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Alexa had survived her first day back at school. At least one of her best friends, Suzy, was there which helped the day go a bit smoother, and now they had another two days off.
The last summer holidays were probably the best I can remember, Alexa thought as she jumped off the steps of the school bus. As it pulled out Betty tooted the horn and Alexa acknowledged her with a wave. Checking the mailbox, she pulled out a handful of letters and tucked them into the flap on her school bag. While unclipping the gate, she looked to see if she could see her horse grazing.
The familiar scent of the jasmine flowers reminded her she was home. She pushed open the white wooden gate and dawdled up the driveway between the post-and-rail fences, admiring horses in the paddocks as she passed. She noticed how most of the paddocks had horses in them.
A lot has happened at the farm while I’ve been away, she thought. Mum’s got quite a few new horses in.
Four young horses lined up to watch her as she approached. She thought they looked cute lined up leaning over the gate. ‘Hi, you guys,’ she said softly, reaching out to them. Alexa loved meeting all the new horses her mother looked after at Jasmine Farm. She thought these yearlings were especially cute lined up waiting for their turn to be stroked. The downside was how much she missed them when they had to be returned to their homes, the racetrack or breeding farms. One by one she stroked their faces. A bay thoroughbred leant forward, sniffed Alexa’s hair and pulled on her school bag, which made her laugh.
‘Just what I need, a horse to cheer me up after my big day at college,’ she giggled and then she heard the familiar neigh of her own horse. ‘Liqui! I’m home,’ she called as she ran up the driveway.
Liquorice and her paddock mate Ripple trotted towards the gate to greet her. Liquorice was wearing her light UV cover. The days were hot and Alexa wanted to stop her black coat fading in the sun, especially with more shows coming up.
Alexa was looking forward to returning to pony club this weekend; with the summer holidays and being away at White Cloud Station, it seemed such a long time since they’d had their last rally. But more immediately, she couldn’t wait for Suzy to arrive on the bus at six. It wasn’t really fair that Suzy lived in the city and had to do her cleaning job before she could come out and stay. But then I have jobs to do here at the farm too, she thought. Not that work around horses is ever really work. She couldn’t wait to get out of her stuffy school uniform and into her favourite riding clothes. It was a pity she’d have to wear her pony club top tomorrow. She really would have liked to have shown off her White Cloud Station Round-up teeshirt – the one she’d been presented with for being part of the official team that brought the wild horses down from the ranges. Anyhow, it’s kind of good Suzy and I will have the house to ourselves for the weekend, thought Alexa as she opened the front door of the old villa. She dumped her schoolbag on the floor of the entranceway and threw the mail on the hall table. As she went to walk away, the horse-head logo on one of the flyers caught her eye: National Grand Champion Show.
‘Cool, the schedule’s out for the big show!’ she chirped. ‘Suzy and I can go through the classes we want to enter later.’ She placed it back on the table and noticed an A4 envelope, with the Brooklyn Equestrian Centre logo, addressed to her. Her face lit up – she hoped these would be the tickets and programme she’d ordered over the Internet two days earlier. She ripped open the end of the envelope and shook the contents onto the table. She shrieked, and, grabbing the tickets, danced up and down on the spot. Her Jack Russell appeared at the front door, ‘Yay, Hank. The tickets are here!’ She waved them at the dog who was staring up at her. Hank tilted his head on its side while Alexa continued, ‘Awesome, we’re off to see the dancing horses.’ Hank barked excitedly, picking up on Alexa’s gusto.
‘Oh, sorry, Hank. Not you, darling. Suzy and Lucy, I meant. Oh, I do hope Lucy’s well enough to travel to the Brooklyn Equestrian Centre to see the Andalusian horses performing. Oh gosh, it’s still weeks away. I hope Lucy will be back by then.’ She couldn’t wait for the three of them to be together again. Picking up her bag, she felt momentarily deflated. Hank sensed her change in mood and trotted outside.
