Stray Horse

by Bonnie Bryant

  Her parents had often considered getting her a horse. PJ’s arrival at CARL was like a dream come true. It was fate: PJ was for her. They’d grow together and learn together. She knew that PJ’s faith in her was boundless, and her confidence in him was infinite. They were a pair, inseparable.

  All she had to do was … everything.

  She dried her face, ran a comb though her hair, and hurried out of the bathroom. Two minutes to get her clothes on, another two in the kitchen, plus a scribbled note for her parents—no, just her mother, she reminded herself—and she was out the door with her backpack on her shoulder.

  Lisa dropped her backpack by the paddock shed and then whistled for PJ. As soon as he spotted her, he trotted over. Lisa compared him to the reluctant and petulant horse she’d taken off Angus Rutherford’s trailer just a few days before. He was still too thin, he was still scratched and scabbed, but he seemed to have gotten his heart and his spirit back—at least around Lisa. Besides, Lisa was sure that her special feeding program was helping to put some meat on his bones.

  When he reached her, she gave him a hug. It was a careful hug because he still had plenty of wounds, and it made Lisa’s heart soar to know that he trusted her enough to let her give him this affection. He tolerated her attention as he continued to sniff the air around her backpack.

  “It’s like we were meant to be together, don’t you think, PJ?” she asked.

  He snorted.

  Lisa gave him his morning treat, and then she checked his sores.

  Most of his cuts and abrasions were healing. There were even some signs that the hair was beginning to grow in again around most of them, though she knew he’d have some bare spots forever. When she got to the bobcat scratches, she wasn’t as happy. The swelling was still there, maybe even a little greater, and the flesh around the scratches felt warm, which worried her. What if the infection had been spreading instead of healing? In her mind’s eye, she could see the infection reaching other parts of PJ’s body.

  She sighed deeply, trying to get a grip on her emotions. She couldn’t panic. That wouldn’t help her at all, to say nothing of PJ. She could give him some more of the medicine. She found the tube of ointment in the shed and took a few minutes to spread the gooey stuff on the swollen scratches. As she did, she remembered the work she and her friends had done the day before, washing PJ’s coat. What if they’d let in germs with the soap and water? Was it possible she was just making PJ sicker?

  Don’t panic, she reminded herself. And don’t be late to school. She couldn’t afford another half hour of detention.

  “I’ll be back this afternoon,” she told the horse. He watched as she picked up her backpack and left the paddock, walking backward the whole way so that she could keep her eyes on him.

  “See you—and while I’m gone, you get better, okay?”

  PJ just bent his head and munched some grass in response.

  CAROLE SMILED AS soon as she saw Stevie coming out of the school building. It was a nuisance that the three friends didn’t all go to the same school, especially when two of them were trying to help the third. She was determined that they go to CARL together to be sure that Lisa spent some time at Pine Hollow that afternoon.

  Stevie waved, clearly as glad to see Carole as Carole was to see her.

  “We’ve got to go see Lisa again, don’t we?” Stevie asked.

  “Two great minds with a single thought,” Carole agreed.

  “You know, I’m glad Max wants us to work ourselves crazy. At least that’ll help Lisa focus on something other than PJ. She sometimes goes a little off the deep end, doesn’t she?”

  Carole laughed. She was tempted to say something about pots and kettles calling one another black. Instead she settled for simple agreement. “Sometimes she does,” she said. “And this is one of those times. I’m kind of worried about her in general, though.”

  “Me too,” said Stevie. “She’s been acting so different.”

  “And that’s why we’re here,” Carole said.

  “Besides, it means we get to help a horse in need while we’re helping a friend in need.”

  “Perfect combination,” said Carole.

  “Look, there she is,” said Stevie, pointing to Lisa, who stood in the paddock with PJ and Judy Barker.

  “I hope everything’s okay,” said Carole. “With both of them.”

  “Let’s go find out,” Stevie said. They hurried over and joined their friend and the vet.

  “Yes, I’m sure he’s going to be fine,” Judy was saying.

