Scarecrow and Mrs. King
"Life's Lesson"
Written by Anne Riener
May 2008
"Life's Lesson"
Written by Anne Riener
May 2008
Whoever promised you life would be fair?
Lee Stetson could hear those stinging words his uncle had told him on more than one occasion taunt him. However, his uncle was right; life wasn’t fair.
“No, not this time,” he said, under his breath, raking his left hand through his sun-bleached hair.
He had to see her, had to hold her, he wanted more time. “Dear God. Why me? Why all this heartache?” She was his life. His lifeline. She had given him unconditional love and now she was going to be taken from him.
“Hello, Generous. How’s my best girl?” He felt tears forming and he clenched his jaw, willing the tears not to fall. He had to be strong for her.
She looked up at him with her big brown eyes and took a couple tentative steps toward him. Then she rested her head on his shoulder, softly moving her lips across his tear stained cheek.
“I got a surprise for you.” He ran his hands across her shoulders and down her back. "But first, Sweetheart, walk with me.”
His little roan mare’s pointed ears jumped back and forth, her nostrils flaring. She nickered and tossed her head, pushing against him, wanting to play.
“Okay, you Scamp. Here’s your treat.” He held up a sugar cube. Her lips daintily lifted the cube off his outstretched hand.
Lee slid a bridle over her head. Then gathering up the reins in his left hand, he led her out of the paddock. Walking over to the corral gate, he stopped her. He climbed up the fence and grabbing her dark red mane, swung his leg across her back. He leaned forward, unlatching the gate and threw it open. The gate slammed against the fence post.
Bang!
Lee grimaced and hoped the noise had not woken his uncle.
The sky was cloudless and the stars were still out, but he knew dawn would be upon them soon. He had to put as much distance as he possibly could between him and his uncle. Lee was not going to let him take her away.
Lee clucked softly and pressed his knees into Bayley's side. She moved forward into a slow gait.
They followed the creek for several miles, dropping into a small valley. Lee decided to cut through the neighbor’s property, hoping it would save him time. He pulled on the reins moving Bayley to the left to cut through the apple orchards. She pranced along, her head held high and her chestnut hair gleamed in the moonlit sky.
It was slow going in the dark and the morning fog began to roll in from the ocean, making traveling that much more difficult in the French countryside. They walked past the rows of apple trees, while branches swayed in the gentle breeze. Lee was trying to be careful not to accidentally get hit by one of the low hanging limbs. Then it happened, he misjudged the branch and it hit him square in the chest. He tumbled over backwards, landing with a jarring crash, flat on his stomach.
Lee lay there for a moment catching his breath. He started to get up and fell again with a groan. His wrists would not support his weight. “Damn!” Lee gently rolled onto his back. “My uncle's gonna to kill me.”
In the dark, he could tell his wrists were swelling and turning a purplish-blue color. He pulled himself up off the ground. Bayley walked over to him, her ears jumped back and forth. She put her head down and blew her warm breath in his face.
Lee looked up to the sky and could see the first rays of morning light dawn. He stepped onto a large boulder and with one quick motion was on her back again. The pain in his wrists cut like a knife. Lee hung his head down; he knew this adventure was over. He had no choice, but to go back to his uncle’s house.
Lee rode back home and into the paddock.
His uncle came out the front door, slamming the screen door. “Skip, where the hell have you been? Your breakfast is getting cold.”
Lee didn’t say anything. He tried to dismount, but found the pain unbearable. His uncle came into the corral, took one look at Lee’s swollen wrists, and helped him off the horse. Not saying a word, he tied Bayley to the hitching post.
“I need to take care of Bayley,” Lee said determined.
“Don’t worry about her. I’ll have Frank do the currying and brushing and make sure she gets fed. Now, you get into the house and put some ice on your wrists,” the Major barked.
Lee sat in the kitchen, the ice burned into his skin.
The moment the Major came in, he laid into Lee. “Let me see your wrists, Skip.” Lee reluctantly showed him his wrists. The expression on his uncle's face was cold. “They don’t appear to be broken, but probably fractured. Again, I ask you, what the hell were you doing? And don’t toy with me. I’ve had enough of your cheeky sauciness.”
Lee looked down at the floor and mumbled, “I was running away from home.”
“I see.” Lee could hear his uncle take in a deep breath. “And where did you think you were going to run away to?”
“I don’t know. But you can’t take her away from me.” His lower lip quivered, as hot tears ran down his cheeks.
“Listen Skip, you’re ten years old now. It’s time you grew up. Take it like a man.” The Major shook his head in disbelief and let out a long sigh. “Now, I’m going to give you some aspirin and then I want you to go back to bed. Maybe, someday you'll understand running away isn't going to solve your problems.”
Pushing back from the table, Lee stormed up the stairs and entered his room, the words of his uncle still echoing in his mind. “Whoever promised you life would be fair.”
