Pony Jumpers- Special Edition 1- Jonty

by Kate Lattey

  “You think I don’t know that?” Dad had snapped angrily. “What am I supposed to do? Conjure up a house for us out of thin air?”

  “I don’t know!” Mum had cried. “We just need a roof over our heads. Four walls and a roof. Is that really too much for you to provide?”

  That was when I’d remembered about this place, a shabby abandoned cottage that I’d seen on my way out to Bruce’s farm. Sure that it lay empty, I’d given Dad directions to get there, getting us lost twice in the near dark before we finally found it. The cottage looked even more rundown than it had when I’d last seen it, but nobody had complained. We’d peered in through the grimy windows and decided that it would do, if we could convince the landowner to let us stay. So with our hearts in our mouths and fingers tightly crossed, we’d piled back into the car and driven up to the big white homestead, where Dad had knocked on the front door and pleaded with John Maxwell to let us live there, just for a few days, just until we got ourselves back on our feet. I’d climbed into the front seat and turned the wipers on as they talked, peering through the steamed-up windscreen to try and get my first glimpse of the man who owned all this land. He was tall, with broad shoulders that filled the door frame, and was standing with his arms crossed over his chest as he heard Dad out. A bright yellow hammock strung between the house and the porch pillars swung gently in the breeze, and I crossed all of my fingers and toes as tightly as I could, hoping against hope that we would be allowed to stay.

  After a few minutes, Dad had climbed back into the car, run his hands through his damp hair, then turned to us all with a wide grin, and a key dangling from his finger.

  “He said yes!”

  I jumped off the front step of the cottage and walked barefoot through the overgrown grass, staring up at the blue sky above. I couldn’t believe that I was really here, and that my dream of living on a farm had come true. And not just any farm, but on Parakai Station, which was surely the biggest and most beautiful farm in the entire country. How long had I dreamed about being able to explore this place? And here I was, with hundreds of acres of land at my fingertips, just waiting for me to discover all of its secrets.

  The long grass brushed against my knees, and I thought about Taniwha, and how fat he would get here. I hoped that Murray wouldn’t mind me taking him away. The paddock that the cottage sat inside was almost the same size as one of Murray’s, and there was grass at waist-height all the way down both sides of the road that Taniwha could eat. I could work on the farm in exchange for hay in the winter, just like I’d done for Bruce, and Taniwha would get fat and shiny. I could ride him all over the farm, up and down the hills, through the forests and into the valleys, exploring every inch of our new home.

  I crossed the dirt road and climbed over the fence into a big flat paddock, then set off running. My bare feet slipped on the dewy grass, and time seemed to stand still as I made my way to the base of the hills, then began to climb. My stomach was rumbling, but I ignored it. I wanted to get to the top and see the view that I’d been dreaming about for so long.

  It was a hard climb, but it was worth it when I reached the top. The farm was spread out in front of me in all directions, and if I hadn’t already been puffed from my climb, it would’ve taken my breath away. Even now, I can still remember that sensation of feeling on top of the world, the song we’d sung in school coming back into my head. On top of the world, looking down on creation…

  I made a 360 degree turn, staring in wonder and becoming absolutely certain that the person who owned all this had to be the luckiest man in the world.

  FIRST IMPRESSIONS

  I was clearing up broken branches and rubbish off the front lawn of the cottage a few days later when I heard shod hooves on the road, and looked up as the most incredible pony I’d ever seen came down the road towards me at a high-stepping trot. Muscles rippled under the pony’s pale coat, which was almost white except for a few dark points on his lower legs and around his eyes and muzzle. He had a thick cresty neck, powerful hindquarters, and a bright, excited expression on his slightly-dished face. I was so impressed with him that I didn’t recognise his rider until she spoke.

  “What are you doing here?”

  I tossed a broken branch onto the pile I was making and grinned at her. “We just moved in.”

  Hayley stared at me as she pulled the grey pony to a halt. He strained against the bridle, his curved ears pricked forward as he tossed his head restlessly.

  “That’s you that’s living there?” she asked, with an expression of total disdain as she looked over at the shabby cottage.

