Old Stories Part I: The ABC Generation Series Ch3

Chapter Three will also be separated into 2 parts. Enjoy! 

CHAPTER THREE

The first thing Cindy noticed when she walked into her grandparent’s house was how cozy it was. One story, yellow outside, and pale cream inside with plants and pictures.

The pictures tell stories, thought Cindy.

They did. One was of a girl sitting on rocks in a stream.

“Who is that?” she asked, pointing.

Papa beamed. “Someone painted that of your father’s sister, Rebekah.”

“Auntie Rebekah?” Amy grinned. “I remember her. She lives in Washington State with Ashley and Josh.”

“Ohhh,” Bri said. “I remember her, too. I remember Ashley. She was fun and had a great imagination.”

Cindy frowned. “No fair. I don’t remember either of them, Auntie, Ashley, or Josh.”

“You were only three,” Amy reassured her. “Don’t worry.”

Cindy grunted and moved on. There were pictures of Papa in the Iraq war and models of eagles. There was a painting of a woman weaving hats and Papa said that it was a woman of South America making hats. Ecuador, Papa told them. He got it when he and Grandma went to Ecuador as missionaries.

Cindy found a small kitchen with granite countertops and brown wood cupboards, including a pantry full of food. There was a small living room with creamy white carpet, a couch, reclining, overstuffed chairs, and a coffee table. Papa had an office with a bed in it, and three bedrooms. It wasn’t a junky farmhouse at all, but a beautifully kept, clean, and richly decorated house.

“I love it!” Cindy cried, throwing her suitcase on the bed she shared with Bri. “Don’t you?”

“Duh.” Bri was looking out the window. “Wowzers. Come here, Cindy. Look.”

Cindy went to stand by Bri and saw acres of green grass, red barns, yellow barns, corrals, pastures, paddocks, cattle, horses, dogs. She saw men, too.

“Cowhands,” Papa from behind them.

“Cool!” Bri whirled. “Can we go outside?”

“Yes, you may. Follow me. We’ll get your horses first.”

Cindy went white. “No, no, no.”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Bri squealed. “C’mon.”  She took Cindy’s hand and yanked.

The two girls followed to pick up Amy from the gorgeous bedroom right beside Bri’s and Cindy’s, and then all three ABCs followed Papa to the horse barn. Cindy watched in awe as cowhands thundered past on beautiful horses, sleek and muscley.

“Amy, as the oldest, can pick hers first.” Papa waved to three horses, a palomino, a chestnut, and a bay. “The golden one is a palomino Quarter Horse named Star, she’s a mare. The chestnut — the copper one — is a Thoroughbred named Chip, he’s a gelding. The bay — the red-brown with a black mane and tail — is an Arabian named Willy, he’s also a gelding.”

Bri piped up. “A mare is a female horse. A gelding is a castrated male horse, while a stallion is an uncastrated male horse.”

“Oh!” Amy edged over to Star. “I love her.” She reached up and the mare shoved her nose towards Amy. The two bonded instantly.

“I know how to saddle a horse, Papa.” Amy threw the Dutch door open and slipped a halter onto the mare’s slender head. “I can do it myself.”

“Great!” Papa led the others onward. “Bri, you’re next.”

There were three horses, a brown-and-white tobiano Quarter Pony gelding named Jumbo, a black Quarter Horse mare named Chuckles, and a sorrel Thoroughbred named Sunny.

“I’ll take Sunny,” said Bri. She patted the mare’s neck. “I like you, Sunny.”

Sunny snorted.  

Cindy watched  Bri and Amy lead their mares to the crossties. She turned to

Papa. “Please, Pop? Do I have to have a horse?”

“Absolutely.”

Cindy sighed, but when she saw her horse, all thoughts of no horse, no horse fled. It was the prettiest and cutest small horse she’d ever seen. Papa said she was a Welsh Pony.  She was a tough but slender white-coated mare Papa called a “gray.” A mare so cute, so darling that Cindy fell in love at first sight. Her name was as cute as she was: Snow.

“Okay, Papa,” said Cindy. “You win, but I got the jackpot.”

Push HERE to go to Part 2 of Chapter Three