Jade and the Stray

by Amy Brown

  ‘That’s a shame. But you’re absolutely right, there’s not enough space here for her. In fact, if she’d been yours, I would’ve offered you grazing at my place.’

  Jade’s face lit up. ‘Really?’

  ‘Yes. If it doesn’t work out with the mare, you’re welcome to visit my horses. Well, one of them is my daughter’s really, but she’s gone to university now, so they’re not getting much riding.’

  Jade was barely listening; all she could think about was the offer of grazing for the stray.

  ‘Granddad?’ she called, running around to the driveway where he was fixing the tail-light on the horse-float. ‘Granddad!’

  ‘What’s all this caterwauling about, girl?’ he yelled back. ‘Come and talk to me properly.’ Jade left the tall man with the mare and ran over.

  ‘Granddad, the man has a paddock with horses and there’s enough room there for my pony, the stray, if I’m allowed to keep her—I thought it was a he, but it’s a she—I’d probably be allowed to keep her, wouldn’t I, if I had grazing?’ The words just tumbled out. ‘Granddad, can I keep her? Please!’ Jade pleaded.

  Jade hadn’t been this happy since the accident, and Granddad was delighted to see it.

  ‘Jade, love, it’s not as simple as that. I hate to say it, but you’ve taken that pony without asking. It’s not yours. And even if it were, there’s more to owning a pony than having somewhere to keep it. How would you pay Mr White for grazing?’

  Mr White had come over to the float too, now, and was looking a bit embarrassed. ‘Look, Ed, if Jade here—it is Jade, isn’t it?—if Jade wants to keep this mare and is willing to work hard to get her into good condition, then I’m happy to help. Payment won’t be necessary. Though, Jade,’ Mr White looked at her seriously now, ‘if the pound lets you keep the mare, can you promise me that she’ll be your greatest responsibility?’

  ‘Yes,’ Jade said, as thoughtfully as she could.

  ‘Do you know much about keeping a horse?’ Mr White asked kindly.

  ‘Um, I guess not. But I know it’s a lot of work and that’s fine—I don’t mind hard work. I’m a fast learner, too.’ Jade didn’t usually talk herself up, but she could tell this was the moment to do it.

  Mr White smiled. ‘Well, best of luck with the pound. If it’s good news, give me a call and I’ll pop back around with the float.’

  ‘This is very good of you, Jim,’ Jade’s granddad said to Mr White as he hopped into his ute. ‘There won’t be a bill for the light.’

  ‘It’s a pleasure,’ Mr White said, looking at Jade too. ‘Since Abby left home I haven’t been spending enough time with the horses, other than feeding them and cleaning the paddock. It’ll be nice to have an excuse to get back out there.’

  As Mr White drove out, Jade asked her granddad, ‘Cleaning the paddock? What did he mean by that?’

  Her granddad chortled. ‘Picking up the, er, manure, I think. You’d be up to that, would you?’

  ‘Anything to keep her,’ Jade said, grinning and flinging her arms around the patient pony’s neck.

  The rest of the morning was spent talking on the phone to the pound, and then waiting for one of their representatives to come over. Not surprisingly, the woman on the phone was none too pleased to hear Jade admit to stealing a horse from their paddock. But the younger woman who arrived just after lunch, Olivia, saw the funny side.

  ‘I remember when I was young I thought about doing that. I shouldn’t say this, but I’m impressed that you actually went through with it.’

  ‘She stayed out all night, sleeping on the lawn next to the pony,’ Granddad said, almost proudly.

  ‘Well, I can see that you love her,’ Olivia said to Jade, who was holding onto the stray’s mane. ‘But this is no place for a pony, as I think you know.’

  ‘Yeah, I know. I told the lady on the phone that we had somewhere better to put her,’ Jade interrupted.

  ‘Hold on, I was getting to that. What I heard from your phone conversation is that Jim White has offered to graze this pony. Is that true?’

  ‘Yes, it is,’ Granddad cut in.

  ‘Well, in that case, I think she’s in safe hands. I know Jim—I was a friend of his daughter—and I know that he’ll teach you how to care for a horse.’

  ‘Thank you so much! That’s so cool!’ Jade said, forgetting she was trying to sound grown-up.