  Whatever her opinion of me had been before, it had just got ten times worse. I squared my shoulders and tried not to care.

  “Sure is. I like your pony,” I said, to change the subject. “Is he new?”

  The disgusted look on Hayley’s face softened as she reached forward to pat the grey gelding’s solid neck. “He was my Christmas present. His name’s Misty. He’s a show jumper, and he once came second in the Pony of the Year,” she said proudly. “What’d you get for Christmas?”

  I didn’t answer her question, choosing instead to focus on the pony. “Can I’ve a ride?”

  Hayley laughed in my face. “Oh my God, no. He’s far too valuable to let you muck around on him. Besides, you don’t have a helmet. Or shoes.”

  “Don’t need ‘em. Go on, I bet I could ride him.”

  “Bet you couldn’t,” Hayley retorted. “You had enough trouble with that ugly black thing you used to ride. Where is he, anyway?” Hayley made a big show of looking around for Taniwha, standing in her stirrups to try and see over the cottage roof.

  “Not here yet,” I said, trying not to take her mean words too much to heart. “I’ve been meaning to ask your dad though. Reckon he’d let Taniwha come and graze the paddock around the house?”

  I looked up at her hopefully, but Hayley just shrugged and looked over her shoulder impatiently. I followed her gaze and saw Tess coming up the road behind her sister, her dark bay pony Rory walking calmly on a loose rein.

  “Come on Tess, hurry up!” Hayley shouted at her. “I don’t have all day to muck around out here.” She rolled her eyes at me. “Stupid girl never even wants to canter, let alone gallop.”

  “I’ll go for a gallop with you,” I told her, and she laughed.

  “On that old thing you own? He’d never be able to keep up with Misty.”

  “He’s not old. And he beat Pink,” I reminded her.

  “Misty’s not Pink. Hurry up Tess, would you at least trot?”

  “Where is Pink?” I couldn’t help asking as Tess reluctantly nudged her pony into a slow jog.

  Hayley shrugged. “We sold her. I’m only doing show jumping now, so I don’t need a pony that does dumb stuff like games and Pony Club.”

  I wondered to myself how someone could have possibly sold a pony as awesome as Pink without seeming to care at all about where she’d gone, but I had to admit that Misty was a pretty great replacement. Some people really did have all the luck. Tess finally caught up, and I smiled at her as I held out a hand to Rory.

  “Hi,” I said to Tess as Rory sniffed my hand suspiciously, her long whiskers tickling my palm. I wished I had something to give her.

  “Hello.”

  Misty pawed the ground impatiently, and Hayley shortened her reins. “Took you long enough,” she told Tess. “Come on, I’m bored. Let’s canter.”

  And she set her heels to Misty’s sides and took off like a shot. Rory’s calm demeanour suddenly disappeared, and she bolted off in Misty’s wake, with Tess grabbing at her mane and leaving me alone on the side of the road.

  I was walking along a sheep track along the side of a hill a few days later when I turned a corner and came face to face with John Maxwell. He was also on foot, walking up the track that I was coming down, with three dogs tailing him. They started barking as soon as they saw me.

  “Quiet, you lot. Get in behind,” John snapped at them, and the dogs obeyed in
stantly, although one of them, a large black and tan dog, kept on barking even as he fell in at John’s heels. “That’ll do, Cave,” he said, and the dog quieted as John squinted at me through the sunlight.

  “Who’re you?”

  I gave him my friendliest smile, trying to make a good impression. “Jonty Fisher. I live with my family in your cottage.”

  “Oh.” John scratched the back of his head as his eyes scanned me from head to foot, taking in my faded shirt and the rips in my jeans. “Getting on all right down there?”

  “Yeah! We love it,” I told him enthusiastically.

  John quirked an eyebrow slightly, but made no comment. “You’re not disturbing any of my stock, I hope, running around out here.”

  “No sir I’m not I promise,” I assured him, words spilling rapidly out of me as I did my very best to be polite. “But I’ve been wanting to ask you something.”

  John leaned on his stick and looked at me. “What’s that?”

  “Well, I have a pony.” I didn’t explain that Taniwha no longer belonged to me – it seemed irrelevant. “He’s still living in town, but would it be okay if I brought him out here? He could eat the grass around the cottage and along the road. He won’t be any trouble, honest.”

