Spirit Horses

by Alan S Evans

  The money from Jen’s life insurance was enough to pay off the farm, which set him up financially for at least the near future. This allowed him to give Terry a nice raise for the overload he had taken on, while Shane’s name and reputation kept the horses coming in for training.

  The seasons steadily rolled by and Shane eventually realized that his work had become his only real salvation. Over time he’d gone from barely riding at all to putting in an exhausting seventy-hour work week.

  One day as he and Terry sat in the barn taking a breather, Terry looked from under the brim of his hat and said, “Hey boss, I’ve never seen you ride so many horses. I can’t believe you took on three more this month.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Shane answered with a halfhearted smile. “The truth is, it’s hard for me to just sit around. I’ve found its best if I stay busy.”

  “It’s good to see you back at it again, that’s for sure.”

  “Thanks, man, I appreciate everything you’ve done.”

  “No problem, boss, I know you would’ve been there for me if the shoe was on the other foot.” Terry looked down and scratched the back of his neck.

  Shane noticed his friend’s reluctance to continue. “You got something on your mind?”

  “Yeah, I guess I do.”

  Shane sat quietly and waited for his friend to continue.

  “Even though you’re doing better now, I can’t help but notice you still seem kind of aimless and hollow.”

  “I’m okay, Terry. I don’t want you worrying about me. I’m fine.”

  Terry hesitated again, “With all due respect, I don’t think that working all the time is much of a life. Abby and I were discussing something the other day when she came over. We drew straws to see which one of us would talk to you about it.”

  “About what?”

  “Boss, everyone just wants to see you happy again. We’d like to see you do more than just get through each day like you’ve been doing. You know, get some fun back into your life again. We think you should take a trip. Go on a cruise or something. Maybe getting away would help give you a new start.”

  “I know you guys mean well, but I’m okay.”

  “Would you at least consider it?”

  Shane stood and gave Terry a friendly slap on the shoulder. “I’ll think about it. Let’s get to work.”

  By six thirty all the horses were fed and the hired help had gone home. Shane grew restless after a shower and some dinner. Maybe a walk around the farm will help me relax, he thought. It was the beginning of spring and good weather had set in so it was a nice evening for a stroll.

  Ambling by the paddock where the kids’ little mustang was turned out, he couldn’t help but stop to watch her munching on her evening hay. As he propped his arms on top of the four-board fence surrounding her small pasture, she quit eating and came over.

  “How you doing, Sloppy?” he softly rubbed her neck. The mare quietly nickered, then affectionately nuzzled his shoulder in response. “Sorry I haven’t paid much attention to you lately.” Shane inhaled a deep, refreshing breath of the crisp, cool evening air as the horse moved sideways over to the fence where he stood. He remembered the mare doing this for the kids when she wanted her back scratched.

  “You miss ’em too, don’t you, girl? I’m not sure what I’m going to do with you,” he said, reaching over to rub her back. “It’s been damn near a year and a half now, maybe I can find a nice family with young kids to give you to.”

  The thought of getting rid of the mare started to bother him as soon as it popped into his head. Even though it was in the horse’s best interest, he just couldn’t face the idea of parting with his kids’ horse. So he promptly put it out of his mind, gave her one last rub, then finished his evening walk.

  Over the next month Shane continued working harder than ever, driving himself to the point of exhaustion. Concerned for his friend, Terry confronted him about his worn-out condition.

  “Boss, in all the years I’ve worked here, I’ve never seen you get sick. But you look like hell. If you don’t take some time off soon, you’re gonna end up going down.”

  “I know, Terry, I’m not sleeping real well, and I’m starting to feel it. The truth is that your suggestion of a trip is finally starting to sink in. I’ll take some time this evening to look for some old travel brochures Jen had collected to plan a family vacation. Maybe one of the brochures will give me an idea of where I could go.”

  “Good, now I won’t have to badger you about it anymore!” Terry looked relieved as he left the barn to go and fetch another horse.

  Later that evening Shane decided to start rummaging through the hall closet, hoping to find the pamphlets there. As he pulled open the door, the first thing he noticed put a lump in his throat and made his chest tighten. “Oh man, I’d forgotten all about that.” It was the box the kids’ teachers had dropped off almost a year and a half ago. Shane’s heart began to race as he picked it up and carried it into the living room. He put it on the coffee table in front of the couch and sat down.

  Almost thirty minutes passed before he could bring himself to open it and look inside. There, neatly separated, he found two bundles. The first was from Tina’s third-grade teacher. It contained her last spelling test, which had 100 percent written across the top in bright red ink. Underneath that was a math test with a 90 percent grade on it, and a note from the teacher to keep up the good work. There were also some other pieces of graded homework, one of which Shane remembered helping her with the week before the accident.

  The other bundle was from Jacob’s teacher. It, too, had some tests with good scores and some graded homework. As he flipped through the papers with a heavy heart, he consoled himself with a deep sense of pride that his kids had been doing so well in school.

