Amazing Splendor (cont'd)
By Jasighia HorseCrazy

Chapter One:

I looked out my window at our empty, dead yard with teary eyes. That’s how I've been feeling lately…dead.  Alone.  I love horses, unlike my parents, and ever since I was five years old, I’ve had my dream horse…

That horse has haunted my dreams - tugging at my heart, making me feel angry at my dad and mom for not letting me have one of these awesome creatures.  My horse gallops across the pages of my Math book, eats away at my soul, whinnies for me - but I can’t come to him.  He's a beautiful snowy-white stallion with a long, silky white mane and tail, big brown eyes, and fiery spirit.  In my dreams I’d named him Amazing Splendor.  He’s always flying through the mountains, mane and ears back, tail fanned out behind him, and his well-muscled forelegs reaching out and pulling himself forward with powerful strides. 

But one thing I knew.  He could not take me away from the fact that my dad was gone.  He just drove off one morning and hasn’t come back yet. "Or ever," I thought.  I miss him a lot, and if I'm not thinking about horses or how to earn money for a horse, I’m thinking about him. "Well, there's no telling where he went or why," I told myself sadly. "He was the only person who understood my love for horses.  Well, besides Loretta, anyway".  Loretta Lewis is my 13-year-old best… and only… friend. 

I shook myself from my thoughts and went downstairs to do breakfast.  Elijah, my 14-year-old brother, Mom, and I, take turns making meals.  I do breakfast, Elijah does an easy lunch and Mom is in charge of dinner.  I dug through the cupboards until I found the stuff to make pancakes - in my opinion, the easiest breakfast to make.  Just as I emptied the last of the batter onto the griddle, I remembered we were out of syrup.  "Great!  Now I’m going to have to ask my brother if he’ll go to the store for me!"  We live a mile away from a little super-market.  When we need something, Mom sends Elijah to get it… and he hates it. 

I followed the voices to the living room and found Elijah pestering Sierra, my five-year-old sister. 

“What’s the point of dolls, Sierra?  Only sissies have stupid dolls!  I mean, do I have a…” 

“An attitude?”  I folded my arms across my chest.  “The answer is yes, Sierra.  Our brother does have an attitude!  And don’t worry, Sierra, it’s okay if you have dolls.  Elijah, I just remembered… we’re out of syrup.  Will you please…”

“Smells like something’s burning, Miranda,” Elijah looked at me hopefully.

“Oh, shoot!”  I raced into the kitchen and hurriedly scraped at the burnt pancakes, but they all just broke or stuck.

“Miranda?”  Mom came up behind me and peered over my shoulder.  “Is everything okay?”

I threw the spatula on the counter.  “No!  Nothing’s okay anymore!  And it never will be again!” 

I burst into tears, ran to my room and dived into my bed. 

Note to self: Never, EVER, freak out over burnt pancakes! 

I put my head under my pillow.  "God, it’s your fault that Dad left!  Why do you have to take our dad, when you know that I miss him?  We all miss him!"

After a few minutes, Elijah opened the door.  “You okay… I mean… um, fine?” 

For once in his 14 years, his eyes where half-full of concern.  I sat up. 

“Yeah, I don’t know why I freaked out like that.” 

He leaned on the doorframe.  “Yeah, I know.  Mom said that since you, uh, used the last of her batter, we need to go into town and get some more mix ‘cause she doesn‘t want to make it from scratch… oh, and syrup.” 

“Okay,’’ I got up and began walking out of my room to the bathroom.  “I need to wash my face, and then I’ll be ready.’’ 

When I got to the bathroom, I splashed the cold water on my face.  Somehow, it helped me calm down.  I wiped it off with a towel and then walked down with my brother.  We got our bikes and rode down the long, narrow driveway.  As we neared the store, I saw a sign off to the side of the road.  I spotted the word "horse", so I slowed down a little to read it. 

It read: "Auction - Different horse breeds and ponies!  Next three Sundays!  Call now to register!"

There was a phone number on the sign and information about where the auction was going to be held. 

