The Healing Horse, Ch. 12, Scene 1: Mama and Karen Pack

This chapter tells the story of how Karen and Mama redecorated their new home and moved into it in a week…and more, too!

Scene 1: Mama and Karen Pack

For the next week, Mama and Karen devoted every moment away from school and work to filling and labeling box after box. Mama spent hours on the phone until she found a reputable moving company with a price that fit their budget. She arranged a date and time, and before they knew it, she had every detail planned and scheduled. They would redecorate the new house, right down to plaster and wallpaper, buy furniture for it, and move in within a week.

The Healing Horse, Ch. 11, Scene 9: Tears of Frustration, Tears of Change

In this scene, the excitement of the past weeks comes to a climax. Karen and Mama both cry, but their love carries them through the difficult moment.

Scene 9: Tears of Frustration, Tears of Change

Halfway across the gravel lot, she and Pegasus met Mama. She dismounted and had the Chevy door open before Mama could stop.

Hopping in, she started to say, “Hi!” but stopped.

“Mama, you’re crying! What’s wrong?”

“Krana Layala, how many times do I have to tell you not to open the car door when the vehicle is moving? You want to hop out before I can stop, and now you’re hopping in before I can stop. One of these days, you’re going to get hurt, and then whose fault will it be? What will your Grandfather Max and Grandmother Annie say? Who will they blame? ‘You never took good care of Karen, did you Katie?’ That’s what they’ll say. And how am I going to reply with my little girl back in the hospital, maybe in another coma? Please!”

Karen sat silently, and then cried, too. Mama rarely yelled at her. When she did, it meant things were serious.

Kitten was happy about finding the stable for Pegasus. She was happy about him coming alive, though her heart was still broken about the carousel closing. She was happy about moving close to him. She was sad about leaving the home that she and Mama had shared for many years. Waves of feeling rose up and overwhelmed her. She looked to her mother and sobbed.

Mama turned off the engine and sat up very straight. Tears had turned her foundation makeup into mud. The tears stopped. Taking a thin, silk handkerchief from her purse, she looked into the mirror on the car’s sun visor and carefully wiped off the streaks of makeup.

After taking a deep breath, she put her arms around Karen and said, “I get weak sometimes, my dear, so please forgive my yelling at you. After you left to walk over here, I was sitting in the car, all alone. I watched you walk away, practically running, and using both legs. I thought about how you almost died after I let that doctor give you the shot, when you were a baby. You couldn’t stand up, much less walk for so long, and here you are running and riding horses, too. I broke down and cried, but then it was time to drive over here and get you, and I couldn’t stop crying for joy. I try to be the Rock of Gibraltar, but I’m not it. I’m not much of a rock. And I’m sorry I yelled at you, but please don’t get in and out of the car when it’s moving. That’s only for stuntmen in movies. It’s not for little girls, even if they are growing up fast. Okay?”

The Healing Horse, Ch. 11, Scene 8: A Quick Chat with Pegasus

After walking to the ranch on her own, little Karen finds her friend, and they have a hilarious conversation about his becoming a real horse.

Scene 8: A Quick Chat with Pegasus

Karen found Pegasus in the meadow behind the barn. He was eager to hear about the new house, and Kitten repeated what Mama had told her. They agreed that she would ride him over so he could see it, just as soon as she had time.

“Your mother’s automobile is approaching,” he said.

“How can you tell?”

“Horses have superior hearing, and we can feel vibrations through the ground, too.”

“Did you find that out on your own, or did one of the other horses tell you?”

He whinnied and stomped on the ground before he admitted, “I may be an experienced spiritual master, but I’m very new at being a real horse, so I’m keeping my superior equine ears open for any advice on that aspect of life. I do not mind admitting that I have a lot to learn.”

“You can talk to horses, too?”

“Evidently, yes. The real horses speak a dialect of the language that we spoke on the carousel. They sound very Texan to me. They even use some of the same Texas talk that Tex and Joshua do, but they tell me that I sound British to them. So, pardon me while I stamp on the ground, as a mute indication that we should trot to the parking lot to meet your much-esteemed mother.”

He stamped, again, and Karen asked, “Pegasus, why are you stamping your foot?”

“It’s a hoof, Kitten, not a foot. Real horses have hooves, and they stamp them when they’re ready to go. It’s what they do instead of saying they want to go. One of the other horses told me.”

