A Brilliant Mistake

A Story by Kate Ruta

A short story we had to write for our fiction class about a brilliant mistake. I could probably add more to the story.

A Brilliant Mistake

As I paced back and forth trying to find my tack, to find my way around this place I didn’t realizing what the time was and how close I was cutting it. Being new to this barn trying to figure out where things are and finding my tack was difficult, I was getting annoyed and frustrated wandering around the large barn. Finally, I found my tack and grabbed it. I rushed to my horse to quickly tack him up, but knowing him it won’t be quick. As I go towards my horse Amanda comes out of her stall walking with her horse.

“We will be at polo ring number two, just meet us when you are done!” She shouted as she left the barn.

I shouted back, “Okay, be there momentarily!”

I started to tack up my horse hoping it would be quick and easy. For once it was easy and he didn’t fight me. After he was tacked, I just headed towards the field with the players already on it and joined the team that was missing a player. Hoped on to my horse and did a bit of a warm up walk, trot, canter, back to a trot then walk and then joined in with the team.

During this practice match we rode back and forth in the blaring sun. Our mallets hitting the polo ball making a light tapping sound. Yelling around to our teammates about who’s open and pass me the ball. We shouted with joy every time we got a goal. Screamed when we missed the goal. All of us shouting at the other team, at each other and laugh. I ended up shoving one of the players from the other team. It was player number three. Just shoved the guy with the cardinal shirt pushing him off balance a bit so I can continue to do the play. He was annoyed with me for doing that play and shouted at me of course I couldn’t hear what he said I just continued to play the match scoring and winning the practice game.

Once the match was over and we won the polo match. I rode my horse off the fields and slowly glided down the saddle thumping on to my feet losing my balance for a moment. I grabbed the reins and pulled them over my horse’s head and started to walk away slowly. I heard a voice in the distance calling out to me.

“Hey! Hey wait. He shouted.

I slowly turned my head while walking towards the barn to look back at player number three in the cardinal shirt. I just giggled at him and turned my head back around and kept walking towards the barn. I could hear his horse hoofs clapping on the cement getting closer and closer to me and he eventually trotted up right next to me. I just ignored him as he started to talk.

He had a posh type voice it was a strange accent. He just kept rambling on and on about, well I don’t really know. I was too busy trying to figure where he was from. He kept riding his horse next to me and I just kept walking and kept quiet. We eventually got to the outside of a barn and I started to enter. He then says,

“Wait. I want to introduce myself.”

I just rolled my eyes, thinking to myself, When is this idiot going to leave me alone. So I turned around slowly rolling my eyes and folding my arms holding on to the reins just wanting to put my horse away. The guy slowly puts his right arm out for a shake. I just stood looking at his hand and he took it back and then took off his shinny black plastic polo helmet. I looked up at and saw his red hair glistening in the sunlight, his crooked smile and those beautiful blue eyes. He stood there smiling and I just started at him. Then Tommy shouted out to him asking him to come over. He just smiled and then walked away. Amanda came out of the barn asking me what happened and were did I go. I just looked at her, smiled, walked away, realizing I went to the wrong field, but I ended up playing polo and shoving Prince Harry.