Cracker-Jack

Chapter eight

"Are you ready to go to the auction, Kathy?" Mom yelled from downstairs.

"Yes, one second!" I fixed my hair into a tight ponytail, grabbed my wallet, then jogged downstairs to mom. She was holding my jacket.

 "There you are! C'mon, let's go!" I grabbed the jacket, slipped on my boots, and walked out the screen door. I stared down at my boots as I listened to the gravel crunch below them.

 I sat in the passenger seat next to Mom as we drove down the driveway, we were about to pull in the road when Mom stepped on her brakes right before a truck pulling a horse trailer sped through.

 "Stupid driver," she muttered. But my eyes were glued to the horse in the trailer, a sick palomino, it's leg was practically mangled, its tail was cut short, and it had a sad, depressed expression in his eyes.

 "That horse is probably on it's way to the dog food factory!" Mom laughed.

 "Mom!" That was rude!" I yelled at her.

 "I was joking, it's probably on it's way to a good home, Kathy, calm down."

*****

 The auction was filled with mostly Rednecks, drunks, smokers, and kill buyers. Heartless people waiting to get a great deal on horses to be transported to the slaughter house. It just makes me sick.

 "Mom, what if some of these horses who need the most help get sold to kill buyers?" I asked her.

 "Sweetie, all of these horses are going to go to good homes." Mom said soothingly, but I know she is lying.

 I chose a spot in the front row to sit so I can get a better look at the horses. The paint on the bleachers were chipped, and the ceilings were covered with what looked like chicken wire, Mom leaned in close to me.

 "Remember, we are not buying anything!" Mom said. I rolled my eyes. I stared into the empty arena as a door opened, coming in was a gorgous chestnut mare, she was being ridden bareback by a brawny man, who took advantage of his spurs, he spun her in circles, stood on her back, jumped off of her, and did more pointless tricks, the auctioneer grabbed his microphone, welcomed everybody then got started with the auction.

 "Could I get 200? 200?" Then he just blabbered some jibberish that o one understands. I looked around, wives were whispering to their husbands and husbands were whispering to their wives, but no one moved. "Alright, how about 175? 175 anyone? 175?" More murmering, then the hand of a young man shot up, he was young, early twenties, maybe even 19, although he seemed nice, no spurs on his boots, clean shave, an overall nice expression. "Sold! For 175!" The auctioneer sat down, took a swig of water, and spoke back into the microphone. "Okay, who's next?" The auctioneer stared at the door until it swung open, and there he was. The sick Palomino from the trailer, the poor thing looks awful, at least 200 pounds under weight, all kinds of scars on his neck, standing before me with fear in his eyes, he darted backward, trying to get away from all the scary things, then an older man behind swung an orange paddle at him.

 "Go on, horse!" He waved the paddle in the air, the Palomino lunged forward knocking himself into the iron fence.

 "Woah! Looks like we have got a wild one here! Let's go 80! 80 Anyone? 80?" An old man behind me shot his hand up. A sweet deal, a helpless horse, it al makes sense, he is a kill buyer! My mother told me to never judge people, but I know he is a kill buyer, I can't let him take this horse, I just can't. I tugged on Moms arm.

 "Mom! That horse is going to be dog food if we don't bid!" Mom just shook her head and rolled her eyes.

 "100 anyone?" The auctioneer scanned the crowd.

  "Sweetie, all of these horses are going to go to good homes."

 Mom's words echoed in my head. If no one bids, she would have told me a lie.

 "100 going once," And I have enough money to buy him with me right now.

 "Going twice," I looked around me, no one shot up their hand, now is the time to show Mom that I am capable of taking a huge responsibility. I took a deep breath, counted to five, then raised my hand.

 "Sold! 100 dollars!" Mom looked around to find the buyer, until she laid eyes on me with my hand raised. Her eyes got as wide as golf balls.

 "Katherine! What have you done!? I told you no bidding, and look what you have done, you bought a horse!" I dident respond. Mom opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She grabbed my arm and drug me to the parking lot. "Katherine, I hope you know that you are grounded for doing something so stupid behind my back!" I shook my arm away from her.

 "Stupid?! Do you realize that if I had not put my hand up, that horse was going to die!? Not a painless shot that vets use to euthenize animals, but died a long painful death?! How would that make you feel?" I started to shake I was so angry.

 "I am not going to talk about this, as soon as we get home, this horse is going up for sale!"

 "But-"

 "Period! And I mean it Kathy," Mom swung her blonde hair out of her face and walked away.

 "Uhhhhg!" I kicked the truck with my steel toe boot. I can't believe this!

 Mom went to go talk to a young man about the Palomino, as it turns out the young man was the auctioneers son, but he said that there is no way to return the horse. Mom sighed.

 "Uncle Ted has a trailer," I suggested. Mom held her hand up to me as she pulled out her cell phone.

 "Ted, hi,......yeah can you pick up something for me?.........yes.......a 50 pound bag of sweet feed......wood shavings.......feed buckets.......and I need to use your trailer.........I will pay.......okay.......Thanks, Ted, Bye." She hung up and put the phone in her pocket.

******

 Uncle Ted pulled in and helped us get the supplies in the back of the truck and he helped us hitch the trailer.

 The palomino was tied to an iron gate with his head low to the ground, sniffing for food, maybe, but his eyes were filled with pain.

 "Get the horse in the trailer, Kathy," Mom said. I walked to the side of the horse and untied the lead rope.

 "C'mon, sweetie, it'll be alright, let's go home," I whispered. It seemed he had trouble walking because of his leg so I walked at his own pace. Somehow, just then, I knew that raising my hand was the greatest decision of my life.