Post by melindajo2000 on Jul 15, 2010 13:15:39 GMT -6
Jock Ewing was a stubborn man, a proud man, a kind hearted man to those who knew him best. You didn’t want to cross him, but there was nothing he wouldn’t do for those he loved. Just ask his granddaughter Lucy. She had him wrapped around her little finger. She missed him every day of her life. After her parents had given her up, he had taken her in and raised her as one of his own. She knew that she didn’t always appreciate it. She’d given him too much grief to even think about. And now it was too late to apologize. Lucy just prayed that somehow her granddaddy knew how she felt about him. He made her laugh even when she was angry and he tried to teach her right from wrong, even when she didn’t want to hear it. She didn’t believe in too many people in this crazy world, but her granddaddy was her hero.
Bobby loved his daddy. He didn’t always see eye to eye with him, but he was the strongest man that he ever met. No one, and Bobby meant no one, could take a beating like Jock Ewing. Even when times were tough his daddy stood among the tallest of men. Jock was a tall man anyways, but he might as well have stood ten feet tall in his eyes. He remembered the first time he took him fishing. All Bobby caught was a small trout, but that didn’t matter to Jock. He bragged about it to the boys for days like it was the biggest accomplishment in the world. Bobby walked a little straighter after that. In his eyes Bobby could do no wrong, and he knew it. A simple pat on the back or a “that a boy” was all he needed to make his day. When he found his chain in the lake he thought he might never breathe again. All he could think of was his mama, and what this would do to her. She was a strong woman, maybe even stronger than his daddy, but he could only imagine the look on her face when he would tell her that her husband would never be coming his home. To this day it still brought a tear to his eye just thinking about it.
JR wanted his daddy’s approval, lived for it, sought it out like a bloodhound hot on the trail. All of his life he looked up to the man and would do anything to please him, but somehow it was never enough. He tried, but somehow Bobby was the chosen one, the golden child. He poured his heart into Ewing Oil and making it a success, and yet Bobby was the favorite. He never understood what he’d done wrong. After all, it wasn’t as if he were Gary. No, he knew that his father loved him. But JR wanted, like everything else in his life, to be number one in his father’s eyes, and now that could never happen. Time and time again he would ask himself if he disappointed Jock, if he let him down somehow? That would just push him farther, just feed into the natural drive that he was born with. JR wouldn’t give up. He would make his father proud. He would find a way.
Gary tried, but nothing he could do could win his father’s respect. He wasn’t Ewing enough for Jock somehow. He had to leave Dallas in order to find his way in the world, even if it meant breaking his mama’s heart. It had to be this way. Now there was so much wasted time, so many things he would have liked to have said to his father. What could he have done differently? Did you love me- at all? Couldn’t we have forgotten about everything and start all over again? But Gary knew those were questions he could never ask his father. He would never understand. Some things were best left unsaid.
No one was having a more difficult time coping with the loss of Jock than Miss Ellie. A gracious, sturdy woman, she did not let her feelings show to anyone. Everyone understood her feelings were private. They might ask her how she was doing but they left it alone. This was a time to grieve. This was Christmas and everyone was most worried about her. She’d managed to make it six months and had held up relatively well, and had even made it through Thanksgiving. But this was Christmas- a time of love and laughter and good cheer. It was Jock’s favorite holiday. He was generous with the help and with his family, and loved to watch everyone open their gifts. Christmas certainly brought out the best in Jock Ewing, and now Miss Ellie would have to face it alone. No one wanted to broach the subject with her, but Bobby figured someone needed to.
It was Christmas morning and Miss Ellie was drying her eyes. Bobby could hear her from the hallway.
“Mama?” he knocked on the door.
“I’ll be downstairs in a minute. Don’t you start without me.”
He opened the door.
“Bobby James Ewing! Don’t you dare come in here!”
“I had to mama. I can’t stay out there knowing you’re so upset. It’s about Daddy isn’t it?” Bobby asked as he sat beside her.
Miss Ellie smiled. “You were always so sensitive. I can’t help but think of him. I wish he were here today. I have my family here today but it doesn’t seem complete without him. I think of him everyday. You may know him as your father but he was my husband. I depended on him for an awful lot. He was my best friend. I was counting on spending the rest of my life with him. And it doesn’t seem fair to have him taken from us so early on.”
“No it doesn’t. But Daddy taught us you have to take what life’s dealt you and make the most of it. I think he’d be proud of you and how you’ve looked after the family and the land. He’d want you to keep moving on. I think somehow somewhere he’s watching over you and he wants you to know that he’s okay.”
Miss Ellie sighed. “I just wish there were a sign.”
Bobby pulled her in for a hug. “I do too, Mama, I do too.”
After a minute or two, Bobby smiled. “Come on, let’s go join the rest of the family.”
Downstairs the family was happy to see them- they were ready to open presents. Joyously, gifts were unwrapped and papers were tossed everywhere. Everyone was laughing, including Miss Ellie. Finally at the end JR looked under the tree.
“Mama, I believe this is for you.”
“I wasn’t expecting anything else.”
“Who’s it from?”
She placed her hand over her heart as her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t believe this. It can’t be…”
“What is it Mama?” Bobby asked.
“This present says it’s from your father.”
Everyone stopped what they were doing and gasped. No one could believe it; Jock had been gone at least five months.
“Miss Ellie,” Ray spoke up. “I can explain. I was with Jock when he bought that for you. He gave it to me to hold on to for Christmas. He said he was afraid he would ruin the surprise if he kept it.”
“Ray, you should have given it to be before now.”
