A Better Idea - A Prequel, A Foreshadowing

Genre: BBM One-Shot

Disclaimer: I created the OC's but not the O/S characters. They belong solely to Annie Proulx, with some tweaking by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana. This story is all mine, and is unbeta'd so you have no one to blame but me if it's not to your liking.

Rating: A Better Idea is all over the map.

If you don't like m/m slash, don't read this.

A/N: This is my original work, but I've borrowed the name of Uncle James from Racchelle's Divergent Dreams; and I'm not going there, but heavily leaning in the directon of jtsbar's Dead Horse Road (nee fenlyn)

Feedback: You bet. I hope you like it.

LIGHTNING FLAT, WY

John had no argument that would hold water when Dad Bell said Walter, Harold and him oughta take the family's prize-winning black baldies to the State Fair. Douglas was gearing up for a spectacular gala, the state having been denied a Fair for seven out of the last 20 years. The truth was, this year's event was to be the largest yet, and Will Bell didn't intend to miss another one.

"The Fair lost seven years, as there was no event held in 1935 - 36 due to the depression and even though preparations were made for the event in 1937, it was cancelled due to an epidemic of infantile paralysis. World War II arrived and with its rationing of gasoline and tires, no money was appropriated by the State Legislature for the years 1942, 1943, 1944 and 1945." From History of Wyoming State Fairs

With the United States economy in full recovery and riding high on post-war record breaking production of goods and services, the mood of the country

seemed to be unbridled optimism as reflected in this song.

So long sad times
Go long bad times
We are rid of you at last

Howdy gay times
Cloudy gray times
You are now a thing of the past

Happy days are here again
The skies above are clear again
So let's sing a song of cheer again
Happy days are here again

Altogether shout it now
There's no one
Who can doubt it now
So let's tell the world about it now
Happy days are here again

Your cares and troubles are gone
There'll be no more from now on
From now on ...

Happy days are here again
The skies above are clear again
So, Let's sing a song of cheer again

Happy times
Happy nights
Happy days
Are here again!

Music and Lyrics by J. Yellen and M. Ager

There were new exhibits, buildings and arena's to see, including the new sheep barn built last year. Not to mention, the rodeo itself would be there for five whole days of pageantry. So it was decided, the men of the family would go to Douglas for the 1953 Wyoming State Fair.

When this idea became known, 'Dessie had a thing or three to talk to Will about, and eventually the plan expanded to include all the family. Lilah Jean, being too pregnant to travel, stayed back in Lightning Flat, and of course Harold stayed home with his young wife. He was sorely disappointed to miss the excitement, but knew he owed his future "quality of life" to doing the right thing. Lilah Jean didn't hide her wrath under a bushel basket when she was displeased. There'd be other fairs, but she was his only wife, he reasoned.

Claire was in a dither about whether to enter her "famous in the family" Cherry Cake, or to do up a batch of hot pepper jelly. In the end, she made and entered both. Her sister-in-law convinced her to enter the quilt she had finished the previous winter. It had a brightly colored design that she'd reckoned on the muslin background especially for her nine year old son, Jackie.

It cheered up his small room and was quite something when the sun shone through his window and highlighted the bull and rider she'd created in cloth. Jack treasured that gift, and was proud his mama was going to enter "his" quilt. No one in the world had a quilt like his.

In late July, Grandpa Will called Jack into his parlor and asked him "if you could have anything new to wear to the Fair, what would it be?" Course, he already knew the answer to that, and had ordered the black hat for his beautiful blue-eyed grandson. Blazes, he thought, he's too old for that! I gotta quit thinkin on that boy as beautiful. He's growing up fast, that's for sure. Hope I'm around to see the fine man he turns out to be. And I sure hope Johnny gets over his memories a Texas and hard feelins 'fore he ruins everything. I ain't gonna be here forever to protect Little Go.

Excitement was running high as the family cleaned and polished the trailers, curried and combed every cow and calf, and rubbed the horse' harnesses, gear and tack till you could see your face in them.

SAGE, WY - Elev. 6,332

Ellie Del Mar looked over at her tight-lipped husband, Ray, and then at young Ennis who was not eating his supper, again. Her sweet youngest child had always been quiet, but he had a light like nobody's business in those deep chocolately eyes a his, and a little half-smile that could flip your heart over right there in your chest. In the past year, that light had dimmed considerable. She didn't know why, but knew it had to have something to do with his daddy. She hoped it was something Ennis could get past, for his own sake.

