Why in the world did I ask to speak with a dead horse? she wondered. I’ve never thought I could speak with an animal before, but somehow during the meditation it just felt like the right thing to do. I must be crazy. I hope Milla doesn’t laugh at me, she thought, glancing at the clock. Hearing the gurgling sound of her mom’s coffee pot reminded her of New Jersey school days and how she would race through breakfast to catch the bus on the corner—the one with a seat waiting for her next to Shannon. Summer was almost over and Carrie was dreading the day she would have to be the new kid in school. She had tried a few times to bring up her fears with her mom, but she had just waved her hand and brushed it off. “You’ll be fine,” her mom had said, “and besides, you have loads of friends at camp who will show you around school.”
Somehow her mom still didn’t get that camp was filled with kids of all ages and from all over the area. It wasn’t as if they would all be in her class. Parents could be really clueless at times. She decided to talk to Mrs. Preston about it. Maybe she would understand—after all she was way cooler than any other adults Carrie had met.
“Hurry up. We’re meeting everyone at the library this morning,” came Brenda’s garbled voice through foamy toothpaste. Carrie nodded and began filling a cereal bowl with Flannel’s kibble.
“Why are you using one of our good bowls for the dog?” Brenda asked.
“She’s one of us and deserves to be treated with respect,” Carrie replied.
“Um, yeah, right. Then I hope she takes a shift at washing dishes tonight,” Brenda said. Kids could be so clueless at times, she thought, as she watched the collie gobbling down her breakfast.
They arrived at the library to find Milla, Mrs. Preston, Tracey, and Mac at their usual corner. Several weeks had passed since they began meeting and each of them had fallen into a routine. Mac was studying a book on raising caterpillars, Tracey was reading about dragons and unicorns, and Mrs. Preston was staring at the computer screen as if it would magically introduce her to her long lost ancestors. Milla, meanwhile, was seated at the computer next to her taking notes, as she too was searching for any information that would lead to the identity of her great-grandfather. Carrie slipped into the seat beside Milla and nudged her.
“Hey,” whispered Milla.
“Hey,” Carrie replied. “We gotta talk,” she added. “I’ll fill you in on the ride to camp.”
“Sounds important,” Milla whispered. “Everything okay?”
“Um, yeah, if talking to dead horses is okay,” Carrie replied in a loud whisper. Mrs. Preston, overhearing the conversation, turned and stared at them. Carrie put her head down and began to fumble with her backpack.
Brenda sat beside Mrs. Preston and the two women compared notes. They had located many relatives who once lived in Nevada and had traced many back to Scotland. They had even found the name of the ship some had come over on, and a deed to a parcel of land that was purchased in Connecticut. Brenda enjoyed lending her expertise. It was fun to watch her new friend’s excitement as she discovered her family from the 1700s.
“I cannot believe all that we have found,” whispered Mrs. Preston. “I feel as if I have all of these new relatives.” Brenda smiled and nodded, as she understood the connection. All of her own ancestry research had taught her so much. History wasn’t just old photos and newspaper clippings—it was filled with people who lived and breathed and laughed and cried. Some of them had accomplished great things and many had suffered great pains, but they were all connected. Each had their own journey and story to tell and somehow their stories had become a part of hers.
“Oh, my gosh, I think this is him,” said Milla. “Look, look—I think I found him!” Mrs. Preston and Brenda leaned over Milla and stared at the computer. “It might be,” Brenda said. “Let’s look at it more closely. Milla sat holding her breath as Brenda began to scroll through the U.S. Census that Milla had just located. The names of all of her grandfather’s siblings were listed.
“This appears to be your grandfather and all of his brothers and sisters, but they aren’t with their parents. Look—they are living with another family.”
“That’s odd,” Mrs. Preston said. “They are living with a McLeary family. I think that’s the same people on my family tree.”
Brenda looked at the document more closely. “It says ‘nephew’ beside the name of your grandfather. So they are living with an aunt and uncle.
