Mary and Jody in the Movies

by JoAnn S. Dawson

  Mary suddenly shivered and linked her arm through Jody’s.

  “Well, when I got out to the set Will was right happy to see me and took me around, helpin’ me get acquainted with everybody. He was ’specially proud and happy to introduce me to his pretty new wife.”

  “His wife?” This time it was Jody who blurted out the question, while Mary simply opened her mouth in shock. “We…we never even knew Willie had a wife!”

  “Oh, he had a wife all right. Shereen was her name, pretty as a picture, laughin’ all the time. She was a wrangler, just like him. Willie used to puff up all proud and say that she was the only one he knew who could outride and out-rope him. And she proved it, too, workin’ right there on the movie set, side by side with us.”

  Mary and Jody sat speechlessly staring at their half-eaten hot dogs. Twister paused and cleared his throat once again before going on with his story.

  “Well, one day we were doin’ stunt work on a real tough scene, where we had to round up some cattle into a pen. Shereen was dressed like a man, with her hair all tucked up under her hat so you couldn’t tell she was a woman on camera. She was right in there with me and Will, like always, and we were just about done herdin’ these cattle through the gate when one of ’em, a big longhorn bull, turned on us.”

  This time it was Jody who shivered, tempted to cover her ears so she wouldn’t have to hear the rest of the story.

  “That big longhorn whipped his head around, and the tip of his horn just barely caught the shoulder of Shereen’s horse. He was a big, quiet quarter horse, but the sudden shock and pain made him rear straight up, and she came off.”

  “Oh, Twister, was she all right? I’ve fallen off plenty of times, and I was all right,” Mary said hopefully, her voice shaking.

  “Well, just fallin’ off, maybe she would’ve been all right, but her boot got stuck in the stirrup, and the horse took off with her…”

  “Oh, Twister, stop. I don’t want to hear any more,” Jody cried, this time covering her ears for real.

  “I’m sorry, Jody. I won’t go into it except to say that Will took off after that horse, just about like he did today. He leaned over and grabbed the reins and ended up slowin’ it down enough so he could jump off his own horse. Her horse dragged him some and flipped him over, but he wouldn’t let go until he got it stopped. He hurt his hip real bad, and that’s why he has a limp to this day.”

  “And his wife…?” Mary whispered breathlessly.

  “Will tried his best to save her, and the set doctor did all he could, but it was too late.”

  When Twister finished speaking, it seemed that the whole world had gone quiet. Mary and Jody stared silently into the fire, tears rolling down their cheeks.

  “There’s one more thing, and I won’t say any more,” Twister said so low that the girls had to lean over to hear his next words. “Will told me later that they had just found out Shereen was going to have a baby, so he didn’t just lose his wife that day.”

  Mary and Jody drew in their breath at the same instant and gave in completely to the tears that flowed from the depths of their heartache for Willie. They wanted somehow at that instant to comfort him for the tragedy that happened so long ago, but they felt helpless.

  “I didn’t know if I should tell you, but I thought you should know,” Twister said quietly. “Will thinks the world of you girls, and I think somehow you’ve been able to fill up some of the emptiness in his heart.”

  “Thank you for telling us, Twister,” Jody said, her voice breaking.

  “And we won’t say anything to Willie.” Mary added, wiping the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. “We’ll just go on being his friends.”

  16

  Caesar Arrives

  MARY AND JODY arrived at Lucky Foot Stable the next morning just in time to see the big black truck pulling the silver horse trailer down the farm lane toward the road. Behind the wheel sat Willie, with Twister riding along in the passenger seat. Braking their bikes so abruptly that gravel went flying in all directions, the girls waved their arms, flagging Willie down before he could drive past. Willie slowed the truck until it came to a grinding halt just before the end of the lane.

  “Willie!” Mary yelled, walking her bike up to the window and peering in. “Where are you going?”

  Willie tugged on his earlobe and glanced over at Twister. “Well, now, who wants to know?”

  Mary and Jody looked at each other quizzically, then turned back to Willie. “We do,” they said in unison.

  “Hmph,” Willie snorted, “you do, do you?”

