WHISPERING JESSE
carlylyn coe
“Well, that’s about it,” Ken reflected as he put the neck of the brown bottle to his mouth and swallowed deep. “It’s over, but too soon for me.”
“Yeah, me too,” Jim, his partner, replied. “The years flew by. Seems like yesterday when I met her. She was a pretty one, that she was.”
Jim took a hit on his cigarette, blowing smoke from his nostrils into the stale air of the local bar as he recalled Jesse.
“I can still see her long golden mane of hair. Seems like the wind was always whippin’it outta place; pushing it in her eyes. She’d shake her head as if swearing and then forget about it.” Jim mashed his cigarette butt onto the top of the bar.
“It’s her eyes I’ll never forget. Big brown eyes, full of love and softness. But boy, when she got riled up, those eyes would flash and you’d better get out of her way. That girl meant business!”
Ken sat for a moment seeing Jesse’s face, her eyes, feeling her all around as he sat at the bar with Jim.
“Yeah, she did have pretty eyes, and while I hate to mention it, she had a nice body too.”
Jim glanced sidelong at Ken, watching for a sign of anger. None came.
Ken stared straight ahead and began to speak of Jesse, pulling his memories from deep in his heart.
“She was young when we met, full of piss and vinegar. Almost too young for me, but I took to her hard and fast. She was everything I ever wanted, all I thought she’d be. She lived up to my expectations and never once let me down.”
“The first day we spent together was like magic. It was right then I wanted to bring her home with me. But I had to win her over first and it weren’t easy. She had others vying for her and she didn’t come cheap. I guess she finally took to me cause she ended up living with me soon after---at least till you came along, she did.”
Ken looks at Jim full on, a bit of resentment showing in his eyes.
“She was a looker,” Jim said.
“Those eyes, that hair, and her legs, so long and lean, make a man want to stay with her all day. When I first took her from you, there was guilt, I gotta tell ya, but I loved her so much, I had to have her. She was everything I wanted, too, and she never dropped the ball on me either.” Jim pulled on his cigarette again, pinching it between his finger and thumb.
Both men sat quietly, thinking about their years with Jesse. Each had different memories, but the memories were tied together, like a lasso typing up a doggie at a branding.
Jim looked at Ken. “She gave us both fine youngsters, didn’t she, man? Two sets of twins, one set each. And the best mother a man could want for his offspring! Why, she was as gentle as could be, and taught those young ones of hers how to behave.”
“That she did, my friend, that she did. I remember when she had our boys. She was in pain, but never cried out, just worked at pushing those babes out like it was something she had done a hundred times.”
Ken’s eyes cloud over as he remembers the day the twins were born, how he watched Jesse give birth and stroked her brow after, telling her good she had done.
“She did as good for you as she did me.” Ken told Jim. “Your boys all turned out real good, and she was a good mother to them, too, even though she was older.”
Jim looked at Ken as he heard the words and he too, remembered Jesse giving birth that warm summer night, many years gone by.
“I guess we will never forget that gal, either of us. But it's over now; she’s gone and buried. Hell, I missed her after you took her, but I knew she was in good hands. She couldn’t have gone to a better man, Jim.”
“Let’s git outa here. I don’t know about you, but I got work to git done.” Ken finished the last of the beer in the bottle and reached for his wallet.
“Me too,” answers Jim, as he picks up his hat, Ken pulls out a twenty for the bartender and they head for the door.
“See ya later, buddy,” Ken throws over his shoulder at Jim.
Jim’s feet are in the stirrups of the saddle as he sits on one of Jesse’s twins, while Ken swings his leg over the saddle of one of his ponies Jesse gave so lovingly. Both men ride off, each leaving memories and a twenty dollar bill at Stockman’s.
carlylyn coe
“Well, that’s about it,” Ken reflected as he put the neck of the brown bottle to his mouth and swallowed deep. “It’s over, but too soon for me.”
“Yeah, me too,” Jim, his partner, replied. “The years flew by. Seems like yesterday when I met her. She was a pretty one, that she was.”
Jim took a hit on his cigarette, blowing smoke from his nostrils into the stale air of the local bar as he recalled Jesse.
“I can still see her long golden mane of hair. Seems like the wind was always whippin’it outta place; pushing it in her eyes. She’d shake her head as if swearing and then forget about it.” Jim mashed his cigarette butt onto the top of the bar.
“It’s her eyes I’ll never forget. Big brown eyes, full of love and softness. But boy, when she got riled up, those eyes would flash and you’d better get out of her way. That girl meant business!”
Ken sat for a moment seeing Jesse’s face, her eyes, feeling her all around as he sat at the bar with Jim.
“Yeah, she did have pretty eyes, and while I hate to mention it, she had a nice body too.”
Jim glanced sidelong at Ken, watching for a sign of anger. None came.
Ken stared straight ahead and began to speak of Jesse, pulling his memories from deep in his heart.
“She was young when we met, full of piss and vinegar. Almost too young for me, but I took to her hard and fast. She was everything I ever wanted, all I thought she’d be. She lived up to my expectations and never once let me down.”
“The first day we spent together was like magic. It was right then I wanted to bring her home with me. But I had to win her over first and it weren’t easy. She had others vying for her and she didn’t come cheap. I guess she finally took to me cause she ended up living with me soon after---at least till you came along, she did.”
Ken looks at Jim full on, a bit of resentment showing in his eyes.
“She was a looker,” Jim said.
“Those eyes, that hair, and her legs, so long and lean, make a man want to stay with her all day. When I first took her from you, there was guilt, I gotta tell ya, but I loved her so much, I had to have her. She was everything I wanted, too, and she never dropped the ball on me either.” Jim pulled on his cigarette again, pinching it between his finger and thumb.
Both men sat quietly, thinking about their years with Jesse. Each had different memories, but the memories were tied together, like a lasso typing up a doggie at a branding.
Jim looked at Ken. “She gave us both fine youngsters, didn’t she, man? Two sets of twins, one set each. And the best mother a man could want for his offspring! Why, she was as gentle as could be, and taught those young ones of hers how to behave.”
“That she did, my friend, that she did. I remember when she had our boys. She was in pain, but never cried out, just worked at pushing those babes out like it was something she had done a hundred times.”
Ken’s eyes cloud over as he remembers the day the twins were born, how he watched Jesse give birth and stroked her brow after, telling her good she had done.
“She did as good for you as she did me.” Ken told Jim. “Your boys all turned out real good, and she was a good mother to them, too, even though she was older.”
Jim looked at Ken as he heard the words and he too, remembered Jesse giving birth that warm summer night, many years gone by.
“I guess we will never forget that gal, either of us. But it's over now; she’s gone and buried. Hell, I missed her after you took her, but I knew she was in good hands. She couldn’t have gone to a better man, Jim.”
“Let’s git outa here. I don’t know about you, but I got work to git done.” Ken finished the last of the beer in the bottle and reached for his wallet.
“Me too,” answers Jim, as he picks up his hat, Ken pulls out a twenty for the bartender and they head for the door.
“See ya later, buddy,” Ken throws over his shoulder at Jim.
Jim’s feet are in the stirrups of the saddle as he sits on one of Jesse’s twins, while Ken swings his leg over the saddle of one of his ponies Jesse gave so lovingly. Both men ride off, each leaving memories and a twenty dollar bill at Stockman’s.