  The young woman from the pound laughed. ‘I’m glad you’re pleased. Just make sure you don’t prove me wrong. I’ll be very disappointed if in a few months I hear that Jim has an unwanted horse abandoned on his property.’

  ‘She’s definitely not unwanted, I promise.’

  And so the stray was now no longer a stray, and Jade wasted no time in calling Mr White and arranging for the pony to be moved to her new home.

  ‘Remember that he’s doing you a favour—don’t be too pushy,’ Jade’s granddad told her, after she’d hung up the phone.

  ‘I don’t mean to be pushy, I’m just excited. I’m so glad that the pony’s going to a nice home. I can’t believe she’s mine, Granddad!’ Jade’s smile was so radiant that her granddad, though tempted, couldn’t bring himself to remind her of all the hard work ahead—and that school was due to start in four days. It was so good to see her genuinely happy. He’d wait until dinner time to discuss serious matters.

  Mr White arrived at quarter to four with his horsefloat. When he got out of the ute, he was carrying a long rope with a loop at one end.

  ‘What’s that?’ Jade asked, as she led her new pony over to the float.

  ‘I call it a “bum-rope”,’ Mr White said. ‘It may be that madam here,’ he continued, patting the pony’s neck gently, ‘hasn’t travelled by float for a while. If she doesn’t want to walk up the ramp, we’ll throw this loop here around her rump and thread the end here through the ring of her halter, like so.’ He effortlessly demonstrated. ‘Now,’ he said, ‘if she’s reluctant, we can give the rope a little tug and she’ll feel some pressure on her behind, which should make her keep walking. Doesn’t look like we’ll need it, though,’ Mr White said, smiling. ‘She seems rather relaxed.’

  Jade held her pony’s lead rope and the long end of the bum-rope, while Mr White lowered the ramp of the horse-float. Inside, there was a clean rubber mat to stop the horses’ hooves slipping and a hay-net full of fragrant lucerne hay. As Mr White had predicted, Jade’s new pony needed no encouragement to walk up the ramp. As soon as she saw and smelt the hay, she headed up of her own accord, dragging Jade with her.

  ‘She loves it in here,’ Jade laughed, patting her pony’s neck and watching her whiskery lips taking great mouthfuls of hay.

  ‘I reckon she’s a bit hungry after her stint at the pound,’ Mr White said, deftly tying the lead rope in a slipknot to a loop of twine next to the hay-net and then unthreading the bum-rope. Jade’s heart sank a little as she watched this, realizing fully for the first time how little she knew about keeping horses.

  When the ramp was up and Jade had said goodbye to her granddad, she jumped into the passenger seat of Mr White’s ute and drove away to greener pastures.

  Dusty Springfield was playing on the tape deck.

  ‘My mum used to listen to this,’ Jade told Mr White quietly.

  ‘It’s a good album.’ Mr White didn’t seem like he was going to ask about the accident, and Jade was relieved, sort of. Strangely, it almost made her want him to ask how she was feeling. Perhaps he didn’t know what had happened. Jade looked at his weathered face staring straight at the road and reckoned that he probably did know; it looked like a knowledgeable face.

  Soon they pulled into a limestone driveway lined with beech trees. Mr White parked the float between a paddock with post-and-rail fenced yards and a huge corrugated-iron garage.

  Far down the paddock, Jade could see two big horses grazing together. They lifted their heads and pricked their ears as the new pony backed down the ramp and whinnied at them.

  ‘These are your new friends, girl,’ J
ade told her, struggling to keep hold of the lead rope as the pony strained towards the paddock gate. ‘She’s really strong,’ Jade said nervously, hoping Mr White would help.

  ‘She’s excited by her new surroundings,’ he said, taking the lead rope and leaning into the pony’s shoulder as he manoeuvred her through the gateway and into one of the yards. ‘Were there any other horses in the pound with her?’ he asked Jade as he untied the knotted lead rope and let the pony trot around the yard in her halter.

  ‘No, just sheep and goats. She must’ve missed having horsey company.’

  ‘It looks like it. I was going to teach you how to groom her today, but she’s looking a bit too excitable at the moment. It might be best for her to let off some steam and meet Brandy and Hamlet this afternoon.’

  ‘Are they Abby’s horses?’ Jade asked.