'Nobody,' he thought, shaking his head. 'And I’ll never expect it either.'
Lee Stetson could hear those stinging words his uncle had told him on more than one occasion taunt him. However, his uncle was right; life wasn’t fair.
“No, not this time,” he said, under his breath, raking his left hand through his sun-bleached hair.
He had to see her, had to hold her, he wanted more time. “Dear God. Why me? Why all this heartache?” She was his life. His lifeline. She had given him unconditional love and now she was going to be taken from him.
“Hello, Generous. How’s my best girl?” He felt tears forming and he clenched his jaw, willing the tears not to fall. He had to be strong for her.
She looked up at him with her big brown eyes and took a couple tentative steps toward him. Then she rested her head on his shoulder, softly moving her lips across his tear stained cheek.
“I got a surprise for you.” He ran his hands across her shoulders and down her back. "But first, Sweetheart, walk with me.”
His little roan mare’s pointed ears jumped back and forth, her nostrils flaring. She nickered and tossed her head, pushing against him, wanting to play.
“Okay, you Scamp. Here’s your treat.” He held up a sugar cube. Her lips daintily lifted the cube off his outstretched hand.
Lee slid a bridle over her head. Then gathering up the reins in his left hand, he led her out of the paddock. Walking over to the corral gate, he stopped her. He climbed up the fence and grabbing her dark red mane, swung his leg across her back. He leaned forward, unlatching the gate and threw it open. The gate slammed against the fence post.
Bang!
Lee grimaced and hoped the noise had not woken his uncle.
The sky was cloudless and the stars were still out, but he knew dawn would be upon them soon. He had to put as much distance as he possibly could between him and his uncle. Lee was not going to let him take her away.
Lee clucked softly and pressed his knees into Bayley's side. She moved forward into a slow gait.
They followed the creek for several miles, dropping into a small valley. Lee decided to cut through the neighbor’s property, hoping it would save him time. He pulled on the reins moving Bayley to the left to cut through the apple orchards. She pranced along, her head held high and her chestnut hair gleamed in the moonlit sky.
It was slow going in the dark and the morning fog began to roll in from the ocean, making traveling that much more difficult in the French countryside. They walked past the rows of apple trees, while branches swayed in the gentle breeze. Lee was trying to be careful not to accidentally get hit by one of the low hanging limbs. Then it happened, he misjudged the branch and it hit him square in the chest. He tumbled over backwards, landing with a jarring crash, flat on his stomach.
Lee lay there for a moment catching his breath. He started to get up and fell again with a groan. His wrists would not support his weight. “Damn!” Lee gently rolled onto his back. “My uncle's gonna to kill me.”
In the dark, he could tell his wrists were swelling and turning a purplish-blue color. He pulled himself up off the ground. Bayley walked over to him, her ears jumped back and forth. She put her head down and blew her warm breath in his face.
Lee looked up to the sky and could see the first rays of morning light dawn. He stepped onto a large boulder and with one quick motion was on her back again. The pain in his wrists cut like a knife. Lee hung his head down; he knew this adventure was over. He had no choice, but to go back to his uncle’s house.
Lee rode back home and into the paddock.
His uncle came out the front door, slamming the screen door. “Skip, where the hell have you been? Your breakfast is getting cold.”
Lee didn’t say anything. He tried to dismount, but found the pain unbearable. His uncle came into the corral, took one look at Lee’s swollen wrists, and helped him off the horse. Not saying a word, he tied Bayley to the hitching post.
“I need to take care of Bayley,” Lee said determined.
“Don’t worry about her. I’ll have Frank do the currying and brushing and make sure she gets fed. Now, you get into the house and put some ice on your wrists,” the Major barked.
Lee sat in the kitchen, the ice burned into his skin.
The moment the Major came in, he laid into Lee. “Let me see your wrists, Skip.” Lee reluctantly showed him his wrists. The expression on his uncle's face was cold. “They don’t appear to be broken, but probably fractured. Again, I ask you, what the hell were you doing? And don’t toy with me. I’ve had enough of your cheeky sauciness.”
Lee looked down at the floor and mumbled, “I was running away from home.”
“I see.” Lee could hear his uncle take in a deep breath. “And where did you think you were going to run away to?”
“I don’t know. But you can’t take her away from me.” His lower lip quivered, as hot tears ran down his cheeks.
“Listen Skip, you’re ten years old now. It’s time you grew up. Take it like a man.” The Major shook his head in disbelief and let out a long sigh. “Now, I’m going to give you some aspirin and then I want you to go back to bed. Maybe, someday you'll understand running away isn't going to solve your problems.”
Pushing back from the table, Lee stormed up the stairs and entered his room, the words of his uncle still echoing in his mind. “Whoever promised you life would be fair.”
'Nobody,' he thought, shaking his head. 'And I’ll never expect it either.'