Tears of the Past - Chapter 1

by Jacinta
(Victoria)

Chapter 1: Honey is Ill
“Mum! Mum! Hurry something’s wrong with honey!” I screamed I was confused and scared. I’m fourteen years old I don’t know much about medical stuff.

“I’m here, I’m here, no need to worry. I’ll call the vets,” mum said anxiously. I looked at the chestnut horse lying beside me. I took my mobile out of my pocket and dialed my friend Lucy’s mobile number. She answered.

“Hi…” she was cut off by me, “hey Luc come quick honey's ill.” I cried tears rolling down my face.

"Now Kelly, tell me what happened,” she said staying calm.

“I looked out my window she was lying down I went to pat her but she was squealing and I knew she was in pain,” I said fighting tears. I patted honey and whispered, “I will be here for you I promise I will never let you go never. Never ever.”

"Did you say something?” Asked Lucy.

“No, just talking to honey, bye.” I said fighting tears but some have snuck out.

“I’ll be there soon,” said Lucy.

Mum walked out a tear rolling along her face, “the vet will be here soon,” she said sniffing. I went to pat honey. She squealed in pain so I quickly pulled my hand away no longer fighting my tears. She was in pain her ears laid back and she was snapping with her teeth in thin air.

I heard hoof beats and looked up. Lucy was riding her horse patch. I remembered how I named her, she was my favourite horse. Out of Lucy’s, patch lied beside honey seeming to know she was in pain. I hugged patch, “oh girl what can I do?” I asked remembering all the adventures me, patch, honey and Lucy have had.

I cried. The thing I like about purebred pinto’s is they have minds of their own, not like my quarter horse honey. I mean she’s intelligent but patch responds to how people feel, so as I cried on her shoulder she whinnied and put her head on my shoulder. I had never shown anger while training horses like patch but they know when I’m mad or sad.

The phone rang mum looked at me. I ran inside grabbed the phone and said, “hello?”

“Hey sis,” said Lisa my sister.

“Hey sis you won’t believe this but honeys ill!!’ I said hurriedly.

“So?" Asked my sister sounding bored.

“But would you like it if your family was ill, would you be bawling your eyes out!!” I cried, anger bubbling up inside me. How could my sister say that? She knows how much I love honey, honey's my friend my family.

“Sis it’s a horse, not a human” my sister said uncaringly.

“BYE!” I said loudly.

“Si…” I cut her off by hanging up. I ran outside wrapped my arms around patch and cried in her mane. She nickered and sort of hugged me. My mum put her hand on my shoulder.

“Who was it? What happened?” Mum asked, concern in her voic0e.

“Lisa ra...ng she said hon...ey doesn’t matt...er.” I sniffed pausing a couple of times for I was bawling my eyes out and could barely breath.

”Don’t worry your sister is going through some tough times,” mum said kindly but I couldn’t help notice a touch of anger in her voice.

“Hey Kelly let’s see if we can get honey to drink,” said Lucy kindly. Everyone is being kind to me except my sister.

“Mum, Mum the vet's here.“ I called out. The vet stepped out of the car. Mum went up to him and talked. He walked up to honey, put a stethoscope on her chest. He mumbled something and wrote something on his notepad. He whispered to my mum. She nodded.

“Kelly do you mind if honey goes to the vet's for a little bit it will only be temporary,” mum said.

“Okay, if he helps honey but who am I going to ride?” I asked.

“Patch can stay here, how does that sound?” Said Lucy.

“Thanks,” I said happy yet sad.

“Remember lily the bay mare? Well, she needs riding.” said Lucy happily.

I hopped on patch and double dinked with Lucy. Patch cantered to her house. Lucy hoped off and waved. I turned patch but went at a trot to look at the lovely countryside, when I came home honey wasn’t there she was at the vet's.

Tears of the Past - Chapter 2

by Jacinta

Chapter 2: Patch work with Comet

Patch watched me rush into the stall with a pitch fork and wheelbarrow. I cleaned it out. I was sweating when I finished. Patch seemed to have become bored and was lying on the grass.

I wheeled the wheelbarrow to the manure pile and tipped it out. When I went out to pat patch she wasn’t there. I looked around the paddock frantically. When I went near the stable a head popped out. I screamed and fell butt first into fresh horse poo. Patch whinnied nearly sounding like she was laughing.

“Maybe you're right. I should loosen up, but that doesn't mean you can make me fall in your poop.” I said laughing. She snorted, walked out the stall and sniffed me. I smiled.

“That’s ok and yes I'm all right,” I said feeling a burst of love and compassion for her. Patch lifted her head and cantered to the gate whinnying. I looked and saw a lovely black horse gallop by but halted by patch. I saw he had a halter on but no lead rope.

I grabbed the lead rope which was honey's, walked towards them and quickly put it on him. It looked like he was a stallion. “Better keep you away from patch,” I said. He followed obediently.

I put him two paddocks away since I have 7 hectares. I easily could put him away. The paddock had wood and wire so the stallion was contained well. I called over to everyone’s house to see if they knew the horse but they didn’t.

I went home and patch was on heat. I put the stallion in the stable in his paddock. I brushed him and fed him than I brushed and saddled patch. I rode her for 3 hours than washed her over with the hose and washed her, wormed her and fed her.

After feeding patch and locking her in her stall, I wormed the black stallion I called comet for his cool looking mark with a circle and fire like stripe.

The stallion seemed happy here, warm with hay. Must be paradise to a horse. I looked at his teeth. 10 years old I am guessing like patch.

“Hey Kelly time to come inside,” yelled out dad. I patted comet and went to patch. Said goodnight and bolted inside.

The next day Lucy came over on Lily. She let lily into a paddock while I showed her comet. “Wow, he’s gorgeous!” Said Lucy.

“I know,” I said with adoration in my voice. She got a saddle and put it on him than the bridle.

“Are you sure you want to ride him?” I asked concerned. She put the lunging rope on him. I grabbed the other end, she nudged him into a walk. He did as he was told.

“Wow Kelly, you don’t know how comfortable this is!” Said Lucy in adoration. Once comet was warmed up, I hopped on him. She was right - this is comfy. I smiled a smile that hurt my face but I couldn’t help it he was so smooth when he moved.

That night I watched him run around the paddock. My dad walked out staring, “well no one knows him so I guess he can stay,” he said. I jumped up and hugged my dad so tight he made choking sounds but when I looked at him I knew he was joking.

All week I worked comet and patch. One day I put both in the arena and the phone rang. Dad ran out.

“Hey kiddo, leave those two. Honey is feeling better, let's go!” I yelled with glee and bolted to the car and sat down. Dad got in and we sped away.