Still - Part 1

by Reina
(Kansas, USA)

horses in the night

It was cold. I had on a worn out pair of sneakers, a pair of torn jeans, and a old fleece sweater on. The wind blew across the eerie place. It was night already and I have been waiting over an hour for my mother to come pick me up. She said she had a surprise for me.

I was getting nervous this isn't usually like mom she's always on time, especially when I'm all alone in a local park. I heard the leaves rustle. I just sat their thinking "when will she come." Headlights passed along the the highway. I got up from under the tree where I was sitting and for some reason I started to run; I didn't know what happened to my mother and I was scared.

Finally, I stopped in front of the hospital where she worked as a nurse's aid. She wasn't paid much only $5 dollars an hour.

"Is Jenny Gardner still here?" I asked the head nurse.

"No, she left thirty minutes ago. Said somethin' bout' a horse."

"That's what she probably meant by surprise." I thought to myself. The phone on the counter started to ring, so the nurse got it.

"Hello?"

"Yes, she's here."

"It's your mother. She wants to talk to you," said the nurse.

"Okay," I said as she handed me the phone.

"Grace, you need to come home. I'll stop by to pick you up. Okay."

"Yes."

Still - Part 2

by Reina
(Kansas, USA)

My mother came and picked me up. We were about ten minutes from home and the whole ride was mostly silent. It started to drizzle, and we were driving through a mountain pass because our home was out in the Rocky Mountains of Utah. Then the rain started coming down in sheets.

I could hear the horse in the trailer neighing frantically. Then, a doe and a fawn jumped out into the middle of the road. My mother veered to the right. I screamed as the car rolled a few times. Then I blacked out.

Beep. Beep. I woke up in a white room. I couldn't remember anything that happened for a couple of minutes. There were nurses coming in and out of my room always checking my blood pulse.

"Where is she?" I said.

"Where is who?" said the nurse.

"My mother!" I said demandingly.

"Honey....I'm sorry.... but, but"

"But what!"

"She's dead." Tears started rolling down my cheeks.
"What about the horse?"

"Nothing serious. Just a few scrapes is all"
I was glad the horse was alright, but I was mad that my mother died. How could she leave me? How could she just leave me all by myself. My father I never knew. All I was told is that he left us when I was still a baby. He and my mom met in school he was an 8th grader and my mother was a 7th grader. They both were on the Scholars Bowl team. She gave him most of the answers, and he buzzed in and answered the questions.

Still - Part 3

by Reina
(Kansas)

It has been two months since my mom passed. I was with my Dad somehow he got news that Mom died and he came and got me this morning. We were heading to Idaho; he has a ranch up there. We were also bringing the mustang filly my mom bought before she died.

The filly is a grey with black stockings but I named her Silver because she looked like the color silver. I'm not allowed to ride her because Dad told me she is too young.

"Why did you leave?" I said through my teeth. I was still mad at him for leaving us when I was a baby.

"Well, because I was young and stupid," He said.
the rest of our 6 hour trip was spent in silence. I looked over the changing landscape thinking. Actually, every artist is a copier because they get and idea of what to draw or they see something, and they are copying God because he puts those ideas in their minds and is the creator of everything that is good.

Soon we got to our destination. We drove into the driveway the house was old and nice like the one that we owned back in Utah. The whole place was surrounded by pasture land filled with horses and cattle. After the pick up was parked. I jumped out And ran to the horse trailer so i could get Silver out. I clipped her lead rope onto her baby blue halter.

Silver had a kind yet scared look in her eye. I brought her out and walked her around. In circles to get the kinks out. My dad told me to go put her up in one of the empty stalls in the barn. i walked into the barn and bumped into a boy, and i just melted. he had dirty blond hair, a millionaire smile, and green eyes.

To be continued...

Still - Part 4

by Reina
(Kansas)

the photographer is unknown

A week later I was fine and not mad at my Dad anymore. We started to train Silver on a lunge line, and we had no problem with her at all.

"Dad, Silver's turning four next month. And I was wondering if I could start training her to carry a rider," I said.

"Sure, but Justin is going to have to help you when I'm herding cattle," he said.

"Okay."

I went to the barn to grab a saddle and a bridle. My Dad already allowed me to ride Starbucks, a Quarter Horse/Arabian. He's very sweet and for a 15 year old horse who has seen better days, he sure is frisky.

I carried the saddle outside and walked down to the first pasture that held the horses. Dad taught me a tune to whistle so just Starbucks would come galloping to me. I whistled. Starbucks arrived in a cloud of smoke, and I started to cough. I unlatched the latch on the gate and got in closing the gate behind me.

