Big Earth

A ranch-school teacher recounts his 'tough' life when his estranged father visits and seeks what seems to be 'shadows' of brain-emotion(s).

A fanfiction/adaptation of the very taut and gripping American cowboy-film (modern) Flesh and Bone (Dennis Quaid). Thanks for reading (and Happy Holidays), 

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Amlan Satan lived on a ranch-school where the students were taught classics in education theory but then were required to perform daily/weekly ranching and cattle work activities as well as land upkeep for the thorough rearing of a more rugged view of a man's upbringing and call to excellence. He loved the school and served as a teacher, cattle-ranching guide, and land-survey assistant for the students of the respected North American school. Born in Algeria, Amlan moved to the United States and became a US-citizen and studied at Dartmouth (New England) before becoming a full-time rancher/educator at this special Western school. He had a tough life, enduring the grumbling alcoholic nature of his mentally troubled father Emil and wanted to part ways with him forever after taking up this isolated teaching job, which he grew to love and which helped him forget his 'dark' past.

JOURNAL: Being out here in the sun but surrounded by duty of land and animal and class, you learn to appreciate the modern amenities of social-media as a more developed/objective consumer and adult and Internet-surfer and pupil in general and share your comments about life on Earth with others likewise using social-media access to talk 'openly' about life's chances.

An educated man of great diligence and relatively young age, Amlan Satan was proud of his Dartmouth education and his acquired taste for writers like John Milton, Henry Adams, James Joyce, Isaac Asimov, and Edith Wharton. He wanted to impart this education onto his students at the special ranching-land school and was eager to make the iconic Adams-work one of the first books he'd present to his students, and hence, all seemed to be going to his life-plan as an immigrant with great American dreams and outlooks.

DIARY: I've got a beautiful girlfriend now, Ezzy, who took up a position at our fine land-academy as a rancher only and guide, and she's become my great friend, and I've been teaching her how to play cyber-chess, while she offers me 'cool' life-wisdom regarding how to let my hair flow out so I can sit back and enjoy social-media amenities and not become a hermit-oriented cowboy, and maybe I'll even start reading some Western magazines or become part of a cyber-fanzine club/association!

EZZY: Darlin', I made you this splendid seafood-quiche, with a zesty-recipe right outta YouTube...I'm 'certain' you'll love it!

All was well in this land-school world of the 'Earth-prince' (Amlan Satan) until his estranged and once-alcoholic and 'troubled' father (Emil) showed up, at the academy, to pester and remind his son of his forgotten past, when they first moved to North America (from Algeria!). Emil wanted to 'reconcile' with his son Amlan, or so he claimed, but Amlan suspected Emil was in some kind of 'running' trouble and simply wanted to 'hide-out' in his academy apartment on the 'campus' and generally bring back bad memories in the brain. Amlan always feared he'd become like his father, stern and unappealing, but his new life afforded him a self-made sense of manhood/confidence, and with Ezzy, thing were even superior, and he didn't want to allow Emil to 'upset' anything at all.

AMLAN: I suggest you get a few nights rest with me here, while Ezzy's away, and then you just roll to your next move, daddy.

EMIL: I brought you all these cowboy photos, for your school, Amlan; I thought you'd be delighted and surprised!

AMLAN: I'm always surprised by you, dad; I didn't anticipate this school-time visit (really); I'm wondering about your intent.

EMIL: Can't a man just want to 'reconcile' and maybe share some cowboy photos for his son's classroom, eh?

AMLAN: Look, I play chess, I ranch, I teach, I write, and I spend time with Ezzy; my life's full...even happy...I'm adult.

EMIL: Alright there sonny...don't forget...we're alway flesh-and-bone.

AMLAN: I understand, daddy; I'll keep some of your cowboy-pics; you need to move on, so I can too; that's an 'easy-A' (no?).

Amlan decided to show Emil his estranged and troubled and grumbling father one of his American culture 'treasures' which was a very cool Donruss-A's rookie-card (1986), which Emil considered 'inferior' to the Topps-Traded edition but nevertheless congratulated his now-successful/established son...for all his land/academy fortunes in the New World. He kissed his son on the forehead and asked him before departing form his company (most likely forever), "Why you never introduce me to your new cowgirl, sonny?"

AMLAN: This baseball-card treasure showcase was all I (really) had to offer for this 'reconciliation' plan you presented here.

EMIL: I'm not in deep trouble, Amlan; I needed a few days to rest up and then pass through; I can see (now) you're personal.

AMLAN: Thanks, daddy; I'm glad I showed you the Donruss (card); I'll tell Ezzy...an 'old friend' visited from my 'dark' past.

EMIL: That's fine, junior; you take 'good' care.

When Ezzy got back from her trip, she surprised Amlan Satan with a very nice crafted and painted cowboys-and-Indians chess-set, which Amlan loved and promised to use to teach their (future!) son how to play 'wisely' if they did (indeed) decide to get married.

EZZY: I always felt that elusive and enchanting 'American Dream' is something that haunts you in the brain, Satan.

AMLAN: You're right; I'd gone through a past of challenge(s); this new life's my window into self-idealization (really).

EZZY: We're gonna be fine, darlin'...

DIARY: I won't tell Ezzy about Emil; some things are better left in the 'crack(s)' of private-memory or for secret diaries/memoirs and not (really) for the scientific disclosure(s) we've come to 'trumpet' in society as the signposts of the human family; Ezzy is my family; and I hope to have a son who'll be a better man than me; that's my American Dream...it's one of psychology and escape (wow).

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"Money is everything" (Ecclesiastes)