Page 74 of Save A Horse
“You know, cowboy?”
“What’s that, Daisy?”
“I’ve been thinking about all the places I want to see when I grow up.”
“Like where? Looking around, this is the best place to be. Here, you don’t have anyone to bother you, and you can be surrounded bynature, horses, and cattle all day. You can go riding when you want, and there are so many things you can do and have here that you can’t anywhere else.” She ignored my comment and continued.
“There is so much out there. New York City would be fun to see one day. It’s so big and the buildings are so tall there.”
“Yeah, but it would be really crowded there with all the people.”
“Exactly! I want to see the bright lights, the street performers, and all of the sights it has to offer. I want to experience it. The Statue of Liberty must really be a sight!”
“You and your big dreams. What else?” I pushed her again, and she kept talking about all the places she wanted to see someday.
“The beach! I’ve never been. People at school talk about going on vacations in the summer.”
“I’ve heard them.”
“You could go swimming and build sandcastles. You may even see a dolphin! That would be awesome!”
“What if you got sunburnt?”
“I’ll wear sunscreen. That’s beside the point. Don’t worry, though. I’ll bring you along so you can help me build that sandcastle. Maybe I can bury you in the sand, too.”
“You wish.”
“Wouldn’t the mountains be nice to see? We could go hiking. We could have a picnic up there, too, as we took in the view from the top.”
“A picnic?”
“We could explore caves and look for cool rocks. At night, we could lie under the stars.”
“You’ve really thought this through, haven’t you?”
“I guess so. I just think it would be fun to see other places besides here…only if you go with me, though.” I smiled. I liked the fact that she included me in all her plans. “Garrity Valley is my home, and I will always come back to it. It would be nice to visit some other places in my life.”
? ? ?
The sun had now climbed high, and the earth felt like it was baking in its rays. The side-by-side bounced against the ground as I headed in the direction of my dad and Daisy. I could see some dust flying up as I moved along. The air was thick with the smell of leather and sweat as I got back to the barn. I ran a hand across my forehead, wiping away the perspiration.
I slowed the engine as I approached. My dad and Daisy were still inside, standing in the doorway now. My dad was leaning against Titan’s stall, and Daisy was in the center, her hands moving with gentle ease as she brushed Domino’s mane. Domino shifted and snorted softly, but Daisy’s calm voice soothed him. Sunlight seeped through the cracks of the barn, beaming off her face and illuminating the dirt on the group inside.
I cut the engine, the sudden silence allowing me to hear the horses. Daisy looked up, her eyes meeting mine, and a smile formed on her face.
“Hey.” She called out, her voice carrying across the distance between us.
“Back already?” I nodded to answer my dad’s question. I hopped out of the side-by-side and walked over to them.
“The fence looked good. I left them eating, and the water troughs full of water.”
“Good to hear.”
“So, what’s next?”
“Can you two pick up sticks from the yard? I need to mow, so I’m going to go work on that. After that, could y’all go feed and water the chickens and collect the eggs?”
“On it, Walt.”