  At the bottom of the stack he noticed a picture from Jacob’s art class. It was a drawing of the mustang mare. Shane filled his lungs and slowly let the air out again as he recalled his son talking about the assignment the teacher had given the class. The kids were

  supposed to draw a picture of something important to their whole family and then do a one page essay about what they had drawn. It seemed like just yesterday when Jacob told him that he decided to do this project about his horse.

  It was just what you would expect the art work of an eleven-year-old to look like. The horse’s head was too big, her legs were too short, and her neck was too skinny. Shane could tell it was Sloppy by her light gray color and darker mane and tail. However, the real giveaway was the broken arrow brand Jacob had drawn on her hip. In the picture she was standing in the foreground with a goofy smile on her face. Behind her were five other horses drawn in the same disproportionate manner, all wearing the same brand on their hips. They were grazing in a meadow with a stream running through it. The sun was shining from the top right-hand corner of the page and he’d drawn some clouds in a blue-colored sky. The picture was surprisingly titled “Sloppy goes home.” Shane had no idea the boy’s theme was centered on taking her back to Wyoming. A sad smile spread across his face as he remembered the talk he and Jacob had about someday returning the mare to her wild herd. The essay was attached to the artwork and Shane read it several times before once again staring at Jacob’s drawing.

  Suddenly, he realized what he had to do. “I’m gonna do some traveling after all,” he muttered. “A trip to Wyoming to set the mustang free with her herd, just like I promised Jacob we would do some day!” He remembered how proud he was of his son that afternoon for being so unselfish. The boy had wanted to see the horse happy even if it meant losing her.

  For the first time in a long while, Shane felt like he had a purpose. He actually became excited as he planned out the trip. He’d take ole Tory along to keep Sloppy company in the trailer on the long drive. When they got there, he’d use the old gelding to lead the mustang into the back country where the herd most certainly lived. He scratched his head and cringed as he thought about the lack of conditioning both horses were in. �
�I better start taking some time now to get the horses legged up so they can handle the rough terrain and the long ride.” He figured if he left soon, he could get there in time to set the mare free well before fall arrived. The warmer weather would definitely make it easier on her while she readjusted to her old life.

  Terry and the others at the farm were thrilled to see Shane with a sparkle in his eyes. They could tell he was keyed up about the trip, and all of them eagerly agreed to keep the farm running until he got back. Shane felt that keeping his promise to Jacob was the most important thing he could do, and he hoped it would give him a real sense of closure that he knew had been eluding him.

  It took some effort to pull it all together, but the day finally came for him to load up the horses and head out. Terry and Beth Ann were there to see him off. He shook Terry’s hand, “I should be home in about three weeks.”

  “Don’t worry, boss, I can handle the farm.”

  Shane rolled down his truck window as he slid into the driver’s seat, then winked. “I know you can, buddy. I’ll call you when I get there.”

  The man at the BLM had told Jen that the reservation Sloppy had come from was thirty miles from a medium-sized town called Reddick in northwest Wyoming. Shane knew he had a long drive ahead of him, about 1,400 miles. He figured with good weather it would take him three days to get there. Luckily, the many years he had spent traveling and putting on clinics around the country had made him an old pro at hauling horses long distances. He planned to have the horses stay on the trailer at night during the drive out, then find a place to board them as soon as he arrived.

  He drove a good ten hours the first day, stopping a couple of times along the way to give the horses a break. Tory was not a young horse anymore, so the last thing he wanted was to have the old gelding feeling sore when he reached his destination.

  On the third night he decided to stop at a campground about fifty miles short of Reddick. He planned to get back on the road early the next morning. This would give him plenty of daylight to find a place to keep the horses for a few days while he asked around town about the herd’s location.

  It was 8:30 a.m. on the fourth day when Shane, blurry eyed and road foundered, saw a sign that read Reddick, 15 miles. As he drove through the country, admiring the peaceful rolling green foothills, he noticed an older man walking from his farmhouse toward his mailbox. He slowed to a stop, leaned out the window of his truck and spoke, “Excuse me, mister. Do you know anywhere I can board two horses for a couple of days?”

  The old man introduced himself as Paul Jensen and offered Shane the use of a small pasture next to his house for a reasonable price. “The pasture has good grass, a water trough, and a small shelter,” Mr. Jensen said. “I used to keep my own two horses there, but they both recently died of old age.” It seemed perfect for Tory and the mare, so Shane quickly accepted.

  Mr. Jensen brought his wife out to meet Shane while he unloaded the horses. Shane felt comfortable leaving them with these people. “Would you like some breakfast?” Mrs. Jensen offered.

  “No ma’am. I appreciate you asking, but I need to get into town as soon as possible.” The truth was he really didn’t want to be around people right now. He hadn’t slept a wink at the KOA last night. He just wanted to get to town, find something to eat, take a long hot shower, then, hopefully, get some sleep.

