Learning To Live

Chapter 2

I approached the main door of the stable that led into the main office and waved hello to Dan who was the one who worked at the front desk and controlled the lesson schedules. Dan waved back at me and called out hello but by that time i had already shouldered open the door that led to the employee's room. There was a couch, television, refrigerator, and then a counter on the side with a sink on the right side of it. Another door in the room led to the bathroom.

    I plopped my backpack down on the counter and then threw away the empty bag of chips that i had been carrying since i had finished them before coming inside the building. I took a long drink from my water bottle before putting it inside of the refrigerator. I took a sticky note from the calendar that hung up on the wall, wrote my name on it, and then placed it on my water bottle that was in the fridge. This way, nobody would take my water and it would stay cold until i came back to the room.

    My backpack, which was sitting on the counter for the moment, had my change of clothes inside of it so i went to the bathroom to change. When i came out, i took off my flip flops which i had worn to school and pulled on my boots. My boots were so dirty from dust that you could hardly tell what the original color of them was. Some people might think that they are not comfortable but i believe that they are and that is all that matters.

    Since i was done changing, i headed out to the barn where the horses were kept. I passed many of the stalls which held horses of every size and breed before stopping in front of stall number sixty-eight. As soon as Aily heard my boots scrape against the ground, she made a sharp sniff before poking her head out of the stall. I rubbed her nose and whispered to her. Her face was warm.

    I quickly went to one of the tack rooms. There were two of them total and they both held basically the same exact thing, they were just placed at different ends of the barn. Once inside, i grabbed the currycomb and one other brush. Racing back to the stall, i unlatched the door and stepped inside, all the while making sure to latch the door once again behind me. I ran the currycomb across Aily's back until i had brushed her entire backside. Then i got to work on her neck, making broad strokes. I set the currycomb aside and then picked up the other brush. I tried to detangle both her tail and mane but it did not work out that well so i did the best that i could before finally giving in. Aily's hair was going to become thick when winter came. Then, it would be so pretty and soft although that mean i would have to brush her down more often but i did not really mind.

    Behind me, the stall door creaked and i turned, expecting the latch to have come undone but it was only Racheal. She was one of the people that i gave lessons to occasionally. She smiled down at me since she her twelve year old height was boosted up by the stall door.

    "What are you doing here this early? Your lesson does not start for another half hour."

    "Well, my mom had a lot to do at work and she could only get off to bring me here early so here i am."

    Rachel gave me another smile and i smiled at her in return.

    "Okay, i will see you later, i am going to go sit in the waiting room now. I have lots of homework and if i do not get it done now, then my mom will be mad at me for doing my riding lesson before my homework is done."

    "Okay", i replied, "I will see you later then."

    With that, Rachel walked towards the building that i had come from a mere fifteen minutes ago. I went out of the stall to put the brushes back into the tack room and picked out a cream colored saddle pad and then light blue reins. I also made sure to pick out a headstall that had a bit. When a horse is still in training and does not know how to react, it is preferable to have a bit as it allows more control over the horse while riding.