A Horse of A Different color

The life of a couple raising horses, unfortunately it has a drastic, dramatic ending

The wind rustled through the trees, blowing the leaves throughout the ranch. Horses were playing in their large, fenced in area. Horses were a big part of the Carrey farm. Alan Carrey would raise and breed horses, then sell them when they were fully grown, and Sandy Carrey would make sure that both the horses and her husband always had food in their stomachs.

            “I have a feeling I’m goanna get a sack full for Blackie when the time comes,” Alan said at dinner one night.

“Why is that dear?” Sandy asked

“Blackie has the making of a good work horse,” Said Alan “Any farmer would be proud to have him.”  

            For the rest of the night, everything was silent. Sandy cleared the table and washed the dishes, while Alan took out his pipe and smoked it, resting after the filling meal. Alan stroked his young clean shaven chin and thought about what he had done today and the work he was facing tomorrow.

            As for Sandy, as she was placing the tin plate into the hot soapy water, she thought about her past. The years she worked as a teacher, and how those years were the best of her life. Now, she was stuck as a horse breeder’s wife. Sandy loved her husband dearly, but hated his old fashioned ways.

            “For goodness sake its 1865,”she thought to herself. “Women can work too.”

            Sandy continued to think about the children she taught as she washed the dishes. Finally, she grew tired of just thinking about it. She wanted it. She wanted to see the young eyes of the children in the morning, and she was going to have it. Sandy wiped her soapy hands on her beige apron as she took it off, revealing an emerald green skirt with an off-white blouse.

            “Alan, we need to talk.” Sandy said

“Sure, what’s wrong Sandy?” Alan asked.

            Sandy took a seat on the couch, and faced him, praying he would allow her to teach again. Sandy took a deep breath and began to tell her problems.

            “Alan, do you remember when I was teaching?” Sandy asked.

“Yes, before we were married, I remember” Alan smiled.

“Well, the last time I was in town I got an offer” Sandy started explaining.

“What kind of an offer?” Alan asked.

“The teacher in town is quitting, they want to hire me again,” Sandy finished. “Oh please say yes, Alan.”

“I don’t know it may interfere with your normal duties” Alan said wryly.

“We can try it for a week or two, if it doesn’t work out, I’ll quit. Please say yes,” Sandy begged.

            Alan ran his fingers through his short brown hair, thinking deeply. He looked up and saw the hopefulness in his wife’s eyes, then looked down at her hands; they were both clenched in a fist. With her face and hands like that, how could he possibly say no? Alan nodded his head, making Sandy giggle and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

“Oh thank you dear,” Sandy cried.

            Sandy disappeared into her room, feeling on top of the world. Everything was going great in Alan’s horse business, and Sandy was going to start teaching Monday morning. She couldn’t wait. Sandy rummaged through her clothes and books and got everything all laid out for Monday morning.

            Even after saying yes, Alan still wasn’t sure about the teaching position that Sandy was going to take. He just didn’t feel right about it, but after seeing her face light up for the first time in weeks, he forgot all about it and felt happy for his bride.

“Ms. Ford, I’ll accept the teaching position,” Sandy said the next day.

            Ms. Anna Ford was president of the school board in Mad River. When the old teacher; Miss Perkins left, the first person Ms. Ford went to was Sandy Carrey. Ms. Ford knew how much Sandy loved teaching, and had a feeling that it was going to be an offer Sandy definitely couldn’t refuse.

“Oh Sandy, that’s wonderful news, I’ll announce it at church tomorrow.” Ms. Ford said.

“Okay,” Sandy shrugged “Well, I better go sell these eggs.”

            Sandy extended a hand, in which Ms. Ford put her 58 year old hand into Sandy’s young 21 year old hand. Sandy smiled and walked into the General store and did one of her many daily chores.

            Alan was surprised when Sandy didn’t make it home to cook lunch, but he hardly noticed until he was through feeding the horses, and by that time it was already 2pm. He looked down the gravel driveway and caught a glimpse of a tall woman, with her blond hair tucked up on her head in a neat bun, and sporting an off-white blouse with small sky blue flowers and a dark blue skirt. Sandy was finally home.

“Where have you been?” Alan asked.