  Tomorrow, Shane planned to ask around town for information about where the herd might be located on the reservation. For now, he was happy to see his two horses in a safe place. As he drove off, they were already settling down and starting to graze. Shane got the Jensen’s phone number, and told them he would check on the horses after he rested. Sleep had not come easy for him in a long time. Maybe it was the excitement of the trip, but the last several nights had been especially bad. In fact he was now bordering on serious exhaustion, and he needed to crash.

  His feeling that this trip was a good thing was now giving way to a slight sense of uncertainty and anxiety. Luckily the Jensen’s had let him leave his horse trailer at their farm, which would make driving and parking in town a lot easier. When he arrived in Reddick, he immediately got the impression that this was a nice friendly place. The sign at the city limit told him it had a population of 3,700. As he drove down Main Street, he could see they had all the necessities, including a small hospital, several large restaurants, and a movie theater that probably drew people in from all over the immediate countryside. He checked into the first motel he saw then headed across the street to a diner for a hot meal. After a long, steaming shower, he cracked open a fresh bottle of whiskey, poured himself a double shot, and watched TV until he finally fell asleep.

  Shane actually slept soundly until late the next morning and was having trouble shaking off the slumber. “Maybe a shower will help clear the cobwebs out,” he told himself.

  Chapter 6

  Shane barely had time to dry off and dress when he heard a knock on his door. As he opened it, he found himself staring at an older man, but for the life of him, Shane couldn’t immediately place him. The man saw the blank look on Shane’s face, shook his head, and said, “Son, you look like hell, are you okay?”

  The sound of the man’s voice helped Shane realize who it was. He let out a sigh, “Yes, Mr. Jensen, I’m fine. Are the horses all right?”

  “They are now, but I’ve been trying to get ahold of you since yesterday. You told me you would call, but we haven’t heard a word. So I finally came looking for you. I saw your truck in front of the motel. My friend, Bob, who runs this place, told me what room you were in.”

  Shane dropped his head shamefully, “I’m sorry I didn’t call. I’ve been a little under the weather. What did you mean when you said they’re all right now? Did something happen?”

  “Well, the older horse started to colic soon after you left the farm.”

  “Oh shit!” Shane blurted out. “How bad did he get?”

  “Pretty bad,” he answered. “I couldn’t keep him on his feet. I finally called the vet out. Dr. Baxter gave him a shot of banamine; then he tubed him full of mineral oil and water. He had to come back out a second time to treat him, but that old gelding’s tough. He pulled through and seems right as rain now.”

  Shane’s relief was visible, but he was also extremely embarrassed. He sure wouldn’t blame Mr. Jensen if he had a bad impression of him.

  “I can’t believe I slept that long. I’m real sorry I didn’t check on them. Thank you so much for taking care of my old horse. I was worried the long trip might be hard on him.”

  “Well, I could tell by the way you rubbed him on his head yesterday morning before you left that he meant something to you.”

  “They both do.”

  “I figured you’d want me to do whatever was necessary to take care of him, but there was a hefty bill involved. I had to pay doc out of my own pocket.”

  “Just tell me what I owe you,” Shane said as he grabbed his wallet from the nightstand. The two men settled up, and he gave Mr. Jensen some extra money for his trouble. “Sir, if you haven’t eaten yet, I’d like to buy you breakfast.”

  The old man laughed. “Son, I ate hours ago, but I’ll sit and have a cup of coffee.” Shane grabbed his keys, and they walked across the street to the diner.

  Mr. Jensen waited until Shane finished his meal then said, “You know, I’m getting older so my memory isn’t what it used to be, but my wife remembers everything, especially faces and names. After you two met yesterday she kept telling me that you looked familiar. Later that afternoon it came to her why she recognized you.”

  Shane sheepishly looked up from his empty plate, “Where’d that be from?”

  “She used to be quite a horse woman in her younger days. We raised some quarter horses that she showed in reining and western pleasure. She enjoyed entering the big shows, like the Quarter Horse Congress, every year. She won her fair share of ribbons too. She used to soak up all she could about training horses and she read everything she’d get her hands on
.” Mr. Jensen smiled as he talked about his wife.

  “She remembered driving all the way to Kansas with a friend of hers to see you put on a clinic years ago. At least, she’s pretty sure it was you. I remember when she took that trip; I couldn’t believe she would drive that far for something like that.” Mr. Jensen squinted at Shane and asked, “Was it you she saw?”

  “Yes sir, it probably was. I put on a few clinics in that area. It was a long time ago, though.”

  “What brings you out here now?”

  Shane sat quietly for a moment. He was going to have to tell someone about his hunt for the herd, and he thought Mr. Jensen might be a good place to start. “I came out here to see through a promise.”

  “What kind of promise?”

  “It concerns the little mustang I left at your farm.” Shane wasn’t willing to open up to this man or anyone else about what had happened to his family. All people needed to know was that he made a promise to set the mare free with her wild herd, and he was bound and determined to see it through.

  Mr. Jensen sipped his coffee, then sat back. “I think there’s something you should know about that horse. I recognize the brand on her hip. Do you realize what you’ve got?”