  ‘Well, Hamlet’s mine and Brandy is Abby’s. Though she doesn’t get to ride her much these days, unfortunately, since she went to university.’

  ‘They have nice names,’ Jade said. ‘I don’t know what to call my pony…’

  ‘What about Pippi?’ Mr White asked. ‘As in Pippi Longstocking—it’d suit her white stockings.’

  ‘I quite like that,’ Jade said. ‘But, maybe just Pip would be better?’

  ‘Pip’s a very good name for a stray,’ Mr White said. ‘She’s a bit like Pip from Great Expectations.’ Jade looked blankly at Mr White. ‘You know,’ he said, ‘Great Expectations by Charles Dickens?’

  ‘I’ve heard of it,’ Jade said vaguely, feeling out of her depth again. ‘Is Pip OK?’ she asked, watching the pony frantically circling the yard.

  ‘Just excited. We may as well let her out now—the other two are in the back paddock, so she can hoon around the front here without getting into trouble. It’ll do her good.’ Mr White carefully opened the yard gate and Pip raced out, bucking and pig-rooting before cantering down to the fence line where Brandy and Hamlet were waiting to meet her.

  ‘She’s been so calm until now,’ Jade said. ‘I didn’t know she could go that fast.’

  ‘Don’t worry, she’ll settle down soon,’ Mr White said. He looked at his watch, ‘It’s nearly five—will your granddad expect you home soon?’

  ‘I don’t think so,’ Jade said. ‘But if Pip’s busy running around, I may as well go home.’

  ‘I was thinking it might be worth familiarizing you with the tack and grooming tools you’ll be using tomorrow. It’ll only take ten minutes.’

  ‘Oh, yes please!’ Jade was excited as Mr White rolled up the door of the shed and brought out a saddle, a bridle and a grooming kit. As he showed her how the girth buckled up and explained about the snaffle bit on the bridle, Jade’s head began to swim. She tried to listen as carefully as she could, but there was just too much information to absorb at once.

  ‘And there’ll be a test tomorrow,’ Mr White said, laughing at Jade’s worried expression.

  ‘Was all this stuff your daughter’s?’ Jade asked.

  ‘Yep, we’ve had it since she rode ponies. It’s good that you’ve come along, otherwise it’d go to waste.’ Jade smiled at this, but still felt uncomfortable.

  ‘I reckon Granddad is probably wondering where I am,’ Jade said, looking across the paddock to where Pip and the Whites’ horses were sniffing at each other. ‘Look, she has calmed down now,’ Jade said, relieved.

  ‘She’ll be fine,’ Mr White said. ‘Hello, dear!’

  Jade looked around and saw a small silver-haired woman approaching. ‘This is my wife, Ellen,’ Mr White said to Jade. ‘Ellen, this is Ed Lennox’s granddaughter, Jade, whom I was telling you about. And that,’ he said, pointing out into the paddock, ‘is Pip.’

  ‘Hi, Jade,’ Mrs White said pleasantly. ‘What a nice-looking animal you’ve got there. And it’s good to see Abby’s pony gear is finally getting some use. I was just thinking, Jade, do you have a helmet or riding boots?’

  Jade blushed. ‘No, but I’ve got jeans and sneakers.’ She didn’t want to seem like a charity case.

  ‘You’re about the same size that Abby was when she was your age—if you like, you could take some of her hand-me-downs.’

  ‘Thanks heaps,’ Jade said, embarrassed. ‘That’s really kind of you, Mrs White.’

  ‘Good! Would you like to try them on now?’

  This was too much for Jade. It was enough just seeing the Whites’ beautiful paddocks and spare riding gear—to go into their house and try on their daughter’s clothes made her feel exhausted. ‘Perhaps, if it’s OK, I could look at them tomorrow?’ Jade said quietly. ‘I should go home to Granddad now.’ She hated how quiet her voice went when she was trying to sound polite.

  ‘Of course, Jade. You’re welcome to come over tomorrow. If it’s OK with your granddad, you could stay for lunch.’

  ‘I’ll ask. Thanks.’

  ‘Now, shall I drop you home?’ Mr White unhooked the float from the ute while Jade clumsily carried the saddle and bridle back into the shed.

