Post by wdbndiva on Jan 25, 2007 20:21:31 GMT -6
Bright Eyes
Half rain, half snow is hitting the windshield of the truck, March in Toronto, not a vacation paradise. The truck pulls forward from the security gate. A couple of loud thuds come from the horse trailer behind. The big mare is getting impatient. She's had a slow ride down due to weather conditions.
Down the main road and turn left. There is barn twelve waiting. There is supposed to be someone to receive the horse and put her away.
I park the truck and trailer at the end of the barn and go looking for the "help". It's one p.m. and the track is quiet now. The weather is nasty and most have gone home for the day.
I hear music coming from one of the small tack rooms. Hoping someone is in there I knock on the door."Hey anybody here? I've got a horse for Mike Doyle".
I hear some muffled words and the door opens. As wafts of cigarette smoke pour out the door, a tall black man answers.
"Hey darlin, how are you today?" He smiles showing his few remaining yellow teeth. He seems as happy as a man could be. His face shows a lifetime of hardship, but it doesn't bother him. Bright Eyes, that's what they call him. His eyes are red and yellow at the same time, still shining with enthusiasm for life. Dirty, short graying hair shows beneath his toque. A man at least six foot four, skinny, weathered and smelling like a brewery. His old jeans are a few inches too short for his frame. He had on big old worn out boots and an old coat from the Goodwill box.
"Yes, yes, I was expecting her" he says of the mare.
I follow him down the shed. His rough hands pick up a lead shank and he heads for the trailer. In he goes and fastens the shank around her nose. "Ok Big Mama, ok Mama" he says as he leads the mare down the ramp. Around the corner he goes with her, all the while talking to her.
I close up the trailer and pepare to leave. Bright Eyes has put her away and is heading back to his room. He looks back over his shoulder and waves "Bye now, y'all have a nice day".
The big gentle man goes in his room. The horse has been taken care of and it's time to leave.
Three weeks later, when I heard they found "Bright Eyes" dead in an empty stall in the sales barns, it just didn't seem right. Not right at all.
