Page 39 of Waiting for Ru
Leigh examined her, running his hands over her body and legs. “It could be the saddle. But she should be thoroughly checked anyway.”
Jasim nodded. “Please.”
“Congrats on the win.” Leigh smiled at him. “But you stink.”
Jasim huffed and headed for his shower.
Ru figured he was safe from Mike in the tack room. He hadn’t deliberately tried to make him look bad, but he just wouldn’t listen. Nor would Paolo. If it had been something serious like cervical spondylomyelopathy, commonly known aswobbler syndrome, Pepper could have collapsed at any moment. Instead, Ru was pretty sure it was an issue with the saddle. Maybe something had been caught under the saddle pad at some point and had made Pepper sore.
He took yet another bridle to pieces and dropped the bit into the bucket of water. Mike had made it clear before the game had started that Ru was not to watch it, but to continue cleaning tack. Ru didn’t understand why Mike was being so mean. It wasn’t as if he was any threat to him. He’d done everything he’d been told to do and it wasn’t fair to stop him having an hour off to watch the entire reason Benning Park existed. He hadn’t even had a lunch break—again—so why shouldn’t he have watched the game?
In the end, irritation had dragged him from the tack room. He’d snuck down to the field and from a distance, watched what had turned out to be the remains of the last chukka. Two minutes of play had him mesmerised. It was like a battle on horseback, ponies riding straight at each other, somehow not colliding, riders waving mallets in the air, their other hand holding reins and crop, and leaning into impossible positions to swipe at the ball… They made it look easy and Ru could see it was anything but. The ponies had been groomed to perfection, bright wraps on their legs, tails braided and folded up and manes clipped close to their necks so they looked all muscle. They were.
The ponies’ excitement was infectious. Ru saw how special these animals were, born and bred for the sport, trained every day for moments like this. But it was Jasim who’d really captured Ru’s attention. His lungs had locked and his pulse jumped each time Jasim seemed to be on the verge of coming off his mount. He rode so fast, turned so quickly. They all did, but Jasim was the best.
The door of the tack room opened and Ru looked up. Mike glowered and closed the door behind him.Uh oh.
“What the fuck do you think you were playing at? You made me look bad.”
“You made yourself look bad. Pepper was in pain. You should have noticed. It’s your job to notice.”
Ru didn’t have chance to move before Mike hauled him to his feet. He caught hold of the neck of Ru’s polo shirt, pinching the skin of his throat as he dragged him in close.
“I told you not to watch the match.”
“I only saw the last part. I was taking a break. I’m allowed breaks. I’m not a slave, contrary to what you might think.”
Ru flailed at Mike, trying to get free. He hadn’t expected the clenched fist to be driven into his stomach and he doubled over. For a long moment, he was unable to breathe, then air rushed into his lungs and he gasped in pain. As Mike let him go, Ru dropped his hands to the table to keep himself on his feet.
“You’re an interfering little shit.” Mike grabbed Ru’s arm, wrenched it back and twisted it hard enough to make him yelp. “Keep your mouth shut and do your job.”
He flung Ru to the floor and stamped on his thigh. Ru screamed as pain turned his world white.Oh fuck, that hurts.He didn’t try to get up until Mike had gone, then he struggled to his feet and slumped on the chair, his hand pressed against where Mike had stamped on him.
What the hell?Unkind words were one thing, but physical violence was unacceptable. Yet what was he supposed to do? He couldn’t say anything. Why would he be believed over Mike? He could leave, but go where? Ru could feel tears trickling down his cheeks and he brushed them away with the back of his hand. He wasn’t going to be bullied out of here. He needed this job.
It was sometime later before the door opened again, and Ru tensed, but it was Paolo.
“Are you okay?” Paolo asked.
“Yes, boss.”Don’t I look okay?Ru finished putting the last strap on the bridle and pushed gingerly to his feet.
Paolo took the bridle from his hand and looked at it. “You’ve done a good job with these. Come and groom Cheyenne and let me watch.” He handed the bridle back.
It hurt to walk, but Ru gritted his teeth and tried not to limp because he didn’t want to show he was struggling. He hung Silas’s bridle back on his stall door and carried on down to Cheyenne’s. She hadn’t been ridden in the match that day but her tail was braided and fastened up. Ru could feel Paolo watching, but he didn’t care. There’d be no fault to find with the way he worked. Ru had groomed horses for so long, there was nothing he’d not come across, no horse that was impossible, even if they’d been difficult at first. And a mint always helped calm bad tempers.
“Hi, Cheyenne.” Ru took her lead rope into the stall.
He held out his hand, the circular mint with the hole in the centre of his palm, and Cheyenne snuffled it up. Ru fastened the rope onto her halter and secured the pony with a quick release knot. He talked to Cheyenne while he used the rubber curry comb to get rid of dirt and mud, starting at her neck and working his way down each side in small circular movements. A hard brush followed, avoiding all the sensitive areas, then a soft brush which could be used everywhere.
“Aren’t you beautiful,” Ru whispered. “You’re a grand girl. You just stand still while I go and wet a cloth. No dancing while I’ve gone. You hear?”
“Why is grooming important?” Paolo asked.
He’d almost forgotten Paolo was there.
“It promotes circulation, massages muscles, gets rid of dead skin cells, and helps the production of beneficial oils. It also gives the groom a chance to spot if anything’s wrong such as lumps, skin issues or cuts. Grooming’s good for the mind too. The horse likes the attention and it gives the groom opportunity tobond with the horse and forget about his or her problems.”
When it was done properly, grooming really was as calming for the human as it was for the horse. If that sounded as if it had come out of a textbook, it had. Ru had read the few books his uncle had about horses, so many times, that he knew them off by heart. Ru came back with the cloth and gently cleaned around the pony’s eyes and nose.
