One Unhappy Horse by C. S. Adler

Author:C. S. Adler [Adler, C.S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

CHAPTER EIGHT

When Jan went to take care of Dove before school Friday morning, he didn't bother to greet her. He didn't even show an interest in her presence. Worse, when she tried to coax him to get up so she could brush and curry him, he wouldn't budge.

"I know what'll get you up, Dove," she said. She raced to the casita, grabbed a slice of bread, and ran back to hold it out to him. Years before, when he'd nipped a sandwich right out of her hand, she had discovered how much he liked bread. Now he stretched his neck toward the treat without moving his legs. When he couldn't reach it, he pulled his lips back over his teeth in that horse smile that always made her smile back.

"Oh, Dove," she said, her voice choking with feeling, "you just have to move around more." She could hear Dad's voice warning of respiration problems if she let him lie there for too long. "Come on. Stand up, or I'm not giving this to you."

Finally, he heaved himself upright and took the bread. But he rested all his weight on his three good legs while she groomed him.

"Things are bad enough without you developing any more ailments," she told him.

He bumped her shoulder playfully when she'd finished. "You know, we still haven't figured out how we're going to afford to get your leg fixed," she said. "But we will. Don't you worry, we will."

Maybe his leg would start healing by itself, she thought. After all, minor miracles did happen. Why not to Dove and her?

A pink sunrise lingered in the east and the air was still a chilly fifty degrees when she'd finished watering and feeding Dove. Jan just had time to use the bathroom before leaving for school. While she was sitting on the toilet, she saw evidence that her mother had taken to wishful thinking, too. In the wastebasket under the sink was a ripped-up lottery ticket. Mom never bet, but now she'd put good money down on a long shot, and Jan had no doubt for whom she'd done it. Mom, who had always been the realist in their family! Jan got tears in her eyes at this new sign of her mother's affection for her.

In gym that day, the teacher made the whole class run the mile for the quarterly fitness tests, and Jan ran the fastest.

Lisa appeared at her side in the hall on the way to lunch. "Did you get so strong from riding your horse?" Lisa asked.

"More likely from ranch work," Jan said, thinking that even if riding could strengthen her, it wouldn't have, because she hadn't done any for weeks.

"Aren't you too young to be 'working'?" Lisa asked.

"Why? My mother needs help on the ranch. And I like doing it."

"I guess that makes sense," Lisa said. Then, with a sympathy that hadn't been in her voice before, she asked, "Is your horse any better?"

"No."

"Well, I'm sorry. I guess I don't know a lot about horses.

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