  “Willie! What’s going on?” Mary said indignantly. Then a thought dawned on her, and she jumped up and down trying to see into the back of the trailer. “Willie! You’re not taking the horses back to the auction, are you?”

  “Well, I reckon I’m not, since this is Friday, not Monday, and the auction ain’t even going on today,” Willie replied calmly. “We’re not goin’ to drop somethin’ off. We’re goin’ to pick somethin’ up.”

  “Oh, Willie, what?” Jody squealed. “More horses?”

  “Now, look, we wanted to get on our way before you girls got here and started buggin’ us to death. You’ll just have to wait ’til we come back to see what’s goin’ on. In the meantime, take care of the horses and git the stalls cleaned. By the time we come back, you’ll be done, and you can see what we’ve got.”

  “But, but, Willie…” Mary began, but Willie revved the engine so that she was drowned out by the sound, and they drove off in a cloud of dust.

  Mary and Jody watched silently as the truck drove down the road and disappeared from view and then turned their bikes toward Lucky Foot Stable. It wasn’t until they were inside the coolness of the little stable that Mary found her voice. “I wonder what they’re up to,” she muttered to herself, then walked over and scratched Star between the ears. “I wonder what they’re up to, Star,” she repeated, as Star rubbed his head up and down on her forearm.

  “Mare, let’s try not to think about it,” Jody said matter-of-factly. “We’ve got work to do. Why don’t you put hay out in the paddock for Augie and Hoppy, and I’ll put Star, Shalimar, and Stumpy on crossties in the aisle so we can clean the stalls. Then we’ve got to bring Augie and Hoppy in and turn Shalimar and Stumpy out. And we’ve got to visit Lady and Gypsy in the big pasture. And we’ll have to take Star out for a walk, since he’s stuck in his stall so much right now.”

  With so many horses and only three stalls in Lucky Foot Stable, it was a juggling act to make sure that everyone had a chance to be turned out in the paddock for at least part of the day or night. The girls kept busy for the next two hours, leading horses in and out, cleaning stalls, grooming Star, filling water buckets, and sweeping the aisle. Finally it was time to take the frisky colt out for his walk.

  “Why don’t we lead him out to the big pasture so we can visit Lady and Gypsy?” Jody suggested. “Then we can kill two birds with one stone, asWillie would say.”

  “Good plan,” Mary agreed. She snapped the lead rope onto Star’s halter and led him from his stall. “And, since we’ve already groomed him, let’s put his saddle and bridle on. It never hurts to keep up with his training!”

  But even before the girls had the chance to get Star’s saddle from the tack trunk, the low growl of the truck engine could be heard in the distance. Star pricked up his ears at the sound, and Finnegan awakened from his morning nap. Jody flew to the back of the stable and looked out the back doors.

  “Mare! It’sWillie and Twister, back already! Oh, Star, you’ll have to wait just a little longer for your walk!”

  Mary turned and hastily led Star back into his stall, where he snorted and pawed impatiently as if to say, “Hey! I want to see what’s going on too!”

  “Star, I promise, we’ll be back as soon as we see what Willie and Twister are up to!”

  With that, the girls ran out to the gravel lane just in time for the big truck to pass by the stable on its way to the
farmhouse. Twister grinned impishly and waved at the girls, ignoring their attempts to wave the truck to a stop. When they saw that Willie was really not going to stop at Lucky Foot, they took off at a gallop after the truck and trailer, Finnegan nipping at their heels. By the time Willie braked to a stop just outside the farmhouse, the girls were red-faced and completely out of breath. But that didn’t stop them from jumping up and down in an attempt to see what was inside the trailer.

  “Willie!” Mary called the instant Willie stepped from the truck cab. “Where did you go, and what did you get?”

  “Now, just hold yer horses,” Willie said, grinning in spite of himself, “and stand back while me and Twister unload. Matter of fact, why don’t you just cover yer eyes ’til I tell you to look.”

  It was all Mary and Jody could do to stand back and cover their eyes, but they did asWillie said. Even Finnegan sat silently, wagging his tail in anticipation. The next sound was the creaking of the trailer door opening, followed by a metallic clank of ramps put in place, then a crunching of wheels turning on gravel. Last, a more familiar sound—hooves stepping from the trailer and walking in a circle.