Mrs. Preston was now very excited. “Yes, look at this!” she said. “Right here—Anna and Ian McLeary. That’s the same family! Look! It’s even the same city and county of my McLearys!”
“Shhhh,” came a voice from behind a large desk.
“What does this mean?” Milla asked, ignoring the shushing voice.
“Wow,” Brenda said. “I don’t want to get any hopes up, but you two might be related.”
Milla and Mrs. Preston stared at each other. Carrie looked up at her mom, who was patting Milla on the back. Milla blinked at the computer screen. Mrs. Preston shook her head.
“Your grandmother and I were such good friends. I can’t believe she may have married one of my relatives. This is utterly amazing.”
“Well, we don’t know anything yet,” Brenda said. “Let’s take it slow and see if we can find any more information linking these two families.” The two women huddled around their computer while Milla watched, no longer able to join in. She was thinking of her grandmother and what this new information implied. Grandma had spent years watching her husband endlessly searching for any information about his father. Her own dad had been staying up very late glued to the computer trying to connect the dots. After all of these years of not knowing where they had come from, could it really have led to a family that lived in the same town?
She heard Carrie’s voice drift in. “Are you okay, Mil?”
“I need some air. I’m feeling a bit dizzy,” Milla said, pointing to the door.
Carrie thought of her meditation and its message of we are all one. Milla thought of the 1830 McLeary and Spencer families living together under the same roof in Carson City.
Mac and Tracey looked up, hoping to get an invite from the older kids. “Can we come too?” Mac asked, hopefully.
“Sure,” Carrie answered.
“You’re one of us,” Milla said.
“Cool,” said Tracey, closing her book.
“Wait until you hear about horned caterpillars,” Mac said. “You’re gonna love it!”
“Wait ’til you hear about talking horses,” Carrie said with a laugh.
“Shhh,” came the voice behind the big desk.
“Shhh,” replied the children.
Chapter 54
“Australia? For how long? Why Australia? This doesn’t sound like you at all. Are you sure the sun hasn’t fried your brain?” Sam asked as she propped herself up on a pillow. The ringing telephone had woken her abruptly and she yawned, wiping the sleep from her eyes.
“Your father and I have decided we aren’t getting any younger and we want to go see some kangaroos. We’re going with a group from the club. Oh, you should see the cute outfit I just got for the trip,” Sam’s mom said.
“Dad wants to see kangaroos? Does he know how long he’ll be on that plane? Can’t you just rent a movie about Australia?” Sam asked, trying to get over the shock.
“Samantha, I don’t understand this tone at all. We thought you would be happy that we are finally doing something exciting. We ran that old B&B for ages and now it’s our time to do something fun.”
“I’m sorry, Mom, you kind of woke me. It’s early here and I’m still in a fog. I’m happy for you both; it’s just out of the blue. You and Dad have never traveled abroad before and Australia seems so far away.”
“Well, I’m sorry we woke you but I have my yoga class in a few minutes and I wanted to tell you the news. Here’s your father. Bye, sweetie.”
Yoga classes? When did her mother start taking yoga classes? Maybe I’m still dreaming, Sam thought as she sta
red at the orange ball of fluff sleeping beside her. Max opened one eye and decided to sleep in. He buried his head into his chest and rolled into a tight ball, falling back to sleep.
“Hiya, Sam. How are you, honey? Did mom tell you our big news…about us going to the big Down Under?”
“Uh, yeah, I heard about the trip to the big Down Under, Dad.”
“Well, what do you think?”
“I think I’m shocked. I’m happy for you guys, but to tell you the truth, Dad, I just never imagined you and Mom going so far away.”
“Far? It’s not that far. I’ll probably sleep most of the time, and Jack and Bill will be there with their wives and we’ll all have a blast,” he said, laughing. “Well, we won’t keep you—you probably have work to do. Your mom couldn’t wait to call and tell you the big news. I’m off to drive Bill to his skydiving class. Talk to you soon. We love you, honey. Bye, bye.”
