Heart and Soul

Chapter 6

Mom hopped lightly onto my back and cantered me to the field, her mallet in the air. Several people asked Mom if I was 'the new horse' and several people said how glossy my coat was or how fit I looked or how well I was behaved. Mom said they had Annie to thank.

Then from his position on a black gelding Hesham smacked the ball and sent it flying across the field. I wheeled around but the rest of the horses were already galloping down the field. Mom urged me on and I opened my stride, eating up the ground with huge strides. I pressed my ears against my head as Mom guided me expertly up to the ball.

She hit it hard and sent the ball soaring between two posts, then pulled me up and cheered with everyone else. The umpire sent the ball back onto the field and Mom pushed me into a fast canter to get ahead as it was heading for out goal. I loved the sounds of the game, the hoof beats, the snorting, the cheering, the ball and mallet. Right then I knew why I was here: polo.

Mom leaned down to take a neck shot, but I stumbled and went down. My shoulder hit the ground hard and my breath was crushed out of my lungs. I was on my side and Mom was between my hind and forelegs, resting against my barrel. I went to get up, but realized if I did I would risk injuring her more, maybe even killing her.

The cheering stopped, the hooves stopped, the snorting stopped, the ball stopped. The entire field was enveloped in a thick silence, then I heard Annie.

"Mom! Whiskey! Are you okay?"

I lifted my head and whinnied to her, but Mom wasn't responding. I nuzzled her, then Annie came up. She felt Mom's pulse, then turned around and yelled "Someone call nine one one! She's not responding!"

Annie pulled Mom away from my side and as soon as she was gone I climbed back onto my feet and shook myself off. I stood beside Annie, not moving, as several people came to Mom's side. Annie grabbed my dangling reins and led me slowly off the field.

I was lame, and I could see how worried Annie was. Paloma, Vikingo, Annie, and I got a ride home with Hesham. Freckles, an appaloosa gelding, was standing beside me and said he'd seen the whole thing.

"That was quite a sight." He nickered in his southern accent.

"Yeah, I guess so." I replied quietly.

"Heh, I've seen a lot of things but few that scary, I'm glad you're okay."

"But what about Mom?"

"Good gravy! Mom's gonna be just fine, ya'll didn't hear? She's just got a minor concussion and a fractured shoulder, that's what put 'er out."

"And I'm supposed to be happy? It's all my fault! I should have been more careful!"

"Careful? Every good horse is goin' to fall down sometime, but only a great horse can get back up, metaphorically speaking of course."

"Well maybe I'm not a great horse, I hurt Mom, I threw Annie, I couldn't make anyone happy. I'm just a big screw up."

He chuckled quietly to himself.

"Why are you laughing?" I snorted angrily.

He nipped me on the shoulder, his ears pinned.

"Now listen here, young 'un, you ain't a screw up, ya hear? A screw up would have gotten up and ran, only caring for their well being. A screw up would have left that red head sittin' on the ground after they got thrown and pranced around like they just won the whole darn bag of oats! But you, you stayed down until they got Miz. Halliday out of  the way, you went right back to Annie after you threw her, I know, she told Hesham. So don't you go 'round calling yerself a screw up when you're better than most of the horses that've played this sport! I remember a game where a big bay mare flipped over on her rider, Mister Halliday I do believe, Annie's pa, killed 'em on the spot. Sad day that was."

I hung my head, knowing he had a point.

"You're right, I'm sorry."

"Now, that's okay young' un. We all screw up sometimes."

We passed the rest of the ride in relative silence, and by the time we got back to the barn I was feeling slightly better. My shoulder still ached and I was still lame, but I felt better inside. I walked out of the trailer first as I didn't tie, then Annie got Paloma and Vikingo. She put them in the field, then waved goodbye to Hesham. I whinnied a goodbye to Freckles too. Then Annie took me into the barn and held me in the aisle. A white truck drove up a while later and a man in a green polo and jeans stepped out.

He came up to me slowly and offered his balled fist for me to sniff. I pinned my ears at him. He laughed, then turned to Annie.

"Nice horse you got here, 'bout as sweet as vinegar though."

"She's just upset. She fell on her shoulder."

"Okie dokie, let's check it out."

He ran his hands from my withers to the point of my shoulder, then to my heart girth and back up to my withers. Then he felt everywhere in between. I twitched my skin when he touched the point of my shoulder and he nodded.

"Certainly sore, but no deep tissue, bone, or muscle injury. She'll be fine in a few days."

"Thanks Doctor Martin."

"No problem Missy, tell your mother I hope she feels better soon."

When the white truck rumbled down the driveway Annie turned around and buried her face in my good shoulder.

"Oh Whiskey! I know it wasn't your fault and I'm not blaming you, don't you ever think that, I'll love you forever. But I was so scared! For both of you! So scared..."

She broke down into sobs, and I reached around her with my head. We stayed that way until she wiped her eyes with a sniff and said: "I bet Vikingo and Paloma are hungry." I nickered. "You too!" She turned me out, then threw hay for all of us and gave us our grain.

Vikingo told us how he'd outrun a 'blue grass bred Thoroughbred' and Paloma shared a story of how she's bitten a mare who'd shoved her. No one asked me to share any stories, and I was glad, I really didn't want to relive today's events.