My Little Girl

"For Sale"

September brought school, school brought eighth grade, and eighth grade brought one hell of a struggle for my Mykal. Her principle was a brute, and practically bullied her; my poor Mykal didn't know what to do. She would come to the barn fuming mad, smoke practically pouring from her ears. We’d have long rides those days, half of it was My Little Girl letting off steam, we’d go as fast as she pleased, and I would do anything to help her. Midway through September Mykal got news that neither of us were fully expecting. I was for sale. That day Mykal made it her goal to make me hers. At this point she was not only upset with school but her parents told her that if she wanted me, she had to buy me herself. At the time I was priced at $1,500 dollars, where was a thirteen year old supposed to get that kind of money? Mykal had a plan though, a plan that even surprised me.     

In October Mykal had already come up with fifty dollars, just from saving money that her parents would give her to buy things, she’d keep money on the side. Mykal and I competed in a show that month, and trust me if I could have spoken I would have told her it was a bad idea, but no one listens to her horse do they? The show ended the same way as the first, most shows ended like this, and every time it broke my heart. Mykal was determined though. She wanted to get better. Midway through October I got worried about my girl, school was driving her insane ad she hated it. Then one day she came to the barn a bit upset about something, her first boyfriend had broken up with her. The twist to this however? I was never told My Little Girl had a boyfriend.  

In late October Mykal went to a far away place called Boston, I’m not sure where it is but it must be far. Mykal said it was on the east coast, and that it was beautiful, she had gone to visit her cousin Marta and to go to some places she had seen on her favorite show.   

November was an interesting month; we once again tried a show. I had thought that this show was going to kill Mykal. We were in the warm up ring, Mykal was frustrated and honestly I was scared. I had been refusing jumps because I did not feel that it was safe for Mykal to jump them. (Again no one listens to the horse!) Finally I gave in and jumped for her, she was so mad she was in tears. We were coming through the last outside line in our warm up when it happened. Another trainer sent her rider through the same line right after Mykal called it out. I knew this could not end well, either we could cut it close and clear the last jump before the other rider gets over it or we could turn at the last second both were dangerous. Mykal wanted to clear it, but then saw the other rider and we turned at the last second, I turned without her. She went head first into the jump the impact caused a seizure.

That seizure embarrassed Mykal; she did not want to show her face. The other trainer in the arena had been yelling to catch me even though Mykal was having a seizure. After that seizure was the first time Mykal ever swore at me, she was so upset about what had just happened. We walked into my stall and I stepped on her foot, all swears poured from her mouth. Mykal then hugged me, to try and calm herself down, it only helped a little so she sat on the step of me stall and said to me. “I’m sorry Boo, I know it was my own fault… I’m sorry for yelling at you. Next time I get this mad please just ignore me.”

That bad idea of a show ended in a second seizure and myself questioning whether or not my little girl should continue to ride. However I was not aware that those two seizures would set off a month of hell for My Mykal. She had a seizure everyday for two weeks that month, hurting herself often, and coming to the barn with bruises all over her body. Mykal would show me these bruises; she would yelp if I touched one, all of this was because of her seizures.

Little did Mykal know that at the same time I myself was hurting? I had a gum infection, so I thought; I had it for years with no one noticing it, I just figured that I would be in pain for the rest of my time here on earth. Mykal often wondered what had happened to my jaw, why it was the way it was, someone had told her that I had broken it; others said that I had been kicked, if only they could here it from myself. I had not been kicked, nor do I have any memory of breaking my jaw, no one truly knew my past.