Dreaming of Silver Roses

Fly

 

                        “Sara! The fence is right there! What do I do?” cried out Maggie in absolute panic.

                        Sweaty and sticky, now her legs were covered with damp, itchy, coarse horse hair. The smell of dry dusty hay, damp earth, green grass, and sticky sweat, flooded her nostrils. She leaned in clutching the coarse, dark, mane in her white knuckled fist. The sunlight shining into her eyes made her squint. Her own perspiration stung her eyes, but she would not let one hand go free to wipe it away. The hammering of hoof beats were interrupted only by her best-friend’s yells from behind her.

                                    “Dolly, whoa! Maggie, show that stupid horse who’s boss! Rein her in!”  Maggie shook the fog from her mind and looked up. Sara was yelling and galloping up behind her friend as quickly as possible. Maggie couldn’t catch her breath and couldn’t say anything still clutching the reins and mane in a death lock. She could see the barbed wire fence running lengthwise approximately a football field away. Brush and small trees tore at her jeans. Ever so often that crazy Paint slowed her pace just long enough to crane her neck back and nip at Maggie’s pant leg making the girl remove her foot from the stirrup and throwing her off balance.

            “Don’t let her make you take your foot out of the stirrup! Maggie! Mags, pull Dolly’s head around! She’s been trained for split reins! Pull one rein really hard! Be the boss!” called Sara over the sounds in Maggie’s head and ears. Then suddenly it seemed that the fence was about fifteen feet away. Maggie was so afraid that if she pulled back the wrong way Dolly would halt too quickly for her to right herself. Then she’d be thrown into the razor sharp wire.

            One side; one rein; get control. Separating the reins in her hands, she quickly wrapped one around the saddle horn and jerked the other toward the horse’s flank! Dolly wheeled around in a half circle almost unseating her terrified rider. Dolly was apparently startled at this change of direction enough to slow her lightning speed. Maggie gathered the reins together and pulled back really hard. Dolly, in utter discomfort, slowed then stopped.

                                    “Good girl, Maggie. Keep it up! Don’t let off yet. Keep your feet in the stirrups and lean back in the saddle! Hang on the saddle horn if you have to!” encouraged Sara. Reminding Maggie of who she was, Dolly switched up her tactics and changed sides reach around and nip again. This time she caught Maggie’s jeans in her teeth.

                                    “No!’ yipped Maggie, still breathing hard but not nearly as terrified. Glowering at her friend, Maggie ranted, “Good grief, Sara! Why did you give me this monster?”

                                    “Dolly’s great when you’re the boss. She can sense who’s running the show. Keep the reins tight, but not too restrictive. Squeeze harder with your knees. You have to be sure she feels what you want her to feel and nothing else. You have to show her who is in control.” Sara was in front of Dolly now, blocking her way with her own horse’s body.  “Do you still want to jump the creek or would you rather walk back home? I’m good either way.” Of course, to Maggie, Sara seemed to exude confidence persistently. Sara was powerfully feminine like a princess thought Maggie, clutching the reins and fighting Dolly for control.

                        Sara patted her horse’s neck and rubbed between his ears. Sara had a way with horses obviously. Horses, people, life, thought Maggie. Sara wasn’t the new kid. She had probably never slept with a packed suitcase under her bed in case of her father’s ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />midnight desires to suddenly relocate the family again. Sara probably never had to go out looking all over for her missing brother again! Sara wasn’t always worried about constantly keeping the peace between her parents and her sibling. Everyone had ideas and expectations that Maggie tried to live up. She was always trying to get it all just right.

                        Anger surged in Maggie’s heart. Heat built up in her face and neck. The emotions felt potent. Maggie felt like letting out some primitive scream which was an unusual and intoxicating sensation to her.

                        Maggie had only been riding for one summer. Taking that jump across the creek sounded crazy. Her parents would never let her do something like that if they knew. It was madness.

                        “Let’s do it. Let’s jump.” Maggie, drunk on adrenaline, set her teeth and narrowed her eyes. Sara looked as if she were going to protest. Maggie leaned in, and gave Dolly a small nudge. Dolly didn’t have to be asked politely. Like a shot, she took off.

                        Now that she was certain she could control the horse, and even stop her, Maggie wasn’t as terrified of Dolly’s flight. But it was still a rush. Maggie felt powerful perched on Dolly’s back. She leaned over Dolly’s neck and urged the mare on.

                        Dolly suddenly seemed to like this silly human. They were working as a team now. Once Dolly felt like she had her head and could run, she was more compliant. With a tender touch of the rein on either side of her neck, the Paint was guided with ease and grace.

                        “Hey, Maggie, take back some control! Maggie! Don’t give her too much head!” called Sara. “Maggie, this isn’t some sort of a game!”

                        Maggie was panting with the horse as she leaned in closer and whispered, “Let’s do it, Dolly!” Both she and Dolly seemed to see the creek at the same time. She felt Dolly’s muscles bunch up a bit under the saddle girth and where her calf muscles squeezed the round belly of the beast. Dolly tensed and snorted at the sight of the banks before her as if sizing up the jump.

                        Maggie had learned enough about riding to give Dolly a bit more lead way as they approached the creek. The creek embankment wasn’t very wide; maybe two average men’s shoulder’s width if they were standing in it shoulder to shoulder, but it was deep. It was deep enough to fit a small house inside and dried up from the summer sun. Falling would not feel good. Maggie clutched the saddle horn and the reins, dug her boots deep into the stirrups, leaned into Dolly’s neck, and let Dolly lead.

                        The leap felt like flying! It felt like freedom! Dolly landed with unexpected gentleness. Maggie drew Dolly up sharply and sat waiting. Sara landed gracefully along side her. Maggie was white, but she beamed. So that was what confidence and freedom felt like. It wasn’t that Maggie hadn’t been afraid. She had just taken the risk using that feeling with a bit of focus to get where she needed to go.

                        “You were great! You did it!” Sara glowed proudly patting her mount.

                        “Thanks. Dolly did most of the work.” Maggie was patting her partner as well. In response Dolly bit her leg. “Dolly! No!” Maggie pulled back on the reins.

                        “But you called the shots, Mags. You flew! It can be like that more often, you know. You just measure the risks, get educated about the challenges, and make a plan. Now, you know what it feels like.” Sara stared at her horses’ neck patting him. “You. You did it. You did it for you.”

                        “Yeah. Thanks.” She ran her fingers through Dolly’s mane. She decided that desperately wanted to hold on to that feeling.

                       

Filed under: short story, writing on August 21st, 2008