Greener Pastures - Alyssa Brugman [34]
'Wow, he's amazing. What are you going to do with him?' Shelby asked.
Keisha shrugged. 'We'll put him in the show, but we haven't had a chance to work with him yet.'
Soon Zeb came out of the shed with several buckets in his hands. When he saw Shelby he beamed.
'You going to sell me that horse now?' he called out.
'I told you no already,' she said.
'Look around. This is a nice place.'
Shelby looked around as though she was seeing the place for the first time, and she realised that it was a horse zoo. Zeb was an enthusiast of odd breeds and curious colours. He collected horses like some people collected stamps.
But despite the size of the offer, and the knowledge of the home he would go to, Shelby realised she could never sell Blue to Zeb.
A rare horse had been there for almost a week and Zeb hadn't had a chance to work with him yet. If Tink wasn't special enough to spend time with, where did that leave a funny old thing like Blue?
'Blue would just be another horse to you. He needs to belong to someone who treats him like he's the only horse in the world.'
'Ah! Prince Blue,' Zeb said.
'Exactly.'
'He would be Prince Blue here. We'll knock a hole in one of the walls up there. He can have a bedroom in the house. Or he can share with Keisha. She could peel him grapes.'
Keisha laughed.
'Blue doesn't like grapes,' Shelby retorted.
'You're just holding out for a bigger price.'
'I can't do it.' Shelby shook her head. 'It's not right. Blue needs someone who adores him.'
Soon afterwards she rode Blue home again across the Gully. As they splashed through the causeway at the bottom she sighed. 'Back to square one again, aren't we?'
19 Dandelion Flat
Her mother popped her head around the bathroom door as Shelby brushed her teeth. 'You don't have to go to school today.'
'Oh?' Shelby said.
'No, your father is going up the coast to pick up Aunty Jenny. She's flying out the day after tomorrow. We're taking her to the airport.'
'What?'
Her mother stared at her. 'You've known about this for months, Shelby, and yet you keep acting as if we've sprung it on you.'
'I didn't know it was going to be now,' Shelby said.
Her mother continued. 'We thought you might like go along today and see the agistment place before your dad collects your aunty and all the luggage.'
Shelby stopped brushing. 'The stupid camel club?'
When her great-aunt had first mentioned her trip overseas she said that she had found an agistment centre near to her house that would be able to take Blue when they moved. She'd told Shelby they had camel rides over the sand dunes. Shelby wasn't impressed.
'I don't think that's what they officially call themselves,' her mother replied. 'I think it's something flat. A weed. Thistle Flat? That's not it.' She shrugged. 'I'm sure you'll find out soon enough.'
It was good that they were making this trip, now that Shelby had decided to keep Blue again. If she had to move, she wanted to see the place first.
Back in her room, Shelby changed into jeans and her favourite horsy tee-shirt that she got half price with the last pair of jod boots that her parents had bought for her. She used to like the bright-coloured ones that had pictures of horses on them, but now she preferred the more subtle ones that had a brand name on the chest, or maybe a small horse motif. That way other horsy people would know. It was more like a wink than a high-five.
When she traipsed down the hallway with her shoelaces untied her dad handed her a stack of toast slices with Vegemite that he had made. He also had two mugs – one filled with coffee and one with milky tea and sugar for Shelby. It was unusual for them to have a car picnic. Her dad was fastidious about his upholstery.
She balanced the toast on her knee while she fastened her seatbelt, and then her father handed her the two mugs while he backed out of the driveway. He waved to Blake, who was watching them through the front window.
'I have to warn you,' her father said as they drove