“Bye, Dad,” Sam said and hung up the phone. She fell back into her pillows and closed her eyes. Who were these people? Yoga…skydiving…Australia…my parents? No way. My parents sit in front of the TV and watch the world go by, or at least they used to. Why does this bother me? she wondered. I should be happy for them, but this is really bugging me. She rolled onto her side and punched her fist into the pillow. I can’t believe them. Can they afford trips to Australia? Max quickly stood up, sensing the tension in the room. He slowly walked to the front of the bed and stared at Sam.
“What are you looking at?” Sam said grumpily. Max yawned and began cleaning himself. “I’m going for my morning walk,” she added in a huff. “We’re fresh out of yoga classes today.” The light in the room grew brighter as the sun came up.
Sam looked at Max, who stopped cleaning himself to stare at her. The ray of light coming through the window seemed to highlight the ends of his fur, causing him to glow. She was reminded of when he was a kitten and used to sit on her bed, anxiously awaiting his morning breakfast. The color of his coat was much lighter as a kitten; today, as he sat blinking at her, she was suddenly aware of how much older he had become. She reached over and stroked the cat. Max began purring and licked her hand. As she felt his soft coat a thought came to her: my parents are beginning to feel like two people instead of parents. I’m grown now, they’re getting older, and we’re all adults. They don’t need to watch over me and I don’t need to watch over them. It’s that simple—they’re just two people calling to share their excitement. Sam turned and looked at the phone. Should I call them back, she wondered? She quickly dialed the number and heard her mother’s voice say, “Hello?”
“Hi, Mom, it’s me. I just wanted to tell you how thrilled I am for you and Dad. Really, it all sounds so great. Do you have time to tell me more about your plans?”
Devon pulled into the driveway of the Musical Mustangs Bed & Breakfast, switched off the engine, and picked up the package his daughter had wrapped to give to Sam. As he got out of the truck he was struck with how beautiful the inn looked with its fresh coat of paint and new awnings. Wow, they have really done a great job fixing up this old place, he thought. The signpost had been removed and a fresh hole was dug, ready and waiting for the replacement that was propped up alongside the front porch. A small gecko popped its head out of the hole and looked at Devon. The front door swung open and out came Max, followed by Sam. The gecko quickly turned and fled. “Good morning,” Sam said with a smile.
“Morning, Sam. I love the new look of the place. I hardly recognize it.”
“Thanks. I’m really lucky to have Brenda here but it won’t be for much longer. She landed a great job and is looking for a place to rent. The job starts in two weeks and I’m hoping I can squeeze in a few more projects before she goes.”
“I heard she found a job. That’s great, but I just assumed she would live here. I didn’t realize it was only temporary.”
“Yeah, well, that’s life—everything’s temporary. Actually, she’s welcome to stay here but I think she wants a home where she and Carrie will feel like they have their own space.”
“Yeah, I get it. Everyone needs his or her own space. Well, I have something for you and I think you’re gonna love it,” Devon said as he handed her the brown-papered package.
“Oooh, is this what I think it is?” Sam asked as she quickly tore off the wrappings. “Oh, oh, I love it!” she squealed. “She is amazing. Oh, Devon, she is such a remarkable artist!
Devon and Sam admired the sign Milla had painted for the B&B. She had replaced the original two rearing black silhouettes with illustrations of Eclipse and Dusky. The lettering was now reworked to match the color in the awnings. Sam was overcome with joy and stood there blinking back tears as she looked up at Devon.
“She’s an amazing kid. I cannot tell you how much this means to me. Now this place really does feel like it’s all mine.”
“Aw, I’m glad you like it. She is a pretty amazing kid, but I can’t really take any credit. She gets all of her talent from my mom; I can’t even draw a stick figure. But I’ll tell you something, Sam—this is the first time she has ever been paid for her artwork and she took it very seriously. She darn near drove me nuts, constantly showing me sketches and color swatches and all kinds of notes. You’d think she was painting something that was gonna hang in a museum,” he laughed.