  Still, Willie said nothing to the girls. At last, they could stand it no longer.

  “Willie!” Jody cried. “Can we look now?”

  “Oh, I almost forgot,” Willie chuckled. “Yes, you can look.”

  Mary and Jody dropped their hands from their eyes and blinked once. Then, the vision that greeted them made their eyes and mouths fly open wide and made Twister laugh at the sight of the two astonished girls.

  Resting on the gravel lane, in all its magnificence, stood a dazzling white Cinderella carriage, complete with elegantly curved patent leather fenders and royal blue velvet seats. A pair of brass carriage lamps glistened in the sun on either side of the driver’s seat. A delicate, rounded step descended from an arched support to allow easy access to the two seats of the carriage, where passengers could sit facing each other. And the crowned top of the carriage was folded down and back for an open ride in the warm afternoon breeze.

  But even more thrilling for Mary and Jody was the sight of the carriage horse, standing as still as a statue in Twister’s grasp as if waiting patiently to be hitched up. He was very light gray, almost white, with a sprinkling of shiny dapples over his loin. The crest of his neck formed a perfect arch as he bent his head to sniff a spot on Twister’s shoulder. He was the tallest and broadest horse the girls had ever seen, but his eyes were so kind that they felt no fear of him.

  “Ooh,” Jody sighed, exhaling for the first time since she caught sight of the carriage and horse.

  “Oh, Willie,” Mary whispered, reaching out to touch the smooth leather surface of the dashboard. “Where in the world did you get this? What are we going to do with it? Is it for the movie? Do we get to keep it? What’s the horse’s name? He’s so beautiful!”

  “Now, which question do you want me to answer first?” Willie asked, grinning at the look of awe on the faces of the girls. “Fact is, I rented it from a carriage company in the city. We’re gonna use it for the last scene of the movie. No, we don’t get to keep the carriage or the horse, either one. And his name is Caesar.”

  “We don’t get to keep it, but it’ll be here all day today, and maybe tomorrow, depending on how filming goes,” Twister added. “We’re gonna be hitch-in’ up soon, and as soon as Will’s ready and the camera’s set up, we’ll get started.”

  But even more thrilling for Mary and Jody

  was the sight of the carriage horse, standing

  as still as a statue in Twister’s grasp.

  “Oh, Twister, can we watch?” Jody pleaded, “We won’t get in the way or make noise or anything, we promise.”

  “Now, it’s gonna be a while, and besides, don’t you have more work to do?” Willie replied before Twister had the chance. “I know you didn’t get everything done in the stable already.”

  “Well…we almost did.We just have to take Star for a walk and visit Lady and Gypsy in the big pasture and check the water and hay in the paddock,” Mary said breathlessly.

  “Then git on down there and finish up, and by that time, maybe we’ll be ready to shoot,” Willie said. “And don’t go rushin’ around like crazy. You ain’t gonna miss anything.”

  Before Willie had even finished his sentence, the girls were halfway to the stable. Upon their arrival, Star nickered and pawed impatiently in his stall.

  “Sorry, buddy,” Jody said, hastily opening the stall and clipping a lead rope on Star’s halter. “We came back as fast as we could!”

  Just as planned, Star was led to the big pasture, where Lady and Gypsy stood muzzle to muzzle under the weeping willow tree, switching their tails at flies. The cows raised their heads curiously as the girls trotted past with Star in tow but soon lost interest and lowered their heads to graze. The ponies greeted Star by sniffing noses in turn, and then Mary and Jody told them all about the dazzling carriage and Caesar, the gorgeous carriage horse.

  “Of course, you are far more beautiful,” Mary assured them for fear of hurting their feelings, although they didn’t look offended in the least.

  “Mare, I think we should go back now and switch the horses out of the paddock so Star can go out,” Jody said anxiously. “They’re probably ready to start filming by now. And we still have to check hay and water!”

  “Good plan. Let’s go!” Mary shouted, and just as quickly as they had entered the pasture, they were out again and finishing up final chores at Lucky Foot.

