Stray Horse

by Bonnie Bryant

  “He needs a name,” she said.

  “And I suppose you have something in mind?” Judy asked.

  “I do.”

  “Is that a secret, too?” asked the vet.

  “No, it is the secret,” said Lisa. “I hereby dub him Peanut Butter and Jelly—PJ for short.”

  Judy laughed. “I guess I know how you tamed this wild beast then, don’t I?”

  “Yep. And I know it’s not very good for him except in small amounts.”

  “Like leftover sandwich pieces?” Judy asked.

  “Just like that,” Lisa confirmed.

  She picked up the brush and went back to work. PJ behaved like a perfect gentleman, even when Judy let go of the lead rope.

  LISA WAS LATE getting home. She was afraid her mother would be worried about her, but there had been so much to do! Once she’d finished getting the worst of the mud off PJ, she’d helped Anita take a picture of him, which they’d use for posters, and then they’d called a couple of the local papers to place ads about the lost horse. Finally, working with a list Judy gave her, she called all the equine vets in nearby counties. Somebody had to know about a missing horse.

  It was hard work taking care of a horse who was as ill, sore, and distrustful as this one. Her day had involved lots of patience and concentration, and it was all Lisa could do to keep from yawning as she hurried home. She couldn’t wait to tell her parents.

  She eagerly hurried up the steps to the kitchen door. What she found inside, however, was not her mother, but a note: “Your father is working late again. I’m at an appointment. There are leftovers. Love, Mom.”

  So much for the nice conversation she’d been looking forward to having. Lisa put her book bag in her room, changed into clean clothes, and went back downstairs to see what her mother’s idea of leftovers was. She couldn’t remember what they’d had for dinner the night before. Hadn’t that been leftovers? She pulled open the refrigerator door and peered inside. There were a number of plastic containers and bowls. Their contents revealed fried chicken, corn, and french fries. She made a plate and put it in the microwave. Setting the timer, she went up to her room to get her history book so that she could read while she ate. It was going to be hard to stay awake long enough to get her homework done, so she figured she’d better get started.

  Four minutes later, the electronic beep told her that dinner was heated. When she returned to the kitchen, she realized that it was actually a good deal more than heated. Still hopeful, she poked the chicken with a fork. It looked a little bit like chicken, but it felt more like shoe leather. The fries, instead of being crispy, were mushy and unappetizing.

  “I guess I’ve got some more work to do on microwaving,” she said to her dog, Dolly, who watched all the proceedings. She even looked hopefully at the dish.

  “No way,” Lisa told her. “I can’t give this to you. There are laws about cruelty to animals!” The little dog retreated and took a drink from her water bowl.

  Lisa tossed the food into the garbage and thought about what she might be able to eat that she couldn’t ruin. She took out the bread, peanut butter, and jelly and poured herself a big glass of cold milk.

  With the first bite, she was overwhelmed with sweet memories of her afternoon working with PJ. She couldn’t wait to tell her friends all about CARL’s newest resident.

  As if on cue, the phone rang. It was Stevie and Carole on a three-way call.

  “Are we interrupting dinner?” Carole asked.

  “I’m not sure if what I’m eating qualifies as dinner,” Lisa said, looking down at the remains of her sandwich. “But I’m alone, so I can talk.”

  “Good,” said Stevie. “Because we haven’t talked anywhere near enough in days! Where have you been?”

  “I’ve been at CARL,” Lisa said.

  “You’ve missed two riding lessons,” Carole reminded her.

  “I know, but these guys need me—and I’m having fun.”

  “Right, like cleaning out litter boxes is fun!”

  It hurt a little when Stevie said that. It wasn’t as if there was any glamour to the work Lisa was doing, but the boxes needed to be cleaned out. Why couldn’t Stevie understand that?

  “Are you ever coming back to Pine Hollow?” Carole asked. Lisa could tell she was asking the question that really concerned her and Stevie. It surprised her that the subject even came up between them.

  “Of course I am!” she said. “I just feel like right now this is really important.”