  “But the swelling and the fact that it’s warm around there—” Lisa protested.

  “You’re smart to notice these things, but it’s part of the healing process. It means the horse’s immune system is sending its reinforcements to the infected site. Just keep putting the antibiotic ointment on a couple times a day, and this boy will be fine very soon and ready to put on some more weight.” Judy greeted Stevie and Carole, but their arrival didn’t distract Lisa.

  “And what about his leg?” Lisa asked. “Did you check that?”

  “Yes, I did check it,” said Judy. “The swelling has definitely gone down. He’s not going to be ready to be ridden for a couple of weeks, but he’s on the mend.”

  “How do you know?” Lisa asked.

  “Well, I compared the swelling with the last time I saw him. Look, I’ll show you.” She took out her notes and showed Lisa that she’d measured the swelling carefully each time she’d seen the horse.

  “The good news is that this horse is going to be ready to leave CARL by early next week. With any luck, we’ll have found his owner by then.”

  Lisa flinched, and Carole knew why. Anybody who’d seen her with PJ over the last few days knew how attached she’d gotten to him.

  Judy, who was often as wise about people as she was about horses, put her arm around Lisa’s shoulder.

  “Home is the best place for him,” she said.

  “We’ve convinced Max to take him in,” said Lisa.

  “And I bet you’re going to have to work hard for him to make good on that promise!” Judy teased.

  “It’s worth it,” Lisa said happily.

  “He seems like a good horse,” said Judy.

  “The best,” Lisa said.

  “You’ve been working very hard with him,” Judy praised.

  “She sure has,” Stevie confirmed. “She’s here every morning and afternoon.”

  “Good nursing care is an important part of healing,” Judy said. “Nice work, Lisa. And is everything okay?”

  “As long as PJ is getting better,” Lisa said.

  “PJ is definitely getting better,” Judy said. “What about you?”

  “Me? Oh, I’m fine,” Lisa assured her. “Just fine.”

  “Well, what this horse needs right now is a little rest. I’ve been watching him eye the shady corner of the paddock under the tree. So let’s let him have a nap, okay?” Judy said.

  “Just what we had in mind,” Carole said. “We think there’s just a tiny bit of work to be done at Pine Hollow.”

  “Oh, the old tack-cleaning ploy, eh?” Judy asked, smiling.

  “That, and the manure pile,” Stevie said.

  “Oh dear!” Judy laughed.

  “It’s all worth it!” Lisa interjected. “Everything is worth it if we can save PJ!”

  “Yes, of course,” Judy said. “Well, I’ll check in on him again in a couple of days. I’ll see you then.”

  The girls said good-bye to Judy and PJ, then walked over to Pine Hollow together. Stevie and Carole were chatting about a project Stevie had to do for her math class. Carole recommended using beans because she could glue them to oak tag. Stevie had been thinking about macaroni because she could put it on strings.

  “You can use all sorts of different colors of beans,” Carole said. “And didn’t you use beans once?” she turned to Lisa.

  “I don’t remember,” Lisa said.

  It was very unlike Lisa to forget anythin
g she’d done for school.

  “Come on, let’s hurry,” Lisa said. They were nearing the stable. She picked up her pace and then began to jog.

  Even Carole never hurried when it came to mucking out stalls. She shrugged. “I guess she really loves this horse, huh?”

  “Really,” Stevie said.

  The two of them followed Lisa into the stable. They put their backpacks and jackets in their cubbies, and by the time they walked down the aisle, Lisa was already halfway through cleaning Barq’s stall. Carole and Stevie pitched in, bringing fresh shavings, water, and hay.

  The rest of the afternoon went pretty much the same way: Lisa hurrying, Stevie and Carole trying to keep up. Lisa was a good worker. They were all good workers, and Max had told them that from time to time (though not often enough, in their opinions), but Stevie and Carole had never seen anything like the frenzy Lisa created that afternoon, cleaning everything in sight.

  “Carole, look, there are cobwebs in Starlight’s stall!” she said.