  17

  Happy Endings

  ALTHOUGH ONLY AN hour had passed since the girls had left the farmhouse, they were surprised to see how much progress had been made when they returned. Crew members were milling about, putting final touches on the lighting and sound. Two cameras were set up, and Mr. Gordon was already studying the monitor. Mary was thrilled to see Brian McVey standing near the door of the farmhouse, looking very handsome in a black tuxedo! Caesar, resplendent in a shiny black harness, was hitched to the carriage, with Twister standing at his head.Trying not to attract attention, Mary and Jody nonchalantly sauntered up to Twister and began asking questions.

  “Twister!” Mary whispered loudly. “What’s happening?”

  “Why is Caesar hooked to the carriage?” Jody continued.

  “This is the last scene of the movie, where Brian and Vicki’s characters get married in the farmhouse.” Twister replied. “When they come out, they’ll get in the carriage and drive away.”

  “Are they getting ready to get married right now? In the farmhouse?”

  Twister chuckled. “No, no, they already shot that scene a few days ago. All we’re shooting now is them coming out, like as if they just got married, and they get in the carriage. Then they kiss, and the carriage takes them away.”

  Mary and Jody giggled at the thought of Brian McVey actually kissing Vicki Beaumont. Then Twister gave them a sly smile.

  “Hmm, here comes the carriage driver now,” he said, drawing out his words as he pointed toward the farmhouse.

  “Wow, he’s dressed up almost as fancy as the groom,” Jody observed, taking in the driver’s black suit, bow tie, and shiny black top hat in one glance.

  “Yeah, he sure looks…” Mary began, and then she stopped. Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open, shut tight, and then opened again. She pointed wordlessly, then found her voice. “Jody, Jody… That’s…That’s…”

  Jody looked at Mary and then back at the carriage driver. Then it was her turn to gasp in shock.“Willie!” she shrieked.

  And it was Willie. But the girls had never seen Willie quite like this before. His silver hair, peeking out from beneath the top hat, was slicked back on either side. Covering his gnarly hands was an elegant pair of black driving gloves. His feet were shod in shiny black shoes. And the woman who was normally fussing with Vicki Beaumont’s hair was now bustling around Willie, comb in hand, making sure not one silver strand of hair was out of place!

  Twiste
r laughed out loud at the girls’ expressions. “What’s a’matter? You never seen Will dressed up before?”

  Mary gulped before replying. “Twister! We’ve never seen Willie in anything except his barn clothes! Why, he’s…he’s…he’s…”

  “Handsome!” Jody exclaimed in disbelief.

  “Yes. He’s handsome,”Mary agreedmatter-of-factly.

  “Twister, how did he get the job driving the carriage? Don’t they have to hire a real actor for that?”

  “He got the job because he’s the head wrangler, and he knows how to drive a carriage, and he’s just the best man for the job. He doesn’t have any lines to say, he’s just goin’ to sit up there and drive the horse, that’s all. And look handsome, o’course,” Twister finished, rolling his eyes.

  “Twister, can we go talk to him?” Jody asked, feeling shy all of a sudden.

  “Well, I reckon so. They haven’t started shooting yet.” Twister looked down at the two girls. “What are you two lookin’ all blushy about? It’s just Will, dressed up in a penguin suit.”

  Twister’s description ofWillie’s ensemble made the girls giggle, and, forgetting their shyness, they walked over to the door of the farmhouse arm in arm. Willie’s back was turned to them as the hairdresser smoothed down a few stray hairs for the hundredth time.

  “Ahem, excuse us, sir, but…”

  Willie turned to face the girls.

  “Could we have your autograph?”

  “Oh, quit your foolishness,” Willie harrumphed, pulling at the collar of the starched white shirt. But the girls could see he was secretly pleased, even turning a little red himself.

  “Willie, we hardly recognized you!” Jody chirped. “You look so…so…”

  “Handsome!” Mary shouted.

  “Shush now, girl,” Willie said, blushing more deeply as he looked around at the bustling movie set. “The sooner we get this over with and I can get this doggoned straitjacket off, the gladder I’ll be.”