  “We didn’t mean to say it wasn’t,” Stevie said, clearly pulling back. “We know it’s important. We miss you, though.”

  “And so does Prancer,” Carole added. “There’s always plenty of work to do at Pine Hollow.”

  “Oh, I know that,” said Lisa. “And speaking of horses, Judy brought a stray over to CARL today. I guess he had been hanging around on the edge of a farmer’s field for a while until the guy could catch him. It’s a light chestnut gelding. He was probably nice-looking before he got lost, but now he’s skinny, scratched up, and really dirty. He made friends with me okay, but he kicked Judy a couple of times.”

  That got her friends’ interest. They wanted to know all about PJ and loved the story about the sandwich.

  “You’re turning into some sort of miracle worker with stray animals,” said Carole, recalling Lisa’s job with Dr. Einstein.

  “Oh, I don’t know about that,” Lisa said. “It’s just that I feel so sorry for them, it’s like I understand what’s in their heads.”

  “Well, what else is going on?” Stevie asked.

  “I guess that’s about it at CARL,” Lisa said.

  “No, I meant anything else anywhere else? It’s like we haven’t talked in weeks.”

  “Days,” Lisa reminded her. “Nothing too interesting. I’ve got a history quiz tomorrow.”

  “Spellbinding,” Stevie joked.

  “Another A for you,” said Carole.

  “Not if I don’t study before I fall asleep. I’m really tired,” said Lisa. “And I have to be at CARL tomorrow afternoon. Judy’s getting back some of the blood test results on PJ—that’s what I’ve named him, after the sandwich, you know—and I want to be sure he’s okay.”

  “Sure,” said Carole. “Tell you what. Stevie and I will meet you there after school and help you with PJ and the other animals, and then we can all go to Pine Hollow together, okay?”

  “Okay,” said Lisa. “I can’t wait for you to meet this guy. He’s wonderful.”

  “No point in telling Carole that,” Stevie said. “She thinks all horses are wonderful.”

  “And am I ever wrong?” Carole asked.

  “Spoken like a true Saddle Club member!” said Stevie.

  “I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” Lisa said. “And thanks for calling.”

  As she hung up the phone, she had the distinct feeling that she’d just been on the receiving end of a Saddle Club project. Her friends were worried about her or else they wouldn’t have insisted on meeting her at CARL tomorrow. They didn’t have anything to worry about, though. Lisa was fine. It was PJ who needed help. He would be the next Saddle Club project.

  Lisa finished the last bite of her sandwich, put her dishes in the dishwasher, grabbed an apple for dessert, and headed upstairs to finish her homework. She had a lot of things going on. She was working hard at school. She didn’t want to run the risk of letting her grades slip, because that would really disappoint her parents. And then there was all her work at CARL. Her parents had seemed pleased to hear about that. They were proud of her, and she wanted to make them happy.

  She plopped onto her bed and pulled her history textbook toward her. Now, where was Julius Caesar the last time she looked? Right. He was conquering Gaul. She took a bite of her apple and turned her attention to the battles in Switzerland—then known as Helvetia.

  Lisa’s mother called about eight o’clock to make sure she was okay, and Lisa assured her that she was. Mrs. Atwood said she’d be home later, and Lisa
told her she’d see her then. There was so much to tell her. Her mother said she hoped they’d have time to talk soon. She had a lot going on, too, but she was calling from a borrowed cell phone in a restaurant and she really couldn’t talk just then.

  “I just wanted to be sure you’re okay.”

  “I am, Mom. Good night.”

  Ten minutes later, she got a similar call from her father, which was a surprise, because she’d thought her parents were at the restaurant together.

  “Sorry not to be there tonight,” her father said.

  “I don’t mind,” Lisa assured him. “I’m studying for a test. But I’ve got lots of stuff I want to tell you about.”

  “Well, now you have to study, I guess. I love you, Lisa,” he said.

  “Love you, too, Dad. Good night.”

  She was glad of the quiet, and now it was time to get back to Caesar.