“Well, she needs to get a business card,” Sam said, “because I’m gonna tell everyone that this beautiful artwork was created by a fabulous artist that happens to be only ten!”
Carrie came around the corner with Flannel on a leash. Devon waved to her and she smiled back. She continued walking the dog out to their usual training spot as Max scampered behind.
“Is your cat still driving that dog nuts?” Devon asked.
“I actually think Max is growing fond of that collie. Look at him, he’s following them. I’m gonna miss them when they go and I think Max will, too,” she added.
“Well, they better not move too far or they will have to take Milla with them,” Devon replied. “Who would have thought they would end up to be two peas in a pod. Those girls are inseparable.”
Max watched as Carrie unclicked Flannel’s leash. Carrie glanced at Max as she walked slowly back to her spot twenty feet away from the collie. Max lay down, stretching in the sand. Flannel seemed to ignore the cat and watched Carrie for a command.
Devon waved goodbye and got into his truck. Sam picked up the signpost and carried it to the hole in the ground. She stooped to grab her work gloves and was startled when the gecko that had been hiding in her gloves suddenly popped its head out. In a flash Max was racing after the gecko as it ran toward the hole. Sam dropped the gloves and began yelling at the cat. Flannel sat calmly looking at Carrie, ignoring the entire scene. The sun was sparkling over the Calico Mountains as the freshly painted sign of the Musical Mustangs Bed & Breakfast was leaning in the shadows against the porch. The cat and gecko were running toward the hills as Sam walked back to begin mixing up concrete to secure the signpost. Yep, Sam thought, this sign is exactly what I’ve been wanting. This place isn’t my parents’ B&B anymore. I’ve worked hard and I’ve earned myself a new sign—a sign that tells everyone this is a new day, with new possibilities and new beginnings, and heck, thought Sam, maybe even a new me.
Chapter 55
“So, when will you ask her?”
“I’m not sure, Shannon. September is creeping up and her mind is on her new job and me going to school. All she talks about is how expensive it is to rent homes in Saddlecrest,” Carrie answered.
“Well, you have to get a horse, because my mom said I can come to visit over Christmas and I want you to take me riding,” Shannon laughed.
“You’re coming? Oh, wow. I can’t believe it! That will be so cool. Wait ’til I tell my mom!”
“I think my parents are trying to figure out plans now and when they do they’re gonna call your mom.”
“Oh, I can’t wait to see you, Shan! I can’t believe you’re coming in a few months. This is the best news
yet! Are you feeling okay? How’s your head and all?”
“I’m okay but everyone fusses over me and I’m not allowed to ride my bike or skate or do anything. I can’t even climb my favorite tree—or any tree, for that matter. Sometimes I get headaches that last for hours but the doctors tell me that will all go away.”
“Hey, were you able to use any of the calico swatches that I sent you?”
“Oh, geez, Carrie. I have been doing nothing but sewing and those squares are the perfect size. You gave me enough to do about four little quilts and I’ve already finished two. My grandmom sent them off to the Quilts For Tots place last week.”
“Is that what they call it? My teacher at camp asked me to get some information about it.”
“Why, is she thinking of making one? Anyone can sew them and help. You should see the letters I get from the people who receive my quilts. Mom says I should put them in a scrapbook.”
“Wow, I didn’t realize you were so into this. I’m glad we’re able to help by sending you calico squares, even if they are a bit mysterious.”
“Speaking of mysteries,” Shannon giggled. “Anything new in the meditations? Are you seeing any more images of calico patchwork hills or any horses? I love that I’m sewing fabric squares that appear magically from thin air.”
“Oh, wow, wait until you hear about my latest one. I was doing my meditation and I think a horse spirit spoke to me.”
Calico Horses and the Patchwork Trail Page 26