grabbed the strap above her door and put her foot on the dashboard. With a bare squeak she hung on, suspending her conversation all the way to the church graveyard where Dad turned quickly in front of a speeding semi pulling two grain trailers.
“I have to go, bye.” She snapped it shut letting it drop to her lap as she flung both hands on the dashboard. “Are you trying to get us killed?!”
Dad waved her off with a laugh. “Ah Sue, it wasn’t even close.”
Not close?! Man, I needed to go to the bathroom! I looked back to see Tam face first in her pillow with her arms over her head.
“Tam, what are you doing?”
She peeked up at me. “My friend Micah said they had to do this when her plane had an emergency landing. I figured it couldn’t hurt.”
I followed her example.
We finally came to a house nestled between two cornfields, slightly hidden from view by a line of trees that bordered the road in front of their house. The vast fields boasted corn almost four feet tall, and crowded with ears sprouting golden tufts of hair glistening in the afternoon sun. The old white farm house had bright red trim which made it stand out in the sea of green.
As we drove down the long drive a man and woman came out of a side door and waved. He was tall and solid. In contrast, she was shorter and very thin. Dad parked the car as two boys rode up.
Tim could barely contain himself. "Wow Tam, look at the size of those horses!"
Tam already had her nose to the window. "Yeah, Mom do you think they would let us ride them?"
Sue frowned. “We’ll see.”
My guess was no. Sue had never allowed the twins to even sit on a horse. I didn't get as excited about the beautiful animals even though I’d spent plenty of time riding with my grandfather in Texas. No use getting my hopes up. I wouldn't get a chance to ride. Then again they were worth looking at.
The most noticeable was a blood red bay with a black mane and black leggings up past her knees and hocks. Gramps would have whistled at her, she was a beauty. Beside her was a tall, stout gelding with a white stripe down his face. They both looked to be in their prime and so did their riders. They were not the awkward little boys I remembered.
It would be nice if Sue would loosen up and let the twins have a short ride, if the Becks were willing. Tam could ride double with me if her mother would’ve been convinced. That way, at least, I would get to ride. I wouldn’t hold my breath, but I could dream.
I knew there was no way I’d get to go out riding without Dad, who surely wouldn’t want to go. As far as I knew, he hadn't ridden since he went in the Army. He wouldn't ride with me when he came to visit in Texas. Gram said I shouldn't badger him about it so I didn't. No one had ever explained my father’s aversion and I’d been too afraid to ask.
We were leaving very early in the morning so I couldn’t even get up before the boys and go by myself even if I’d been brave enough to run off with one of their horses.
Jim and his wife Barbara greeted Dad and Sue with handshakes and hugs. The boys, that I guessed were Mark and Randy, just sat on their horses and watched. The twins piled out and ran to the large animals that whinnied and shifted their weight. I’d been reluctant to leave the van afraid of what kind of reaction there would be from the boys. I would have to face it eventually. For now, procrastinating seemed the better part of valor.
I looked around to see which direction the wind blew from. The leaves in the trees barely moved. With a little patience I figured out it came from behind the car. The breeze wasn’t enough to blow the effects of The Change all the way to the horses that were on the other side of my dad. Maybe, since there wasn’t much of a breeze, I’d be able to get out and get downwind, if I moved fast enough. I couldn’t stay in the car so I had to do something. No more procrastinating.
“What’s their names?” Tam stroked Randy’s
“I have to go, bye.” She snapped it shut letting it drop to her lap as she flung both hands on the dashboard. “Are you trying to get us killed?!”
Dad waved her off with a laugh. “Ah Sue, it wasn’t even close.”
Not close?! Man, I needed to go to the bathroom! I looked back to see Tam face first in her pillow with her arms over her head.
“Tam, what are you doing?”
She peeked up at me. “My friend Micah said they had to do this when her plane had an emergency landing. I figured it couldn’t hurt.”
I followed her example.
We finally came to a house nestled between two cornfields, slightly hidden from view by a line of trees that bordered the road in front of their house. The vast fields boasted corn almost four feet tall, and crowded with ears sprouting golden tufts of hair glistening in the afternoon sun. The old white farm house had bright red trim which made it stand out in the sea of green.
As we drove down the long drive a man and woman came out of a side door and waved. He was tall and solid. In contrast, she was shorter and very thin. Dad parked the car as two boys rode up.
Tim could barely contain himself. "Wow Tam, look at the size of those horses!"
Tam already had her nose to the window. "Yeah, Mom do you think they would let us ride them?"
Sue frowned. “We’ll see.”
My guess was no. Sue had never allowed the twins to even sit on a horse. I didn't get as excited about the beautiful animals even though I’d spent plenty of time riding with my grandfather in Texas. No use getting my hopes up. I wouldn't get a chance to ride. Then again they were worth looking at.
The most noticeable was a blood red bay with a black mane and black leggings up past her knees and hocks. Gramps would have whistled at her, she was a beauty. Beside her was a tall, stout gelding with a white stripe down his face. They both looked to be in their prime and so did their riders. They were not the awkward little boys I remembered.
It would be nice if Sue would loosen up and let the twins have a short ride, if the Becks were willing. Tam could ride double with me if her mother would’ve been convinced. That way, at least, I would get to ride. I wouldn’t hold my breath, but I could dream.
I knew there was no way I’d get to go out riding without Dad, who surely wouldn’t want to go. As far as I knew, he hadn't ridden since he went in the Army. He wouldn't ride with me when he came to visit in Texas. Gram said I shouldn't badger him about it so I didn't. No one had ever explained my father’s aversion and I’d been too afraid to ask.
We were leaving very early in the morning so I couldn’t even get up before the boys and go by myself even if I’d been brave enough to run off with one of their horses.
Jim and his wife Barbara greeted Dad and Sue with handshakes and hugs. The boys, that I guessed were Mark and Randy, just sat on their horses and watched. The twins piled out and ran to the large animals that whinnied and shifted their weight. I’d been reluctant to leave the van afraid of what kind of reaction there would be from the boys. I would have to face it eventually. For now, procrastinating seemed the better part of valor.
I looked around to see which direction the wind blew from. The leaves in the trees barely moved. With a little patience I figured out it came from behind the car. The breeze wasn’t enough to blow the effects of The Change all the way to the horses that were on the other side of my dad. Maybe, since there wasn’t much of a breeze, I’d be able to get out and get downwind, if I moved fast enough. I couldn’t stay in the car so I had to do something. No more procrastinating.
“What’s their names?” Tam stroked Randy’s
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