Chapter five

The next morning during breakfast the phone rang. Alec’s mom answered and gave it to Alec a bit later.
I by that time went up to the bathroom and when I got back down Henry wasn’t feeling to good. Alec’s
dad would bring us to the stables. I had only been here for four days and I was still a bit of a stranger,
but things were going easier then I thought, I got along fine with my new “parents”. They had prepared
themselves, soon I’d be like a daughter. We arrived earlier then normally, so the farm was silent for a
while. We got the horses in and out the stables and fed the stabled ones. By the time we’d done that,
it was still half an hour before the others got there. I could tell Alec was feeling uncomfortable.
“you shouldn’t try so hard” I said. He startled and looked at me in a strange way. ”what?”
“yeah don’t try so hard to make it fit.”
“make it fit..?” he laughed.
“you know what I mean” I smiled.
“Hello guys! I know I’m damn early, but-Where’s Henry?”
“hi Luke, he’s not well”
“oh”
“If you start now you can stop half an hour earlier.”
“ok, stables?”
“yeah, start on the stallions.” Luke nodded and gave me a wink and then he left. “you’re clever” Alec said.
I smiled “come on and give me a hand now” I followed him to the saddle room. He took a saddle, bridle,
halter and lead rope, then we walked to the box of a young mare. “this, Joan, I Kumara, she’s quite promising,
I’ve been training her four months now. Next year she enters the Derby.”
“wow” Alec smiled. “groomed and saddled her, then led her to the pen. “ok, could you, while I warm her up, tell
the guys to do the stables? And then get B…you don’t know him, damn it”
“which stable?”
“right! The second among the younger horses, I guess on your right…the nalme’s on the door: Bokay.”
“ok!”
“groom, saddle and bring him here.”
“got it!” and I ran of to the stables. “hi guys been waiting long?”
-“no”
“for? You, only three days yet, babe”
“wait a bit longer then, uhm you can start on the stables for today”
“pfuh, been here les then a week and thinks she’s in charge already!”
“as the matter of fact it are my order to give you these.” I replied calmly and went to the saddle room. I took a saddle
and at that moment I heard the same guy yelling “hi Alec!” I felt panic coming up. “Is she worth mo’ ‘cus she is a
pretty gall? Or ‘cus she lives at you’own home? Or simply ‘cus she was here earlier then us today?” I put the saddle
and other stuff down at Bokay’s stable and walked towards them. Alec had gotten off and led the horse behind him,
towards Kyle. Everyone was watching and without much Alec gestured me to hold Kumara. I went over there and took
the rain. Alec’ s nose now almost touched Kyle’s. “do you have the guts to speak to me like that? You know very good
that I’m having a hard time on this! So if you got any complains, you can leave, Kyle. You probably will have noticed
there are people enough wanting to work here, people almost consider it an honour, I can use those people more then you.
That moment changed our relationship, it grew more tide. Kyle left to the stables and I went saddling Bokay.
Then back at the pen, Alec had lost some time on Kumara and in my surprise I could walk her out while he warmed
up Bokay. He decided this could easily be done both walking. So the day went on, Alec told me this way he’d be able
to do more horses a day, but I wasn’t a trainer, Henry was. The horses were beautiful, but riding, though so far only
walking, was amazing. During he midday pause Ty joined us. “hi”
“hi”
Alec nodded.
“missed you in the stables today.” Ty smiled.
“hehe, well to be very honest I don’t really regret I’m not there.” He laughed “you’re damn right you don’t!!”
After midday I first rode Chinook, Alec rode Black. Then we both put our horses back. I went to get another
young horse and Alec went to put Black among his mares. I’d already gotten fast and was done when he returned.
Then I had to saddle a horse that was already in the races, he knew all well and again I was done very quickly.
So I could warm him up Alec said, we walked a bit, I let him trot too, just warmed up, then Alec and I switched horses,
he started training and I walked out the other one. Then I went to help Ty a bit, who was happy to see me, with putting
horses in and out. By the time Alec had put his horse back, the stable boys left and the both of us fed the horses.