Bubba and the Chocolate Farm 3- Heartfelt Horses- Where Love is Enoug

by Connie Foss

  “You’re way ahead of me! I’d better talk to Bill, huh, so I’ll know what’s going on,” Jack giggles.

  CHAPTER TWENTY:

  Josh and a Scare

  “Morning, Bubba, you through with your grain? Josh needs you over in the breeding barn.” It’s John, who snaps a lead rope on my halter, and we walk out into an early summer morning. The grass, sparkling with dew, looks so delicious, that though I am looking forward to the morning, a pause to chomp on some fresh, juicy green grass would make a refreshing moment. I hint to John with a nudge from my head, but he doesn’t get it. Oh well.

  Josh is a handsome young man, with his latté colored skin, highlighted by rich brown eyes, but he is even nicer than he looks. As John and I walk into the barn, Josh is waiting with a warm, happy look on his grinning face. “Bubba, I think you’ll like what we’re going to do this morning. Probably no one has told you, but every stall in our breeding barn is full of ladies wanting to meet you. Well, one of them is for Geoffrey, and there is a Miniature Horse for Percy in the shed out back, but the other beautiful females have come from lots of different places just to be with you, you old Romeo.”

  “This morning I want you to meet each and everyone of them,” Josh says, as he takes my lead from John, and we begin our walk down the aisle.“Here is a lady who came from out east. Her name is Hershey Chocolate…from the same farm as your old friend Dulcie. Pretty, isn’t she? And here, coming from the back of her stall to touch noses, is…”

  the back door of the barn.“It looks as though the neighbor was burning

  I called 911. Give me Bubba, and you turn all the mares out into the south pasture. They’ll be safe there. They’re sitting ducks here in the stalls.”

  John and I trot quickly to the stable, both of us hollering to all as we go,“Fire! Fire!” Putting me in my stall, he grabs a hose from the feed room and is gone.

  We’re all anxious, pacing our stalls, calling to one another. Mr. O,

  minute, are unable to protect that structure, we will awake tomorrow morning and see a pile of ashes where now there is a breeding barn. Toodaloo, I will lend my expertise to the endeavor and report back at

  his wings, our barn- owl-in-residence is gone.

  The smoke is heavy in the air, even in our stable. The noise of

  getting hoses in place to spray water on the breeding barn roof, and

  I’m glad this barn is safe, but where are Dulcie and our colt? Will everyone be okay? If the stable burns, where will all of my friends

  all of his nightmarish memories? Where is he now? What happened to

  wish John had put me in my therapy stall so I could be next to Annie. “Percy, you there? What do you think? Is everything going to be

  alright?”

  there.We are here.A big guy like you shouldn’t be such a scaredy pants.

  Knowing Percy like I do, I know this is all bluff and bravado. Inside he’s probably as upset as I am. And it isn’t just me. That’s obvious, if you just listen to all of the frantic whinnying and snorting going on in just our barn, let alone the terror in the pastures. Oh, what is going to become of us?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:

  Neighbors

  “Bill, I’m your neighbor Earle, and I’ve come to apologize for my carelessness when I was burning the trash yesterday morning. It was

  be the next-door neighbor, who is talking to Bill. They’re standing just inside the stable door, so I can hear and see them. Both look kind of tired, but a new day has dawned, the sun is shining, the mares are all back in their stalls and all is well. “I am so relieved that the barn didn’t

  barn can’t be good for horses. So, with your permission, the truck can spray it off of your pasture and the barn. Is that okay?”

  “That would be good. Just tell the driver to be careful he doesn’t

  he has sprayed.”

  “You’ve got it. And by the way, I understand you’ve started a

  therapy program in your new barn. Is that right?” The man seems pretty

  friendly, a lot older than Bill, with gray hair and a bit of a paunch over his

  getting the full use of her left leg.The doctor insists that she get more exercise. She’s been walking, but that isn’t doing the trick.Would your horse therapy work for that?”

  “I should think so. Jack, the gal in charge of the therapy, would be the one to talk to. If you have time now, she’s over in the therapy stable, the new barn. Let’s go talk to her, and she can tell you what the possibilities are.”