Ray roared at Ennis to quit lollygagging and finish his supper. Ennis ate. As soon as he was excused, he went out back behind their outhouse and with gut wrenching sobs, emptied his stomach of every bite he'd just consumed.

"Why'd ya do that alla time?" his sister Maggie pleaded. She loved this little blond brother to a fair thee well, but couldn't understand why he was so unhappy much of the time. "Aw, leave'em be, Mags. He'll be awright." advised KE for he knew when this behavior had started, and he could put two and two together. And there weren't no fixing it, so he gotta stand it. The three siblings had after supper chores to get to, so Ennis' condition and reasons for it were soon forgotten.

But behind Ennis' eyelids, the old man still lay there in that ravine, the flies buzzing round and the sun beating down on the mutilated body. Each time he thought on it, the gut cramps started up, and he had to take deep breaths to try to calm hisself. What his dad took him and KE to see that day, was horrible enough, but his almost ten year old imagination took over from there.

His father's face featured largely in these waking nightmares, till he couldn't determine between fact and fiction. He could almost see his dad tying a line to the man's dick and attaching it to the horse' harness, while Mr. Gibson and Mr. Melrose tied other parts in like manner, before the horse was slapped on the rump. With a loud "Yee Haw" in it's ear, the animal bolted and kept on running till it's burden broke loose and lay still in the ditch.

Ennis hadn't been there to see that part of it, but from the proud way his dad showed off the corpse, and the hard things he had to say about the man and his "friend" ranching up together . . . well, it made a fearful picture in the boy's mind and he thought to himself, "far as I know, he coulda done the job hisself."

On Sunday, after church and noon dinner, there were chores. Soon as those were done, they were allowed to sit for 30 minutes while mother read to them. Most times, she read from the bible, but once in a while, she'd get a story book from the traveling Lincoln County Library. Ennis couldn't read too good, rarely was allowed to go to school, and he loved hearing his mother's voice as she read to her children. He liked to sit at her feet and lean back on her legs while she spoke the words.

On this day, however, daddy was sitting in the room waiting for the laggards to assemble for reading time. He had somethin to tell'em, he said. Told'em all in no uncertain terms that "money is tight as a old maid's pu.." "RAYMOND! Remember they are children." Said mother. Daddy began again. "Bottom line, we're broke, and 'less we can earn some cash money, we're gonna lose the ranch. So I've hired us all out to the Wyler Ranch, the Flying W, for the summer."

Ellie knew that the cash in the coffee can wadn't gonna hold out for long. Her job would be to tend the Wyler's garden, put up and can as much of the vegetables and fruits as she could, and also to sew up clothing and anything else that was needed by the Wyler family and staff.

It frightened her to think what was her own family gonna eat, come next winter w'thought her tending her own kitchen garden here in Sage. But Raymond has made up his mind, and when he decides on a course of action, that's what's gonna happen. Come hell or high water, and he don't care which.

The only relation nearby that she might could look to for help or to influence her husband, was his bachelor brother, James. He was the one discovered her sitting on the floor of the pantry holding a tea towel fulla ice up to the left side a her face, that last time she'd tried to offer a suggestion about household spending. To this day, she couldn't hear good outa that left ear.

Not that Raymond would listen to James either, as he knew everything there was to know. And his younger brother had never successfully bested him; not ever that he knew of anyway. And it would just make Ray madder, so she did not tell James the bad bits anymore. It hurt him too much to see her mistreated, cause he couldn't make it stop, and she wouldn't leave him. She had three children. Where could she go that Ray wouldn't find her? Besides, he'd take it out on her pet, Ennis. Ray always said she was making him soft. That he needed "toughening up". He had done a bit of that this spring at the drainage ditch.

Among other duties, the Wyler's needed the Del Mar family to help transport their animals and gear to Douglas for the fair. There would be a major exhibit of the Flying W Ranch along the concourse. They had other ranch hands, but needed the extra experienced help for this undertaking.

DOUGLAS, WY

Which is why, a few weeks later, Ennis walked into the sheep barn at the Fairgrounds in Douglas and saw three boys about his own age already there.

