Life's Lesson
“Whoever promised you life would be fair?” Lee Stetson could hear those stinging words his uncle had told him on more than one occasion, echoing in his mind. But his uncle was right; life wasn’t fair. There had been so much loss in his life. “No, not this time,” he said, under his breath, running his hand through his sun-bleached hair.
He had to see her, had to hold her, he wanted more time with her. “Dear God. Why me? Why all this heartache?” She was his life. She had given him unconditional love and now that was going to be taken from him.
“Hello, generous. How’s my best girl?” he asked, trying to blink back tears.
She looked up at him with her big brown eyes, taking a couple of steps towards him. She rested her head on his shoulder, softly moving her lips across his tear stained cheek.
“I got a surprise for you,” he finally said, running his hands across her shoulders and down her back. “But first, sweetheart, you must walk with me.”
His little roan mare’s ears jumped back and forth, her nostrils flaring. She nickered and tossed her head, pushing against him, wanting to play.
“Okay, you scamp. Here’s your treat.” Her lips daintily lifted the sugar cube off his outstretched hand.
He slid the bridle over her head. Gathering up the reins in his left hand he led her out of the paddock. Walking over to the corral gate, he stopped her. He climbed up the fence and grabbing her dark red mane, swung his leg across her back. He leaned forward, unlatching the gate and threw it open. The gate banged against the fence post. Lee jumped, hoping the noise had not woken up his uncle.
The stars were still out and the sky was cloudless, but he knew dawn would be upon them soon. He had to put as much distance as he possibly could between him and his uncle. He was not going to take her away from him.
Lee clucked softly at Bayley, and pressed his knees into her side; she moved forward into a slow walk. They followed the creek for several miles, dropping into a small valley. Lee decided to cut through the neighbor’s property, which he hoped would save him time. He pulled on the reins moving Bayley to the left to cut through the apple orchards. She pranced along, her head held high. Her chestnut hair gleamed in the moonlit sky.
It was slow going in the dark and the morning fog began to roll in from the ocean, making traveling that much more difficult in the French countryside. They walked past the rows of apple trees. Branches swayed in the gentle breeze. Lee was trying to be careful not to accidentally get hit by one of the low hanging branches. Then it happened, he misjudged the branch and it hit him square in the chest. He tumbled over backwards, landing with a jarring crash flat on his stomach.
Lee lay there for a moment catching his breath. He started to get up and fell again with a groan. His wrists would not support his weight. “Damn,” Lee said, gently rolling onto his back. “My uncle is going to kill me.”
He could feel his wrists were swelling and turning a purplish-blue color. He pulled himself up off the ground. Bayley walked over to him, her pointed ears jumping back and forth, she put her head down and blew her breath in his face.
Lee looked up to the sky and could see the first rays of morning light. He stepped onto a large boulder and with one quick motion was on her back again. The pain in his wrists cut like a knife. Lee hung his head down; he knew this adventure was over. He had no choice but to go back to his uncle’s house.
Lee rode back home and into the paddock. His uncle came out the front door, slamming the screen door, “Skip, where the hell have you been? Your breakfast is getting cold.”
Lee didn’t say anything. He tried to dismount, but found the pain unbearable. His uncle came into the paddock and took one look at Lee’s wrists and helped him off the horse. Not saying a word, he tied Bayley to the hitching post.
“I need to take care of Bayley,” Lee said determined.
“Don’t worry about her. I’ll have Frank do the currying and brushing and see that she gets fed. Now, you get into the house and put some ice on your wrists,” the Major barked.
Lee sat in the kitchen. The ice burned on his wrists, but they felt better. The moment the Major came in he laid into Lee. “Let me see you wrists, Skip.” He examined the wrists. “They don’t appear to be broken, but probably fractured. Again I ask you want the hell were you doing? And don’t toy with me. I’ve had enough of your cheeky sauciness.”
Lee looked down at the floor and mumbled, “I was running away from home.”
“I see,” the Major said. “And where did you think you were going to run away to?”
“I don’t know. But you can’t take her away from me,” he said, hot tears following down his cheeks.
“Listen Skip, you’re ten years old now. It’s time you grew up. Take it like a man,” the Major said, shaking his head. “Now I’m going to give you some Aspirin and then I want you to go back to bed. Maybe someday you will understand, but running away is not going to solve your problems.”
Lee stormed up the stairs to his room the words of his uncle still echoing is his mind. “Whoever promised you life would be fair.”
‘Nobody.’ He thought, shaking his head, ‘And I’ll never expect it either.’
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