The Blue Light: The adventures of Cowboy Jessie and Cowboy Earl by H.R. Hunsaker

The Blue Light:  adventures of Cowboy Jessie and Cowboy Earl by H.R. Hunsaker 

     Jessie rode in from the pasture to find Earl leaning against the corral fence staring off into the distance. He dismounted Starr, tied him to the post and then walked over to Earl. Jessie could sense that Earl was a bit off of sorts, so he measured his words as not to excite him. “Hey Earl” asked Jessie, “what’s you doing?”

     Earl was in no mood for talking but he couldn’t just brush Jessie off and not say anything. “I’m thinking” muttered Earl. 

     “What’s you thinking about?” asked the curious Jessie.

     Earl was getting slightly annoyed at Jessie’s inquisitiveness but he knew if he just went with it for a while, Jessie would give up and move along. He answered Jessie “Oh Jess, no one in particular.”

     “So you’re thinking about someone” replied Jessie. “Who.”

     Earl knew he had blundered the whole thing right off of the bat. He had to disarm Jessie before he was backed further into the corner. “What do you mean who Jessie” barked Earl “did you just come over here to twist up my words for sport.” Earl had recently snuck off into town to see The Great Gatsby at the Cinemark and was pleased to get to work the word sport into the conversation.

     Jessie pretended not to notice Earls flowery language and stammered back “no, no Earl—I just meant that you seem a bit troubled—I just was wondering who you were thinking about.”

     Earl shook his head. He had to throw out something to get Jessie off of his trail, but he had to do it in such a way that would knock Jessie slightly off kilter in hopes of squashing any further discussion. Earl thought for a few more moments before throwing out the best material he could come up with given his diminished state. Earl pulled it together and went into form. His delivery would have to be smooth if it was to be convincing. “Jessie” said Earl as he looked slightly to the right of Jessie while focusing his eyes on a distant object “have you ever heard that song Forever in Blue Jeans—you know—the one by Neil Diamond?” 

     Jessie was at a loss. Even by Earl’s standards that one was out of left field. Jessie thought for a moment “yea Earl, Forever in Blue Jeans. I know that song—Neil Diamond.”  

     While Jessie was pleased at himself for knowing the song, Earl still had work to do—it was time for the setup. “Do you Jessie, do you know the song?” asked Earl.

     “Dang it Earl” said Jessie with irritation “I told you I knew the song. What more do you want.”

     Earl was rounding the bases, just one more phrase to kill the whole topic. Earl removed his focus from the distant object, turned slightly to the left and stared deep into Jessie’s eyes. “Then you know what I was thinking about Jessie” said Earl in a slightly defeated and trailing tone “that’s all you need to know.” 

     Jessie backed away without saying a word and walked toward the bunkhouse. He turned back to see Earl looking in the direction of the setting sun and off into nowhere. He appeared to be grasping at something off in the distance. 

The End.