“I’m sorry dear, I got to talking with Ms. Ford, then I had to sell the eggs and get some flour, but then I had to wait for them to open another bag, then they couldn’t find the bag,” Sandy explained. “Oh dear, I forgot your lunch, I’ll go make you one right away”

            Alan reached out and took her arm, grinning widely as he tried not to laugh.  He reassured her that it was no big deal and not to worry, then listened to her as she told him the rest of what happened while she was in town.

“So Ms. Ford is going to announce that I’m the new School Marm in church tomorrow,” Sandy said that night.

“That’s great dear, but don’t get too attached, if this doesn’t work out-“Alan started

“I’ll quit, I know, but I promise it’ll work out,” Sandy smiled.

            Sunday passed by quickly, Alan took it easy that day, going out and riding one of the horses, while Sandy spent the day getting ready for Monday. As he rode a tall auburn horse that he had named “Bolt” he remembered the days when he was still courting Sandy. The times he walked into the classroom to find Sandy helping some confused student, and she always did it with a smile on her face. After she quit, that smile seemed to fade away. It was nice to have that lovely smile back again.

            “Alan, I can’t tell you how nervous and excited I am” Sandy laughed during dinner.

“There isn’t anything to be nervous about,” Alan said. “You’ve done it before.”

“I know, but this feels different somehow,” Sandy said. “I don’t know why, it just feels different.”

            The chickens let Sandy know when to get up the next morning, and she couldn’t believe that the day was finally here. She lept out of bed, and put on her clothes making sure she looked just right, then started breakfast. Alan got up soon after she did, eating every bit that was on his plate, then wishing his wife luck on her first day.

            “Thank you dear, I’ll see you when I get home,” Sandy smiled.

            After gathering up her teaching material and lunch, she started walking to town. As she walked down the gravel road, she thought about who her students were going to be, and what they were going to be like. The closer she got to the school house, the more nervous she got.

“Oh dear, here come the butterflies,” Sandy thought.    

            She stopped dead in her tracks and looked at the plain white schoolhouse. The children were all over the place, playing and laughing before it was time to get ready. Sandy took a deep breath and walked up the brown dusty stairs into the classroom.

            “Relax Sandy, you’ve done this before,” She told herself.

            The first day of teaching couldn’t have gone more smoothly. The students seemed to like her and Sandy definitely loved the students. Sandy left immediately after school was over and managed to get dinner prepared and cooking just in time. This was going to work out indeed!

            “How was your first day?” Alan asked that night.

“Wonderful, just wonderful, the students seem to like me, and I adore the children, there so smart,” Sandy laughed.

“Good, and dinner is great, looks like this will work out after all,” Alan grinned.

Alan was happy because Sandy was happy, but also because he saw a smile on her face that he hadn’t seen in a while. Almost as if she was finally happy for the first time after she was married.

            “So Alan?” Sandy asked, “May I keep the job?”

“I don’t see why you couldn’t, dinner was good and on time, and looks like everything’s still getting done,” Alan laughed. “Go right ahead and keep it.”

“Oh thank you Alan, thank you!” Sandy cried.

            She wrapped her arms around her husband’s neck and giggled, happier now than ever. When they parted, Alan went outside to gather firewood while Sandy graded class work and prepared herself for class the next day.

            First, weeks went by, then months, then finally, years. 1870 came by quickly. Alan and Sandy had a daughter, so Sandy was forced to quit teaching again until their daughter, Rosanna Annabelle Carrey, was old enough to go to school. In 1870 Rosanna was five years old, and Sandy was teaching again. Things were normal again for a while, up until a week after Rosanna had started school. At around lunch time, Sandy was walking across the street, where her husband was putting horseshoes on a couple horses.

            “Alan, Alan!” Sandy called.

            Alan looked up at Sandy to start a conversation, and was immediately kicked in the head by one of the horses. The pain caused him to fall back and land in the lake, where he drowned. Sandy was beside herself. She couldn’t believe that her husband was dead and that it was basically caused by her own stupidity.

            Sandy tried to raise her daughter after her husband’s death, but the citizens found it much too hard for her to handle. So with the help of some friends, and family, Sandy’s Sister Annie took and raised Rosanne, while some friends took her to Georgia, where she stayed at Atlanta Mental Hospital for the rest of her years.

Author's Note

This also still needs to be edited, but its kinda lost my interest, it was a English assignment.