  Bill and the neighbor go out the stable door into the sun and the fresh air, which no longer has the heavy smell of smoke. It’s as though the world is new again, full of possibilities, quite unlike yesterday. I feel like that, too, but there is a nagging question that keeps poking around

  not seen or heard him since he brought me back to my stall yesterday and ran out with the water hoses. Usually, now that he’s here every morning, he stops by and gives me a nose rub or says something. If he has some free time, he just comes in and sits down and we talk. Apparently, I’m not the only one with that worry, for walking anxiously into the stable is a lady I recognize, John’s wife, Jane. Seeing her, I know something is up with John.

  “Anyone here? Yoo-hoo! Hello?”

  Lilly comes quickly leading Feather, who has been having her long line exercise.

  “Yes, hi, I’m Lilly. How can I help you?” Feather isn’t about to just stand around, so she pulls enough on the line to come over and see me. Nice, huh.

  “Good morning. I’m John’s wife.You know John, right?” Jane seems to be a very gentle soul, dressed in slacks and a sweater to offset the coolness of the morning breeze.

  “Of course I know John…and like him. He is a good worker and has lots of useful ideas.Where is he, by the way? I haven’t seen him this morning.” Lilly has tightened the long line, so Feather has no choice but to stand with her, as the conversation continues.

  “He didn’t come home last night, and I thought maybe he is still

  But you really haven’t seen him today at all?” Jane was frowning and quite sure now that her original thought was the right one.

  him and a neighbor walking over to the therapy barn a few minutes ago. He may know where John is.”

  Soon I notice a police car pull into the parking lot, and several uniformed cops get out and head toward the door, just as Bill and Jane round the corner, and Bill hails them.

  “Thank you for coming so quickly.We are very concerned about John and can use your help in a search for him,” Bill says, as he shakes their hands, and then introduces John’s wife and himself.

  “Give us some background information, please, so we’ll have a better idea about the situation,” the older of the two says.

  could use you now.We have several mares to breed this morning. John? Where in the world are you, man?” and Josh looks out in the parking lot, comes back in and again hollers,“John, I know you’re here, because your pickup is in the lot. Get with it!”

  policemen,“John is missing. He didn’t go home last night.We’re going to start a search right away. Leave your breeding till later, please.This is an emergency. Go get Lilly and Jack, so they can join in.”

  This is not sounding good.Where could John be? If something was bothering him, why didn’t he come to me? I thought he and I are such good friends that he could tell me anything. I wish I could go look for him. Maybe if I whinny, he’ll come. Can’t hurt to try, so I do.The only reaction is a dirty look from Bill.

  The search is on and I hear stable doors being opened and shut, voices hollering, and then the voices recede as they go out into the lots and pastures, checking every shed and vehicle, every possible place. I expect I’m not the only one who is afraid he might be dead somewhere.

  This is scary! Where in the world could he be?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO:

  Where is John?

  Several hours later, the policemen are shaking Bill’s hand and getting in their car. “We�
��ll put out an all-points bulletin and widen the

  As Bill comes back in the stable, he tells the crew to get back to their regular work. “Lilly, will you please exercise my horses, too, so I can help Josh with the breeding?”

  The rest of the day seems to be a normal day, though underneath we’re all uneasy.When it’s time for evening chores, there is still no news about John. Later, when everyone else has gone home and the lights were being turned off, Josh and Jack stop to talk to me on their way out.

  “Bubba, you’re John’s best friend, so I know if he decides to stop hiding and talk things over with someone, you will be the one.” Jack is very understanding about John, for she has worked with him for a number of months and knows him pretty well.

  “I guess John sits in Bubba’s stall and talks to him, right, Jack?” Since most of Josh’s work is over in the breeding barn, he doesn’t know a lot about John’s routine.

  “Yes, most everyday. I have a feeling that John will turn up

  dreams,” and the lights are out and Jack and Josh get into Josh’s truck. “Hey, Bubba, what’s this about that guy John?” Tom says as he

  slips up onto the tailboard in my stall.“I heard some talk that he’s lost.