  There were always cobwebs in stalls, Carole thought. Mostly she just ignored them. If there was a spider lurking there, it was probably eating flies and mosquitoes that would otherwise bite the horses.

  “You’d better brush those out or Max might not let PJ stay here.”

  Carole didn’t think a cobweb or two would interfere with Max’s promise, but Lisa seemed to be in no mood for an argument. Obediently, Carole swiped at the cobwebs.

  “And Stevie! Did you see how dirty the window in Belle’s stall has gotten?”

  The window in Belle’s stall had always been clouded with dirt. Stevie didn’t think there was enough window cleaner in the world to clean it. Lisa insisted that she try. Lisa had already cleaned the windows in Comanche’s and Patch’s stalls. Stevie went to take a look. They were actually clean!

  When the last speck of dirt had been removed and the whole stable was practically clean enough for surgery, the three girls went into the locker area. Carole and Stevie thought they’d have a chance to drink a soda and take a little rest.

  Lisa had a different idea. She appeared in the locker area and handed each of her friends a bridle, a sponge, and a can of saddle soap.

  “What’s gotten into you?” Stevie asked. “With all the cleaning we’ve done, Max would let us bring a whole herd of strays into this place!”

  Lisa smiled. “I just want to be sure,” she said. “I need to be sure.” She picked up her sponge and got to work.

  Even horse-craziest Carole knew that Lisa’s zeal was totally out of proportion to the problem of getting PJ to be able to stay at Pine Hollow for a while. Something was going on, something else, and she thought she and Stevie deserved to know what it was.

  “What’s up, Lisa?” she asked.

  “Nothing,” Lisa insisted.

  “Well, what’s going on, then?” Stevie asked, joining in.

  “Nothing’s going on,” Lisa said, shrugging.

  “Well, you seem upset and out of—I don’t know. Out of whack, I guess,” Carole said. “Is everything okay?”

  “Everything’s okay,” Lisa said. “The only thing that’s going on is PJ. Oh, right, well, there is something else.” She paused and stared at the bridle for a few seconds.

  “Yes?” said Carole.

  “My parents are getting a divorce. Dad left last night and I didn’t have a chance to tell him all the things I’ve been doing with PJ.”

  Carole and Stevie’s eyes widened and they stared at their friend in shock. Lisa didn’t seem to register that anything was wrong, and she calmly resumed rubbing the bridle in her lap.

  STEVIE OPENED HER mouth to speak, but she couldn’t think of anything to say. She was overwhelmed with feelings, none of them expressible. Divorce. What a horrible word. What a horrible thought. Parents deciding they didn’t love each other anymore. Leaving, breaking up, changing. What would it be like if it happened to her? But it wasn’t happening to her, it was happening to Lisa, and it was almost unimaginable. And all the while, Lisa was just sitting there, rubbing a bridle until the old leather began to shine.

  “There, I’m done with this bridle,” said Lisa, standing up to put the tack in its place. “Nothing like cleaning tack to clear the mind, is there? Now, what comes next?” She sat back down on the bench. “I think we’ve done all the tack in here, but if I remember correctly, the driving tack is up in the loft. You know, I think PJ is not only going to be a fine school horse, but my guess—and my guesses about these kinds of things are usually right on target—is that he’s going to be a fine driving horse, too. I mean, can’t you just see that sweet boy pulling a cart or even a carriage of some kind? I wonder if Max is interested in getting into competitive driving more than he has been? Remember, we’ve tried it a couple of times and it’s really very different from riding, though driving is still horses and that’s what matters.”

  Driving? Carriages? What is Lisa talking about? Stevie asked herself.

  “Well, I guess the first thing we’re going to have to do is get PJ used to a saddle again. I mean, with all those scratches, it’s probably been a while since he’s been under saddle, and Judy says that his swollen leg is going to keep him out of the ring for another couple of weeks. Maybe there’s still time to clean that driving tack. Maybe I should be getting home.”

  “Maybe,” Carole said. “I bet your mother would like to have you with her at this time.”

