After leaving a list for Johnny to work his way through, I returned to the kitchen for a coffee.Taking it through to the lounge, I sat down on the couch, messed with the remote and switched on the television. The t.v. burst Into life with a report of 'Thanks Giving'. Thanks giving was just around the corner. Oh shucks! Mom and dad would be expecting me at our usual family gathering.
Jorja Fox, the newsreader went on to say, 'The feast popularly known as the ''First Thanksgiving Day Feast'' was held as a gesture of thanks to Almighty God. First celebrated in the year 1621. After the United States gained independence, Congress recommended one yearly day of thanksgiving for the whole nation to celebrate. Thanksgiving Day is a time of festivity, family meals and reunions in America. Carved turkeys, pumpkin pie, corns, cranberry sauce are the traditional dishes adorning the dinner tables in almost every house,'...a picture of an overflowing table of the relevant food flashed up on the screen, It certainly was a time for feasting. Jorja Fox continued,'Thanksgiving Day epitomizes the holiday mood of people. It is a time for gifting your family and friends. The day is a time to show your gratitude and respect to your elders, friends, your siblings and also your colleagues. Popular gifts include thanksgiving flowers, jewellery, baked cookie hampers, chocolate gift baskets, candy-wreaths, wine '...I turned the television down low.
I imagined a big spread layed out around the center piece of Autumnal flowers. There sat mom, gazing at dad as he carved into the turkey. My brother Bodie, sister-in-law Kayley, and sister Dionne...she's twenty nine, four years older than I am they would be sitting around the table too.
What!...Didn't I tell you about my sister ?
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| Dionne |
Well Dionne travels a lot around the globe she's employed as a 'Stock Buyer', sourcing out fabrics of linen, silk, cotton, tweeds and anything out of the ordinary to buy. They are then shipped back to Seattle and made into top end designer clothes for the company which she works for...'Kali Fashions'. Last I heard she was in Hong Kong, looking at the local silks, all made by local people in the home environment, a chance for ordinary families to grab some of the action money wise...a policy in part, but none the less endorsed by the company director.
But back to Thanks Giving...I already knew I wouldn't be joining the family this year. I had to come up with a feasible excuse without upsetting mom and it may be wise to put it off till as long as possible.
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| Smokie checks out pepper |
What was I to do with Pepper ? Should I go ahead and buy the mare ? In the end Jolene said I could have her for $350, so I put her in the field and Smokie went over to keep her company. It turned out that Pepper was not as old as first thought. The vet came out to give her the once over and told me she was barely three years old. I gave Johnny the job of training her to be an enjoyable ride.
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| Drifter rearing |
Sofia was getting on well with Kate and Lady. They had arranged to go for a ride on the beach together. Kate would be riding Drifter. He was a one , that Drifter. I was still riding him in the manege, and he was still rearing and throwing me off. I don't think he liked me, or he was having a laugh, at my expense.
Sofia drove up and parked her car. Kate was in the passenger side. She jumped out and came over to me. "Hi Kyle," she said as she gave me a hug.
"Is that a new lip gloss you're wearing ?" I inquired."It suits you, um, nice color."
Kate game me a broad smile. "Maybe you can try it on...later."
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| Enjoying the beach |
And with that she went off in the direction of the stables calling out for Sofia to follow her. They appeared a few minutes later with Lady and Drifter saddled up. They mounted and went off down the
drive waving to me. "Have a safe ride." I shouted after them.
I went and watched Johnny lunging Pepper for the next ten minutes or so before my cell phone rang out in my pocket. It was Joe.
"Hi Joe, what can I do for you....Yeah....Yeah....Okay....That will be fine....Yeah...No problem." I ended the call. Johnny had finished with Pepper and had unclasped the lunge line and loosed her off.
"Think we could manage another horse ?" I shouted over to Johnny.
Johnny wiped his brow with his shirt sleeve, shook his head and said, "I shall have to have another days work then mister McCormack and may be even some help. We're getting mighty busy."
