Friendship Revisited

Pauline had finally convinced her parents to let her take riding lessons after a couple of falls from Simon – once when he spooked uncharacteristically at a flush of birds while loping along the edge of the field, and another time when they decided to jump a fallen tree in their path while galloping along another trail through the sparse woods. Both times, she was bareback, but hopped right back onto Simon without a thought. It wasn’t his fault. She could tell he felt bad about her being on the ground.

Upon finding out these incidents, her parents bought her a helmet, presented her with a nicer saddle and agreed to her request for riding lessons. She could take them weekly with Emma over Summer Break.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pauline could hardly wait, excited to finish the school year to so she could start up her riding lessons – at the fancy stable with the fancy horses! She hoped Simon wouldn’t feel jealous – this was for him, too! Just in case, she would give him extra carrots, and thorough grooming. She wanted him to know how special he was to her.

Emma had given Pauline some of her older riding clothes as she purchased the newest. Pauline didn’t see how the older clothing looked any more worn than the new stuff. She thought they were wonderful, and was grateful to Em for thinking of her.

As they approached the stable, Pauline noticed the numerous hanging baskets filled with Marigold flowers, desired for their supposed effectiveness in controlling the insect population. She didn’t know if this was true, but they were pretty, anyway, in their deep golden hue. They brought to mind her old friend.

At her first lesson, she was introduced to her lesson horse by the instructor. He was a big, beautiful flashy bay gelding named Boo. He was so fun to ride! What a character, but very well trained to tolerate the learning mistakes of beginners.

The second time they got there for lessons, she spotted Marigold leading a silver-white horse from the arena along with a small group of kids also leading horses out. Had Marigold gotten her own horse, and was she also taking lessons here? Pauline was curious, but anxious at the same time. She kept her questions, and feelings to herself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She spent most Friday evenings of that summer at Emma’s house, so she could ride to the stable with Em Saturday mornings. Emma’s Mom would drop them off for Emma’s lesson, Pauline had hers right after, then Emma’s Mom would pick them up again, dropping Pauline at home. She would then run right down to the pasture to see Simon. Her Dad would have brought him into his stall for the night and his hay, and turned him out in the morning, but cleaning the stall was always left for Pauline. It was her job, and she didn’t mind doing it for Simon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After another week, she saw Marigold at the stable again. Pauline decided to follow her out of the arena and into the grooming area to untack and brush down her horse. It was time to talk. Pauline approached Marigold in the grooming stall, where the horse safely in cross-ties. Marigold looked up from her vigorous currying.

“Pony!”

“Hi, Marigold.” She paused for Marigold to continue. “Hi, Pony! This is Coco, my therapy horse. I am allowed to take part in this group therapy program a couple of times a month now as part of my program. I am so glad to see you! And I am so sorry for what I did to you and Emma. I don’t know what I was thinking. It was terrible, but I’m s lot better now. I’d like to tell Emma, too. How are you, Pony?” Her words jumbled forth in rushed excitement.

“Well, I’m good. I have a horse of my own now. He’s black and his name is Simon.”

“He sounds magnificent! I sure would love to meet him.”

“Maybe someday, Marigold. I better get going, and get Boo ready for my lesson. Glad you’re feeling better.”

“Good to see you,, Pony! Can’t wait to see you again! And tell Emma I’m really sorry and I’d really like to talk to her, too.”

“OK, Marigold – I will. Good to see you, too.” With that, Pauline walked off to get Boo ready.

When she got Boo groomed and tacked, she took him into the arena to ride a warm-up before her lesson started. Emma was still finishing up her session on her own gorgeous gelding. Emma’s parents had bought her a fancy competition horse of her own a few months ago, after Pauline got Simon, they were preparing to enter a Dressage show in two weeks, held at the county fairgrounds not far from the stable.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally, the day arrived for Emma’s Dressage show. Pauline wanted to be there to watch the competitions, but also she wanted to support her friend. Three kids from the therapy group were invited along to play the parts of grooms and assistants. One of them was Marigold, ecstatic to be around such wonderful horses and classy riders! She was in the stall with Emma’s horse, picking out and refreshing his bedding, when Emma approached, furiously demanding “Marigold, get out of there! Don’t you touch my horse!”

