The Boy and His Foal Excerpt

Jack swung the ax down on the little birch log. He swung again and again, this was his least favorite chore. “Well, this is the life of a farm boy in Virginia ,” he joked to himself. His pa came running from behind the barn with blood on his hands.

“Hurry Jack! Sosha’s had a foal!” cried his pa. Together Jack and Pa came running around the bend to the stables. Jack’s heart was beating faster with every footstep. When he saw the sight of his old horse with a little baby his heart leaped high.

“What ya gonna name ‘er Pa?” asked Jack. He loved horses but he couldn’t get too attached to any horse because he didn’t live on any old ranch, not with what his pa did.

“I don’t know. I ain’t really the person namin’ ‘em at all,” answered his pa. “What you think, boy?”

“I like Jose or Jesebel. Nah, I got it, Cambell. How’s that Pa?” answered Jack. He was the only one who ever developed any personal relationship with the creatures.

“Cambell it is. Take our little Cambell to Sosha. She needs to nurse.” Jack took his new bud to the mare. She drank and drank. Jack stroked her beautiful coat. She was cocoa colored. Brown like a brand new chocolate bar right out of the wrapper. Her legs were strong. Her mane had a reddish tint that made it look like a brown rug with a cherry stain on it.

“You sure are a beaut.’ I can’t wait to see your adult coat,” said Jack. He took the brush off the rack and continued stroking her coat again. “You remind me of Coco-Cherry, one of my old horses. She had a coat just like yours.” Jack sighed. “But then some hot-shot sheriff bought ‘er and took ‘er all the way to Kansas .”

“Whose is this?” Jack turned to see his little sister Jessica. “Who’s foal, brother?”

“Sosha’s. Her name’s Cambell. She’s a beaut’ ain’t she?” replied Jack. “Yah. She looks like Coco-Cherr—,“Jessica stopped when she realized she’d said her name.

“Yah, she does don’t she. But I’m not getting attached again. I’ll train ‘er but that’s it. Not this time,” said Jack.

“Well, whatever. See yah, brother.” Jessica ran back to her chore of getting eggs from the hens.

Jack was torn in two. He loved horses but he never got one of his own, not with what his pa does.

It was five in the morning. Even the earliest rooster hadn’t crowed yet, “Cocka-doodle-doo!” Jack had his rifle in his hand, ready for the first sign of game. He had been hunting the past few days with no luck.

Then he saw a nice four-point whitetail buck, broadside and in perfect position. Jack took his gun off his shoulder lined it up and…BANG! He looked and saw the buck running but not wounded. “Dang! Just about! Stupid gun!” screamed Jack, frustrated and mad.

He walked back and saw the buck again! He lined it up one last time ready to fire he let out his breath, placed his finger on the trigger and…BANG! Missed again. “Dang it! Oh no not again.” He chased the buck through the woods. Over logs, under low branches, he finally came to a ravine. The buck ran down, Jack followed but stopped because the brush was too thick. “Ah--!”

Jack came back to the farm and did what he always did when he was mad, he got out his favorite steed, Black Lightning, and rode all around, hopping fences. “Ah. The life of a farm boy…cruel and troublesome. Huh, huh, huh,” said Jack sarcastically.

That was the way his days of break during the autumn go, hunt in the morning, and ride during the day. He rarely varied from that schedule all through the spring.

Two whole years had passed since that day when Sosha had her first foal. Cambell was a grown steed now. But she was as gentle as a little girl to a wounded bunny rabbit. Jack was riding one day and looked at the stables. Something caught his eye, something out of the ordinary, a bright color.

He finally was interested enough that he put Lightning away and went over. He saw Jessica! Jessica never comes in or around the stables. She never had an interest in them. Who was she with? Cambell? Cambell!

“I thought Jessica would never like a horse in her life. She loves chickens too much,” mumbled Jack. “She’s so weird. But maybe Cambell ain’t ordinary after all.”

“Jack,” said his pa behind him. “I think Cambell is ready to train. She’s big and strong enough now.”

“Ya sure Pa?” asked Jack.

“Yes, I’m positive. She’ll do fine my boy. Don’t worry,” reassured Pa.

“Ok,” said Jack.

Jack took her to the rail to put the saddle on her. He set up the barrels and they went for the first round. She was doing great. She never hit a single barrel. Pa got on Lightning and they began to race.

They started at one end of the farm; the race was around the house into the pasture, through the barrels and back.

“Go!” called Jessica.

Lightning was in the lead. He was booking, and it looked like there was no way Cambell would win. They hit the pasture, around and through each barrel, then Lightning seemed to slow down. He seemed to lose all speed. Cambell hit the gas and flew. She sped through the barrels as fast as she could, but still didn’t hit a single barrel.

Cambell crossed the finish line, leaving Lightning in the dust. “Cambell wins!” called Jessica, excited more than Jack.

“What in the Dust Bowl has come upon us? That horse is even excelling faster than Lightning did, dang,” said Pa. He was so amazed because Lightning got his name from how fast he learned the exercise.

“Heck yes, Pa. She is better than Lightnin.’ Dang, she ain’t no ordinary horse. No way, not from Sosha,” said Jack. “I can’t believe it, Sosha’s our worst ridin horse.”

“Maybe we need to rename Lightning. Wouldn’t be the first time we renamed a horse ‘cause of a better one,” said Pa. “Sosha, what have you given us?” …

Jacob D. Voorhis