  How could a big guy like that get lost? I’m tellin’ ya,’ sometimes I cain’t

  understan’ folks.Wasn’t John some high-mucky-muck in the army? It jes

  don’t make sense.”

  “Tom, don’t look down on John. If you had any idea what that guy has been through, you would understand and have compassion for him.” John is my friend and no one is going to say bad things about him in my presence.

  “Come who?” Percy chimes in, being his usual obnoxious self. “Compassion. Let me tell you about John and what his life has

  been like.” And I proceed to do just that. Mr. O comes over, too, as he

  has yet to leave for his nightly rounds.

  “Wow.That’s awful,” meows Tom.“No wonder he needs therapy.”

  that mine would, of course.Well, I’m off to see what else is happening in the world, and I will keep my all-seeing eyes open for John,” and with a gentle whoosh Mr. O is out of the stable.

  “Me, too,” says Tom as he hops down.“Somewhere in this stable there lurks a rat just waiting to be my family’s dinner. Ain’t no way I’ll disappoint him.”

  I’m glad they all understand about John, but understanding is not enough. We need to love him out of his fear. Oh, I so wish he would come see me.

  Dawn is just creeping over the world when something wakes me up.The stable door is slowly opening, letting in some light, enough light that I can recognize John. He’s stumbling and dirty, but able to unlatch my door and come in. Collapsing in the corner of my stall, he groans, mumbles something I can’t understand and soon is sound asleep, totally exhausted.

  I nuzzle the top of his head, but he doesn’t stir. I wish he would wake up and talk to me, but at least he’s no longer lost. But where was he and why did he stay away so long?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:

  Dotty

  “Well, look at that. You found him, huh, Bubba?” It’s time for breakfast, and Lilly has just dumped mine in my feed tub.“He looks beat! We’ll not bother him, Bubba, but I’ll call Bill, so he can let Jane and the police know that John is safe.Thank goodness he’s back!”

  The morning is mostly gone, before John begins to come around. I nuzzle him a few times to help, before he reaches up and rubs my nose. “Hi, Bubba.Thanks for being here. I wanted to come see you sooner, but

  and I didn’t know where I was. I must look a mess, but I’d better go apologize to Bill and Josh for shirking my job. I really blew it this time.” The word spreads quickly, and though I don’t know what all was said, our normal routines are well in place by the end of the day

  *******

  everyday, and we’re getting along well. In fact, today John and I cantered without Bill on the lead. It felt good to me, and John’s “Wow, this is great!” told me how it felt to him.

  wife come walking in the stable.“I never know just what to do,” said the neighbor, whose name is Earle, according to Tom, who helps keep Earle’s rat population down.“Should I knock, or ring a bell, or just holler?”

  “Holler is good enough for me,” says Bill as he comes over to shake Earle’s hand.

  “This is my wife, Dotty, Bill, and she likes the idea of riding one of your horses.”

  “Likes is too mild a word for how I feel. I am tickled to death! I used to ride all the time as a kid, but old stick-in-the-mud Earle doesn’t want to be bothered with a horse. Maybe my left leg has caused a problem just so I can get back on a horse!”

  I like this gal’s attitude. I don’t suppose I’ll be the horse she rides, but it’ll be fun to have her around.

  He didn’t need to, for Jack came around the corner of the row of stalls just then leading Betty. “Hi, Earle, good to see you again. You must be Dotty. Hi, I’m Jack, and I’m so pleased you’re going to use horse therapy to help strengthen your leg. I’m pretty sure it’ll help.”

  “Well, I’ll leave you in good hands and put Bubba back in his stall,” Bill says.

  Fiddle. I’m going to miss out on all the fun.As Bill and I were going out the door, I heard Dotty say,“Shoo, Earle. Get out of here.This is my fun. I’ll see you at home when I’m through.”

  Instead of putting me in my stall, Bill says,“Let’s go over and see what’s happening on the building of the trail, Bubba. Jimmy was here over the weekend and got a lot done. He’s coming after school today, and John is going to work with him.”

  As we walk over to the trail area, I can see string stretched out as borders going quite a long way, winding in and out.

