Daily Free-Write September 3, 2020

Welcome to The Ranch

Caleb watched the brown fields that hadn't changed for the last hour as the pickup truck carried him to his destination. He had his chin sitting on his hand and just stared. But it wasn't the fields he was seeing. It was his failures. His failure to be a father. His failure to keep his wife alive and off drugs. His failure to save his team.

"Hey, buckaroo. Snap out of it!"

"Hmm? Oh... hmm?" 

"You're off in lala land over there, I was saying we're almost to the ranch!"

Caleb looked aroundand saw that the ground had gotten more hilly, and green. He laid back into the chair, eliciting a crinkle, and looked over to the driver. An older man named Jeremiah with sun darkened skin and a 5 o clock shadow glanced back at him and the edge of his mouth twitched upward. 

"Hey kid, don't worry. You're gonna love it there. The fresh air is just what you need."

"Huh. Yeah, I hope so!" 

Caleb's face returned the hint of a smile. Soon enough, the fencing came into view and they approached the gates. 

A tall man in a cowboy hat was there to greet them when they stepped out onto the dusty earth. 

"Hey Cal, welcome to the ranch! Nothin but miles of pasture all around, and plenty of work to do. I know you've known me as Ted over email, but you can call just me Texas here."

He stuck out a callused hand and gave Caleb a firm shake, and turned to Jeremiah.

"Okay Jerry, did you give him the rundown? You didn't, oh, well, I guess I'll have to do it myself! I'm just kiddin' him Cal, this is my favorite part. Let's give you a tour before settlin' in."

Texas took them around the ranch, showing them the animals - the cows, the sheep, the horses, the animal care center, the maintenance work and various project being done, and of course introducing him to some of the other ranch hands as they passed.

"Do you know how to ride a horse, Cal?"

"Uhh, nope. Can't say I do."

Texas gave a chuckle.

"Well, you'll learn soon enough! You might fall off a few times, but that's alright, the guys could use a laugh." 

"Something happen?"

"Yeah, we lost someone the other day. Oh no no, no *lost* lost," he said, noticing Caleb's shocked expression. "He fell off the wagon, so to speak, and had to leave for good. One of the guys caught him using in the dorms. That's one thing that'll get you kicked out right away." 

Back at the ranch house, they continued the conversation.

"The rules at the ranch are you work hard, you get up with the sun, you wear your diapers 24/7. As for what you DON'T do, no fightin, no fussin, and no leavin' the ranch without a partner. It goes without saying that since this is a rehabilitation facility, so everybody has a story and maybe some will share it with you. Not everyone here is an addict, some of the guys are just learning how to get along with others. You, you're a vet and you were an Army Ranger, so the guys are gonna look at you a little different. As for your little problem," he said, glancing down at Caleb's bulging jeans, "Well, you're not the only one in diapers here, so no need to feel self-conscious. If you ever need a change you can ask me or Jerry, and we'll take care of you. Don't try to do it yourself or you'll be spending the next week digging fence posts. Think you can handle all that?"

"...yeah, sure." said Caleb, trying to play off the embarassment he felt from the idea of being changed by these two men. 

"Hey, relax, kid," said Ted, clapping his arm around the younger man's shoulder. "Like I said, this place'll make you a new man!"

His hand moved down to squish Caleb's soggy padding.

"But uh, let's get you changed first."