  THE NEXT MORNING Lisa woke up at dawn. Her room was gray in the early morning light, and the house was as quiet as it had been the night before. The only noise was Dolly, who was sleeping on the foot of her bed, snoring gently. As soon as Lisa sat up, Dolly awakened.

  She looked at her watch. It was 6:15. She didn’t have to be at school until eight. If she hurried, she could stop by CARL on her way to school and check on PJ. Her parents wouldn’t be up for another half hour. It would mean she’d miss them, but PJ was important, and she was sure they’d understand.

  She hurried through her morning routine, then picked up her book bag and went downstairs. In the kitchen she made two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches—one for herself and one for PJ—and grabbed a couple of apples and two containers of milk. She scribbled a note for her mother and headed for the front door. As she passed the den, she noticed a pile of blankets on the sofa, and then realized it wasn’t really a pile of blankets. It was her father with some blankets on him. He must have gotten in really late the night before and hadn’t wanted to wake up Lisa’s mother. She blew him a silent kiss and went out the front door.

  Lisa loved this time of day. The air was fresh and cool—so different from inside the house. She took a deep breath and exhaled, feeling invigorated. There were stirrings in some of the neighbors’ houses, but it was earlier than most people were up, so it felt like the whole world was hers alone. She reached out her hands as if to hug the air and everything else. There was a skip in her walk. She couldn’t help feeling that way. Life was good, wasn’t it?

  She paused at a stone wall near CARL to retie a loose shoelace. She was thinking about her parents, realizing that it had been so long since they’d all been together that she might forget some of the things she wanted to tell them. It wasn’t like she needed to boast to them. It was just that they always seemed to get such pleasure from knowing about the good things she was doing, things that made a difference, and she didn’t want to deny them that pleasure. Yes, that was it. She wanted to do that nice thing for them. She took out her assignment notebook and turned to a blank page at the back. She made a few notes to herself.

  Dinner tonight, she thought. That’s when well all have a chance to talk.

  She stood up and picked up her backpack. She could practically hear PJ calling her name.

  LISA LET HERSELF into PJ’s paddock. The horse was standing motionless in the small shelter. Lisa approached him, speaking gently. His ears perked.

  “You were waiting for me, weren’t you, boy?” she asked. He didn’t answer.

  She patted him cautiously, still very aware of his wounds and tender spots. He flinched when she accidentally touched a sore spot, but he never threatened her as he had Judy.

  “You’re really a tame old boy, aren’t you?” she asked. He didn’t answer that question, either, but Lisa was confident she had the answer anyway.

  She looked again at his scratches. She could see several that formed a distinct pattern of parallel lines. Judy said it looked as if he’d tangled with a bobcat, and it looked to Lisa as if the bobcat had nearly won. Perhaps that was when PJ had learned to kick so effectively. It was a skill Lisa hoped he would soon forget.

  She took the salve off the shelf in the shed and gently put some on each of his scratches to help the healing process. She noticed there was one in particular that seemed swollen, and he didn’t want her to touch it. She took a piece of paper out of her backpack and scribbled a note for Judy. The flesh around that scratch was warm, indicating that PJ might be developing an infection in that wound. Judy might want to give him some antibiotics just to be sure.

  “Good boy,” she said, patting him carefully. This time he answered with an affectionate flick of his tail. Lisa’s heart nearly burst with joy. It was a small thing, but from PJ it was really a big deal. He was definitely feeling better, and he wanted her to know it.

  She replenished his water bucket and gave him some fresh hay. While he busied himself with his water and snack, she took up the soft brush and again attempted to groom him very gently. Although he was getting cleaner, Lisa found herself thinking that the brushing was more exploratory than anything else, because every time she brushed his coat she found another wound.

  When she looked at her watch and saw it was almost eight, she knew she had to leave. PJ whinnied and then nickered as Lisa headed for the gate. She turned around and he nickered again, looking her straight in the eye. It was as if he were trying to say something to her, as if he didn’t want her to go.

  “I can’t stay, PJ. I’ve got to get to school.” She hoped he would understand. She turned and he whinnied. What was on his mind?