Soon, I had the bridle over his head, and the saddle blanket on his back with the saddle on top. I made sure that the girth was tight enough that I would not slide off.

It was in the high 60s a perfect day for a ride to the river. I opened the gate, lead Starbucks out, and latched it. For a Quarab Starbucks was pretty tall, standing 16hh at the withers. To get on him I had to set my foot on a nearby mounting block.

Quickly, we were off. The wind was blowing through my hair and I enjoyed the feel of Starbucks muscles moving underneath me.
The view was great. The lush grass was long and the mountains were beautiful this time of summer. A rock was coming up ahead and in 1 2 3 Starbucks jumped over it while I leaned forward and loosened the reins to give him full control of his head. He cleared it with inches to spare.
When I got to the river I saw Justin and his mare Roxi.

"What are you doing?" I said as I rode closer to him.

"Going for a swim. What about you Grace?"

"I came to enjoy the view and to have a small break."

Still - Part 5

by Reina
(Kansas)

To see all my drawings I've done in the previous year go to https://www.youtube.com/user/reinaseal50/videos?view=0&flow=grid
please comment!

It was already August. It still was hot, but a little cool too. School would start tomorrow and I'd be a Freshman, Justin would be a Sophomore.

Today would be my last fool day with Silver. She was doing fine. She's gotten used to a rider and Dad says we can train her in barrel racing. I went outside the sun had already set, and the coyotes made an eerie howl that made me shiver. There was a few rain clouds to the west. I could already smell it. The smell was great!

But, I went back inside and went to bed because I was so tired. But before I did that I set my alarm for 5:00 a.m. I woke up the clock read midnight and I had a cold sweat. Something wasn't right I could sense it. I slipped out of my nightgown and changed into a t-shirt and jeans.

I quietly tiptoed down the stairs and as I got to the screen door to put my boots on I saw him.
A grey stallion was trying to open Silver's pen. I rushed to get my boots on and hurried outside. For some odd reason my dad always left a lasso on a tree branch, which I grabbed. The first time I used a lasso was to catch a goat and it went perfectly around the goat's neck.

I whirled it in the air and let it go. Seconds passed like eternity. The lights in the house went on and then the lasso went right around his neck. My dad came out and took the rope from my hands. He had a slight smile on his face but looked mad.

"Young lady what did I tell you?"

"To never go outside at night without letting you know," I said.

Still - Part 6

by Reina
(Kansas )

Today, Justin would be training me on my form in the saddle, the lesson lasted an hour and Justin kept telling me I was a natural. Then, I unsaddled Silver and took her bridle off. Next, I put her in her coral to cool down.

Lately, Justin has been acting weird. Like he acts all cool around the other girls at school, but me, he acts all shy around me. I found Justin in the living room and plopped down next to him on the couch.
He was acting all fidgety.

"Justin are you alright because lately you've been acting all weird around me."
"Yeah, I'm alright. I have been acting weird around you because I like you Grace. You're the only girl I've ever liked." He bent his he.ad down in shame.
"Don't be ashamed. I have the same feelings towards you too." I said. He looked over at me with a sparkle in his eyes and looked like the happiest person on the planet.

Before I even knew it he had kissed me. He left the living room and went outside while I just melted on the couch. It was three and my Dad would be home by 5 for supper. I decided to cook Spaghetti. Dad got home and he told me to go tend to the horses. He and Justin were talking, but I don't know what about. Soon I would find out. Silver was being an angel while I fed her and the other horses.

Dinner was quiet. Justin still had the same sparkle in his eyes. My Dad you really couldn't tell what he was thinking. We finished dinner and Justin went up to his room. Dad read the Holy Bible aloud, while I washed and dried the dishes.

"Grace?"
"Yeah Dad."
"Do you like Justin?"
"Yes"
"He asked me if I would allow you to date him. Do you want to date him?"
"Yes."
"As long as you're happy I'm happy. Will you please get Justin for me?"
"Yeah, I will."

I ran up the stairs and knocked on Justin's door and told him my Dad needs him. I then went to my room, grabbed my pj's, and took a shower. I was half asleep when someone knocked on my door. I turned my bedside lamp on and told them to come in. It was Justin.

"Your Dad said we could take Starbucks and my mare out to the pond and have a picnic. Would you like that?"
"Yeah, I would."

He kissed me again for about 1 minute and gave me a kiss on the forehead.

"Goodnight Justin."
"Goodnight Grace. I love you."

I turned off the lamp and fell asleep.