Sundancer. Shelley Peterson
made her way to each stall, dropping apples into the horses’ feed as a special treat. At Pastor’s stall she stopped for a moment to rub his ears. Kimberly had ignored him ever since they’d arrived.
What happened today, Pastor? Why’s Kimberly mad this time?
I dumped her on her head at the show.
Why?
She wasn’t paying attention. She was showing off, kicking me in my sides and yanking at my face. I showed her.
That was mean.
She wasn’t hurt. She’ll pay attention next time.
I hope you know what you’re doing, Pastor.
Are you kidding? I trained four kids before Kimberly.
Bird chuckled and patted his honest, reliable face.
“Thanks, Bird. You’re a great help,” said Hannah, wiping her dusty hands on her pants. “You too, Kimberly. It’s rather pleasant looking after them, isn’t it?”
“Yes. I guess. I don’t do it too often.” “It’s never too late to start. Hungry?” “I’m starving.”
“Good. Let’s go make some dinner.” Hannah tousled the girl’s red curls with affection.
“Come on, Bird, let’s go clean up.” Bird nodded. She was hungry, too.
Exhausted, Bird and Hannah and Kimberly walked from the barn to the house. The shadows were getting longer and the leaves in the maples were fluttering slightly. Bird hoped that the heat wave might be lifting.
As they were passing the front field, Bird’s eyes fell on Sundancer as he peacefully grazed. The elegant chestnut gelding seemed to glow in the light of the evening sun. Nobody would guess, she thought, what a maniac he’d been earlier that day.
Kimberly’s back stiffened with attention. “Who’s that? I’ve never seen him before.”
“Dr. Daniels sent him over yesterday. A gift horse. He warned me four times that this horse is unrideable.”
“So he’s vicious?”
“Vicious sounds horrible. Let’s just say he’s unpredictable.”
“You mean he has a mean streak?”
“Maybe. Maybe not. We’ll see.”
“What’s with that, anyway? Why do some horses have a mean streak?”
“Usually it’s the way they’ve been handled. Rarely it’s the way they were born, but it does happen.”
Kimberly nodded, unable to take her eyes off him. “He’s gorgeous. What’s his name?”
“I didn’t ask. There’s been so much trouble in his past, I’ve decided to rename him and start again.”
“If I owned him, I’d name him Phoenix, after the fire bird that rises out of his own ashes. He’s the colour of flames.”
His name is Sundancer, thought Bird.
Hannah looked at Kimberly and smiled. “Well, Kimberly. What a good idea. You have poetry in your heart. You keep it hidden, don’t you?”
Kimberly sniffed and yawned. “Whatever.”
“Too late, Kimberly,” smiled Hannah. “I’ve already seen it.”
Bird took a last look over her shoulder before she ran off toward the house.
Hannah and Kimberly reached the house a moment later. “Stuart!” exclaimed Hannah.
Stuart Gilmore, the school principal, was standing at the kitchen door in khaki pants and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up.
Stuart jumped. “Hannah! You startled me.” He put his hand over his heart and grinned. “And hello, Kimberly.”
“Have you eaten? We were just going to fix some dinner. You’re welcome to join us.”
“Wonderful,” he said jovially, following Hannah and Kimberly into the house. “If you’re sure I’m not imposing.”
“As long as you’re not expecting gourmet fare. We’ll barbeque some hamburgers and be lucky to find something for dessert.”
“Sounds perfectly delicious,” the principal said. “In fact, for dessert, I’ll treat for ice cream at Best’s.”
“Now that sounds perfectly delicious.” Hannah looked around for Bird as they went into the kitchen. “I’ll just wash up and get out of these dusty clothes. I’ve been in them all day. If you see Bird, could you ask her to cut some lettuce in the garden, pick a few ripe tomatoes, and pull up some green onions?”
Before Stuart could respond, Bird crawled down from the top of the refrigerator where she’d been listening and observing. She took the scissors out of the drawer, grabbed a plastic bag, and without looking at either adult, headed for the garden. The faster the tasks were done, she reasoned, the sooner they’d eat.
Stuart was nonplussed. “Does she do that often?” “Do what?”
“Appear out of thin air.”
Hannah laughed. “She’s stopped surprising me. Bird sees, hears, and understands everything. Plus, you never know where she is.”
“I’ll make a note of that.”
“Make yourselves at home, both of you. There’s iced tea in the fridge and I’ll be down in a few minutes,” said Hannah over her shoulder to Kimberly and Stuart. She hurried upstairs to shower and change.
When Hannah emerged fifteen minutes later, bathed and dressed in a fresh blue cotton shirt and clean jeans, Stuart was sitting at the kitchen table talking to Kimberly. Bird was washing lettuce in the sink.
“So, I hear you’re off to Cardinal Cardiff School next month,”
said Stuart. “We won’t have you back at Forks of the Credit?”
“Well, it’s time I started getting a real education. And there’s a much better calibre of girl at CCS. I should be making friends with the people I’ll associate with all my life.”
Over at the sink, Bird tried hard not to laugh. She could almost hear Kimberly’s mother speaking.
“Heavens, Kimberly,” Hannah said. “It sounds like you’re more than ready to leave us.”
Kimberly blushed. “Well, it’s not that I don’t like it here. And I love my friends and everything. And I’m not saying that Mr. Gilmore and the teachers are bad or anything. My mother went to CCS, and that’s what she says.” Kimberly twisted a lock of curly red hair as she spoke. She stopped when she realized that Bird was watching her. “Hannah, why is Bird looking at me like that and not saying anything? She’s creeping me out.”
Bird stopped washing and stared at the other girl. This was the side of Kimberly that she didn’t like — the side that spoke before thinking, that didn’t care if someone’s feelings were hurt.
“Bird will say what she wants to say, when she wants to say it.” Hannah noisily collected cutlery from the drawer and placed dinner plates on the counter.
“But she never does, does she? I mean, say anything,” countered
Kimberly, studying the other girl closely.
This time, Hannah didn’t answer. “Kimberly, wash your hands thoroughly please, then set the table for me. Bird, thanks for cleaning the lettuce. Will you please slice the tomatoes and make a salad?”
“And what can I do, Miss Bradley?” teased Stuart.
“You can start the barbeque and prepare the burgers. And get moving! We’re all so hungry we could eat a horse.”
“Yuck!”