Her mood lightened again, however, as her thoughts returned to Suzy staying overnight. We’ll be able to stay up late, lounge around in our PJs, eat chips and marshmallows, and talk horses all night long! And we’ve got pony club tomorrow. I can tell the members how we rounded up wild horses – they’re just not going to believe it. Can’t wait!
The house was quiet without her parents and brothers. The silence was broken when the large grandfather clock chimed four, giving Alexa the spurt of energy she needed. She rushed down to her bedroom, threw her bag in the direction of the wardrobe, pulled off her uniform and flung it in the same direction as her bag. She was keen to get the mucking out over with before Suzy arrived. They could then fit in an early evening ride, she thought.
***
Suzy placed her school uniform on the chair in her bedroom. Slipping into her denim shorts and teeshirt, she pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail and poked it under, fastening it in place with a tight band. She couldn’t stand her hair getting in her eyes when she was cleaning the surgery. Pulling on her sneakers, she leapt down the spiral staircase leading to the lounge. After the quietness and serenity of the high country, where she’d spent most of her holidays, she seemed to really notice the traffic noise outside. The apartment now felt a little claustrophobic, especially after staying at the ‘big house’ of White Cloud Station.
She finished her orange juice, grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and, poking it into her bag, she rushed next door to her father’s surgery. He was on duty at the hospital that afternoon, which meant she’d have the place to herself, and with a bit of luck she’d get the lot cleaned in an hour. There was no way she was going to miss the bus; she had to get out to see her horse, Ripple. It felt so weird not having him close by; she’d gotten so used to being around him over the long summer holidays. She so wished she could have stayed on at White Cloud Station with her friend Lucy, but she knew it was impossible; besides, her father would be too lonely on his own. Oh, poor Dad, she thought. And here I am rushing off already!’
***
Suzy pulled the vacuum cleaner out of the cupboard and plugged it into the wall socket. As she worked she thought about her friend. Poor Lucy with her leg in plaster and not being able to ride, she thought. She won’t be able to do any of the cool things we will be doing for ages, like pony club and stuff.
She sighed. And as for Lucy’s horse, Hope’s injury – ligaments and tendons can take so long to heal . . .
She checked the clock on the surgery wall. ‘Oh no, it’s already 4.05!’
Suzy rushed to the cupboard and grabbed the cleaning gear from the top shelf. She sprayed the furniture polish onto the desktop with one hand and rubbed frantically with the other. It was looking nice and shiny she thought as she polished hard and fast.
Suzy knew how fussy her father, Andrew, was about cleanliness, especially when it came to his surgery and consulting rooms. Thank goodness he wasn’t lurking about inspecting her work. Suzy caught the scent from the lilies in the vase on the reception desk as she leaned over as far as she could to polish away the specks of dust, and then she heard a crash! She felt the splash of water on her bare legs and cringed.
‘Blast! That’s all I need!’ Turning around she saw the broken glass vase and flowers strewn all over the tile floor. She checked the wall clock again – she had to leave at five or she wasn’t going to make it to the bus depot to catch the bus at 5.10. Flustered, she found the hearth shovel and brush, knelt down and started sweeping up the broken glass and Ms Sanderson’s prized, broken, sodden lilies. ‘She’s not going to be too pleased with me when she comes in on Monday.’ Suzy threw the glass-speckled lilies into the waste-paper bin along with the broken glass and cloth she’d used to mop up the mess. Now I’ll wash the floor. Oh heck, I’ve got to empty the bins . . .
She checked the clock again as she dunked the floor mop into the soapy water: 4.15. ‘And I’ve still got the consulting and waiting rooms to do! I’m not going to make it . . .’
***
Lucy caught a whiff of Cynthia’s roast beef cooking from the passageway leading to the kitchen. Her wrist hurt as she turned the large wheels of her wheelchair into the doorway. The homestead’s kitchen seemed huge, especially compared with the one at home. But somehow she didn’t feel like she was visiting someone else’s kitchen – Cynthia was a loving woman who made her feel at home. In fact, everyone at White Cloud Station made her feel welcome.
