October Story Contest
Finding Me Through Sky
By: Hrsluvr101
Age: 17I sit curled up texting as my Dad drives our tan van down a dirt road.
"So how is the home schooling coming"? He asks turning the radio down. I roll my eyes and look out the window. Dad grips the steering wheal and I smile inside.
'Good get mad. See how I feel.'
When we pull into the driveway of the farm I am out the door faster than he can yell, "Be back by dinner." I run until I reach the calf barn and throw open the door. I am greeted by excited bellows from the little cows and I laugh.
"Hey everyone. Who's hungry"?
I go about my business making supper for the calves and then feed them all. I look at my phone periodically, but have no replies from my best friend Lilli. When I finish I run to the house and kick off my shoes.
"Haley" I call to the little Jack Russell I'm taking care of. She turns the corner and jumps up to me, I catch her and she licks my face. I let her out and my phone buzzes:U gunna do any riding in WI?
I laugh and reply to Lilli: lol. funny. haven't ridden in months. u knw that. :(I send it and get Haley back inside. I turn on the oven and throw in a lasagna for supper and then go into the living room and turn on the TV.
I notice on Animal Planet that Horse Power is on.
I grab my phone and text Lilli as fast as I can:
HRS PWR ON AN PLAN!!!!
begin watching and then my phone buzzes again:
Hour ahead. Already watched. DUH!!!
I laugh and don't reply because I am trying to focus on the show. I watch as all these girls ride their horses and compete. I finish watching the show and feel totally jealous so I shut it off and go to the kitchen. Haley follows right behind me and I put food and water into her dish. I pull the lasagna out of the fridge and my Dad walks through the door.
"Hey lil girls. What’s for dinner?" he asks taking off his boots.
"Lasagna."
I say putting it on a hot pad on the table and grabbing table settings. We eat dinner and talk about the farm and my heartbeats a little faster when things get silent. I work up my courage and ask him
"Dad, do you think I could get another horse?" I shove lasagna in my mouth after he is silent for a little while.
'I shouldn't of asked that.'
Dad smiles at me from across the table and says
"Yeah of course. We've just gotta get your mom and brothers here first and then we can look around."
------- The family moved to WI, leaving their old home in NY behind. They have been living in WI for 3 months now.-----
"Jojo, wake up." my little brother Travis calls from the bottom of the stairs. I jump out of bed and get dressed. I dance down the stairs and slide into my chair at the table.
"Alright. So today Olivia's gonna go try out a horse in Millford at Sunny Meadow." Dad says going through the day’s activities. I only hear that part and then block out the rest.
' I can't wait. Barnaby, 15.3 hh QH chestnut gelding. Rides western and English.'
I recite the horse’s details in my head. Breakfast ends and my mom, dad, me, and Travis get into the car. Jason my older brother doesn't care for horses so he waves as we drive away.
When we get to the barn I finish tying my boots and straighten out my vest. I get out and Susan the owner greets us.
"Hello everyone. Lets go see Barnaby shall we?!" she says smiling. We all follow her into the barn. My parents and Travis go wait in the indoor arena while Susan and I talk about Barnaby.
"So Olivia how long have you been riding?"
"Since I was 3 years old."
"Okay and how many horses have you had?"
"I had a pony at age 5, a Quarab at age 10 and her foal for 5 days, and I have just ridden friends horses since then."
"Oh okay. Well what happened to her foal?"
"He died. Dixie my mare ate some fescue grass and that prevented her from producing colostrums. CD her foal didn't get enough nutrients and he died."
"Oh, that’s a lot to go through. I'm glad you kept riding though. So let's get Barnaby tacked up."
I ride him at all 3 paces walk, trot, and canter. I notice he has a problem going to the left but he is so gorgeous I don't care. "How do you like him?" my Dad asks from his seat on the sidelines.
"I like him alot." I say patting his neck.
My Dad just shakes his head up and down nodding and my mom smiles at me.
"You look good up there." she says giving me a thumbs up. I finish riding and my Dad tells Susan we will give her a call. On the way home I can't stop talking about Barnaby.
I text Lilli: Just got done. SO AWESUM!!! Will call you later.
When we get back home I run to my room and laugh and jump around excitedly.
"Olivia come down here please." my mom calls. I run down and say in a singsong way "YYYEEEAAASSSS!!"
"Sit down. We need to talk about that horse." my Dad says. My mom sits next to him and she doesn't look at me so I already know the answer. My heart drops to my stomach and the anger I've been hiding from moving boils up and so do tears.
"Now we are just talking about it so no reason to cry." I wipe my tears and sit down with a thud.
"You know just as well as I do that, that horse has a bad leg. Not turning to the left like that he probably gets lame real easy. I think we should try for another horse." he says smiling at me.
"Yeah, whatever Dad." I say getting up and stomping to my room. I turn my music up and grab a horse illustrated. I grab my phone and call Lilli.
"Hey, OMW what’s goin on?? Tell me all of it!!" I hear her voice and I break down.
"Oh, Liv, what happened?"
"My Dad says we have to keep looking. Its not even that though."
"What is it?" "I hate being here. Horses are my only happiness and I don't even have those. I miss you and your horses. I miss riding and barn sleepovers, I miss being happy." I hear Lilli start crying too.
"They are your horses too. Especially Gulliver. He still looks for you when I come home from summer school. It's so sad."
We cry on the phone and then I wipe my tears.
"I miss him too. Listen I'm super tired. I will call you tomorrow after you get out of school okay?"
"Okay. Luv ya"
"Luv ya too. Bye." I hang up the phone and fall fast asleep.
I wake to a knock on my door and my Dad walks in.
"Hey." he says. I sit up, wipe my eyes, and pull my knees to my chest. My Dad sits down on the bed and smiles. "Ya know if you hadn't run off yesterday I woulda told you the good news." I look at him and he says "I've already got another horse lined up for you. You ride her tomorrow. So be ready."
"DAD!!! Tell me more about her." I say hugging him. "Nope. You gotta wait."
TO BE CONTINUED.......................