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Page 5

'Hi, Rocket. You poor thing, having to put up with that unbearable girl,' she crooned, quickly untacking him. The pony literally sighed with relief when the sweaty saddle and pad were removed from his back.

After giving him a quick grooming, Katy turned to leave. All of a sudden, she heard the group of girls coming. For a reason unknown to her, Katy ducked behind a pile of hay. Then she heard Diane's exclamation of surprise, followed by an agitated voice.

'Drat. That Katy is always poking her nose into other people's business. Oh well. She did my work for me, anyway. If she was ever good for anything, it was when she was being our slave.'

The other girls laughed and agreed. They had just begun talking about how dense Katy was for letting herself be duped into being their slave when Katy rose and began walking toward them.

The girls immediately ceased their banter and fell silent. They parted as Katy walked past, not looking in either direction. Then, acting as if having an afterthought, she turned around. 'You know, all the work I've done here may actually get me somewhere in life. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work with your horses. It's not all fun and games, you know. You won't always have someone to do your work for you.'

She walked away without looking back, but could hear the immediate whispers that followed her departure. All too soon she passed Countess' stall and started to choke up. Katy broke into a run and forced herself not to look back, knowing that if she did she would start crying. Although she was going in the wrong direction to leave the barn, she knew she couldn't go back and face the other girls again. Instead, Katy circled around the building, saying her goodbyes to other well-known friends. The horses all nickered and nuzzled her in response.

Diane and her troupe bid goodbye to Katy cordially as she left, but Katy knew by the look on their faces that inside they were cheering at her exodus. Also, she knew that the only reason they did so was because they had just glimpsed Wanda in her office, watching them.

Katy turned around and headed back into the barn toward the office, remembering at the sight of the woman that she hadn't said her final words to her trainer. She opened the office door and walked in. Wanda looked up from her desk where she had just sat down and smiled a sad smile. 'Well, Katy, I guess this is it. It's time to say good bye, isn't it?'

The smile left her face. 'I don't know what I'm going to do without you, Katy. Countess won't be able to stand your leaving, and I'll miss you so much. It's going to be hard adjusting to the workload that will, I suppose, fall on me now that you're leaving. You've lifted such a burden from my shoulders, Katy. I just can't thank you enough.' Wanda rose from her seat and circled the desk to face Katy.

'Oh, Wanda, you don't have to thank me! I loved doing it, and having a chance to train Countess has given me a wonderful experience. I just wish you'd sell her to me so I wouldn't have to leave her.'

'Katy, you know I can't sell her to you. I need an experienced horse for my more advanced riders, for someone like you.'

'I know, it's just that'' Katy looked at Wanda with tears in her eyes.

The unveiled tears in Wanda's eyes shone back at her, and the two embraced without another word.

Katy hugged Wanda goodbye one last time and collected her letter of recommendation, then bounded out to where her grandmother was waiting in the driver's seat of the old blue vehicle. She started to chatter about her day, talking about how wonderful Countess was and how well the lesson went, but then it hit her. They really were going to move! Gloom settled over Katy like a cloud and she sighed, giving in to reality. She should have known that it would come eventually. It always did; it was inevitable. Her conversation subdued, Katy was silent during the remainder of the ride home.

When they reached the house that soon could no longer be called home, Katy slammed the door behind her and headed straight to her room. There was a pile of boxes in the corner into which she was to pack her things. Katy had a fleeting thought of gratitude toward her grandmother. How thoughtful to save her the trouble. There was even a marker and tape for finishing. But then, if we weren't moving, I wouldn't be doing this in the first place, Katy thought. She pulled a box out of the pile, taped it, and set it next to her closet.

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