(Untitled)

[wildcolumbine]

IF YOU BELIEVE, CLAP YOUR HANDS

Comments

[louisev]

what a subtle and intriguing twist - because enough people wish for something it's true. This was a delight to read, thanks M!

[wildcolumbine]

And thank you, Louise! It was just one of those wishes I had on a dreary day. Would that it were so. And in a way, it is.

[louisev]

This story made me cry. I can hear Ennis's voice in your words.
Well done.

[mariska_to]

Aaaah, Marian, thank you, this is so poetic and poignant!... I am sitting here sobbing over my breakfast cereal...

"some film or other and if enough good people put their minds to somethin..."

This should make all brokies feel good :)

I did not understand the bit about the two fighting women, though. Whom do you mean?

[wildcolumbine]

The two women - at that point as I was writing I knew I'd broken out of Ennis's voice and into my own but I left it there anyway. The damnfool woman is me, the stronger one is Annie Proulx. A bit obtuse, sorry. Sometimes, when the sheer sadness of this story gets too much, I have to write a bit of fluff like this.

[mariska_to]

And when the sadness of the story gets to me, I like to read something heart-warming--thank you very much for this one!

If the bit about the two women is understood as being still in Ennis's voice, that raises the intriguing possibility of Ennis's knowing that his life is shaped by writers of literary stories--and he already knows that a certain film is responsible, at least initially, for bringing Jack back to him. Quite a post-modernist twist!

[redrobynis]

Hi, I'm Robyn from Australia. I've always loved your writing. A Sweeter Life was brilliant in my opinion. But you've surpassed yourself here. I don't cry, at least this far removed from seeing the movie for the first time, but I cried buckets with this one. Sad tears, then happy tears. Your Ennis here seems just perfect. Love it, love it.
Best Wishes.

[wildcolumbine]

Thank you Robyn. I just adore old Ennis (although he's not too much older than me). I always feel he would age with a quiet dignity.

[neverdone39]

I always feel he would age with a quiet dignity.
Absolutely.

[wildcolumbine]

I totally agree!! I love old Ennis. He learned the hard way but he learned.

[bbm_citygirl]

Oh what a lovely, lovely piece. I really enjoyed it. And the last line

Because so long as people carry him in their hearts, so long as they wish for us to be together, Jack ain't never really dead.

Brought tears to my eyes.

[wildcolumbine]

It struck me that it's what we're all trying to do - keep Jack alive and keep them together because the reality is too much to bear at times.

[o2binla]

Another outstanding piece from you, wildcolumbine! Loved that Ennis makes Jack take the inside of the bed so he always knows just where he is: I recall you saying on DC that E would "follow [J] into the bathroom" if he were to reappear, which I've always remembered. I assumed the film was Peter Pan but of course it's BBM too... As always, thanks for writing :-) Lisa

[wildcolumbine]

Lisa, I was trying to recall where the inspiration for this story came from and then I remembered writing that, and saying that Ennis would have tied Jack to him he he got the chance, just never let him go.

The title is from Peter Pan, of course, but I hadn't thought of that when I mentioned the film. I was thinking of BBM. Oddly enough (or maybe not) Peter Pan was the first film I ever saw.