Two

Two

Sienna woke up with a start. Where the bloody hell was she? Her memory came rushing back to her in waves, she was home. Not home home, but her father’s home. What time was it? Moonlight filtered through a gap in the curtains. Getting up she whistled Bundy and headed outside. Disoriented, she realised it must be after midnight. Her stomached rumbled uncomfortably as she stood outside in the cool breeze letting Bundy run around. Where on earth were the horses? Sienna wondered with an absent mind as she whistled the dog into the warm house and silently went back to her room. Pulling up the covers to keep out the chill she felt into a fitful and dream filled sleep.

 

                Tate rolled out of bed, groaning. His mind was foggy as a result of his sleepless night. The alarm clock flashed five five am. He would need a truckload of coffee to get through this day. Wandering downstairs he stopped dead in his tracks when he reached the kitchen, his breath catching in his throat. Sitting at the kitchen table was the very image of his ex wife, sitting in her place at the table and sipping coffee in the very same manner.  He had not seen his child since the day, sixteen years earlier that her mother had packed up her life and taken herself out of his. He didn’t know what had possessed her to leave, he had always felt there was a darkness inside her that threatened to take over control, perhaps it had. Many folk in town had a version of the “event” in their minds, some claiming abuse, soem claiming another man and some saying it was country fever �" where a city girl goes mad in the country and runs fleeing back to the hustle and bustle. Everybody agreed that when she fled the farm and his life that she took his heart and soul all wrapped up in a four year old red haired little girl. Now, she was back.

 

                “Sienna? How are you? How was your sleep?” Sienna could tell Tate was uncomfortable and unsure of how to approach her.

 

                “Hi. It was long overdue, believe me. Did you want a coffee? I’ve just boiled the kettle.” She was taken aback by how handsome he was. Her mother had never showed her any photos, claiming that the past was simply too painful. The faded memories of a little girls mind did little justice on the man standing in front of her. And his eyes! They were so kind.  Despite herself she found she was instantly warming to him. This was not the same man her mother had painted during many a drunken rampage.

 

                “I will thanks. How have you been? I, um, I’ve got to be honest I’m surprised by your visit. Not unhappy just surprised. It’s been a long long time.” There was much he wished he could say to her but this young woman was really a stranger.

                “I was in the area. Honestly I just needed a break and I thought hey why not? I wouldn’t mind staying for a day or so if that alright with you? It’s been a long trip with the horses.” Sienna felt a niggling sense of guilt towards her mother, but she wanted to get to know him.

                “You can stay for as long as you want Sienna. It may not seem like it and I may have never had the chance to tell you but uh, this is your home. Stay as long as you want.” Tate was secretly elated. A little lost too. He not flexed his parenting chops in a while.  “Where are you headed? And what the bloody hell are you planning on doing with that yearling.”

                “I have friends in the Flinders Rangers, was going to get the colt broken in and then spell him for six months or so at their place. Then me and Buck are headed towards the city to see if I can pick up some rides. I just finished my apprenticeship but I had a fall in a race four weeks ago so I’ve had a forced break thanks to a niggling knee injury.” Sienna set her chin defensively, awaiting the barrage of comments that always followed when people heard what she did.

                “Good god, you’re a bloody jockey?” Tate shook his head in surprise. Never could he have imagined that this pretty little girl could have such a tough job. He felt a little bit of comfort in the fact that her mother must have been driven crazy by their daughter. But mostly he was worried. And a little proud. “You may be the splittin’ image of your mother but you sure have a lot of me in ya’ girl. We could do something about that colt while you’re here if you want?”

                Sienna nodded as he sat down and the two of them drank their coffees in silence. Little did they know just how much her single decision had changed the course of both of their lives.

               

                Eyes fierce and nostrils flaring the horse lunged across the sand yard and �" finding no exit, exploded into a series of bucks. Sweat rolled off his chestnut coat as he fought the saddle, the bit and the man in the middle of the yards cracking the stockwhip. Crack, crack, CRACK! Tate cracked the whip behind the colt and pushed him on, wiping sweat from his eyes. This kind of behaviour was acceptable for a few days in Tate’s eyes but, having worked on the colt for four days now the novelty was wearing thin. With one last grunt the colt broke into a lanky canter, shaking his head in frustration. No matter how hard he fought, the man was always coming out on top. Tate signalled the colt to stop, tired and hot the colt obeyed.