In the centre of the room was a large wooden table with turned legs. It normally had something exciting on it like home baking, but today it had empty sauce bottles. Cynthia, who worked at the station with her husband, Ron, was planning to make up a batch of tomato sauce. Lucy was still getting the hang of handling the wheelchair and crashed into the doorway. She reached out with one hand on the frame and the other on the wheel as she manoeuvred her chair through the gap. Cynthia was bending over the oven, poking the meat with the roasting fork. ‘Hi, Lucy.’ She didn’t have to look up with the commotion Lucy was making.
‘Hi, Cynthia. Yum, that smells good!’ she smiled. ‘Roast? You’re always so busy . . .’
‘Yes, sweetheart. It’s “all go” in my domain – the roast will be ready by six. I’ve baked us a nice blueberry pie too.’ Shutting the oven door, she turned and looked directly at Lucy. ‘And how are you doing? How’s that leg of yours?’
‘I’m doing pretty well, I think, thanks, Cynthia,’ Lucy replied, thinking how Cynthia was the sort of person who always seemed to know how people were feeling.
‘Mm, well I think it’s time for you to have another go on those crutches of yours,’ she added, clipping her grey hair behind her ears. Lucy hadn’t noticed that Cynthia had sparkling blue eyes and she thought she’d look really pretty with a makeover: a decent hair style and colour, some make-up and . . . suddenly jolting back into the moment, Lucy answered, ‘Yes, I was just thinking I’d have another go on the crutches soon, before all the farm workers come in for dinner.’
She pushed her chair over to the open door. The sun was lower now and the large oaks shaded part of Hope’s paddock. Hope was still favouring her bandaged leg, but managing to graze and move about a bit more. ‘We’ve put a pink bandage on her today,’ said Lucy. ‘You know, girls need to wear a bit of pink from time to time.’
Cynthia chuckled as she washed the new potatoes and looked out the kitchen window. ‘Oh yes, Grandad said your mare was looking a lot happier within herself. That’s excellent to hear, Lucy, a very good sign indeed. One thing I can say for that horse of yours, she’s in very good hands with Grandad overseeing her recovery. Between us we’ll get you both back in working condition in no time,’ she said. ‘Goodness, it’s hot in here, probably not really the weather for a roast, but you know how hungry the men get when they’ve been working on the station all day long. Now then, how about we go out and see that horse of yours?’
She didn’t have time to finish her sentence. ‘Thanks, Cynthia, but only if you’ve got time.’
‘Of course I’ve got time, sweetheart. I’ll come in and put the carrots and potatoes on to boil around 5.30. Here,’ she said, passing Lucy two carrots. ‘Don’t let Grandad know we’re feeding his prize carrots to a horse!’
Lucy put the carrots on her lap and wondered if Grandad was lurking about somewhere.
‘We’ll be safe, he’s in the garden picking his tomatoes,’ Cynthia grinned. ‘Oh, it’s too hot in this kitchen, I need some fresh air,’ she added, wiping her brow. She grabbed the handles of Lucy’s wheelchair and pushed her to her bedroom, ‘C’mon, let’s get your crutches.’
***
Hope lifted her head and gave a soft whinny. ‘Here, Hope,’ Lucy called. Hope limped over and lowered her head over the rail fence. The copper sheen was coming back to her chestnut coat. Blotches of hair were still missing from her face following the accident. Lucy had dabbed the scrapes and cuts with some special cream to help them heal and promote hair growth. She held out the carrot tightly and Hope wrapped her teeth around it. Holding it firmly, she twisted it until it snapped in half. ‘She’s enjoying that,’ giggled Lucy as Hope crunched on the carrot. Hope sniffed for the next piece Lucy had in her hand.
‘You’ll be up on her back again before you know it, my girl.’
Lucy smiled and looked longingly at her horse. ‘Oh, Cynthia, I do hope so. It feels like it’s going to be forever before I get this plaster off . . .’
‘Nonsense. We’ll find lots to keep you busy up here at White Cloud. Your school work will keep you well occupied most of the day and I’m sure Grandma will spend any spare time telling you horse stories. There’s a lot of history around the wild horses of this station,’ Cynthia continued, ‘and besides, you have your horse to care for and she’ll be needing such a lot of love and attention. It’s a good thing you took the opportunity to stay on to look after her.’
