Violet & Brownie

Rachel’s mother had recommended a stable, reliable riding instructor for Violet. Her love of horses had been a constant in her life for a long time. For years, she dreamed she had a horse. In this dream, the wood paneling that covered the back of the house was replaced by two stables built into the house. She would run around to the back of the house, and her pony would stand, head over the door to the stable, and wait for her. Unfortunately, she would wake up without a pony to greet her during the daytime. It had taken her a while to decide she was ready for riding lessons. 

Ms. Shelly was a middle-aged woman whose dark hair was always pulled back into a ponytail through a baseball cap. She greeted Violet as she walked into the stable for the first time. “Are you excited for your first riding lesson? We’re excited to have you.” For her mount, Shelly had selected a twenty-year-old gelding known for a very mellow disposition and often used to teach beginner riders. After grooming and tacking up Brownie, the horse, Violet followed Ms. Shelly to the covered arena to begin the lesson. Riding the horse felt different than what she had expected. Sitting on a moving, sentient being she hadn’t ever been on before was more intimidating than she had imagined. Ms. Shelly was a knowledgeable and encouraging instructor, kindly pointing out areas for improvement and complimenting her work. Violet’s inner thighs felt sore by the end of her first lesson, but she was excited for her next lesson.

Oscar had come to pick her up from her lesson and smiled at her as she climbed into the vehicle. “ Did you have a good first lesson?” he asked. Violet thought before answering. “ It was harder than I thought, but I had a good time.”  They enjoyed a pleasant ride home, and Mildred also asked how the lesson went. Violet reiterated everything she had told her father, then showered and got ready for dinner. As soon as she ran upstairs, Mildred turned to Oscar. “ Do you think it went well? What did you think of Ms. Shelly?” He laughed before answering, “I knew you would have questions once we got back. She seemed very nice, and Violet had a good time, so let’s see how it goes for a month or so.” Mildred nodded and smiled at her husband. “ I agree, and it’s nice she’s found something she enjoys.” 

The lessons continued for weeks, then months. Violet became more confident each week and continued riding Brownie when he was available. Each horse she rode was an opportunity to practice her skills in new ways and to experience what it was like to ride horses of different sizes. Ms. Shelly was her regular instructor; however, when she wasn’t available, her daughter, Ms. Amanda, who was in her early twenties and loved horses just as much as her mother, would fill in. 

Violet arrived early to a lesson one day and looked for Ms. Shelly and Ms. Amanda. She heard voices coming down the hallway. She followed the voices and was about to open the door when she heard the mention of Brownie, her favorite pony from the lesson. She would have opened the door, but wanted to listen to what they had to say. “Brownie’s owner will want to sell him sooner rather than later”. She’s already sold her house and is planning to move in with her daughter since she’s been having health problems”. This was Ms. Amanda’s voice. Ms. Shelly’s voice soon followed with “We’ll help her find the right home for that pony. Still, for now, we need to start lessons soon”. Before she could take one stoep back, the screendoor infront of violet swung open. She was met by Ms. Shelly and Ms. Amanda. In a rushed and breathless question seeking assurance she asked “ is it true tey’re trying to sell brownie?” . the two women looked at each other before Ms. Amanda answered her question “ yes Brownie’s owner is going to sell him. However, he may go to someone who already boards their horses here. You could still ride him.” This provided little comfort to Violet, who explained Brownie’s predicament to Oscar as soon as. “Is there any way that we could buy Brownie, and then we could either keep him at the barn or maybe in the fields next to the house at home?” Oscar took a deep breath before saying anything. These same thoughts had been discussed in detail with Mildred. Ms. Shelly and Ms. Amanda had first approached them after all, since they were in the market for a good beginner horse for Violet, they had not told her yet. 

Returning to the conversation, he said, “We’ll have to see what your mom says.” A few more weeks passed before the topic of the pony Brownie came up again. Before taking her to a lesson one day, Oscar and Mildred sat down with her and explained, “Brownie has been sold, and we wanted to tell you before we went to the stables”. Before Violet could end up in tears, her parents quickly finished what they said: “We bought Brownie, and we’re going to eventually bring him home once we get the fields and a shelter built for him.” A large smile broke across her face. The idea that her favorite animal would be hers now was excellent. Another thought had occurred to her, “If Brownie is here, which horse will I ride at the stables?” Mildred answered this question, “Your instructors think it would be best if you learned to ride other horses and not just Brownie”. With that, one problem was solved, and the opportunity for another adventure was born.