“Elijah!”  I screeched to a stop and jumped out of the way as my brother whizzed past me.  “Elijah!  Stop!  Look!” 

“What?” he circled back to me and braked his bike. 

“Elijah, see that?  An auction!” 

“Huh?  Yeah, c’mon.  We gotta get the stuff for Mom, remember?” he asked me impatiently. 

“But…” I started. 

“Yeah, so?  A stupid auction, what’s the big deal?  You’ve never heard of an auction?”  He shook his head. 

“Well, this one’s a horse auction.  You can buy horses there.  I've never heard of an auction for dogs,” I began sarcastically.  My brother is totally into dogs, but mainly German Shepherds. “These guys bring out all the horses one by one, and the head-guy… he’s called an auctioneer, gives a little information about this certain horse.  Then, everyone throws in a price, and whoever is willing to pay the highest amount for the horse, gets her.  Get it?” 

“Um…yeah, I get it,” he replied, hopping back on his bike. 

“Okay.  What do you get?” 

“Yeah, uh,” he gave a nervous laugh.  “Tomorrow’s Monday… um, school!” 

I rolled my eyes.  My brother can be so aggravating.

“So,” Elijah called over his shoulder as he started riding down the road again.  “What are you saying?” 

“What I’m saying…” I caught up with Elijah.  “…is that I want a horse… and I’m going to this auction to get one.” 

“What?” he stopped again.  “Did I hear what I thought?  'I want a horse and I’m going to that auction to get one’?” he asked.  He was mimicking my voice, but he didn’t sound like me at all. 

“Yeah, that’s what you heard me say, Elijah!  Do you have a problem with that, Sir Austin?”  He hated being called Sir Austin, but that’s why I call him that. 

“But… Miranda!”  He was trying to think up an excuse. “Um… you know how Mom feels about horses.  And ever since… well, you know, we’ve been really tight on money… Mom’s only got, like, 1200 bucks in savings.” 

I knew what he was talking about.  He was going to say, “Ever since Dad left.”  Also, I knew we are pretty tight on money. 

“But Elijah!  Mom can spare 500 dollars!  I have $243.   500, plus 243, is…"

"743,” he finished sarcastically. 

“I was talk…” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah… maybe Mom can spare that much.  But who cares?  You’re always coming up with random ideas… stupid ideas.  But this one, well, it’s just… no.  Sorry, Miranda, but no.  You can’t get a horse.” 

He hopped on his bike and sped up.  I followed him. 

“I will get a horse, Elijah Keith Austin!”  He just snorted at me.  "Just you watch and see!"

Note to self: Maybe you should just leave your brother out of this whole thing!

We got the pancake mix and the syrup and started biking home.  On the way, I talked to God. 

"Jesus, I know it was wrong of me to blame Dad leaving on you.  But it is really confusing.  I mean, you say you love us, but you take things away from us, knowing it’s going to hurt us.  So, can you forgive me?  And, God, it’d be so great if you’d make it your will for me to get a horse at this auction!  So, Amen!"

Just then a song from one of my CDs popped into my head: Believe and Trust Will Find Your Way. 

"God, I’m going to believe that you will let me get a horse.  So, please let me have one!"

Note to self: When you get home, call your "Bible".

Loretta is always quoting the Bible and praying.  When I talk to her, I feel like I just went and visited the Bible.  I was going to call her as soon as my mom let me.  When we got home, I jumped off of my bike and gave the paper bag to Elijah, as I dropped my bike and ran to the barn.  I guess our landlord had raised horses at this very house when he’d lived here.  He’d left a lot of hay, a feed bin and big, plastic buckets.  When I got to the barn, I slowed down to a walk.  I went to the stall that was going to be my horse’s stall someday.

"Thank you, God, for letting us settle here in Idaho!"

We’d moved around quite a bit, from state-to-state.  Then, finally, we had settled into our home in Idaho.  I smiled.  This was going to be great!  I ran into the house to eat breakfast, praying the whole time.  Believing.

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