Sunday afternoon, I walked into the stables. Jayden was feeding Fury, "Hey." I said as I rolled my hand down the back of a black horse.
He dusted the back of his jeans and smiled, "Hey, how's your head?"
I shrugged and pulled on a pair of gloves, "Fine, I guess."
He shifted past me, "That's good!"
"Yep! So what's the plan for today?" I turned around as he poured food into another horse's bucket and closed the stable door.
A confused look spread across his face, "I didn't have one, but feel free to take a horse out."
I fettled with my charm bracelet and squirmed.
He stopped, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing" I said, looking up.
He continued, "I'm going into town for a while, see you later." He smiled and left the barn.
I ran after him, "Wait! Can I come too?"
"Sure," he opened the passenger side door in his truck as I hopped in.
He turned up the music and started tapping the back of the steering wheel.
I sat back in the truck and closed my eyes, breathing in the fresh air coming from the open widow. I smiled.
I opened them up just when he turned into town, "So where are we going?"
"I've got to pick up something for Sam," he replied, jumping from his truck.
I stayed back in the truck and watched people carry horses, food, wood, and more. Jayden returned with a horse. I hopped out of the truck, "Who's this for?" I said, stroking the horses hair.
The horse jumped back, frightened, "There is something wrong," the owner said in horror, whipping the back of his next with his palm.
"What's wrong with him?" I asked, scratching it's back.
The man tapped his shoe slowly off the dirt, "I don't know, he just will not go into his stable or eat,"
I lifted my eyebrows, "Well why is he coming to Sam's barn if there's something wrong?"
"Sam's going to have a look at him," Jayden said, leading the horse to the trailer on the back of his truck.
I helped him load the horse onto the truck and sat in the passenger's seat and got lost in my thoughts.
"Charity," Jayden repeated, tapping my shoulder.
I opened my eyes and sat up, "What happened?"
"You fell asleep...Did you hurt yourself?" He asked again.
"No, I just remember sitting here, thinking about my mother," I said, placing a hand on the seat,"
He pulled the truck in reverse and brought us back to the barn.
I watched the frightened horse for the next two months but nothing seemed to happen. So I brought him into the yard outside of the barn and walked him around the edge, the way Ma told me was the way to calm a horse down, and get them walking.
He walked, and walked as I followed him, swinging a rope around in my hand.
Jayden sat on the railing and watched, it made me feel happy.
It made me remember Ma.