He scanned their faces. His daddy and KE had always told him you should never be too trusting with strangers. His eyes landed on one a them boys who seemed to be in charge. He was lying on his back on a hay bale, reading a Gabby Hayes Western Comic Book. Jack looked over and addressed Ennis.

"Hey, whatcha doin there, kid?" asked Jack.

"Nuthin." answered Ennis.

"Ya' are so!" retorted Jack.

"Hain't neither." insisted Ennis.

Jack started squirming and giggling "Ya're talkin to me aintcha?"

Ennis squinted up his eyes, and replied "Yeah, SO?"

"Then ya're doin something!" gloated Jack victoriously.

"Yeah, guess." gloomed Ennis.

"Ya like comic books?" inquired Jack Twist.

"Dunno" mused Ennis, but peeked at the dog-eared book Jack held.

Offering the comic, Jack said "Here, you can read it; I've read it 'bout 400 times already."

Ennis did not reach out for the book, but declined gratefully, "I shore do 'preciate the offer, but I don't read so good, my eyes, they . . ."

"Oh, sorry!" apologized Jack. "Want me to read it to ya then?"

Ennis immediately settled on the floor of the barn and leaned his back against the hay bale Jack had been reclining on. "Would ya?"

"Shore as shootin, I would . . .uh, my name's Jack, and these here are my cousins Kenneth and Roger. What's yours?"

"Ennis." replied Ennis.

"Yore folks just stop . . ."

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE MUTTON BUSTIN EVENT BEGINS IN 10 MINUTES, ALL RIDERS PLEASE REPORT TO THE ARENA. . .

THE FIRST THREE RIDERS IN THE BOYS 9 – 11 CATEGORY WILL BE: GARY PARKER, BILLY WINSTON, AND JOHN C. TWIST JUNIOR!

Jack stood up and dusted off his riding clothes, and placed a new black hat on his head. Ennis thought he'd never seen anything finer in all his life. He stood too, was a tiny bit taller than Jack, he noticed.

Roger and Kenneth stood as well, dusting off their britches and running fingers through their hair. They looked to be a bit younger than Jack.

"I gotta go ride now, can you come back?" And hoping he'd made a friend, Jack tried the name on his tongue, tasting it. "Ennis?"

"Whut?"

"Can you come back? Or where can I find you later?"

At that moment, Ray Del Mar strode into the barn and with all his exasperaton apparent in his voice, said "Ennis Raymond Del Mar! I been lookin' all over Hell's Half Acre for you, boy! Yore mother's worried sick!"

Ennis flinched, and was embarrassed but took a chance on one more second of freedom. He looked over at his new friend, "Guess I'll see ya around then, Jack. I might be back." He nodded his head then walked away. Jack watched him walk away, feeling an emptiness, a tiny pull in his stomach.

The boys skirted the fair grounds with their chores and activities that week, but never again ran into one another. Neither Jack nor Ennis ever came back to the State Fair. The cousins came back the next year. Kenneth and Roger rode in the Mutton Bustin in '54, but didn't win.

As Jack took his turn in the arena, he was obviously the most qualified rider, anyone could see that. After five seconds though, he felt his brand new black hat begin to fall from his head toward the dirt. He reached out to grab it, throwing himself off balance, and into the grime. His dad grabbed him up by the scruff of the neck and told him angrily and with spittle flying just what he was worth, and how much change he'd get back. Unfortunately, Ennis witnessed this scene. He understood how his new friend, Jack, must be feeling, and didn't let on that he saw this. Both boys decided that maybe all daddy's were sonsabitches.

However, Ennis from under the bleachers, and Jack from the fence rail on the eastern side of the arena each saw Petey Walter's dad console him when he failed to make his time, saying "You did your best young man, don't ever feel bad about that." And he helped brush the dirt and dust off him.

Matt Gibson's daddy hugged him for all the world to see when he fell off the sheep and cried cause he bruised his arm. "Come on Matty, let's get you some ice on that arm, son. What a brave boy you are. I'm proud a ya." So, individually and collectively they had to abandon that "all daddies are sonsabitches" theory. And they decided, maybe it was just their own daddy.

With wry sarcasm, they each thought "Lucky me."

The End

1953 Wyoming State Fair

Meadowlane Cowboy # 46 of Gabby Hayes, Western

Roar with laughter, shiver with thrills as Gabby battles a Bungler.