6. Lay of the Land

Lay of the Land

The next day, Hadley sat patiently on her school bus waiting to pass Dorothy's farm. Today she noticed Snicker and Dakota, a pair of brown horses, standing near the roadside fence. She could see more animals deeper in the field, but her view was fleeting. She sat straight-backed, feet pointing toward the aisle, knowing soon she'd hop off the bus and be able to walk to the other side of the fence.

When the bus stopped in front of her house she all but flew down the aisle, down the steps, and across her empty driveway. She continued her haste once inside her house, tossing her backpack onto her bed and before sprinting back downstairs, excited to see more of the farm. She didn't bother with a snack or a change of clothes, and instead sped-walked toward Dorothy's. As she ducked between the fence and started her trek toward the farmhouse, she attempted to brace herself for the possibility of still not getting to ride a horse. The horses and cows appeared to be peaceful companions, unphased by their differences while intermingling throughout the expansive green fields. She noticed the khaki patchwork horse, whose name escaped her, was grazing in tandem with a big black and white cow and wondered if they bonded over their similarly shaped patches.

Hadley approached the ranch house just as Dorothy was stepping outside. Her hair was pulled back in a soft silvery bun, and she wore loose blue jeans with one of her husband's old shirts. Dorothy waved at Hadley as she pulled the main door shut behind her before lifting the crooked screen door slightly, allowing it to latch properly. Hadley wished she knew how to replace hinges so she could make the door easier on her new friend. My dad could fix it within minutes, she thought, but then she'd have to tell him where she's been.

"Hi, Dorothy! Thank you for letting me come back today."

"You're welcome, dear." Dorothy wore a friendly smile that was bracketed by deep set wrinkles. "We'll see just how thankful you're feelin' once I show ya the help I need." Hadley noticed the humor behind the old woman's brown eyes, as she let out a giggle in response.

Dorothy spent the next forty-five minutes walking Hadley around the perimeter of her property. She wanted the young girl to learn the lay of the land and where the exit gates were located. It was critical to always double check that the gates were secure, otherwise the animals might accidentally wander off.

The duo eventually lapped around to the horse stables. It was one of two large buildings on the property, Dorothy's small house not included. The other building which was at the far end of the farm housed the cows. It had a shed extension off the side that functioned as storage for excess hay and grasses for the animals to eat. There were also a variety of tools and farm equipment toward the back of the space, but many of them now collected dust. Not long after her husband passed away, Dorothy hired a farm hand, Jeremy, to come by occasionally to tend to the land. While it was an expense she hated to spend, she eventually realized she spent enough years doing the back breaking work and enough was enough. She swallowed her pride and hired Jeremy once it started to hurt to get out of bed in the morning.

Dorothy paused outside the stables and shifted her body to face the young girl standing next to her. "I have plenty more to show'ya, dear… I could really use some help in this here stable but want to make sure I don't keep'ya here too late."

"My dad won't mind, Ma'a–Dorothy." Hadley quickly corrected her polite habit to not offend the woman. Her eyes bounced from the dirt and sheepishly back up. "Sorry, habit…"

"Like I said, ma'am is my mama." Dorothy chuckled as she placed her hand gently on Hadley's shoulder. "Well, alrighty, then. Let's head in and see what we got." Hadley stayed on the heels of Dorothy, anxious to learn and eager to please. She was nervous of saying or doing the wrong thing, knowing that she could easily be asked to leave or not get invited back. Dorothy walked to the back corner of the stable where a myriad of tools were hanging. She pointed next to a wheelbarrow where there was a pitchfork, a broom, a shovel, and a stiff-bristled scrubbing brush.

"These here are the basic supplies needed for cleanin' a stall out." Hadley nodded and waited for more information. "Now, I don't have much cash laying around to pay'a but if you help maintain these six stalls, I will reward'ya with horse ridin' less–"

"Yes!" Hadley interjected with a huge smile plastered on her face. "Do you want me to start right now? Just tell me what to do." Her words tumbled quickly out as she tried to contain her joy.

Dorothy laughed, entertained by Hadley's youthful energy. "How about I walk'ya through it now and then you can start on Monday."

"Okay!"

Dorothy walked Hadley through each step in the process from removing wet straw to using the pitchfork to scoop up manure. The clean dry straw fell between the tines and the rest could be tossed into the wheelbarrow. She showed Hadley how she could also use the shovel to scoop up large clumps of soiled straw and fling it against the sidewall so the dry straw would release, and the manure would separate. She told her it wasn't the most efficient way to clean but it definitely worked out any frustrations.

"So, you can throw the poop at the wall?" Hadley was giggling but her eyes were wide with curiosity.

"Well, it's certainly more fun than weeding through it with your hands," Dorothy elbowed Hadley playfully.

"Definitely." Hadley giggled again before Dorothy continued to explain how she would then need to spread out the existing straw and add more to the bedding where needed. There was a stack of straw from floor to ceiling in the front left corner of the barn to pull from. Her last step, after cleaning the stall floor, would be to rinse out the water buckets. She would give the bucket a scrub with the brush before she'd refill and replace it. Hadley had already learned yesterday that the horses aren't left with food all day long, but rather have feeding times followed by strict periods of rest.

"Alright, dear," Dorothy glanced outside to clock the sun. "You should get home for dinner. Come back on Monday and we'll get through these six stalls together. I can then show'ya ‘round a horse so you can get comfortable with one."

"That sounds great! I can't wait!" Hadley was animated with her response, already wishing for Monday.

"To get on a horse or to clean the poop?" Dorothy questioned, with a sparkle in her eyes.

"Both," Hadley retorted, feeling goofy. This made them both bend in laughter as they walked out of the barn side by side. After regaining composure, they said goodbye, exchanging contagious smiles. Dorothy headed toward her much-too-quiet ranch house while Hadley made the walk back to the anxiety-trap she called home.