Karen heard the crunch of tires on gravel and turned to see Mama’s Chevy coming up the lane in a cloud of dust. Her newly awakened reflexes propelled her onto her horse’s back, and she galloped to meet her. She did not want to keep Mama waiting or to delay their move in any way.

Disability Pride Month Reading List

For over fifty years, the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses has been a lifeline, sustaining small literary publishers in their efforts to bring significant, creative works to the public. They recently published a list of books and other literary works that they recommend in support of Disability Pride Month (Yes, that’s this month.) These include poetry, fiction, and nonfiction from a range of well-known presses including Copper Canyon, Feminist Press, and the Evergreen Review. Here’s a link to their list. I know what I’ll be reading, the rest of this summer! Enjoy!

https://www.clmp.org/news/a-reading-list-for-disability-pride-month/

–Karen

The Healing Horse, Ch. 11, Scene 7: The New House

At last, Karen gets to see their new home. It’s so close to the stables, she can walk back and forth—just like she wanted.

Scene 7: The New House

Mama parked in the driveway and turned to watch her daughter’s reaction.

“Mama, it’s beautiful! This is so much nicer than anything I ever dreamed of. It’s just as magical as the ranch.”

They left the car and went up the three steps onto the full front porch. Karen turned back to admire the yard and the flowers.

“Look at all the planters, Mama! And the yard has so much grass. Pegasus could practically live here. This looks like a real ranch house, just like at the stables.”

Mama explained, “This house was built a long time ago, sweetheart, back in 1920, the same year your Mama was born. It’s a Craftsman ranch-style bungalow. It’s a real classic California house. It isn’t very big, but it’s perfect for us.”

Mama unlocked the wide oak door, and they went in. As she showed Karen around, they planned how they would use each room. Mama would take the den in the front of the house as her bedroom, so she could watch TV late at night without disturbing Karen. Karen would get the bedroom in back. They did not like the dark colors of the walls and agreed that they would replaster some and put lighter wallpaper on others. The feature Karen liked best was the pergola, a covered outdoor seating area that opened off the dining room. They could eat outside, while Pegasus grazed in the yard.

As they returned to the car, Karen asked, “Mama, we’re only two blocks from the ranch. Can I try walking over and back, right now? Just so I can see if I can really do it? I promise I’ll be careful. I’ll just say hello to Pegasus and let him know how close we will be to him. Is that okay? Please?”

“I should’ve known you’d want to do that, my Krana Layala. That’s the whole point of our moving, isn’t it? So you can walk back and forth and have your independence while being interdependent with me. So, go ahead for now. You can walk over, but I’ll follow in the car so we don’t lose too much time. Fair enough?”

“Fair enough, Mama!” and off Karen hurried.

Mama sat down in the driver’s seat. With her heart elated, for a moment, she felt fully relaxed. Then she started the car and put it in gear.

The Healing Horse, Ch. 11, Scene 6: Mama Gives Karen and Pegasus the Good News

Mama reaches the ranch and takes a moment to reflect on her life. She has just made a huge commitment, and she realizes it will be life-changing, just as the other pivotal moments in her life changed everything forever.

Scene 6: Mama Gives Karen and Pegasus the Good News

Two hours later, she parked in the gravel lot at the ranch. Studying her face in the rearview mirror, she gazed back at herself. She remembered her childhood during the Great Depression, the good years of working as a buyer at Hattie Carnegie’s before she married, the joy of her wedding day, the terrible day of the DPT shot that had almost killed her daughter, the car crash that had killed her husband, and the decision to take the legal secretary position that made buying a home for her and her Krana Layala possible. The house was much nicer than she had thought they could afford, but as the agent had pointed out, if they wanted to live in the neighborhood of the ranch, they were going to have to pay the price. There were no cheap homes, here. Everything was very nice and priced accordingly. She brought her mind back to the present and freshened her makeup.

She saw Kitten riding Pegasus toward the barn and hurried to catch up with them. Kitten slipped down off her horse and hugged her. Mama felt herself transmitting a glow of satisfaction, even of jubilation.

Kitten looked up at her and asked, “Why are you here so early, Mama? Wait! I know! You have some good news, don’t you? I can feel it!”