Marigold scrambled from the stall, apologizing profusely “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I was only trying to help!” Emma stormed off to find her instructor, making it clear that she didn’t want to see Marigold, and Marigold should never be allowed near her horse!

Pauline was in the barn, witness to the interaction between Emma and Marigold. She went after Emma. “Em, I’m sure Marigold meant no harm. She just wants to help.”

“Well, I guess she can go help you and your little half-breed horse if you like her so much. I thought you were my friend!”

Stunned by Emma’s harsh words, Pauline walked quickly from the barn to find a seat on the bleachers where she could watch the rider’s in the ring.

As the show came to an end, Pauline asked herself the same question: “Whose friend am I?” She called her Mom to pick her up, and without even a “Good-bye” to Emma or anyone, she got in the car and left. When they got home, Pauline told both her parents what had happened at the horse show, and what Emma had said to her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

‘Honey,” her Dad said, “I know this is a very difficult time, and you feel you’re being torn between friends, but you know what’s right. I’m sure Emma was just nervous and upset and didn’t mean what she said, which doesn’t excuse her behavior, but maybe you can cut her some slack. She’s been a good friend.”

He continued, “On the other hand, I know you miss Marigold, and it sounds like she is working very hard at what she needs in order to get through this. I don’t know that you can ever be close friends again, but I’m proud of you’re ability to stand up for her.”

Pauline hugged her parents, saying “thank you,” then headed down to the barnyard to see Simon. His calm presence would help her think this through.

After spending some quiet time with Simon, she knew what she needed to do.

Pauline headed back up to the house and called Mare.

“Hi, Mare.”

“Pony!”

“How are you, Mare? What happened today after the thing with Em?”

“Not much, really. I never saw her after that, and the instructor just told me to not touch her horse.”

“Mare, I was wondering if you’d like to come by for bit tomorrow to meet Simon. Our Mom’s can have coffee while we go to the barn area for a bit.”

“Oh, Pony! I would love that!”

And so Mare and her Mom came by the next day for a short visit. Mare gushed over Simon, and apologized to Pauline again.

“Don’t apologize to me anymore, Mare. I know you feel bad for what happened. So do I. Would you like to ride Simon?”

“Really? Would I ever!” Mare swung up onto Simon’s bare back and they took a quick lope around the yard. It felt just like the days of their magical friendship! Grinning from ear-to-ear, she hopped down and handed the reins back to Pony. It was time to go. “Bye, Pony! See you at the stable!”

After spending that time with Mare again, Pauline felt relieved. Her friend seemed to be doing honestly well, and it felt like “old times” to be back together.

Now she had to deal with Emma. She didn’t know how that friendship was going to go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Friday night, she slept over at Emma’s again for their Saturday morning lessons. Emma never mentioned the incident at the show barn. Pauline let it go. They went to their lessons the next day, then Pauline went home as usual.

The following Friday, she again spent the night at Emma’s. She also knew Mare would be at the stable the next day. She hoped to get the two of them together to talk, then maybe Em could see how sorry Marigold felt.

The next day, they went to the barn a little bit early. That way, they could catch Marigold before Emma’s lesson began.

At the stable, Pauline tried to get Emma to come with her to speak with Marigold. Instead, she said “I am your friend, Pauly. Not Marigold. If you want to talk to Marigold, go ahead! You will not be my friend anymore She did a horrible thing!”'

And with that, Emma went to get her horse for her lesson, while Pauline went to speak with Marigold. Just like that, Pauline and Emma were no longer friends.

Pauline learned a lot about friendship that year, and she made many good friends after that, including Mare, but they could never recapture the magic of imagination and complete trust. That was only now for she and Simon. Mare would forever be their greatest fan.

See Part 1 here.

See Part 2 here.

See Part 3 here.

Thanks for reading! If you like this story, please share!