Winnie the Horse Gentler

Perfect Gift (cont'd)
By Cierra, The Horse Lover

Chapter Two:

"Spokane. 8 miles," I read aloud. I had gone to Spokane many times with Mom to buy horse tack. As I stared down the road, a bright pink sign caught my eye. I dashed up to it and gasped.

HORSE AUCTION! All types and colors.
Arabian, Thoroughbred, Appaloosa.
Interstate Fairgrounds - August, 10
Call 928-3534 for registration.

That was it! That's where Nugget would be! If I just had enough time! I frowned as I glanced at my watch. It was too late. Anyway, August 10 was tomorrow.

God, I'm asking for a miracle to happen.

"Honk! Honk!" I looked up, startled. A hand stuck out the window of a silvery colored van.

"Kathryn! Kathryn Cooper! What are you doing way out here?"

Right away, I recognized the kind eyes and wrinkly face of Mr. Perry! What should I say? “Um… I’m going to Spokane to pick up something for Mom. And I… I’m going to the horse auction,” I stammered.

"Oh. Well, do you need a lift?" asked Mr. Perry.

"Uh... yeah. I mean, that would be nice of you."

"Okay, hop in the back."

I opened the door and a gust of cool air blasted into my face. I sat down and closed my eyes.

That was quick Lord. I asked for a miracle and you answered right away. You are awesome.

“Is your Mom coming to pick you up?” Obviously, Mom hadn’t told him I was missing. When I didn’t answer, he smiled. “I’ll just call your mom and tell her that I will drive you home. She’ll be surprised that I got home from the trip so early.” I was silent for a while. Why didn’t I remember that? He went on a trip to Canada! Then, suddenly my brain registered what he had just said.

“Sorry, but I’ll just walk home. I need my exercise, anyway. He just kept on driving. When we reached a gas station, I quickly jumped out and murmured thanks. I walked into the gas station to use the telephone for registration. I asked the woman at the counter where the telephone was and dialed the number.

“Hello?” asked a gravely voice.

“Hello, my name is Kathryn Cooper and I was wondering if I could register for the Horse Auction on the 10th.”

“I don’t think you have to be registered.”

“Well, I saw a sign on I-90, the freeway, and it gave this number for registration.”

“Oh,” he laughed a big 'Santa' laugh. “That must have been a mistake. People call this number to ask questions about auctions and activities at the fairgrounds. I’m sorry.”

“Okay, so I just show up there?” I asked.

“Yep. See you there!” He hung up. Okay. Now all I have to do is get there. If I see Nugget, I will stop her from being sold. Then I will call Mom. Right before I left, she told me that we aren’t in serious debt anymore. My eyes welled up with tears just thinking about my horse. I brushed them away.

The grass prickled my arms. I hadn’t traveled very much because it was getting dark. I had found an old oak tree to lay beneath for the night. As I snacked on old, dry bread, I heard a rustling sound a few feet away from me. A little quivering pink nose stuck out of the grass. That little nose turned out to be a cream and white colored rat. I backed up, not sure if she would bite me. She looked at me then bounded a few feet away. What I saw startled me more than ever. She was licking little bundles of fur. One was a soft black, one a hooded cream, and one a light gray, like what they call a “blue”. I was astonished. The blue one was exploring, so they weren’t too young. Their nest was just a ball of grass. The mother picked them up by the scruff of their necks, and put them in their nest.

That night I fell asleep to the sound of chewing and squeaking. The little family must have been playing. When I woke up, I looked around me. The nest was still there, but no babies and no mother. I heard a meowing from above my head. A big tomcat was perched up there in the tree. In his mouth was the mother rat. I couldn’t believe it. The mother was barely alive, and the cat probably ate the babies. I started yelling at the cat, and reached up and pulled his tail. He dropped the rat and ran away. After she fell, the mother rat squeaked and hid in the grass. I couldn’t find her, so I zipped up my backpack, which I had left open during the night, and started on my way.

I got there at exactly 1:57. The auction was in a parking lot. I quickly grabbed a seat. By 2:15, the whole parking lot was filled with people. They started with a bay Arabian, then a palomino Thoroughbred colt. All the bids were high. I opened my backpack to eat a snack. Right there were the little baby rats, eating all my food. I almost shrieked. But they were so cute, using their little paws to nibble the crackers. I closed up my backpack, and smiled. They hadn't been eaten. That big tomcat didn’t get them, because they were in my backpack all along.

By number 26, I was beginning to lose hope. That’s when a little Appaloosa filly about one week old came into view. I knew she was too young to be taken from her mother, so something must have happened. The auctioneer shouted into his microphone.

“This little filly happens to be here because her mother died giving birth. She belongs to Mr. John Valley. He looked at his papers. “The mare was bought at a auction somewhere in Rockford. Give me $500!”

I almost fell backwards in my chair. Could her dam be Nugget? I looked at the filly. She looked a lot like her. We bred Nugget.

She’s Nugget’s filly for sure…

I stood up, knocking my chair over onto a young woman. I apologized briskly and picked it up. I ran up to the auctioneer, my heart pounding. I have to get her. I have to stop them from selling her. People were already bidding.

Right before I got there, I heard the auctioneer call out, “Going, going, GONE!” I watched, with tears in my eyes, who they gave her to. He was a tall man with dark brown hair…

“Dad!” people looked at me, but I didn’t care. He saw me and stood there, while I ran to him. I ran straight into him, and gave him a big hug. He hugged me back. His smell was the same; that rural, outdoorsy, homely scent. We were crying both happy tears and sad tears, for lots of reasons.

“What are you doing here?” he finally asked, backing up and grasping my shoulders.

“Dad, I ran away… what are you doing here?” I said, hoping he would answer.

He said aloud, as if no-one was there, “I left, and I found a job here in Spokane. Mr. Perry called me up on the phone and told me that you would be at the auction. So I came, and here you are!”

“Mr. Perry?” I asked. “Mr. Perry called you up? How?”

“Well, I ran into him at the mall one day and gave him my phone number. He said that I should come home soon, because you and Mom were waiting for me. After he picked up you, he called me and I decided to come here and look for you. And, when I saw this filly, I knew I would have to get her for you.”

“Dad,” I said, excitement glowing in my eyes, “this is Nugget’s filly!”

We still had a lot to talk about, but it could wait. The little filly nudged between us, snorted, and pawed the ground. Dad laughed, his laugh that I couldn’t describe, his laugh that I hadn’t heard in weeks. We made room, laughing at the filly.

“I can’t name you Nugget,” I said joyfully. “But I know what I will name you,” I looked at her again. Her perfect spots, the maple-colored coat. She was just like Nugget. I whispered into her soft, furry ear, “You’re my Perfect Gift!”