Winnie the Horse Gentler

Amazing Splendor (cont'd)
By Jasighia HorseCrazy

Chapter Four:

I got my book, "The Fellowship Of The Ring", and the phone, then went to my room. What will I do? I asked myself. What will earn the trust of that horse? I finally "forgot" about the stallion long enough to read a few pages of my book. I eventually got too tired to read anymore and drifted off to sleep.

In my dream I was galloping the stallion through a lush green meadow dotted with red, yellow and orange flowers. The wind was whispering through the leaves and a stream was rushing by our path, with the sweet sound of birds singing, making a musical sound that could put you to sleep. The stallion’s mane was tickling my face - his ears where laid back in the wind and his tail was fanned out behind us as the world streaked by. We were finally free! He tossed his head and whinnied, loving it. I closed my eyes, wishing it could have gone on forever…but everything comes to an end. Even freedom.

***

I woke with a start and glanced at my clock. 4:57. Shoot! Mom said she’d be here by 2:30! I shot out of bed and hurried downstairs, still rubbing sleep from my eyes.

Mom was washing dishes and Grandma was rolling a big ball of dough out on the counter. Grandma’s thin, white hair was pulled back in a neat little bun, and her sleeves where rolled up to her elbows. She had a huge white apron on over her dark purple dress which was dotted with yellow flowers.

“Hey, Mom and Grandma.” I said, walking into the kitchen.

“Miranda!” Grandma wiped her hands on her apron as she raced over to me, encasing me in a huge bear hug.

“Hi…Grandma,” I said once I’d gotten my breath back and she’d stepped back.

“How you have grown! How old are you, sweetheart? 13, right?’’

“I’m 12. I’ll be 13 January first.”

“Oh! And so tall? I haven‘t seen you in such a long time!” She hugged me again. “I still pictured you as 10 years old, wearing pajamas with ponies on them and carrying a stuffed horse everywhere!” she said, wiping a tear from her cheek. “Oh, Bethany! They do grow up much too fast, don’t they?” she sniffed, addressing my mom.

“Um, yes, Mom, they do.”

“Oh!” she exclaimed, hurriedly walking back over to the counter. “I’ve been standing here gabbing with you and I forgot all about my cinnamon rolls! Do you like nuts in your cinnamon rolls, Miranda? Walnuts?”

I nodded, sitting down at the table. “Dad used to make cinnamon rolls all of the time…and always with nuts.”

She smiled. “I remember when your mom was a kid; you never could keep her out of the cinnamon rolls! She couldn’t eat cinnamon rolls without nuts, either!” and after that she went back to work, muttering under her breath.

“Mommy? Can I go outside to play?” Sierra walked into the kitchen a few minutes later. Mom had just finished rinsing the dishes, and was beginning to dry them.

“Yes, go ahead. But stay in the front yard. OK?”

“Thanks, Mama!” the little blond-haired girl ran as fast as her short legs would carry her out of the kitchen to get her shoes.

Elijah came and sat at the table with me and propped his chin on his hand. “It beats me how little kids grow up so fast…” Grandma, who was sprinkling brown sugar on the dough, glanced at me and Elijah, “…and get so excited over little things!” she chuckled and looked out the window at one of the boys, who was playing in the sandbox.

“Oh! That reminds me.” said Mom. “Miranda? I was wondering. Would you mind sharing a room with Grandma? You’d have to sleep on the floor, and listen to Grandma’s sewing machine, because she’ll be sewing a lot, but it would really help out.”

I shrugged. “Sure. I’d like that.”

“Thank you, Miranda, I really appreciate it.”

“Yep!“ I replied, laying my head down on the table.

“Hey, Mom?” Elijah asked walking over to Mom. “Can I go over to Justin’s house? I told him I’d ask you.”

“Well…I’d rather you didn't right now. You can call him though, Hon.”

“Thanks!” Elijah dashed out of the room.