  Then Lisa laughed. She remembered exactly what was on his mind, and if it weren’t for his really good sense of smell, he might not have known to ask for it. He simply wanted his sandwich!

  “Okay, okay, you win!” she said, reaching into her backpack. “Half now, half later. But you’ll only get the second half if I hear that you were on your best behavior for Judy’s visit this afternoon!”

  She tore off a bit of the sandwich and gave it to him. He chomped very contentedly on his morning treat. To top it off, she gave him a slug of milk from a half-pint container. He positively guzzled the milk, proving that milk is the best accompaniment for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He made a mess of it, though. Milk cartons had not been designed for horses’ drinking habits.

  Lisa checked her watch again, then hurried out the gate. She had just ten minutes to get to school, and it was a fifteen-minute walk.

  “WHERE’S LISA?” STEVIE asked Carole. The two of them had agreed to meet at CARL after school so that they would at least have a chance to see their friend. Now they were there and Stevie wondered where she was.

  “She had to stay after school because she was late this morning. A half hour of detention,” said Carole.

  “Late?” Stevie asked. It was very unlike Lisa to be late for anything, ever.

  “She told me she came over here this morning and just couldn’t pull herself away from PJ. Anyway, she’ll be here in a few minutes, and I’m kind of glad you and I have a chance to talk before she gets here. She’s been acting really strange.”

  “Surely you’re not saying that just because she’s crazy about this horse, are you?”

  Carole smiled. “No there’s nothing strange about that. It’s the way she’s so focused on this project. And the fact that she hasn’t been over to Pine Hollow.”

  “Well, at least now we get to meet this horse that she’s so crazy about,” Stevie said.

  The two girls went into the main building of CARL together and signed the volunteer log. They left their book bags and jackets in the cloakroom, then went out the back door to the paddock to meet PJ.

  They found the horse standing in the shade of a tree in the corner of the paddock. At first glance he looked unpromising.

  “Wow, he’s a mess,” said Stevie, echoing Carole’s own thoughts. Although Lisa had managed to get most of the mud and grime off him, his body still showed the ravages of the wild. Carole noticed some distinct scratches.


  “Looks like some sort of cat attacked him—maybe a bobcat?”

  “I think Lisa mentioned that,” said Stevie. “And it looks like the wound’s getting infected, too,” she said, pointing to the swelling as they approached the horse.

  PJ stepped back as they came near him. They paused, willing to give him all the time he needed to get used to them.

  “I’m sure he’s a great horse and all,” said Stevie. “But it’s hard to imagine being obsessed with him.” She now saw past the scratches, all the way to the visible ribs.

  “Poor boy,” said Carole. “He’s had a rough time. I’m glad Lisa’s been here for him.”

  “Yeah,” Stevie agreed. “Just like I’m glad we’re here for her. I think she needs our help as much as he needs hers.”

  “Definitely a Saddle Club project,” Carole confirmed. “Now, if only we knew why she’s acting so weird.”

  “Hi, guys. I wasn’t sure if you’d be here yet,” Lisa called from across the paddock. The two girls turned around and waved to their friend. “And I see you’ve met PJ. Isn’t he great?”

  “He seems a little nervous about us,” Stevie said.

  “That’s just because I haven’t introduced you properly yet. In a few minutes he’ll be your best friend, too. He always behaves when he’s being groomed or getting snacks. See you in a minute.”

  In a flash, Lisa had dropped off her school bag and was coming out of the main building, carrying a bucket and some sponges.

  “I think it’s time for a bath,” she said. “And I think he’s going to like it.”

  As she approached PJ, his ears perked up and his eyes seemed to brighten. It was as if Lisa had some kind of magic potion in the bucket. All the bucket held, though, was warm water and a little bit of shampoo.

  Lisa clipped a couple of lead ropes to PJ’s halter and walked him over to the shed, where she cross-tied him. He clearly trusted her as much as he had not trusted her friends. He regarded Carole and Stevie suspiciously all the way across the paddock. However, when they each picked up a moist sponge, his opinion of them seemed to improve. As soon as the three girls started washing him, he began behaving like a gentleman.