and smiled his nearly toothless grin and said come on up and have a seat. Matthew did the talking while Charles looked bored and Charlie fidgeted.
Finally Aaron summed it up. “Well, Matthew, I never did really want to sell that little mare and $150 don’t sound like enough, but”—here he spat conclusively over the rail—“I’ll think on it and let you know.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Lewis. Charlie, you sure are growing like a weed. That little mare
would
suit you …”
Back in the truck Charlie talked a mile a minute as if to make up for the time lost while Matthew and old Aaron hemmed and hawed.
“When can I take her home, Matthew?”
“Don’t you go getting all hotted up over it, Charlie. That old man don’t do nothing in a hurry.”
“How long? A week?”
“Do you think he’ll sell her at all?” Charles asked. “Mr. Price didn’t seem anxious to me.”
“Don’t you be fooled by that, Mr. Lewis,” Matthew replied. “You can bet your life Miz Price was back in the kitchen listening, and no sooner we was gone she come at him about getting rid of that pony cause they had bills to pay and how he didn’t need her nohow … No, he’ll let her go. We just might have to wait a week or two.”
Two days later the Price’s log house caught fire and burned to the ground along with the main barn, which was only forty feet from the back door. Everyone got out, people and livestock. The three older boys had already moved out and were starting families, so at the time of the fire only Jimmy and Aaron and the old lady were at home. The community rallied round. The three humans moved into the vacant cottage at the back of Mill Creek Farm. The cows and steers were sold and the horses split up between Silver Hill and Mill Creek. Much to Charlie’s disgust, Tricksey—because she was a mare and the mares were kept together—went to Mill Creek.
And then, just like out of the Bible, Aaron had a heart attack and, the day after that, died. Everyone said it was the strain of losing the place where he had lived all his life.
Whatever the reason, Mrs. Price was now in charge. She was an old-fashioned lady who was tall and up-rightand wore long dresses and a sun bonnet, summer and winter. She had put up with Aaron and Jimmy’s horse foolishness for years, but the morning after the funeral, she marched into the post office and told Mr. Dudley that the horses were for sale—cheap. And please tell Matthew when you see him to come and get that pony mare, and $150 was just fine. This scene was watched with interest by everyone in the store/post office. Normally Mrs. Price only came into the store to buy groceries. The rest of the time she sat in the truck while Jimmy and Aaron stood around inside and talked.
But not now. It was as if she had been waiting all her life to step into this situation. Within two days the horses were sold except Princess. Mrs. Price had made arrangements with a cousin to rent a house in a village ten miles north of us. Jimmy suddenly had a new outlook on life because his mama told him if he didn’t spend his time shoeing horses, Princess would go somewhere else along with the rest of the useless horses. She meant it. And Jimmy knew it.
So the deal was struck for Tricksey. And for another fifty dollars, a flat English saddle and a bridle were thrown in. The money was delivered. All that was left was to get the pony home from the back pasture at Mill Creek. Of course, Charlie wanted to ride her home but Gretchen put her foot down. After all, the boy really knew nothing about riding. She just would-n’t hear of it. Matthew had not been on a horse since he was a little boy. And, anyway, he was too big forthat pony. Or so he said.
That left Charlie’s father, who quickly realized he was stuck with it. Sitting on the pony, his feet were only a foot from the ground. He had himself not sat on a horse or pony since he was a boy at camp. Matthew and Charlie watched as Charles made his way across
Finally Aaron summed it up. “Well, Matthew, I never did really want to sell that little mare and $150 don’t sound like enough, but”—here he spat conclusively over the rail—“I’ll think on it and let you know.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Lewis. Charlie, you sure are growing like a weed. That little mare
would
suit you …”
Back in the truck Charlie talked a mile a minute as if to make up for the time lost while Matthew and old Aaron hemmed and hawed.
“When can I take her home, Matthew?”
“Don’t you go getting all hotted up over it, Charlie. That old man don’t do nothing in a hurry.”
“How long? A week?”
“Do you think he’ll sell her at all?” Charles asked. “Mr. Price didn’t seem anxious to me.”
“Don’t you be fooled by that, Mr. Lewis,” Matthew replied. “You can bet your life Miz Price was back in the kitchen listening, and no sooner we was gone she come at him about getting rid of that pony cause they had bills to pay and how he didn’t need her nohow … No, he’ll let her go. We just might have to wait a week or two.”
Two days later the Price’s log house caught fire and burned to the ground along with the main barn, which was only forty feet from the back door. Everyone got out, people and livestock. The three older boys had already moved out and were starting families, so at the time of the fire only Jimmy and Aaron and the old lady were at home. The community rallied round. The three humans moved into the vacant cottage at the back of Mill Creek Farm. The cows and steers were sold and the horses split up between Silver Hill and Mill Creek. Much to Charlie’s disgust, Tricksey—because she was a mare and the mares were kept together—went to Mill Creek.
And then, just like out of the Bible, Aaron had a heart attack and, the day after that, died. Everyone said it was the strain of losing the place where he had lived all his life.
Whatever the reason, Mrs. Price was now in charge. She was an old-fashioned lady who was tall and up-rightand wore long dresses and a sun bonnet, summer and winter. She had put up with Aaron and Jimmy’s horse foolishness for years, but the morning after the funeral, she marched into the post office and told Mr. Dudley that the horses were for sale—cheap. And please tell Matthew when you see him to come and get that pony mare, and $150 was just fine. This scene was watched with interest by everyone in the store/post office. Normally Mrs. Price only came into the store to buy groceries. The rest of the time she sat in the truck while Jimmy and Aaron stood around inside and talked.
But not now. It was as if she had been waiting all her life to step into this situation. Within two days the horses were sold except Princess. Mrs. Price had made arrangements with a cousin to rent a house in a village ten miles north of us. Jimmy suddenly had a new outlook on life because his mama told him if he didn’t spend his time shoeing horses, Princess would go somewhere else along with the rest of the useless horses. She meant it. And Jimmy knew it.
So the deal was struck for Tricksey. And for another fifty dollars, a flat English saddle and a bridle were thrown in. The money was delivered. All that was left was to get the pony home from the back pasture at Mill Creek. Of course, Charlie wanted to ride her home but Gretchen put her foot down. After all, the boy really knew nothing about riding. She just would-n’t hear of it. Matthew had not been on a horse since he was a little boy. And, anyway, he was too big forthat pony. Or so he said.
That left Charlie’s father, who quickly realized he was stuck with it. Sitting on the pony, his feet were only a foot from the ground. He had himself not sat on a horse or pony since he was a boy at camp. Matthew and Charlie watched as Charles made his way across
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