“Oh, Mom?” I asked a few moments afterwards. “I, uh, need to show you something. So…when you’re not busy…”

“All right!” Grandma put the cookie sheet with perfect, round cinnamon rolls on it into the oven, and the sweet smell of turkey and potatoes and carrots drifted out, filling the room with a heavenly smell that everyone in our family looked forward to. I could just see my brother drooling.

“So. What is it, Pumpkin?” Grandma washed her hands, and then took off her apron and hung it up on a hook by the fridge. “Hey, is it what you did with that money?” Mom put the last glass in the cupboard and dried off her hands.

“Um, yeah,” I replied slowly, standing up from the table. “Come with me!” I led Mom and Grandma out to the barn, and then told them not to scream, as "it might fall on them"…I said it just to mislead them. “All right, now come over here.” I walked over to the paddock gate and took a deep breath. “This is what I…”

The stallion, who was galloping around the pasture, tossing his head, flinging his tail in the air, had whinnied.

“Oh my goodness,” Mom exclaimed. “Why…what…?” she looked at me nervously.

“What in the name of wonder?” Grandma asked.

“He is my horse, Mom. 4-year-old Quarter horse stallion, wild but should turn out alright.” I quoted the auctioneer.

“Dear me! A horse? In your pasture?” Grandma’s blue eyes where wide with disbelief. “Where did you get it?”

“Why…a…an auction!” I replied. No, I got him from the sea! Sea Horse! Ever heard of them?

“And you’re keeping him?” Grandma asked me. Mom just stood there, hand over mouth. She looked sad and angry.

“Yeah. I bought him.” Well duh! How else did you get him, Miranda? Bribed his owner with sugar lumps?

“Well, well, well. I never thought you’d let her get one! This is ridiculous!” Grandma scolded, then went in the house. I thought I saw her wipe a tear from her cheek. Mom looked me in the eye.

“You are not keeping this…thing! Understood? I will not have one of these dangerous beasts in our pasture! You can place an ad in the paper, if you want to!”

“But I don’t want to! I want to…”

“Then I’ll do it. Find a way to get rid of him, or I’ll place an ad in the classifieds. Understood?”

“No! I don’t understand! And he’s not dangerous…not if I can get him tamed down!”

“You heard what I said,” she replied, walking to the house.

I started crying. It wasn’t fair!

“Hey, I saw what happened, Mandy.” Loretta said, stepped out from behind the barn and walking up to me. I wiped my eyes and walked to the fence.

“I love him, Loretta!” I rested my elbows on the fence and put my chin on my arms. “If I cannot keep him…I’ll die!”

“Hey, don’t talk like that, Mandy. God doesn’t like it.” she came and put her hand on my shoulder.

“Be quiet, Loretta,” I snapped. “Just shut up!”

“Mandy?” she asked after a moment, not fazed by what I‘d said. “Um, he’s a Quarter horse, right? What are you gonna name him?”

“I‘m not,” I replied, still gazing at the gorgeous stallion who grazed nervously on the other side of the pasture with teary eyes.

“Why not?” she asked me.

“Because it’s no use!“ I shouted. “Why name him when I can’t even keep him? Just shut up and leave me alone! Is that too much…?” I broke down and ran to the barn, sitting down in the stall that was supposed to belong to my horse. I wanted to be alone…but you can’t escape from Loretta Lewis. She came and sat down beside me, putting her arm around me.

“Remember, Mandy; a reason for everything and everything for a reason! There’s a reason for horses, and death, and life! There’s a reason for…” I cut her off.

“And I suppose there’s a reason for Dad leaving, right? And a reason for Mom not letting me keep my horse? And a reason for Mom not being able to get pregnant after Sierra? And a reason for pain…and, and death? Can‘t you hear yourself?” I tried to speak, but all that came out was tears and sobs. I leaned over on Loretta and cried. I tried to take a deep breath, but all that escaped was a sob.

“It’s okay, Mandy,” she soothed, “It’s okay.” But it wasn’t.

“I don’t deserve a friend like you, Loretta,“ I sobbed.

“Hey, that is not true, Miranda! Hardly.”

I nodded through my tears. “Yes, it is!” I whispered.