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| Sunday, August 13, 2006 |
| This Is Me! |
 Hi Gals and Guys.
Well this is me doing what I do best. Sitting in the shade of my favorite tree on hot Texas days. Belle, my two year old Boston Terrier, is around somewhere and Annie is behind the camera.
You know, the best thing about sittin in the shade is ideas roll into my head and I get to plop them down on the computer later. Like the little flash story that follows: "A Texan's Motive". Several years ago, I got the idea watching my family get the grandkids ready for a day of swimming at the local pool. My daughter was herding them all to her mini-van and Annie was rounding up strays.
Now, being fair skinned and red headed myself, I elected to stay home and guard my favorite tree with a tall, cool drink and a book I was just then reading. My thoughts turned from the book to my days in Louisiana growing up and a certain gal that I had a crush on. Well as fate would have it I ended up at the computer for the next 30 minutes furiously typing what my muse ordered me to type.
This is the result:
THE TEXAN’S MOTIVE
One day as the sun was going down, a wrangler walked into the bunkhouse and dropped his saddle and gear on the floor. The other wranglers, knowing his sometimes-wild temper, tried to ignore the scowl on his face and the noise he was making. After about a half hour of mumbling to himself and knocking things about the bunkhouse, the line foreman walked over to the wrangler to find out what the ruckus was about.
The wrangler got really quiet and sat on the edge of his bunk looking at the line foreman. He opened his mouth as if to say something but changed his mind and turned away. Well the line foreman was at a loss to understand what was going on and just shrugged his shoulders and walked away.
Now the door to the bunkhouse flew open and in walked little Susie Canard, the ranch owners’ daughter. She was a slight little thing with flaming red hair and a steaming temper of her own. Susie walked over to the wrangler and demanded to know just who the hell he thought he was watching her bathe in the creek below the house.
Well now this got the attention of everyone in the bunkhouse and the line foreman walked back over to the wrangler.
“Ed, you best tell me what’s going on here.” He said as he confronted the wrangler.
“Boss, I didn’t mean nothing by it. I couldn’t help myself. She was all over naked and looked so dang pretty the way her hair was floating in the water as she was swimming.” Ed Bonner pleaded.
“That ain’t no excuse Ed. You done known Susie here since she was knee high to a grasshopper. What got into you? Lordy I hope the old man don’t get wind of this.”
About that time the door burst open a second time and in walked Big Bob Canard. Six foot five and above three hundred pounds and all of it muscle.
“Where’s the low down scum that was watching my little girl down at the creek?” Bob roared as he stomped up beside his daughter at the wranglers bunk. “Ed you done been one of my best hands and now you pull this kinda stunt? You better do some real explaining and make it good or I’m gonna hang your sorry hide from the rafters of that barn out yonder.”
Ed looked around at all the faces turned his way waiting for his explanation. He once again hung his head and tried to hide his embarrassment. Softly, so low that only the three gathered around him could hear, he started to tell his side of the story.
“Big Bob, you done been real good to me and took me in when I was a youngin. You it was that taught me to ride and shoot and all the things I needed to be a good ranch hand. Well I been watchin Miss Susie grow up and started feelin things maybe I shouldn’t have. But I felt em anyway and most of the time I could take the harder jobs away from the main ranch and stay away from her. Well, today as I was ridin in from the line I went to water my horse at the crossin and there was Miss Susie up on the big pond what the beavers done walled up. I seen her there and I couldn’t help myself. I watched her for a bit and then came on over here. I’m sorry boss. I’m sorry Miss Susie. I'll be packin up and be movin on so I won’t be no more trouble.”
With that Ed started placing items in his saddlebags. If he had looked at the face of Susie Canard at that time he would have seen a softness that only a woman in love would ever have. She reached out a hand and touched him on the shoulder. As he turned she started to speak.
“Oh Ed, why in hell didn’t you ever say anything. You are the only boy I have ever had around here even close to my age. You remember when you broke your leg and had that fever for so long? You remember who it was that stayed with you till you were fit to get back to work? You remember the talks we had about all the things you wanted to do and all the things I wanted to do when we grew up? Why do you think I did that? Why didn’t you ever say anything? Damn you Ed Bonner, why didn’t you ever notice that I felt the same way?” Susie Canard started crying and ran from the bunkhouse in a blind fury.
All through this revealing exchange Big Bob Canard’s expression changed first from anger, to disbelief, to astonishment. His little girl had chosen a boy he had taken in and hired as a ranch hand for her future mate.
“True it was, that he was pleasing to look on and a hard worker to boot,” thought Big Bob, “but a damn ranch hand and dirt poor.”
“Boy, why don’t you come up to the house, we got some talking to do.” Bob invited.
Well as things usually happen, Big Bob is now teachin a gaggle of grandchildren to ride and shoot. The main house has been expanded to house not only himself but to make room for his daughters’ new family. Ed and Susie were married not two weeks after the episode at the creek. Now after five years and four granddaughters, Big Bob could see a very explosive future in front of him. As the old time wranglers retired or moved on, the only help he could find was younger more high-strung boys.
Ed is now ranch foreman and he and Susie are expecting again. Ed hopes he will have a son this time but it really doesn’t matter. As long as he and Susie are together everything will be all right. Only one thing bothers him. All the girls enjoy skinny dippin down at the big pond. Take after their mother that way.
A smile grows on Ed’s face as he realizes that every time he and Susie go skinny dippin in the moonlight they end up with a new youngin. Lot to be said for a pretty rough start.
As I said, "This is me". Y'all have a great day and keep writing. I know I will. Most of my little stories I will never carry past a flash. But, a few WIP's will someday mature and end up in the hands of a publisher. |
posted by A.C. Croom @ 7:30 AM  |
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| 4 Comments: |
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Texans are some of my favourite people, I could hear the twang in your words as I was reading!
God bless you and keep you sir!
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Enjoyed reading this short story.
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Enjoyed reading this short story.
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Texans are some of my favourite people, I could hear the twang in your words as I was reading!
God bless you and keep you sir!