Read Online One Unhappy Horse by C. S. Adler - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: C. S. Adler
Ads: Link
show Amelia. "It's justâI don't know. She's scared because I forgot to turn off the stove and like that. That's all it is."
"You mean she only loves you when you're useful to her?"
Mattie was bristly with distress. "Valerie's busy," she told Amelia. "She's got a high-up position in her company." Mattie stopped and looked startled as if she'd remembered something. Her eyes focused vaguely on Jan, who was stroking Dove's neck as she listened. Once again, Mattie had forgotten that her daughter had quit that job and was working as a consultant now, Jan thought.
But Mattie had hit her stride again. "And anyway, Amelia," she boasted, "the ring is still mine, and it's valuable. So I'm not poor."
"A lot of good that ring does you," Amelia said. "I put all my jewelry in the safe deposit box. Nothing to wear it for around here."
"I'll tell you what this ring'd be good for. It'd be good for a loan if I hocked it," Mattie said.
"Oh, pshaw!" Amelia said. "As if you need money."
"Well, I don't, but my young friend here does." She turned to Jan and said earnestly, "That's what we could do. We could hock this ring to get the money you need for the operation."
Jan's heart leaped at this spark of an idea and sank in the next instant as Amelia put it down.
"Are you crazy, Mattie?" Amelia said. "If you pawn that ring, where are you going to get the money to redeem it?"
"Don't you think this child and her mother would pay me back? Of course they would. You don't trust anybody, Amelia, but I do." She drew herself up tall as she could and narrowed her eyes as she considered. "Now," Mattie said, "likely they won't give full value, so I won't get as much as the ring's worth. But I bet it would cover the operation." She frowned determinedly.
Amelia said, "You're an old fool, Mattie. I don't blame your daughter for taking your money away from you."
"I couldn't take your money," Jan put in. But neither woman seemed to hear her.
Still directing her remarks at Amelia, Mattie said, "The ring's mine, and if that's what I want to do with it, who's to stop me?
If only Mattie were her grandmother, Jan thought wistfully.
"Your daughter'll be sure you're crazy if she finds out you pawned it," Amelia warned.
Mattie paused to think, her eyes wide and her lips pursed with concentration. Finally, she said, "What if she doesn't find out? What if I say I lost it again?"
"Last time when you thought you lost it, she sounded ready to send you to the nursing home for being senile."
"She was just upset. She loves this ring, and it'll be hers
for sure when I die. Meanwhile, I don't see why it can't be of use to someone else."
"Mattie!" Jan raised her voice and touched Mattie's shoulder to make her listen. "I couldn't take your ring."
"Oh, no? What else are you going to do?" Mattie asked feistily.
Jan chewed on her lip in silence. She had no answer to that. She only knew it would be wrong to let Mattie pawn her ring. That wasn't a solution to consider. Resolutely, Jan put it out of her mind even while she said, "I guess I'll think of something." Her remark was sheer bravado. She knew her brain was squeezed dry of ideas.
CHAPTER EIGHT
When Jan went to take care of Dove before school Friday morning, he didn't bother to greet her. He didn't even show an interest in her presence. Worse, when she tried to coax him to get up so she could brush and curry him, he wouldn't budge.
"I know what'll get you up, Dove," she said. She raced to the casita, grabbed a slice of bread, and ran back to hold it out to him. Years before, when he'd nipped a sandwich right out of her hand, she had discovered how much he liked bread. Now he stretched his neck toward the treat without moving his legs. When he couldn't reach it, he pulled his lips back over his teeth in that horse smile that always made her smile back.
"Oh, Dove," she said, her voice choking with feeling, "you just have to move around more." She could hear Dad's voice warning of respiration problems if she
"You mean she only loves you when you're useful to her?"
Mattie was bristly with distress. "Valerie's busy," she told Amelia. "She's got a high-up position in her company." Mattie stopped and looked startled as if she'd remembered something. Her eyes focused vaguely on Jan, who was stroking Dove's neck as she listened. Once again, Mattie had forgotten that her daughter had quit that job and was working as a consultant now, Jan thought.
But Mattie had hit her stride again. "And anyway, Amelia," she boasted, "the ring is still mine, and it's valuable. So I'm not poor."
"A lot of good that ring does you," Amelia said. "I put all my jewelry in the safe deposit box. Nothing to wear it for around here."
"I'll tell you what this ring'd be good for. It'd be good for a loan if I hocked it," Mattie said.
"Oh, pshaw!" Amelia said. "As if you need money."
"Well, I don't, but my young friend here does." She turned to Jan and said earnestly, "That's what we could do. We could hock this ring to get the money you need for the operation."
Jan's heart leaped at this spark of an idea and sank in the next instant as Amelia put it down.
"Are you crazy, Mattie?" Amelia said. "If you pawn that ring, where are you going to get the money to redeem it?"
"Don't you think this child and her mother would pay me back? Of course they would. You don't trust anybody, Amelia, but I do." She drew herself up tall as she could and narrowed her eyes as she considered. "Now," Mattie said, "likely they won't give full value, so I won't get as much as the ring's worth. But I bet it would cover the operation." She frowned determinedly.
Amelia said, "You're an old fool, Mattie. I don't blame your daughter for taking your money away from you."
"I couldn't take your money," Jan put in. But neither woman seemed to hear her.
Still directing her remarks at Amelia, Mattie said, "The ring's mine, and if that's what I want to do with it, who's to stop me?
If only Mattie were her grandmother, Jan thought wistfully.
"Your daughter'll be sure you're crazy if she finds out you pawned it," Amelia warned.
Mattie paused to think, her eyes wide and her lips pursed with concentration. Finally, she said, "What if she doesn't find out? What if I say I lost it again?"
"Last time when you thought you lost it, she sounded ready to send you to the nursing home for being senile."
"She was just upset. She loves this ring, and it'll be hers
for sure when I die. Meanwhile, I don't see why it can't be of use to someone else."
"Mattie!" Jan raised her voice and touched Mattie's shoulder to make her listen. "I couldn't take your ring."
"Oh, no? What else are you going to do?" Mattie asked feistily.
Jan chewed on her lip in silence. She had no answer to that. She only knew it would be wrong to let Mattie pawn her ring. That wasn't a solution to consider. Resolutely, Jan put it out of her mind even while she said, "I guess I'll think of something." Her remark was sheer bravado. She knew her brain was squeezed dry of ideas.
CHAPTER EIGHT
When Jan went to take care of Dove before school Friday morning, he didn't bother to greet her. He didn't even show an interest in her presence. Worse, when she tried to coax him to get up so she could brush and curry him, he wouldn't budge.
"I know what'll get you up, Dove," she said. She raced to the casita, grabbed a slice of bread, and ran back to hold it out to him. Years before, when he'd nipped a sandwich right out of her hand, she had discovered how much he liked bread. Now he stretched his neck toward the treat without moving his legs. When he couldn't reach it, he pulled his lips back over his teeth in that horse smile that always made her smile back.
"Oh, Dove," she said, her voice choking with feeling, "you just have to move around more." She could hear Dad's voice warning of respiration problems if she
Similar Books