“Now now, Mama. Ray was honoring one of Daddy’s last wishes. I think he did the right thing. Ray, thank you.”
Ray nodded.
Miss Ellie opened the box. It was a heart shaped diamond necklace. It was his heart- she’d always had his heart. She let the tears flow as JR helped to put it on her. Everyone was visibly moved by this scene. This was the sign she and Bobby were waiting for. Jock was truly watching over her, and she knew he always would be.
the end
Bobby loved his daddy. He didn’t always see eye to eye with him, but he was the strongest man that he ever met. No one, and Bobby meant no one, could take a beating like Jock Ewing. Even when times were tough his daddy stood among the tallest of men. Jock was a tall man anyways, but he might as well have stood ten feet tall in his eyes. He remembered the first time he took him fishing. All Bobby caught was a small trout, but that didn’t matter to Jock. He bragged about it to the boys for days like it was the biggest accomplishment in the world. Bobby walked a little straighter after that. In his eyes Bobby could do no wrong, and he knew it. A simple pat on the back or a “that a boy” was all he needed to make his day. When he found his chain in the lake he thought he might never breathe again. All he could think of was his mama, and what this would do to her. She was a strong woman, maybe even stronger than his daddy, but he could only imagine the look on her face when he would tell her that her husband would never be coming his home. To this day it still brought a tear to his eye just thinking about it.
JR wanted his daddy’s approval, lived for it, sought it out like a bloodhound hot on the trail. All of his life he looked up to the man and would do anything to please him, but somehow it was never enough. He tried, but somehow Bobby was the chosen one, the golden child. He poured his heart into Ewing Oil and making it a success, and yet Bobby was the favorite. He never understood what he’d done wrong. After all, it wasn’t as if he were Gary. No, he knew that his father loved him. But JR wanted, like everything else in his life, to be number one in his father’s eyes, and now that could never happen. Time and time again he would ask himself if he disappointed Jock, if he let him down somehow? That would just push him farther, just feed into the natural drive that he was born with. JR wouldn’t give up. He would make his father proud. He would find a way.
Gary tried, but nothing he could do could win his father’s respect. He wasn’t Ewing enough for Jock somehow. He had to leave Dallas in order to find his way in the world, even if it meant breaking his mama’s heart. It had to be this way. Now there was so much wasted time, so many things he would have liked to have said to his father. What could he have done differently? Did you love me- at all? Couldn’t we have forgotten about everything and start all over again? But Gary knew those were questions he could never ask his father. He would never understand. Some things were best left unsaid.
No one was having a more difficult time coping with the loss of Jock than Miss Ellie. A gracious, sturdy woman, she did not let her feelings show to anyone. Everyone understood her feelings were private. They might ask her how she was doing but they left it alone. This was a time to grieve. This was Christmas and everyone was most worried about her. She’d managed to make it six months and had held up relatively well, and had even made it through Thanksgiving. But this was Christmas- a time of love and laughter and good cheer. It was Jock’s favorite holiday. He was generous with the help and with his family, and loved to watch everyone open their gifts. Christmas certainly brought out the best in Jock Ewing, and now Miss Ellie would have to face it alone. No one wanted to broach the subject with her, but Bobby figured someone needed to.
It was Christmas morning and Miss Ellie was drying her eyes. Bobby could hear her from the hallway.
“Mama?” he knocked on the door.
“I’ll be downstairs in a minute. Don’t you start without me.”
He opened the door.
“Bobby James Ewing! Don’t you dare come in here!”
“I had to mama. I can’t stay out there knowing you’re so upset. It’s about Daddy isn’t it?” Bobby asked as he sat beside her.
Miss Ellie smiled. “You were always so sensitive. I can’t help but think of him. I wish he were here today. I have my family here today but it doesn’t seem complete without him. I think of him everyday. You may know him as your father but he was my husband. I depended on him for an awful lot. He was my best friend. I was counting on spending the rest of my life with him. And it doesn’t seem fair to have him taken from us so early on.”
“No it doesn’t. But Daddy taught us you have to take what life’s dealt you and make the most of it. I think he’d be proud of you and how you’ve looked after the family and the land. He’d want you to keep moving on. I think somehow somewhere he’s watching over you and he wants you to know that he’s okay.”
Miss Ellie sighed. “I just wish there were a sign.”
Bobby pulled her in for a hug. “I do too, Mama, I do too.”
After a minute or two, Bobby smiled. “Come on, let’s go join the rest of the family.”
Downstairs the family was happy to see them- they were ready to open presents. Joyously, gifts were unwrapped and papers were tossed everywhere. Everyone was laughing, including Miss Ellie. Finally at the end JR looked under the tree.
“Mama, I believe this is for you.”
“I wasn’t expecting anything else.”
“Who’s it from?”
She placed her hand over her heart as her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t believe this. It can’t be…”
“What is it Mama?” Bobby asked.
“This present says it’s from your father.”
Everyone stopped what they were doing and gasped. No one could believe it; Jock had been gone at least five months.
“Miss Ellie,” Ray spoke up. “I can explain. I was with Jock when he bought that for you. He gave it to me to hold on to for Christmas. He said he was afraid he would ruin the surprise if he kept it.”
“Ray, you should have given it to be before now.”
“Now now, Mama. Ray was honoring one of Daddy’s last wishes. I think he did the right thing. Ray, thank you.”
Ray nodded.
Miss Ellie opened the box. It was a heart shaped diamond necklace. It was his heart- she’d always had his heart. She let the tears flow as JR helped to put it on her. Everyone was visibly moved by this scene. This was the sign she and Bobby were waiting for. Jock was truly watching over her, and she knew he always would be.
the end