  When she got home, Jade’s granddad was in the kitchen, dishing out a casserole and boiled potatoes.

  ‘Just in time for tea,’ he said.

  Jade was starving and ate quickly, mopping up the gravy with her potatoes and shovelling peas into her mouth.

  ‘Slow down, girl. You’ll choke if you don’t chew.’

  Jade smiled and slowed down. ‘Sorry, I’m just really hungry.’

  ‘Nervous energy. That pony of yours settled in at the Whites’?’

  ‘Yep, I’ve decided to call her Pip.’

  ‘Nice name.’

  ‘The Whites have invited me to go around tomorrow. I’m going to learn how to groom Pip and maybe have a ride. Is that OK?’

  ‘That should be fine for an hour or two, but we do have some errands to run: school starts next Monday, and you’ll need a uniform and books.’

  Jade frowned; she didn’t want to think about that.

  ‘It’s not the end of the world, Jade. You know that Mr White used to teach at Flaxton School?’

  ‘No. What did he teach?’

  ‘English, I think. Or history? Anyway, he’s all right, isn’t he? And there are bound to be other teachers you’ll get on with. Not to mention kids—it’ll be your chance to make some new friends.’

  ‘Making friends isn’t that easy,’ Jade said, thinking about Rose back in Auckland. She wondered what Rose would think of Pip; while they’d both read pony books, Rose was definitely a city girl.

  ‘I know, love, but you’ll be fine. Busy, what with Pip and getting used to the new school—but busy is good.’ Granddad paused. ‘You got a letter from your dad this morning. I left it by your bed.’

  Jade sighed. ‘I’ll write back tomorrow.’

  3

  Too much to learn

  Thursday, 29 January

  Dear Dad,

  Thanks for writing to me. I’m glad you’re OK. I’m fine too. Granddad is being really kind and I’ve already met some nice people in Flaxton. School starts next Monday, so I’m going to be really busy soon. I’ll work hard to catch up on what I missed at the end of last year and I’ll try to make new friends.

  The reason why I’ll be extra busy is that I’ve now got a pony called Pip. It’s sort of a long story, but I rescued her from the pound and she’s staying in Mr White’s paddock. Mr White is a nice man who got his horse-float fixed at Granddad’s. When he saw that I had a pony and nowhere to keep her, he offered to graze her at his place and teach me how to look after her. Mrs White is nice, too. She’s letting me use her daughter’s old riding clothes. They actually have everything you need to start learning to ride—it’s almost too good to be true. I know that riding costs a lot of money, but the Whites are very generous.

  I’m not going to be a charity case, though. Once I’ve got my schoolwork under control and learnt a bit more about riding, I’m going to get a part-time job. I don’t know where yet, but I am determined to look after Pip myself. I think having a pony will be really good for me.
I’ll learn about responsibility and stuff. Plus, I think Mr White will be a great teacher. He used to teach at Flaxton School, so he’ll be good at explaining.

  I’ll write to you every week. One year isn’t that long—we can have next Christmas together.

  Please write back!

  Lots of love,

  Jade

  PS: I miss Mum and Grandma too.

  It took Jade hours to write this letter. She didn’t know what to say. She was still sitting up in bed, with her bedside lamp on, finishing the letter, when her granddad came in.

  ‘It’s nearly two, Jade! Get some sleep, girl.’

  ‘Sorry, Granddad. I’ll turn my light out now,’ she said, quickly putting the letter away.

  ‘Make sure you do. We’ve got lots to do tomorrow.’

  Jade was woken at seven by the sun glowing orange through the brown curtains. She was still tired, but excited about her riding lesson.

  Jade wasn’t vain, but that morning she dressed carefully, putting on her newest dark blue jeans and a clean, green T-shirt with a white four-leaf clover on the front. She even found matching socks and tried to rub the dust and grass stains off her red Converse sneakers. Going to the bathroom to sluice the sleep out of her eyes, Jade looked in the little mirror above the sink. She didn’t look horsey yet, she thought, and her hair was a mess. Back in her room, she found a hair tie and pulled her wavy dark-brown hair back into a tight plait. That was better. Now she felt tidier.

  As usual, her granddad was up before her and making toast and tea.

  ‘You ready to go and sort out your school uniform?’ he asked, passing her a steaming mug of milky tea.