Nowhere in sight
“Great job today, Stella,” Mr. Stewart announced. It was a bright and sunny day in El Paso, Texas. Making it a great opportunity to go out and practice for the Saddle Club Showcase next month. Stella and her Chestnut Friesian Sparky were out in her Father’s pasture practicing for the barrel races.
“I just need to get that final turn.” She said relentlessly.
“Stella, you’ve got skills, a great horse, and a month before competition. You should take a break and let Sparky rest. He looks exhausted.” Coach said, stroking Sparky’s long mane. Sparky lowered his head and whinnied with delight.
“But I need to be ready for everything.” Stella revoked.
“You are ready. You’ve been practicing constantly for a month straight. You’ve pretty much perfected it. Now, climb down and I’ll help you unsaddle Sparky.”
Stella climbed down from her high post and lead Sparky to the barn. Where her and Coach unsaddled the tall pony. Then set him free into the pasture, where he was united with the other horses once more. He was a graceful horse with muscular, strong legs that carried him as far as the eye could see.
Stella was small for such a massive horse. She only stood at around 5’10’’ in height and weighed about 130 pounds. She had a blind sense of beauty that stood out like a sore thumb. Her father says she looks just like her mother.
She has only seen pictures of her mother. Her father says that she was an artistic, stubborn, beautiful women with a heart of gold. She always thought of others before herself. She had died when Stella was only a toddler. Stella only remembers her voice; Soft and comforting, but filled with determination. She died in an accident. She gave her own life to save a toddler from a raging bull at a rodeo. The toddler had fell into the ring at a local rodeo that came to town every year. Her mother just happened to be there at the exact moment when the bull charged and struck her lungs with one of its horns. It killed her almost instantly. The toddler survived with only a broken wrist. Her mother was a hero to so many people.
Stella has always tried to live up to her father’s name. Her father was a bull breeder for the El Paso rodeo for 20 years. He has a big reputation with the sponsors and riders. They all seem to bow to him like a peasant might bow to a king. Her father was a strong willed man, with a passion towards ranching. He says Stella reminds him of himself when he was her age.
Stella was broken from her thoughts when her trainer, Mr. Peter Stewart, put his hand on her shoulder. “ Earth to Stella, Come in Stella.”
“Sorry.” Stella pushed her long hair back from her face.
It’s fine. You just seemed a thousand miles away.” Mr. Stewart said with a smirk.
“I’d better head in. Dad’s gonna be wondering where I am.” She said shakily.
“Okay. You tell your father I’m going to go groom the horses.”
She called over her shoulder “I will.” But he was already gone. She shrugged and started for the house. He father was usually done in the fields at about 7. She looked up at the orange, pink, and red sky. She guessed it was about 6:30. She gazed down at the cattle. They were scattered about grazing on the tall, wheat grass. She shifted her gaze, “We’re missing about 2 calves.” She said to herself.
She took off running to the blue farmhouse. She climbed up the front steps onto the rickety porch. She bursted into the out-of-date, wooden kitchen to find no one there. She checked to whole house. “Nothing.” She said. She grabbed a pen from her dad’s office and returned to the kitchen. She scratched a note on a thin napkin and layed on the counter nearest to the door. She ran out the front door towards the cattle herd. She counted them again. “Still missing two.”
She glanced around the field, looking for the lost cows. Nowhere in sight. Out of breath, she jogged to the barn to saddle up Sparky. She reached her horses stall to find him already saddled. She looked around. She saw Mr. Stewart leaning against a support beam. “You father left a note on the workstand saying to saddle up Sparky and meet him at the west end pasture.”
“I already know why.” She unlatched the stall, gathered the reins, and mounted the tall horse.
“I’m surprised you can get up there without a stool,” Mr. Stewart said, ”Here, You might need these.” He handed her a leather satchel. She looked inside to find a sheathed knife, a flashlight, and a braided rope.
“Thanks.” She tugged on the reins and started toward the west pasture.
It didn’t take her very long to get there. She glanced back at the barn to see Mr. Stewart waving. He is so sweet, she thought to herself.
When she got to the end of the pasture, She saw her father, with his pants all muddy. His horse was tied to a tree nearby. She slowed to a trot, jumped off her horse, and tied him next to the other horse. She approached her father with the satchel in hand. Her father, Greg, was down in the river, trying to tie a rope around a young heifer. “Toss me the extra rope.” He said exhaustedly. Stella looked in the satchel for the rope. She took it out, tied it to a fallen tree, and thro the other end to her father. He caught it and climbed up the steep, muddy bank.
“You came just in time,” He said, pointing to the cow and her calf, “I reckon’ she’s been stuck down there for about 3 hours. I need you to get the calf when I pull her out.” He untied his tall, Clydesdale and hooked him to a leather harness attached to a rope end.
“Stella, go down behind the steer and be ready to grab the calf when she’s out.”
Stella did as she was told and went down into the muddy river. It was flood season and the river was a little higher than usual. Stella rolled up her jeans and strode across to the other side. She waited for her dad to give the signal to push. When her dad finally did, His horse, charlie, began pulling on the rope tied to the heifer. She made it out on the first try. Stella picked up the calf, who was trying to get up the bank after its mother, and strung him over her shoulders. She about fell while trying to get up the bank. With mud smeared on the fronts of her clothes, She finally made it out.
“Good, now head on back to the house and start on the dishes. I’ll be a little while.” He said as he untied the soggy steer. He climbed up on his horse and rode away with the calf by his mother.