Lucy smiled and played with Hope’s forelock. ‘No way would I have left her, no way in the world.’
‘We had no doubt about that. Anyway, we’re all so pleased you stayed on here after the accident – you’re already like part of the big happy family. And as for this horse of yours . . . you’ll be riding again in no time, mark my words. Now what say we both give her a brush and make her feel better?’
‘Great idea!’ Lucy smiled, reaching awkwardly for the grooming kit. Cynthia bent over and picked up the kit. ‘Now, what brush do you need, Lucy?’
Lucy took the body brush and started grooming Hope’s neck. ‘We obviously don’t need to put on her halter – look at her, she’s so laid back. She’s lapping this up.’ Hope lowered her head and closed her eyes. Lucy was right, her horse was quietly enjoying the attention.
Grooming her horse relaxed Lucy too, and her thoughts wandered to her friends (whom, she dared not admit to herself, she missed terribly). I wonder what they’re doing now. It is Friday night, after all . . .
***
Suzy piled the cleaning gear back in the cupboard and, leaning on the door, checked the clock on the wall. ‘Phew, dead on five, I’m out of here!’
She ran to the door, paused and pressed the buttons of the alarm. The green light flashed indicating it was set. She quickly locked the door behind her; she was always terrified the stupid thing would go off before she got out the door.
She ran over the tiles of their back yard, brushing against the bamboo of the Japanese-style garden (her father’s pride and joy). Throwing herself through the door she grabbed her overnight backpack, tied her sweatshirt around her waist and grabbed some books. She locked the glass door and made a hasty exit to the bus stop, checking her watch as she ran. ‘Heck, 5.09, please be late, bus!’ At the lights she jumped up and down, watching for the green walking man to appear. The traffic zoomed by as she waited impatiently.
At last, the bus depot was now in sight. She was relieved to see the blue bus at her stop. Now only a metre away from it, she couldn’t believe it when its fumes covered her as it pulled away. ‘Crikey. I’ve missed the bus!’ she cried.
Just containing the tears she dawdled back to the apartment. Deflated and annoyed, she pulled out her cellphone and called Alexa.
Unlocking the apartment door she threw her pack on the floor and flopped down on the white leather settee. She needed a moment to sort out what to do. I have to get over to Alexa’s tonight. Alexa is an absolute mess on her own and I’ve promised to keep her company. Anyhow, we have pony club tomorrow and we simply have to go. And we have to Skype Lucy tonight to make sure she’s settling in at White Cloud okay and . . . like, there’s so much we have to do. The front door slammed, Suzy jumped. ‘Dad, what are you doing home?’
‘More to the point, what are you doing home? I thought you were going to Alexa’s for the weekend?’ asked a rather surprised Andrew, placing his briefcase beside the glazed toggle pot.
‘Missed the bus!’ exclaimed Suzy, pouting.
‘No sulking, young lady. And get that look off your face.’
‘What look?’ Suzy grinned, her blue eyes sparkling.
‘Now that’s more like it.’ Andrew smiled pulling off his tie.
‘Sorry, Dad. But, you don’t expect me to look elated because I’ve missed the bus and can’t go over to Jasmine Farm, do you?’ she half smiled. She loved her father dearly and it was always difficult being grumpy around him.
‘I’ll make a deal with you, Suzy.’ Suzy turned and raised her eyebrows as Andrew put on the kettle to boil. ‘You make me a nice cup of green tea, and I’ll go and get changed and drive you over.’
‘Dad. You’re the best!’
‘I know,’ grinned Andrew. ‘Besides, I’d like to say hello to our horse.’
Suzy put the teabag in the cup and spun around. ‘Our horse? Ripple’s my horse, I’ll have you know.’ Suzy was still getting over how much her overly protective father was chilling out about her being around horses. In the past he’d always worried so much about her asthma and allergies, but now – she was lost for words. Our horse? She giggled, ‘Ripple is my horse, thank you, Dad.’