Moriah’s Wish
Moriah wasn’t like all the other young girls. She didn’t like to play dress-up, play with dolls or have tea parties. What moriah dreamt of ever since she was little, was having a horse. Even though her sister let her ride and brush her pony once in a while, it just wasn’t the same, she wanted a horse, one she could call her own. Every year for her birthday that was the thing on the very top of her list, but every year her parents told her she was “too young,” “not responsible enough” or “we can’t afford another one right now.” Her seventh eighth and ninth birthdays came and went. Each year she was disappointed. She enjoyed the gifts her parents got her, but it wasn’t what she really wanted, and her parents knew it. Moriah’s parents really did want to see her happy with a horse of her own, but they didn’t believe it was the right time, or that she was ready for the big responsibility. While her sister was at school, Moriah would take care of her pony, and spend many hours in the stable brushing, and talking to the pony. She was trying to show her parents that she was responsible enough to take care of a horse of her own. One morning when Moriah walked out to the stables in the brisk morning air, she heard her sisters’ pony whinny, before she even got to the stable. The whinny didn’t sound right. When Moriah finally reached the stable, turned on the lights and strode over to the pony’s stall, she found her parents standing in front of the stall smiling. In the middle of the freshly cleaned stall stood a tall, striking, palomino, thoroughbred horse. The whinny didn’t belong to her sister’s pony, bandit, but to her very own brand new horse! She was speechless! Her dream had finally come true! She slipped into the stall and started stroking and whispering to her new horse, while her parents watched lovingly. After a few minutes, her parents and left her alone to get to know the horse, who was soon to be her best friend. She talked to her horse about all the adventures they’d go on, all the things she’d teach him, all the things they’d learn together, and of course what she would name him. His registered name was plaintiff’s Pledge, but she decided that his nickname would be Gypsy. That afternoon she asked her parents if she could go on a trail ride with Gypsy. Her parents said she could ride him, but she would have to start in the indoor arena, until they got used to each other. After her dad tightened the saddle and double checked that the bridle was fastened correctly, she mounted Gypsy, and rode him for almost an hour and a half. They walked, jogged, loped and even ran a little bit. They seemed to get along and understand each other right away. By the weeks end Moriah and Gypsy were going on long relaxing trail rides, just the two of them. They would ride under the canopy of fall colored leaves, as they gently drifted down to the ground. As the months and years went by they became inseparable. They shared many adventures and learned many new things together. By the time Moriah was 17 years old, Gypsy was 28 and was showing signs of aging. Their rides became shorter, less frequent and less strenuous. Eventually Moriah stopped riding him altogether, because it was harder for him now than when he was younger. She would still walk out to the stable and visit him every morning and every night. She would brush him every day, give him treats and talk to him. When Gypsy was 31 years old he died, with his head in Moriah’s lap, while she was stroking him and reliving the memories and adventures they had, and all the things they had learned. Their physical friendship ended in the same way that it started, but their friendship could never be taken away and would last forever in their hearts. Moriah and her parents buried Gypsy on the family farm in the back pasture under the shady apple tree. They planted a rose bush on top of the grave to mark the spot where a lifelong friend was buried; although, they didn’t need the rose bush to remember him by, because he would be remembered in their hearts forever.