Read Online Dante of the Maury River by Gigi Amateau - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Gigi Amateau
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all my business in one spot. More or less.
As she was finishing up spreading fresh shavings in my stall, she set down the rake and picked up her story. “I bet you wonder why I told you all that about my family. Okay, here’s why. After Daddy left, Mama started to call me Monkey. She told me, ‘You’re my only daughter. You and me, Monkey, we’re a team now.’ So, Dante, you see what I’m saying, don’t you? You’re my only friend here. Not a single bad thing from before matters, Monkey. We get a new start. You and me.”
She turned away, disappeared without a word or breath or good-bye.
At Edensway, my water filled up on demand. On my demand. I’d simply press my nose to a big old button and, whammo-blammo, my bucket would fill up with fresh cold water. But at the training barn, I relied on Filipia. I got used to her being gone, then back in a quickstep, ducking under the gate with the green hose folded tight in her hand.
“Ha! My monkey thought I’d left without a good-bye. Never! Here, you need fresh water. Drink up.”
She leaned way over, balancing on one leg while pulling the hose to reach my bucket. Just the sound of the water curling and whirling around made me thirsty. Filipia started to wobble, and I stood right there behind her to steady my partner. I pressed my muzzle into her shoulders, very lightly, just enough to tilt her upright.
“Aw, Monkey! You love me like crazy,” she said.
I nickered because, well, she was right.
M iraculously, Gary had indeed consented to give me one more chance. An even bigger miracle? He agreed to give Filipia exactly one chance. Just one. Desperate, I reckon.
She took it; I took it. And I’ll brag right now: those crusty horsemen stood back and learned something from an eighteen-year-old girl. A tiny, baby-faced girl.
“Two days,” Gary barked at her one morning, about the middle of May. “That’s it. I’ll allow you forty-eight hours to make this happen. We’ve got to make up some time. All my other horses are doing baby two-year-old races already.”
I glanced up from my hay, a mouthful of it dangling from my lips. As much as I wanted that little old girl to show them up and prove herself, the fact was not lost on me that her goal was to break me.
They’d already broken my knees and set them back straight when I was shy of a month old. This breaking that Gary kept talking about involved something else. Something even more precious than my bones or muscles or any other parts at all.
Gary was negotiating with Filipia about breaking my spirit.
Even though I liked the friendship that had been developing between us, well, I don’t imagine there is a horse or human or any living thing who is eager to have their spirit broken.
Because without my spirit, what am I? Just a big tangle of skin and hair and a crazy mess of bones. All mane and tail with no swish or swag.
Such thoughts raced through my mind. At least something in me was racing.
Similar thoughts must have been rolling around in Filipia’s head, too. Now, she didn’t have a wild spray of hay dangling between her teeth, but her eyes showed every bit as white as mine.
Gary finally snapped his fingers in front of her face. “Tick. Tock. You get where I’m coming from?” he said, then turned to walk away.
“Sir, Gary?” Filipia called after him. She swallowed a gulp of air, and I’ll tell you what, I figured she was about to give up on me before she’d even started. Part of me was relieved.
Relieved I might never have to prove myself. Relieved I might not ever fail at the three tests. You can’t fail if you never start.
Then Filipia surprised me.
“Sir, Gary? I won’t break him. Just so you get where I’m coming from.”
I thought Gary was going to blow himself right out of his boots. He turned so dark in the face from heating up on the inside. I just knew Filipia’s next task would be mucking a mess of melted Gary up off the floor of my stall.
But she didn’t let his fuse
As she was finishing up spreading fresh shavings in my stall, she set down the rake and picked up her story. “I bet you wonder why I told you all that about my family. Okay, here’s why. After Daddy left, Mama started to call me Monkey. She told me, ‘You’re my only daughter. You and me, Monkey, we’re a team now.’ So, Dante, you see what I’m saying, don’t you? You’re my only friend here. Not a single bad thing from before matters, Monkey. We get a new start. You and me.”
She turned away, disappeared without a word or breath or good-bye.
At Edensway, my water filled up on demand. On my demand. I’d simply press my nose to a big old button and, whammo-blammo, my bucket would fill up with fresh cold water. But at the training barn, I relied on Filipia. I got used to her being gone, then back in a quickstep, ducking under the gate with the green hose folded tight in her hand.
“Ha! My monkey thought I’d left without a good-bye. Never! Here, you need fresh water. Drink up.”
She leaned way over, balancing on one leg while pulling the hose to reach my bucket. Just the sound of the water curling and whirling around made me thirsty. Filipia started to wobble, and I stood right there behind her to steady my partner. I pressed my muzzle into her shoulders, very lightly, just enough to tilt her upright.
“Aw, Monkey! You love me like crazy,” she said.
I nickered because, well, she was right.
M iraculously, Gary had indeed consented to give me one more chance. An even bigger miracle? He agreed to give Filipia exactly one chance. Just one. Desperate, I reckon.
She took it; I took it. And I’ll brag right now: those crusty horsemen stood back and learned something from an eighteen-year-old girl. A tiny, baby-faced girl.
“Two days,” Gary barked at her one morning, about the middle of May. “That’s it. I’ll allow you forty-eight hours to make this happen. We’ve got to make up some time. All my other horses are doing baby two-year-old races already.”
I glanced up from my hay, a mouthful of it dangling from my lips. As much as I wanted that little old girl to show them up and prove herself, the fact was not lost on me that her goal was to break me.
They’d already broken my knees and set them back straight when I was shy of a month old. This breaking that Gary kept talking about involved something else. Something even more precious than my bones or muscles or any other parts at all.
Gary was negotiating with Filipia about breaking my spirit.
Even though I liked the friendship that had been developing between us, well, I don’t imagine there is a horse or human or any living thing who is eager to have their spirit broken.
Because without my spirit, what am I? Just a big tangle of skin and hair and a crazy mess of bones. All mane and tail with no swish or swag.
Such thoughts raced through my mind. At least something in me was racing.
Similar thoughts must have been rolling around in Filipia’s head, too. Now, she didn’t have a wild spray of hay dangling between her teeth, but her eyes showed every bit as white as mine.
Gary finally snapped his fingers in front of her face. “Tick. Tock. You get where I’m coming from?” he said, then turned to walk away.
“Sir, Gary?” Filipia called after him. She swallowed a gulp of air, and I’ll tell you what, I figured she was about to give up on me before she’d even started. Part of me was relieved.
Relieved I might never have to prove myself. Relieved I might not ever fail at the three tests. You can’t fail if you never start.
Then Filipia surprised me.
“Sir, Gary? I won’t break him. Just so you get where I’m coming from.”
I thought Gary was going to blow himself right out of his boots. He turned so dark in the face from heating up on the inside. I just knew Filipia’s next task would be mucking a mess of melted Gary up off the floor of my stall.
But she didn’t let his fuse
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