  “See that chalk mark over there, Bubba? That’s where the water hazard is going to be. Over here is where there will be a mailbox mounted on a post, right next to the trail so a rider can reach over and open it. At the beginning of the trail, there’ll be a gate, which can be opened and closed from horseback. I haven’t talked with Jimmy about where the bridge will be, but maybe we’ll decide that today. What do you think, Bubba? Will this add a bit of fun to the lessons?” Bill accepts my nickering, and gives me a pat on my neck, as we head back to the barn.

  We’re not quite there when Josh hollers, “Bill, can you please come here? We’ve got a problem.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR:

  The Problem

  I am left to wonder what that problem is until John comes by the next morning.“Good morning, Bubba, how are things? Behaving yourself, I expect, but I’ve got bad news.You won’t be happy to learn that we have a problem.” At last, maybe John will tell me what the problem is.

  “One of the new mares is sick, and Doc said she has Strangles.You know what that is? Maybe you don’t, because, like all of The Chocolate Farm horses, you’ve had a vaccination for that. I’ve never seen a horse with strangles, but Bill said it starts with a runny nose and fever, like this mare has, and eventually the lymph nodes abscess. If a horse next to you has strangles, you will most likely get it, too, unless you’ve been vaccinated. Even then, you might.

  “We have to be extra careful that we don’t spread the germs around, and that’s why I washed my hands before I came over to see you. Okay if I get some lovin’ from you, Bubba? I need it…maybe you do, too, especially with this bad news.”

  Do I ever! I never get enough of the hugs and scratches, nose and ear rubbing that John has become good at. Mm. It feels so good. I know it’s a two-way street, so I turn and give John’s ear some lip nibbles.

  “Hey, Bubba, that tickles, but I like it.Your warm breath on my neck feels good. Back to the Strangles thing. Because of it, I won’t be taking you down to the breeding barn any time soon, for Doc said that there’s to be no breeding for anyone for at least a week.Yes, Bubba, I’m sorry about that. It’s bad news.Though that mare was already isolated, she has been put in a little shed even farther away from the others, in hopes no one else gets sick. Do
c started her on antibiotics, but any breeding is out of the question. Doc is doing nasal swabs on everyone and will let us know when we’re free to proceed.”

  I wonder which mare that is. I haven’t been to the breeding barn since day before yesterday, and I know I haven’t met her yet.Whoever it is, this is no fun for anyone.

  noises have a lot more variety than they used to.We could be a regular symphony orchestra what with the hiss-hooing of Mr. O, the barking of Boo, and Tom’s occasional meow, against the background of the many sounds horses make. But Stella takes the prize. She is a weird sort. I like

  enough grain in the rest of the farm.

  John was just leaving the barn, when Bill comes in and hollers, “Hey, John, you know how to run a Bobcat loader?”

  “Sure, we used them a lot in the army.Why?”

  “Well, since you and Josh won’t have all that much to do every morning this week, I don’t want you sitting around getting fat. How about we surprise Jimmy and get to work on that trail?”

  “Great idea, Bill. I suppose you want to move the rock with the Bobcat? What will we be loading the rock into? A wheel barrow?”

  “Nope, I have just the thing. Be right back.While I’m gone, run and tell Josh the plan.”

  Bill heads out the door, and I hope I know just what he’s going to bring back.Yes, there it is now, my practice buggy. I’ll bet I’m going to get in on this trail work, too. I hope so.

  “This is going to be more like fun than work, guys,” Bill says, as John and Josh come in the door.“We’re going to hitch up Bubba to the buggy and use it to move the rock. John, bring Bubba to the tack room, and I’ll show both of you guys how to harness a horse.”

  In no time at all, Bill has me hooked up to my practice buggy, and he’s driving me out to the new trail. Getting out of the buggy, Bill says, “Jimmy has taken the larger rock and lined the outside edges of the trail.We’re going to put the pea gravel inside those edges, covering all of the trail.

  won’t totally destroy it. Josh, there’s a large sheet of plastic in the tack room behind one of the show trunks.Would you please run and get it?” When the buggy is lined, Bill said, “There are three of us and three different parts to this job: driving Bubba, running the loader, and scooping the rock.Who wants what job?” Bill says, and adds with a grin, “Or rather what job don’t you want?”