  John looked astonished, which I guess wasn’t surprising since probably not many homeless kids had ponies of their own. “A pony? Where’ve you been keeping it?”

  “At Murray Paget’s place.” I was banking on John recognising Murray’s name, and I saw on his face that my hunch was right. “He’s been helping me with him.”

  “Has he just?” It wasn’t really a question, so I stayed quiet as John mulled it over. “Well, I guess you may as well. You can’t leave the old man with a pony to look after, not in his condition.”

  I nodded emphatically. “Exactly. I know that. I just wanted to ask you first.”

  “All right. Well, bring him down and see how you get on. You’ll have to fix the fence around the cottage if you want to put stock in there though,” he added. “It’s not up to much, especially across the front.”

  “I know. I’ll fix it up first,” I assured him.

  John nodded, then looked around and saw that one of his dogs was missing. He stuck two fingers into his mouth and whistled, the sound coming out sharp and clear. I gazed at him with an awestruck expression, beyond impressed that someone could whistle that well. The black and tan dog reappeared with a guilty look, and John nodded to me and continued walking uphill, the dogs on his heels.

  “Thank you so much,” I said to his back, hoping he could tell how much I meant it. “And if there’s anything I can ever do to help out on the farm, just tell me. I’ll do anything.”

  John stopped and looked me up and down sceptically, taking in my scrawny frame and tatty clothes. “I think we’re all right, thanks.”

  I wasn’t easily deterred. “I’m a hard worker,” I promised. “Just ask Murray. You should’ve seen his garden before I worked on it. It was a mess, but now it looks like something out of House and Garden. I can do farm work too.”

  A flicker of a smile appeared at the edge of John’s mouth. “Is that right? I’ll keep you in mind then, eh?”

  I grinned at him. “Thanks! You won’t regret it. I swear.”

  I started down the steep hill, knowing that would be the fastest way on foot back to the cottage, then paused and looked back at John.

  “Do you need any help right now?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “Not right now, no.”

  “Okay. Another time, maybe.”

  John shook his head slowly at me, but I could see that he was almost smiling, so I took that as a good omen as I headed home to start repairing the front fence in preparation for Taniwha’s arrival.

  I had no real idea how to fix a fence, and Dad wasn’t much help to me either, but I patched up what was there as best I could, filling in gaps with broken tree branches from the pines that grew nearby. My sisters went with me, and together we lugged home what we could manage between us.

  I was on the front lawn chopping leftover wood up into kindling when Hayley and Tess rode past the cottage again. I glanced up at their sleek, fit ponies, then returned my attention to the wood I was splitting. I’d expected them to ride on past, but Hayley halted Misty right outside our front gate and looked at me, her presence demanding my attention. Tess halted right behind her sister as I swung the axe high and brought it down on the chunk of old pine. It split three ways, sending splintered wood flying past me.

  “You shouldn’t chop wood without shoes on,” Hayley told me. “You could cut off one of your toes.”

  I set a piece of wood on the stump and prepared to split it again. “Nice to know you care.”

  “I don’t, but I don’t want to watch it happen,” Hayley contradicted. “Why don’t you come for a ride with us instead?”

  I split the chunk of wood and looked at her sceptically. “Right now?”

  “Why not? You’ve got a pony around here somewhere, right? Dad said you were bringing that black thing down once you’ve fixed the fences, which I see you’ve done. Sort of,” she said, eyeing my patchwork fence.

  “It’ll hold,” I assured her. “But Taniwha’s not here yet. I’ve still got a bit more cleaning up to do.”

  I’d been finding all kinds of scrap metal and sharp sticks in amongst the long grass, and I didn’t want to risk Taniwha getting hurt on any of them, not least because I couldn’t afford a vet bill.

  “You’ve done a good job so far,” Hayley said, looking around. “I hardly recognise the place. Hey Tess. D’you reckon it looks better?”

  Tess just stared down at her pony’s mane without speaking, winding strands of it between her fingers.

  Hayley rolled her eyes and turned back towards me. “So if your pony isn’t here, why don’t you have a ride on Misty instead?”