                “Good pony! Sienna, can you bring me Dolla” More a command than a question. He had been butting heads with his strong willed, opinionated daughter the whole was through the breaking process and he was hoping that the colt turned the corner sooner rather than later. That way she might see some sense, not just what worked in the racing industry. Wordlessly Sienna led the black gelding into the sand yard and handed him the reins. “Thank you” Tate couldn’t keep the sarcasm from his voice. He quietly wondered who would turn the corner first, the horse or his daughter.

                Leading the colt to the right side of Dolla, he threw the lead rope over his withers and ducked to the other side of his horse. Tightening his girth he swung effortlessly into the saddle startling the colt in the process. Dolla was already trotting at the colt by the time he had taken one step backwards. Tate expertly snapped the lead rope and directed the colt in small circles, circling Dolla around the colt, constantly cutting him off.  Sienna’s eyes opened in surprise at the ease that Tate and the big black horse moved, directing the colt. Before to long the colt was trotting uncertainly alongside the big horse.

                “Get on your critter girl, if your coming with us that is. Oh and open that gate for me please.” Tate had to laugh at the look of surprise on Sienna’s face. He and Dolla got that alot. The big black gelding was an eyesore, he had a head on him like a suitcase and he was more raw boned than not but he was worth his weight in gold as a working horse and his eyes were as kind as they came.  The poor bugger was forever underestimated and picked on where as he should’ve been praised and patted.

Sienna jogged to grab her horse and headed off after Tate who was already halfway down the drive way. Buck popped into a jaunty canter and pigrooted a few times, just letting her know how happy he was to be out of the stable and moving around. She pulled in alongside the colt, startling him in the process. He leapt forward and attempted to wrench himself from Tates firm grasp, without any visible command the big black gelding matched the younger horses stride and Tate wheeled him back in alongside him.

“Just watch what you do around this little bugger! He’s fairly cocky and full off himself, watch he doesn’t kick at you.” Tate was pissed off but fought to hide it. On one had he hated having people come along with things like this, they always got in the way. On the other hand this was his daughter and if she was going to see the sense in what he was doing, she needed to see it all.

“Sorry! I forgot myself for a minute there. We can go on the other side of you if you want?” Sienna felt like an idiot once again. She knew better than to go clambering behind a young horse who didn’t know she was there. The last thing she wanted was to get in the way or to see her father get hurt. She was a smart girl! How could a couple of hours in her father’s presence leave her feeling like she knew nothing about horses?!

“Nope, just stay a good kicking length out from him. It’s good for him to get use to horses moving around. When he’s had the sting taken off him you can move in closer ok.” Tate tried to keep the frustration out of his voice. He had told many a parent that teaching their children about horses was a no no, someone else should always do it. He just never thought he’d be in that situation himself.

                The two rode along in silence for what felt like hours. Sienna could feel the damage in her knee every time she rose to the buckskins trot. At one point Tate pulled them up and ordered her to drop her stirrups down two holes and a knot in each of her reins instructing her to hold him no tighter than the knots. She had to admit that Buck had relaxed a bunch since she’d eased off his mouth and his stride had lengthened and become much smoother. Not that she would admit that to Tate. Sienna took time to admire the landscape as they moved along; horseback was such a lovely way to see the place. Recent rains had encouraged green shoots to emerge from the muddy soil. Each day the paddocks were getting greener and greener.  Without a word Tate ducked into the scrub and followed a track that Sienna couldn’t see but sensed that he knew well. She ducked to avoid branches as they trotted along, once again caught up in skill that her father and his horse possessed. Every time her colt moved level with Dolla the black horse snaked out at him, ears pinned back as if to say “Get back buddy! You ain’t kickin’ me!” The colt had settled immensely over the past kilometre or so and was for the most part happily trotted his eye level with Tates knee. From that position she knew he would have a job to kick Dolla.

                “We’ll head for home girl. He’s settled down a bunch. You happy with your horse? He’s not pulling or hanging nearly as much now you’ve given him some rein. Looks like he’s a nicer ride to. How’s your knee holding up? Happy to keep bowling along?” Tate was impressed with the change in the buckskin horse and quietly quiet proud of Sienna for sticking with him when she was obviously in a fair amount of pain.

                “He is, I didn’t realise I was holding him up so much. I’ll be ok if we can keep trotting. I might come undone if we walk!” Sienna was surprised; he didn’t miss a thing did he!

                As they headed home Tate noted the clouds building over the ranges, more rain was coming. He would have to send Mary into town soon in case the creek rose and they got flooded in, they would need supplies. In the distance thunder rolled as the storm threatened the mountain.