A Horse's Tale, Chapter 32

A Horse's Tale, Chapter 32, Carrots for the needy

Rob looks over to Steph, "Did you hear that, it’s the second time I have heard it." Steph looks at Rob, "Is that the well pump?" Rob nods, "I think it is, should be no good reason for it running like that this late at night." Steph says, "Yes you are right, I need to check the horses one last time tonight, I will check and see if we got a flood going on." Rob nods, changes the channel to 'Swamp people in Alaska', "Oh, if its minor fix it, if its major call me in the morning." Steph laughs, and throws the little square pillow from the couch at Rob. "Jerk."

Steph grabs her robe, and heads for the door, looks around most of the dogs are asleep, a couple are missing, they must be out doing their duty, so to speak. As Steph closes the door she looks over toward Justice, he has his head in the feeder, and the hose laying near his water barrel is turned off, she glances over at Justice as she walks past him going toward the RP's, he is tapping one hoof on the ground, kind of a one, two, thing then he is doing with his other hoof, he takes two steps back, and actually turns all the way around, a step to the left, then to the right and puts his head back in the feeder. Steph stops, and asks, "Justice what are you doing?" Justice pulls his head out of the feeder and looks around it towards Steph, "Eating." Steph replies, "No I mean the moving around?" Justice nods, "Line dancing." and puts his head back into the feeder. Steph smiles and turns to the RP's and the back row. Most of the horses are sleeping or up eating, and all the hose’s are turned off, she heads out front towards the Football Field. Well all seems quiet here, everyone just standing around, and the sprinklers are turned off. She turns to the Lady's Parlour and stops in her tracks.

The Lady's Parlour is empty, and over to the left at the wash rack is a line of horses. Steph starts to run, but figures there is probably a good reason, and she doesn't want to spook them, 'Let’s see 12 horses, yeah good idea not to run up there. Steph stops a couple of times as she walks toward the wash rack. Looks like 'B' is in the wash rack, and Spirit has the hose in his mouth, hosing her down, standing in line, looks like Dublin, Jerri, Cosmo, Jonah, Bruno, Moo, Glory, Trooper, Whiskey, Charity, CB, Emmett and Ginger.

Several of the horses notice her walk up, Dublin nods as if to greet her, Steph says, "May I ask, what are you all doing?" Dublin being the leader of the group says, "Its Jerri's idea, a horse wash." Steph nods, not having any idea what he is talking about, "A horse wash?" Jerri steps forward, "It’s like what peoples do on the weekends, young people gather at corners and wash cars and small buses." Steph nods, "Yes they do that to get money for band trips and other things, but why are you doing it?" Jerri looks at Steph, "We are gathering things for the needy." Steph thinks a bit, then nods, "What kind of things?" Dublin says, "Oh, carrots, and treats, and old lottery tickets, and coupons for free pizza's, that kind of things. Oh, and what you call money, you know coins and paper things." Steph looks down the row of horses, looks back to the front of the line and the wash rack, where 'B' is enjoying her bath, ah Horse Wash, Spirit is just spraying the hose everywhere and 'B' is happy to the point of dancing, Steph turns back to Dublin, "So how much to you think you will get from tonight’s Horse Wash?" Dublin looks around, "Well so far we have 143 carrots, two old lottery tickets, two tickets to Paris, France, where every that is, a 50% discount on used furniture, and $27.47." Steph looks at the group, "Wow that is great, how many horses have gone through the horse wash?" Both Dublin, and Spirit look over, Spirit speaks up with the hose in his mouth, "Oh that is just 'B' she has been here for 2 hours or so."

Steph understands that issue, "Well don't take all night, running the well costs money." Dublin nods, "We should be done by dawn." Steph notices two additions to the group, Sampson and Ruby are standing on the other side of the wash rack, she walks over to them, Sampson is standing in front of a stack of towels. Steph asks, "What are you two guys up to?" Sampson starts to answer but Ruby buts in "OH, we rent them towels so they can dry off." Sampson breaks in, "So we can buy more books for our library." both nod. Steph smiles, 'sounds like a good plan.'

Steph turns and walks back to the house, 'Well that has to be one of the most organized activities that they have done, I am proud of them 'Carrots for the needy.' Steph stops and turns back to the group, 'B' must be close to being finished, she is laying on her back in the wash rack, feet up in the air and Spirit has the hose at full blast. "Ahhh quick question, where did the towels come from?" Ruby looks up, "ahh, from the room inside the house with the two boxes." She looks over to Bruno for some back up, but he is quiet.

Steph turns and walks back to the house, walks in, Rob is intent of the TV but looks up long enough to ask, "Anything going on?" Steph sits down on the couch, pulls up her blanky, "ahh, nope everything is quiet.


To be continued.