The moon was beautiful as it illuminated the world around me. I could see a couple other trees shadowed in the moonlight and the gully that fell in front of my. I sat with my back against the tree, gazing at the empty world around me. The horse I had rode, Jay I think his name was, was walking loose a few yards away. I could hear him munching the grass.
I had rode hard and fast for as long as I could before stopping. It had been only sunset when I had sneaked out the back gate, but now the full moon raised high above the plains. No sounds except my horse and the gentle gliding wind could be heard. I sighed. Fully aware of the situation I was caught in.
I had given up, that was for certain. Life had been weighing on me all day, and I had finally caved. I knew I was going to quit, give up, and throw in the towel. I had plans to run away and hide from all society and all pressures. I would find a job where I could just blend into the wallpaper. I didn’t mind being ignored. I wanted quiet and solitude. I didn’t care where.
My chin rested on arms, crossed over my raised knees. I took a deep breath, trying to release the pressure in my chest, but it wouldn’t go away. I don’t know what I had expected when I had finally got out here. I suppose I thought some sudden clarity and peace of mind would just wash over me once I was alone in a quiet place. But here I was, all alone. No sounds. No movements. Just me. And still I didn’t know what I wanted or where to go next. Jay snorted and I blew out the air I had been holding in my chest. I wonder if he could sense how I felt?
At first, I thought the sound was only the blood rushing through my ears, but then it began to be louder. The repetition of the beats was familiar to me and even Jay raised his head to look. Someone was galloping across the barren plains. I could tell by the way the sound began to increase that they were getting closer to me. It barely mattered who it was.
My emotions were torn. On the one hand, I wanted to be alone. I had yearned to be isolated from anyone and this mystery rider was sure to ruin that. On the other hand, my time in solitude had not provided me with any insight, so what inconvenience was another person? I shifted my weight to look around the large trunk of tree and saw the dust fly up behind the lone rider in the moonlight.
“It’s probably Tom.” I said, glancing at Jay, but he paid me no attention. “He would be the first to come looking for me.” I glanced again at the rider approaching. All I could see was the dark shadow moving across the ground. For no reason, my mind started playing tricks on me. Thoughts of a creepy horseman who haunted the night flashed through my mind. I shivered and turned away. “It’s probably Jane.” I tried to reassure myself. “Jane probably comes out here all the time.”
Jay on the other hand could care less who was approaching. Thoughts of fleeing floated through my head again. The urge to see who was closing in on my overwhelmed me and I glanced around the tree again. This time the rider was slowing and I could see his outline a bit more. He wore a cowboy hat, true cowboy to the core, and I could see as his chaps flared around his legs.
I turned away. Not wanting him to see me. I closed my eyes, trying to strain my ears and listen as I heard his horse slow to a walk. It was easy to tell when he dismounted on the far side of the tree from me. The crunching of dirt under his boots and then a soft and steady whistle floated on the air.
I heard Jay shift and I glanced at him. His head had popped up from eating the grass and now stared at the rider on the other side of the tree, out of my view. His ears flicked back and forth and his eyes were alert.
“Hey boy.” The man’s soft voice floated on the wind. Jay walked forward until he was out of view. I didn’t recognize the man’s voice at all. “That’s a good boy.” The man’s words were slow and almost felt strung out. It was a simple way of calming a horse with smooth and slow words, and I could tell this man had a lot of practice.
The sounds of clips and leather could be heard on the other side of the tree. I still remained motionless, hoping maybe the rider would just take the horse and leave. I would walk back, or maybe walk somewhere. It didn’t matter, really.
“You keep an eye on him, will ya Jay?” The man clearly knew the horse, which meant he was probably from the ranch.
The ground crunched as the rider moved closer to the tree. I barely dared to breath and kept my eyes straight ahead. The man came to the tree and stopped at a ninety degree angle from where I sat. He sighed, groaned, then sat down with his back against the tree. Best I could figure, I was looking East and he was look North.
The sound of horses chewing and ripping at the grass was the only thing I could hear. There wasn’t much grass around the tree, so the sound of sand falling to the ground added a rhythmic beat to the process. I still sat quietly.