  “I left the house early again,” Lisa said. “I mean, I left a note and all, not that that kept my parents from freaking out yesterday when I left a perfectly nice note. They said something about wanting to see me. Well, if they want to see me, they always know where to find me. It’s either here or at CARL. I’ve got a lot of work to do. People count on me, you know. I guess I mean really that horses and other animals count on me, at least at CARL.”

  There was a pause in the flood of words and Stevie had the feeling there must be something to say, but she was still tongue-tied.

  “So you’re going home now?” Carole asked. It sounded more like a suggestion than a question.

  “Okay,” said Lisa. Without another word, she walked out of the room.

  Stevie and Carole listened while their friend picked up her backpack and took her jacket out of her cubby. They heard her even steps retreating down the aisle.

  “Divorce?” Stevie said, for the first time able to speak the word out loud.

  “I guess,” said Carole.

  “Well, she seems to be taking it pretty well,” Stevie said.

  Carole regarded her quizzically.

  “You mean she isn’t?” Stevie asked.

  “I don’t think so,” said Carole. “Look, we’re her best friends in the whole world. She was with us for what, like, three hours before she finally told us. She announced it like she was telling us they were having chicken for dinner.”

  “And she didn’t talk about it after that, did she?” Stevie said, understanding that that wasn’t very much like Lisa. “I guess she’s upset after all.”

  “Wouldn’t you be?” Carole asked.

  “That was the first thing I started thinking about,” Stevie said. “I mean, how I would feel. I didn’t like the thought at all. But I wasn’t expecting this. I mean, her parents are always so quiet and reserved.”

  “You should have seen them the other morning,” Carole said, and then she told Stevie about the incident with the milk.

  “And?”

  “It was so angry,” said Carole.

  “That doesn’t sound unusual to me at all. My brothers talk to me like that all the time.”

  “Sure, and your parents probably gripe at one another sometimes, too. I know my parents did. Every family’s different, though.”

  “You mean like we’re weird that we yell at each other all the time?” Stevie asked.

  “No. Not at all, that’s normal—for you. Lisa and I have talked about it because we both live in such quiet homes. For us, it’s just me and my dad and we sometimes get annoyed or
angry with each other, like when I have to point out to him that he’s not quite as perfect as he thinks he is.” Carole smiled, thinking about her father.

  “Well, he pretty much is,” Stevie said.

  “Anyway,” Carole said, “we don’t yell at each other, and that’s normal for us. We do, however, on occasion, find it necessary to point out flaws in the other, like he has this silly notion that I spend too much time here. The point is that we say that stuff. In Lisa’s house, Lisa’s mother often criticizes her, but Lisa never returns it, and you never, ever hear her parents disagreeing about anything, even when it’s clear that they don’t agree. It’s a little weird.”

  “Yeah,” Stevie said, recalling examples of what Carole was talking about. She remembered a really awful dinner conversation about whether Mr. Atwood was going to cancel a business trip so that he could go to Mrs. Atwood’s second cousin’s niece’s wedding. Even then, it hadn’t made any sense, but nobody had raised their voices. In Stevie’s family, nobody would have had such a dumb argument in the first place, but peas would fly across the table over lost homework.

  “You know what it made me think?” Carole said. “It’s like every family has its own volume level. Your family is definitely High. Whenever anybody has something to say, they say it or yell it or even throw it. And it’s all on the surface. Dad and I talk to each other, too—we just do it without the flying food. The real trouble comes when nobody’s talking. The Atwoods are set on Low, and until recently, like when Lisa began mentioning that her mother complained about all the traveling her father does, nobody ever snapped or complained to anybody about anything. When the volume changes, it means there’s trouble.”

  “Like the milk thing?”

  “Exactly,” said Carole.

  “And I guess what you’re saying is that that milk thing wasn’t any more about milk than Lisa’s recent speech was about driving tack.”

  “Exactly,” Carole said.

  “Oh no,” said Stevie.

  “Exactly,” Carole said again.

  “And the only thing worse than a low volume going up is when it goes to Off,” said Stevie.