"Okay, fair enough, lets get a beer from the refrigerator and talk about it, sort an extra day out."
"And may be some help." Johnny muttered.
We sat down to eat my famous spaghetti bolognese pouring it onto the plate but leaving the burnt bit in the pan. A few more tries and I would get it down to perfection I reckon.
In between slurping on the spaghetti...I have never seen anyone each spaghetti like she does before. Jolene began speaking, "So, what do you think Kyle," licking her lips,"...about the mare I mean ?"
I watched her sucking up the spaghetti and licking the sauce off her lips,...her lips....amazing !
I jolted to my senses. "She seems okay."
"Only okay ?" quizzed Jolene, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, "saddle her up, try her out. Oh, the mare's name is Pepper, but you can call her what you like."
After we had finished our meal we went and saddled Pepper. I stood back and gave her the once over...then I did the same to the mare. Jolene was highly amused and playfully kicked my ass.
I rode around for a bit, then dismounted.
"How much you asking for her ?"
"$500 to you Kyle. Like I said , you can try her for two days."
"I'll think about it." Mustn't show how
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| Trying out pepper |
eager I was. Pepper was really a nice size...for the larger client !
I put Pepper into the stable. Jolene followed. She smiled that smile...a flirtatious smile. Hey! She was offering herself on a plate to me. Well I wasn't gonna disappoint her. Still standing in the barn we had a hug and a pleasant feeling rose up in me. She could tell too.
Needless to say we ended up in bed.
Giving me a pouting expression Jolene whispered,"You didn't phone me Kyle. I thought you'd gone off me."
I pulled her hair scrunchie out and ran my fingers through her hair, kissing and nibbling her earlobe.
"Oh, I've been real busy...you know...", making my way down to her throat and further.
"...Oh Kyle, more...please.", she gasped.
"Like this ?"
Jolene wriggled about and screamed like a banshee giving the bed springs a 'work-out' at the same time. It was different but why did she have to make so much noise. Jolene was needless to say...dynamite in bed ! Life was trying to get into my bedroom, but I had made sure she couldn't follow.
The next morning after we had had breakfast of pancakes smothered in syrup, and swilled it down with coffee, I took Jolene to see the property adjoining my place that I had bought. We did a tour of the inside with Jolene taking it all in.
"That should rake in a few more $'s for you Kyle", turning to head out of the front of the door,"Let me know if you want to keep the mare in a day or two. You have my number don't you ?" she winked.
And with that we walked back along the road to the farm.
"Howdy there", came a familiar voice.
I looked across the road and saw Bill Clinton. "Oh, hi there Bill, just showing um,"...I only knew Jolene by her first name so I guess that's all I could use "...Jolene around the property."
Jolene raised her hand in a half wave and we carried on to where she had parked the horse box. We had a quick hug and kiss. Jolene alighted into the vehicle, started it up, blew me a kiss and left.
The land line phone rang. I answered it "...yes...I can do that...just the two...okay." That was a booking for two teenage girls for a short ride. Their mom would be coming too but would not be riding.
I put Melissa on Flint and Lucille, the, must use tact here...the overweight one on...Pepper.
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| something spooked Pepper |
Now if that was a wise thing to do or not ...i'll let you be the judge ! Melissa looked like she really didn't want to do this but her sister...well...something spooked Pepper, she half reared and galloped off towards the road...and Flint took off right after her. I hurriedly put a head collar on Lady...jumped on her bare-back...and thundered off after the girls down the drive and onto the road................Finally I caught up with them and thankfully nobody was hurt, just scared. We walked the horses back to the farm where I was accosted by an angry looking mother. "No harm done." I said, "Shall we just go in the manege and do a bit of flat work ?"
"Oh-h-h, I don't think so. Get off those beasts, kids they're not safe!. You haven't heard the last of this! "
Well I watched them get into a taxi...I don't think they'll be coming back and they never parted with any money anyway. I went and checked on my laptop...see if I was covered for this sort of thing.
