A horse's tale, Chapter 6

A Horse's Tale, Chapter 6, A late night meeting and Party preparations.

Well lunch and the afternoon were uneventful, some outside chores did get done, and Rob did not ask any unusual questions, so Steph was very happy.

Steph prepared for the evening feeding, and getting dinner for Rob and herself, she thought most if not all was under control.

As Steph steps outside to start the rounds to feed the horses, Bruno walks up and says "'B' wants to talk to you." Steph tells Bruno, she will talk to 'B' when she gets back there.

Bruno runs off to the back, and Steph begins her chore of feeding the horses. She leaves 'B' to the last, as she approaches 'B's pen, she see Fred the goat and Bruno.

She opens the gate and walks in with a flake of hay, 'B' looks over and says, "Food, hmmm no time." Steph looks up, "What no food?" 'B' says "No time right now, need to go to Wal-Mart and buy costumes."

Steph looks at her, "You can't go to Wal-Mart." 'B' starts to reply when Electra whinnies as loud as she ever has. Steph looks around. 'B', the goat, and Bruno all looked puzzled.

Bruno translates what Fred the goat has just heard.

"The Giants Win, The Giants Win, they are going to the Super bowl...."

Steph looks around, "ahhh, I think she means the World Series".

Bruno says, "See I told ya, these horses know nothing about sports."

'B' smiles, "But I think Justice does, he placed a bet the other night..." "I think we may have enough now to buy what we need."

Steph say, "Who told Justice to bet on the Giants?" 'B' speaks up, "Oh, he has been studying the rankings, and reads SI, and ahh, and Sheila told him to."

Steph nods..."Figures."

'B' says, "Now I have to go to the Nugget Casino."

Steph shakes her head, "You cannot go to the Casino, we will all get arrested." 'B' says "What’s arrested?", "ahhh, well you won't understand, but you can't go." Steph is still shaking her head.

Steph starts to look at Fred and Bruno to say something, and Bruno runs off. "Hey come back here." Bruno continues, he is heading over to Justice's pen. Within a minute he returns, in his mouth is a small piece of paper.

Bruno stops in front of Steph, and raises his head up so Steph can take the paper. 'B' says "If I can't go to the casino, you can come along with us." "How do you propose we get there?" 'B' replies, "Oh, Fred can take us in his bus."

Steph looks at Fred, "Did you steal the bus again?", Fred answers "It’s not stealing, and anyways, I fill it up at the gas station."

'B' says "Well it's settled, let’s go..." Steph says, "What am I supposed to tell Rob?", Bruno looks up, "Tell him you are taking me for a long walk." Steph thinks for a while, "Might work."

Steph looks at Bruno, "Let’s go get your leash." She heads for the gate and Bruno follows, Steph opens the gates, closes it, and heads to the house. Steps inside front door, "Rob I am going to take a walk with Bruno." Rob looks up, "0k, don't get hurt."

Steph turns and grabs Bruno's leash, and steps out the door. She turns to walk back to 'B's pen, Bruno says "Fred and 'B' are on the bus." and he heads to the front gate. Steph shrugs, and heads to the gate.

As she nears the gate she sees the a big white bus from Desert Green Retirement Community.... She opens the gate, and Bruno bounds up the steps of the bus. Steph turns and closes the gate, and walks toward the bus. Sitting in the driver’s seat, is Fred the goat.

She climbs the steps and looks toward the back, 'B' is standing in the isle holding her designer bag in her mouth... Bruno is on the seat behind Fred. Bruno says "You have to sit down, no standing up, except for horses."

Fred reaches over and closes the door, and puts the bus in gear, and pushes on the gas pedal, rolls up to the stop sign at the corner, and brakes, and turns on the turn signal. Steph says, "Fred I really think I should drive." Bruno buts in, "Fred told us we shouldn't talk to him when he is driving, I think he has some Italian blood, he gets very animated when he talks... not safe at all." Steph nods

Fred drives the few miles to the Nugget Casino, pulls into the parking lot, stops and opens the door. 'B' says, "We are here, go inside and exchange the paper for coins." Steph looks at the slip of paper, "What did I get myself into?", "Ok, I will be back in a few."

Steph steps off the bus turns toward the Casino, in the parking lot are several similar buses, she thinks to herself, "I guess, retired folks need something to do, or every goat in the valley is in the habit of stealing buses...."

Never having been in the Casino she asks where she can turn in the slip of paper, the greeter at the door points over to the left she says "at the sports cashier, and congratulations." Steph says "Thanks." and heads off to the cashier.

As she walks over to the cashier, she looks around the casino, she doesn't recognize anyone. She would never live it down if someone saw her... Luckily no one is in line and she walks up and places the slip of paper on the counter.

