“I don’t know how to…” With the downward look and the lost expression, I saw the lonely child within the tough exterior, a momentary chink in her armour.
“I’ll teach you… It’s just shit shovelling, surely even you can do that!” She giggled. “Oh, now that is nice!”
“What?”
“You smiled… It’s a look that suits you… Come on, boots, wheelbarrow and pitchfork.”
* * *
“Did you see how crap she was at mucking out! It’s like she’d never done it before.”
“Sal, she hasn’t. Give the kid a chance.”
“Oh, you’ve changed your tune suddenly.”
“Sally, she made an effort, let’s try to help her, eh? We all have to start somewhere.”
“I’m not convinced.”
“No, neither am I, yet. She has to prove herself, and so I am going to give her a chance to do so. and, so are you.”
* * *
Olivia tried her best and despite Sally’s obvious disdain, she had become more cheerful. It seemed she’d missed out on most of the simple pleasures of stable management and was proud to have been able to have mucked out and swept down the yards. In the riding session, she was more polite and responsive to Hilary’s instruction, so much so she took me aside in one of the stables and asked if I thought if Olivia was feeling unwell. As I told her it was quite the opposite, we had spoken and she had obviously made the effort to be more reasonable.
Of course, such transformations rarely happen instantly and during the afternoon’s session, there was a return to form. We were carrying out gridwork and Olivia was becoming increasingly frustrated with her horse. Both Hilary and I’d tried to tell her she was ignoring the strides, trying to push for extra strides where there were none or pulling up short. She was becoming redder and redder in the face as poles clattered to the floor.
Hilary told her to pull up and take a break but she ignored her, instead, Olivia raced towards the line of jumps, kicking on so hard and riding so fast the horse had no chance to turn at the end of the arena and hit the wall. Olivia’s leg was trapped as the horse slammed into the boards.
She screamed in what I thought was pain, before raising her crop and, while holding the reins tight, beat the horse, screaming abuse. I cantered towards her, grabbing her crop and, in the heat of the moment struck her hard across her side.
“How the hell do you like it!” I flung down the crop and walked my horse away. Olivia was behind me wailing and Hilary was staring at me in total disbelief.
10
Consequences
Hilary sat silently across from me. Neither of us had spoken since she had come in some minutes before, I knew I needed to break the silence.
“What I did was wrong. I’ll pack my things and leave. I’m sorry. I overreacted.”
“Adam, what you did… Well, it’s what I would have wanted to do if I had been brave enough. That stupid girl injured the horse riding him into the wall and then beat him as if it was his fault. She deserved a beating. But, Adam, you just can’t do what you did!”
I looked up into Hilary’s eyes, there was a deep sadness. I sighed, I’d gone and thrown it all away in a moment of madness, I knew the police could still be called. I’d assaulted Olivia, she would have every right to press charges and no court would care she’d ridden a horse too hard. She would say it had been an accident, I’d overreacted and attacked her without provocation.
“Don’t leave yet. But please, for now, stay away from her. Please go back to your accommodation, I’ll need to speak to Olivia and her mother. Christ, this is difficult. Okay… Go, please and stay out of her way.”
* * *
“…Tell me again. Calmly.”
“Kate, I overreacted, she rode the horse into the arena boards, then held it hard and beat it. I just saw red; it was pure animal cruelty and… Oh shit! Kate, what the hell have I done?”
“Adam as Hilary said, you did what almost any horse person would have done, you carry the hearts of every honest equestrian. But…”
“I know… But shit!”
“Come home…”
“I will, Hilary wants me here for now. To face the music I guess, let Olivia’s mother tear a strip off me and watch me getting fired. I hope I haven’t lost Hilary her sponsorship.”
Kate tried to calm me but I knew I’d been stupid. We chatted aimlessly for a few minutes before I rang off and threw the phone down. I was disturbed by a knock on the door. I knew it would be Hilary, possibly with a police officer in tow. I opened the door slowly.
“Olivia, what are you doing here?”
“May I come in?”
“Please… Oh, Look, I’m so sorry. I overreacted… I…” She shushed me.
“Adam, it’s me who should be sorry.” She spoke softly. At my look of disbelief, she continued. “Stupid as it sounds, I think you might have helped me.”
“Helped you? Sorry, Olivia, I’m confused.”
“What with all you said this morning, it felt good to be involved but then I was stupid, I