  I stared at her, mouth open. “Really?”

  “Sure. Why not? I feel bad about the other day. Dad said we should be nice to you lot, so here. Come and have a sit on the best pony in the universe.”

  I didn’t entirely trust her, figuring she’d probably do something to try and spook Misty while I was riding him to see if I would fall off, but I was desperate to prove to her that I could ride just as well as she could, given the chance. So I stepped around the splintered pieces of wood and made my way across the lawn as Misty jigged on the spot, impatient to be moving again. I knew that restless feeling all too well, and was sympathetic toward him as I eyed her expensive saddle and his short, powerful back. I couldn’t wait to sit on him, to see what it felt like to have that much energy contained underneath you. Taniwha was a lot of things, but powerful sure wasn’t one of them.

  Hayley shortened her reins and Misty backed up a few strides as I reached the front gate. I unlatched and pushed it open, then went over and laid a hand on Misty’s sweaty neck, looking at his slightly wild eye with eager anticipation.

  Hayley grinned down at me, her blue eyes flashing.

  “On second thought, nah. I’ve got better things to do than give homeless people pony rides. C’mon Tess,” she said, and kicked Misty into a fast canter.

  Tess’s pony surged after Misty, and the two of them galloped away down the road, leaving me behind.

  “They’re so mean.”

  I turned to see Morgan sitting in the corner of the garden, just behind the fence. I felt my skin redden, embarrassed that she’d seen me succumb to Hayley’s trickery. Morgan was a natural cynic, and would never have fallen for it the way I just had.

  “Have you been there that whole time?” I asked her, trying to keep my voice light, as though I wasn’t bothered by what had just happened.

  She nodded, then got to her feet. “You shouldn’t go riding with them. Not ever, even if they ask you again.”

  “They won’t,” I told her, walking back towards the kindling stump. “Besides, Hayley’s the mean one. Tess is okay.”

  Morgan crossed her arms stubbornly over he
r chest. “She knew what Hayley was going to do, and she didn’t say anything. She’s an accomplish.”

  “Think you mean accomplice,” I corrected her.

  “Whatever. They’re both mean, and we shouldn’t be friends with either of them.”

  “Well it doesn’t look like they want to be friends with us either, so I guess that problem’s solved,” I told her. “C’mere and give us a hand stacking the wood, eh?”

  I moved in to grab her around the waist and swing her up into the air the way she liked, but Morgan squirmed away from me and ran back inside the house without a backward glance.

  The next day, I finally convinced Mum to drive me to Murray’s to get Taniwha. She’d been reluctant, still unwilling to accept that we were going to stay in the cottage for long enough to make it worthwhile to bring my pony along, and still worried that Murray wouldn’t want me taking ‘his’ pony away from him.

  Murray accepted my departure with his usual gruff equanimity, and he certainly didn’t plead with me to stay.

  “Been wondering when you’d get that pony out of my hair,” he muttered as I led Taniwha out of his paddock for the last time and vaulted onto his back.

  “Thanks for all your help,” I told him. “You saved Taniwha’s life when you let him stay here.”

  I meant it seriously, but Murray just grunted.

  “You’d have coped, somehow. Industrious fella like you.” He reached out a gnarled hand to Taniwha and touched him between the eyes. “Take care of yourself, young man,” he muttered, then turned around and walked inside his house, shutting the door firmly behind him.

  At the time, I’d assumed he was talking to Taniwha, and thought it was an odd thing to say to a pony. But Murray had often said odd things, so I’d just smiled and said goodbye, then ridden away.

  It wasn’t until I was halfway home that I realised that Murray had been talking to me.

  STUNG

  A couple of weeks later, I was riding across the farm when Taniwha suddenly lost his mind. We’d been for a long canter across one of the big, flat paddocks, and had just slowed down as we approached a gate in the fence line when Taniwha threw his head into the air, then flung it between his knees and started bucking like a maniac. Caught entirely off guard, I went flying over his head and landed hard on my shoulder. Tani was beside himself, flinging his head around and jumping from side to side, and although I’d held onto the reins when I fell, I had to let go of them to avoid being trampled.