The Cashier looks up and reaches for the betting slip, "Ma-am, there are teeth marks." Steph says "Yes, my dog nearly ate it." "You are lucky he didn't eat it." "Let’s see what we have." "Giants to win." Let’s see if the machine can read it, with the teeth marks, Ahh good, no problems"

She reaches for the cash drawer, and grabs a stack of $100 bills. Steph reaches up and pushes her mouth closed. The cashier 100, 200, 300, 400, 500. "There you go, $500." Steph reaches carefully and takes the cash. "Thanks". She turns and heads for the door.

As Steph begins to walk away, the cashier asks, "Are you a Giants fan?", Steph turns and says "I am now."

Steph manages to make it out the door, and heads for the bus. To make sure it was the right bus, she looks inside, and a goat is at the wheel, Steph thinks, well that is no guarantee, she looks behind the driver seat and see Bruno..."Ahhh", she steps on board.

'B' standing in the middle of the bus, says "Did you get some coins?", Steph replies, "No coins.", Bruno, 'B', and Fred look at her, "Got paper money it’s the same as a lot of coins." Everyone nods, 'B' says "ok, let’s head to Wal-Mart." Steph sits down, and Fred heads out of the parking lot.

Luckily, things in Pahrump aren't that far apart, in a couple of minutes Fred pulls into the Wal-Mart Super Center parking lot, again he pulls up next to several other buses... 'B' Says "Everyone stay here, I won't be long." She steps forward and turns to Steph, "Paper Money."

Steph places the $500 in 'B's designer bag. 'B' turns and heads down the steps, and walks toward the doors. As she approaches the doors she stops, and waits for the automatic doors to open and walks in.

Steph turns to Bruno and asks, "Why don't you go with her?" Bruno looks up, "Dogs are not allowed inside.", Steph nods. "Why do they let the horses go in?" Bruno replies, "This is Wal-Mart and Pahrump." Steph nods, "I don't understand." Bruno continues, "and they have coins."

Steph can't stand it anymore, "I have to go see. What is going on." Bruno looks up, "Make sure you have coins, they won't let you in.", Steph reaches in her pocket, and pulls out 37 cents. "That will work.", Steph heads for the door.

She steps inside and looks around, all seems normal, at least for Wal-Mart. She heads to a point she can see the cashiers, she figures she wouldn't be able to find 'B' in the store.

She is rewarded in just a few minutes, 'B' comes around an aisle, and heads to a cashier, pushing a cart full of things. Steph walks a bit closers, 'B' finds an available cashier, and starts placing things on the belt, seems like she has several dozen items. When she has emptied the cart, she steps forward and places her designer bag on the counter, and opens it. Steph goes closer to hear what is going on. The cashier finishes, looks at 'B', and says "$136.50, cash or charge?", 'B' reaches in the designer bag and pulls out five one hundred dollar bills, the cashiers say's "only need two of them."

She reaches forward and takes $200." She makes the change and pulls the receipt from the register, and drops them in 'B's designer bag. "Do you need any help out?" 'B' shakes her head, and puts the Wal-Mart bags in the cart and pushes it toward the door.
Steph follows her out the door, and toward the bus. Steph thinks to herself "I have just witnessed the most amazing thing." Just before they get to the bus, she turns and looks back to the door. She sees two mules walking in the door. Steph says out loud, "Well maybe not."

"'B' can I help get the bags on the bus?" 'B' turns says "of course." Steph grabs the bags and steps onto the bus, she looks back and 'B' is pushing the cart back to the cart return area. 'B' returns and says "Always return the carts." Steph nods, 'B' climbs the steps and walks toward the back of the bus.

With a bit of effort she manages to turn around. Fred closes the door, and looks at Steph, and Steph says "I am sorry." and sits down. Fred throws the bus in gear and heads back to the ranch. Along the way back, Bruno starts fiddling with the bags and a small piece of rope. Steph leans forward, "Bruno what you making?" Bruno, looks over "Saddle bags."

In just a few minutes the bus pulls up to the gate of the ranch, and Fred turns off the engine, and opens the door. 'B' steps forward, and Bruno helps get the four bags over 'B's neck, designer bag in her mouth, and two saddle bags made from Wal-Mart bag 'B' steps off the bus.

Steph steps off after Bruno, and heads to the gate, she turns back to Fred, "Aren't you coming in?", Fred says "No, I have to pick up several horses, its bingo night at the VFW..." Steph turns and opens the gate. 'B' and Bruno walk in. She turns and closes the gate and locks it. She turns and 'B' is almost back to her pen.

Steph looks down at Bruno, "Does she need anything else?", Bruno shakes his head. "Well let's go have dinner." Bruno starts jumping up and down, "Treats, Treats" Steph says "Well not yet."

Bruno leads the way back to the house, and Steph follows. Steph opens the door, "Back". Rob looks up, "Anything exciting happen." Steph thinks for a bit, "hmmm, nothing special", "What do you want for dinner?"

To be continued.

Let’s see if you readers can answer a few questions.