The cowboy breathed out heavily and readjusted against the tree. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He was young with rough features and a clean shaven face. His chaps were worn but his boots shone in the moonlight. I could tell he had worked for a while on the ranch because his arms were swollen with the years of manual labor. His eyes stared straight ahead, reflecting the moon.
I couldn’t stand the silence, so I asked what was bothering me the most. “How did you find me?” My words were soft in the still night.
“If you’re going to steal a horse,” his words were still calm and slow. “Don’t steal the horse of a well-trained tracker.”
I blushed, not even thinking that Jay could have been his horse. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was yours. I just knew he was a good horse and that his owner wasn’t around much.” My embarrassment dripped from my words. I really was a ditz sometimes. “Did you come out here just to see who took your horse?” Thoughts of Tom calling this man and informing him that his horse was stolen, then this lone cowboy angrily searching the plains for the thief burned holes in me.
“Nah.” He said, stretching his legs out. “You just happen to have impeccable timing.”
“I’m sorry.” That was all I could think to say. I wanted him to yell at me. I wanted him to tell me that he was going to press charges. I needed something to happen.
But there was just silence. We sat there for a long while, listening to the horses and staring at nothing. I wondered what he was thinking, and concluded that he was wondering the same thing about me. But he wouldn’t speak. I thought that if I waited him out, he would finally say something, but he just sat there.
Cowboys, I thought, they have all the time in the world.
I fidgeted restlessly, trying to find a way to break the silence. Finally I started simple. “What’s your name?” At least I could find out that much.
“Drew.”
The word was so short. He had no intention of adding any more. I looked at his face, but he ignored me. Now that I saw his face, I did recognize it. Once, when I had first gotten to the ranch, I had seen him in the barn. But I didn’t know anyone there and he didn’t know me, so we never even stood near each other. But that was the only time I had seen him, and it had been for less than a minute.
I turned away, back to the deserted land ahead of me. Jay had wandered back by me and I now saw that he was tied to another horse, Duke. Duke was one of the ranch’s lesson horses. I felt foolish for taking Jay, such a handsome and young stallion, and forcing Drew to ride Duke, a middle aged lazy bum.
“We should get the horses back, I suppose.” My voice felt soft in the night.
“Ready to leave already?” Drew sounded genuinely curious. “But I just got here.”
“Oh.” I said, sitting back down by the tree. I didn’t know he had wanted to stay.
Again he said nothing, and I ran out of things to attempt to say, so I just sat there, awkwardly fidgeting.
It felt like forever as the time passed. My mind began to wander back to the issues I had been so desperately trying to unwind. Again I slumped against the tree and let my eyes glaze over as my mind traveled to distant places.
“So is this what running away from home is like?” Drew said, not moving anything but his lips.
“Um.” My mind whirled back to the present. I had almost forgotten he was there he was so quiet. “I don’t know. Maybe. I’m not really running away or anything.”
“I see.” Drew turned to look at me from under his hat. “You left your home, am I right?”
“I suppose.” I said, confused.
“And you rode Jay there?” He nodded to the dark horse.
“Yes.”
“Was he running?” Drew’s eyes were serious as they watched me.
“I suppose he was-“
“Than that means you ran away from home, doesn’t it?”
I only nodded in an answer. I was shocked into silence. What was he trying to get at?
“Well, than this must be what it’s like.” Drew turned his head away.
I just sat there, staring dumbfounded at the side of his face. Who was this man?
I didn’t care. I decided that he meant nothing to me now. All he wanted was his horse back and now he had him. I would take Duke and leave Jay for this mysterious guy to ride back. With a final jolt of determination, I shoved myself up from the ground and headed towards the horses. I loosened Duke from Jay and prepared the reins. Drew didn’t move from his slumped position. Once I mounted the horse, I turned Duke towards the way I had come so long ago and headed back. With a final glace over my shoulder, I addressed the still position of the man. “I’m sorry I stole your horse.” I tried to sound as sincere as I felt, but when he made no response, I squeezed my legs and moved Duke into a gallop.
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