The Horse That Went to Church by Hilary Walker

Author:Hilary Walker [Walker, Hilary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: JMS Books LLC
Published: 2017-10-08T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6: Virality

Will you be surprised to know I didn’t make it to the show that day?

My nerves were too frayed from the angst of getting my horse out of church without killing anyone. Plus I still needed to go to Mass, which now meant missing my second dressage class of the day anyway.

I drove home rather despondently and went to afternoon Mass at a completely different church, where no one knew me.

Later that evening I saw my Facebook page was inundated with comments. They were from friends who’d seen YouTube videos of a horse loose in church and recognized my gelding.

I couldn’t bring myself to watch the videos of my humiliation.

And I still wasn’t sure how to approach Father Frank. He’d be rightfully furious with me after this incident and I figured I’d better look for another church.

At least Firecross hadn’t pooped inside. Of course, as soon as the parishioners turned to go into the church, he did do a dump in the parking lot, which Father saw. I cleaned it up as best I could with him watching—hands on hips—wordless and exasperated.

But Firecross hadn’t killed him, and I was grateful for that mercy.

All week I stewed about what to do. Should I chicken out and start attending the other church, which was much further away? Or should I tough it out and face the music?

By now my friends were talking about how The Horse That Went to Church YouTube videos had gone viral. They were everywhere: Twitter, Facebook, and other social media of which I’m totally ignorant. Wherever you looked, apparently there they were.

So it didn’t matter which church I went to: I’d be known globally as the idiot who let her horse into the House of God. May as well return to my regular place of worship.

I showed up on Sunday as usual, at 7:45 A.M. so I could park my scruffy Expedition and spend a few minutes gathering my thoughts before Mass began.

But the parking lot was packed. What the heck? Was it Super Bowl Sunday with everyone wanting to go to Mass early today? No, it was the wrong time of year for that.

So what was up? I began to get nervous that I wouldn’t find a seat. Drat!

Sure enough, it was standing room only.

This had never happened before. The church was usually half full at this Mass, and I could always be sure of sitting in my usual pew.

Why had all these people decided to come now? Did they know something I didn’t? Had the end of the world been announced behind my back and they were making up for lost time by repenting at the last moment?

Well, I was here now, and would just have to grin and bear it. Thankfully I was wearing a scarf, which I could take off and fold up for a kneeler on the hard floor.

The only spot I could find was at the back by the baptismal font.

I dipped my middle finger in the holy water to cross myself and Father Frank came in to begin Mass.

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