did not sound hysterical, but was plainly stressed.
"Mrs. Twist, if it's an emergency, I can call the hospital and try to reach Jack. Are you alright? Or has something happened to Bobby?"
"No, nothing like that. I just need to talk to him."
"I know what room his daddy's in. I'd be happy to call there for you now."
"Thank you, that would be helpful, Mr. Del Mar. Is your wife there with you?"
"No, ma'm. Me 'n Alma split up several years ago, I'm not married."
"It's lucky you live close by then, it's so good to have friends who are able to help. You do live close then?"
"Well, uh, it's a few hours away, ma'm. But a lot closer n' you. Uh, shouldn't I be getting' offa here and trying to reach Jack for you?"
Ennis was not comfortable with telephones in the general sense, but to be talking to the woman whose husband, uh …Ennis did not even know the word for what he felt about this.
"Of course, Ennis. May I call you Ennis?" asked Lureen. "Tell Jack I'll wait here at the house till I hear from him. Goodbye Ennis Del Mar, it was good to finally meet you, even if it was only on the phone. Funny, I thought you might just be one o' Jack's stories."
"Yes, ma'm, I know just what you mean."
Ennis was overcome with a strange, and not welcome, emotion. He had never thought about the fact that he was cheating on Lureen with Jack. He had felt in the wrong for lying to Alma all those years, but this other woman did not cross his mind. Until today.
Just as Ennis reached for the telephone, it rang again. "Shit" he thought, "when ya have one a these things in your house, ya never get no work done!"
"Twist Residence" he said.
"I like how you say that, Cowboy. I wish I was back there with you right now."
"Uh, Jack. Lureen just called here lookin' for you. She said it was kind of a emergency and she would wait at the house for you to call. She said nothin's happened to her or to Bobby, though." Ennis realized he was out of breath.
"Damn, I wonder what's the matter. How did she sound, Ennis?"
"Goddamnit, Jack, how do I know how she sounded, she's YOUR wife."
Jack thought, uh oh, somethin's happened. He's upset. He said, "Ennis,
what's the matter? You sound upset."
"O' course I'm not upset, Jack Fuckin' Twist, what would make you think that?" demanded a terse Ennis. "Just call your wife." and he hung up.
Jack just stared at the dead telephone in his hands and his shoulders slumped visibly.
When he had left his parents to go find a pay phone to call Ennis he had felt on top of the world, felt he had grabbed the golden ring, like his future was looking brighter and brighter …. but now he was in the pits. "Well, Shit!" he said aloud, and began to call Childress to see what was up at home.
Jack knew he had to watch what he said, 'cause what he wanted to say to Lureen, was "what the hell did you do to my Ennis!" Of course, he kept that to himself, but it was very difficult.
Jack reached Lureen, reversed the charges so the call could be charged to his home phone, and hurriedly determined the cause of her alarm. "His teacher said What?"
"Yes, Jack, Bobby's teacher said he's probably going to be left back this term. He hasn't been applying himself, and he's got such an attitude you wouldn't believe."
"He's almost seventeen, Lureen, all kids have rotten attitudes at that age, didn't you? asked Jack.
"No, I did not sir, and I also didn't run with a pack a wild hyenas. Bobby is changing right in front of my eyes. Damn it Jack, I wish you were here to handle this. You know I can't make him do anything he doesn't want to."
Jack sighed heavily. What could he possibly do about it from here? Why did this have to happen at this time when he needed, and Yes, wanted, to be right here in Wyoming, with Ennis and his own extended family.
"I don't know what to say, Lureen," he insisted, "I can't be in two places at one time, goddamit. I'll have to think about this. If only I could get him up here for the summer, we might work out his problems, or knock loose some a that attitude you mentioned.."
"I'll think about this for a day and then we can make a decision together when you call at 9 p,m, tomorrow night, awwright?"
"Alright, Jack, but you gotta do something about his behavior. I can't take it any more." complained Lureen.
Jack's inner voice rebelled at this demand of hers. And where the hell were you Lureen, all those years I wanted to get him a Tutor and you fought me tooth and nail on it? Jack had some hard feelings but did not voice them. No need. Too late.
Fuck, thought Jack to himself, why'nt anything ever work out right for me, just once? He was frantic to go see what had set Ennis off, but needed to stay here for his mother's sake, and to bring her home this eve'nin' .
Jack thought his dad looked a bit better than he had yesterday, and said so.
John still wouldn't talk unless it was just Claire in the room. He was embarrassed at how he slurred his words. The stroke had affected the right side of his body, and he was impatient with the effects of it on his usually hale and hardy self.
His thoughts were dark, accusatory, and angry. Half a man, his mind railed to an unhearing God. Cain't do my work and take care a my ranch and my family, might as well be dead. Why'd you let me live anyway!
Fortunately, Claire Twist could not hear her husband's words, as she ministered to him. She was glad to help him eat his meals, and drink through a straw. She knew it belittled him when the juice ran out of the paralyzed side of his mouth. But she dealt with it as a minor difficulty, part of a temporary situation.
Jack was reading a newspaper article to his dad about the Texas Rangers spring training camp. The Rangers was one of the few passions that John Twist admitted to. Jack used to wonder if his dad would make a trip down to Texas, and the two of them could go to a Rangers game or two. But it had never happened. Never once.
John Twist leaned back and closed his eyes while Jack read. Was that a smile Jack saw? When the article was finished, Jack folded the paper and began looking at all the get well cards that had accumulated around his dad's room. Well, wha 'dya know, here was one from "Jack, Lureen, and Bobby Twist". That was nice of her, Jack grudgingly admitted.
Jack could hear conversation coming up the hospital corridor, and then Uncle Walter and Aunt Iris walked in bearing fresh strawberries from their garden. They greeted John, Claire and Jack warmly. Jack decided he really liked Uncle Walter, he was someone a person could depend upon in a crunch. Hey, maybe there was another benefit to this visit. Jack was calculating the timing of their visit.
"How long you planning on visiting today, Uncle Walter?" asked Jack. "Well, we won't be staying too long, my boy. We have to get up on Three West, our neighbor, Mr. Adkins had surgery for a double or triple bypass, not sure which. We planned to go up and pay our respects, then come back down here. Thought maybe you and your mama would like to stop at the
Blue Angus with us for supper tonight."
Claire smiled at Iris and Walter, "That sounds real nice, she said." And Jack knew he had his way out.
"Well, reason I ask" said Jack, "is Lureen called awhile ago, and said she has some kinda emergency. Since you're here now, I figure I can leave and go see to her problems, whatever they may be. And you folks could drop mama off after you all have a nice dinner."
Jack nearly spun out of the hospital parking lot, racing to get to Ennis to see what was going on in his head, and whether Jack would be able to patch up whatever it was.