Burned by Ellen Hopkins Page B

to want to make someone else
    hurt too. I'm so sorry."
    If you know why it happened, and you're truly sorry,
    I doubt you're possessed.
    "I'm not possessed,
    Aunt Jeanette, and I'm glad
    you don't think so either."
    Satan has biggerfish to fry, mostly in Washington, D. C.
    Now how about dinner?
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    Next Day, I Found Out
    Aunt J had no expectations regarding my doing chores.
    You're a guest. 'Course, ijyou want to pitch in, l'ni not sayin no.
    What else did I have to do?
    Besides read, that is.
    Got a big patch of weeds needs pullin .
    And you can toss chicken scratch.
    Pullin' and tossin'. No problem.
    Mindless labor, easily done.
    I do have a big project on tap for some
    time in the next week or two.
    Big project? Like digging a pond or raising a barn?
    l've got to move a hundred head of cattle.
    You ever ridden a horse before?
    I did a pony ride once. Round and round in a little circle.
    Old Poncho doesn't ask for much.
    All you have to do is stay in the saddle.
    I figured I could manage that.
    How hard could it be?
    198
    Aunt J Figured
    I'd better practice a little.
    Old Poncho stood like a champ
    while she tossed the saddle over his slightly swayed back.
    See, you reach under his belly, grab the cinch, put it through this ring, and pull tight.
    Poncho gave a little oomph, but didn't really complain.
    I stroked his nose, watched his whiskers twitch.
    Now put your leftfoot into the left stirrup and pull
    yourself right on up there.
    Except for a tense second or two as my pants stretched
    quite tightly at the rear, I
    climbed on with relative ease.
    Squeeze with your knees, keep
    your heels dropped, hands
    gentle on the reins.
    Knees, heels, and hands in approximate position,
    I clucked my tongue to make
    him go. Poncho was deaf!
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    He 's not deaf, only stubborn.
    Give him a little nudge with your heels.
    That worked and walking was easy, like straddling a well-worn rocking chair, plod-ka-plod-ka-plod.
    That's it. Pull the reins
    right to turn that way.
    Pull 'em left to go left.
    Poncho performed as requested and I felt just like a cowgirl. Until he started to trot.
    You're gonna get whiplash, bouncing like that. Squeeze
    those knees harder.
    I tried, but nothing I did could
    keep my butt in the saddle.
    Poncho responded by trotting
    faster. Plop-plop-plop-plop-plop.
    Aunt J dissolved into deviant laughter. Make him stop.
    200
    "Whoa!" I hollered, much to Ponchos amusement.
    I pulled back on the reins.
    Too much slack.
    Tighten your grip and yank hard!
    Aunt J shouted.
    I yanked. Poncho stopped.
    The final bounce planted
    my behind in the saddle, bruising my bruises.
    Looks like you'll
    have to work on that trot!
    201
    J ournal Entry, June 6
    1 rode a horse today!
    I've never been sorer in my whole entire life!
    I think my butt is majorly
    black and blue. (I can't
    really see it in the mirror.)
    So why am I so proud of myself?
    Aunt J said she's proud of me
    too, even if my trot does need a little work. She's proud of me
    I can't believe she and Dad are related.
    We're going to move her longhorns from low pasture to high meadow. Some ranchers
    use ATVs or even helicopters to move their cattle.
    Aunt J uses horses and dogs.
    Just like in the movies.
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    I wonder iI'movie cowboys
    ever got sore butts.
    1 wonder ifhorseback riding
    can gwe me a shapely butt.
    I wonder ifl'll ever learn to ride a horse.
    I wonder how Mom is feeling.
    I wonder if Jackie liked camp.
    I wonder if Georgia has stopped
    sucking her thumb.
    I wonder if Derek and Carmen are still together.
    (I wonder if Carmen is pregnant yet.)
    I wonder iI'dad misses me at all.
    203
    The Next Morning
    I came downstairs to the aroma of coffee. Really streng coffee.
    It smelled delicious.
    Aunt J sipped a cup, offered one to me. I shook my head. "No, thanks."
    It was a sin.
    Considering my recent behavior,
    I wasn't sure why coffee worried me.
    It was tempting.
    Aunt J said it was up to me, but far as she knew, God couldn't care less.
    It made my mouth water.
    Was