“Yes! We have a new home. Of all the houses I looked at, this was the best one. It’s real cute and clean, and it’s only two blocks from the stables. The owners were asking more than we could afford, but when I talked to them, they said they needed to sell quickly because they were moving away from LA. So, I made an offer we could afford, and they accepted it.”

Karen let go of Mama and jumped with joy. She still held Pegasus’ reins, and he bobbed his head with her and neighed, and for a joyful moment the three of them danced in a circle.

Then Mama said, “Come on! We have to bag bunches of boxes from the grocery store and pack up the whole house before we can move.”

Kitten and Pegasus said their goodbyes, and then Mama and Karen hurried off on their errands, but first they made a stop.

The Healing Horse, Ch. 11, Scene 5: House Hunting

Mama had a heroic quality to her. In spite of becoming a widow and raising a disabled child all alone, she never complained. Whatever the challenge, she rose to it. In this scene, her determination and courage once again pay off.

Scene 5: House Hunting

The afternoons and evenings of surveying potential new homes flew by. Mama looked non-stop, even on her lunch break at work. Though she saw a lot of houses, few of them satisfied her. She wanted the right size at the right price in the right location. She knew she could not afford to buy a large home, so she looked only at bungalows. She wanted a medium-size house in perfect condition.

Her most important stipulation was that it be within reasonable walking distance of the stables. Karen had to be able to walk back and forth by herself. Besides, that guaranteed that it would be in a prime neighborhood with rising property values, so she would make a profit when she sold it. She promised herself that she would not accept anything below her standard. Even if she had to sell some of her stocks, she would find a way to buy a house that would be comfortable for the two of them and close to the ranch.

Realizing that Pegasus now fully occupied Karen’s mind, and that moving would add more stress to their lives, she did not share her house-hunting disappointments with her daughter. She would wait until she could spring the new home on her with exhilaration, excitement and enthusiasm.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, Mama got Kitten up early, and took her to the ranch so she could concentrate on house hunting. Since Pegasus’ living transformation, Karen’s personality had changed profoundly. Her once shy behavior had become more confident. She was now a stronger child, emotionally. She was more enthusiastic and more at ease with herself. Her weak arm and leg improved, and she was able to participate in more physical activities. She walked around the ranch and mounted Pegasus on her own. She was teaching herself balancing poses while riding him. When she dismounted from Pegasus, she practiced kneeling, bending, twisting and turning with ease. Her muscles were becoming stronger and her body more robust as each day passed. Mama was sure she could spend the entire day at the stables without her.

After dropping Karen at the ranch, she returned home and sat at the kitchen table studying the LA Times classifieds. Although she had made an offer on one house, she did not let herself become complacent. Her fourth cup of coffee had gone cold, but she sipped it, anyway, trying to keep herself going in spite of fatigue.

The phone rang. She answered it. Suddenly, she felt as if she were dreaming as she heard herself say, “Yes, I can come over and sign the papers, now. Thank you so much. I’ll bring my checkbook.”

The Healing Horse, Ch. 11, Scene 4: Thanksgiving, 1963

If you don’t know what happened in November of 1963, keep reading anyway. I fill in a little of the background, so you can understand how determined Karen and her friends were to maintain a positive outlook.

Scene 4: Thanksgiving, 1963

On the Friday of Mama’s first week of house hunting, the President of the United States was assassinated. Like nearly everyone else in the country, Mama and Kitten fell into mourning for John Fitzgerald Kennedy and his family. However, Kitten’s determination to take care of Pegasus and to develop herself kept her going. Mama’s determination to find a home close to Pegasus kept her going, too. Mama decided that this year’s Thanksgiving Day would be the most appreciative holiday that she and Karen could ever celebrate. Even as she took Karen to the stables and then house hunted every day, she squeezed in grocery shopping trips and made time to cook.

Then she got a phone call. It was Babs at the stables.

“Would you and Karen like to have Thanksgiving Dinner with us at the ranch? Tex and I laid carpet so Pegasus can come inside and eat with us people.”

“Yes, I know my Krana Layala would love that. It sounds like a plan to me.”

They agreed that Babs would bake the turkey, pumpkin pies, and mincemeat pies, and she would make mashed potatoes from scratch. Mama and Karen would bring everything else, including a special meal for Pegasus.

On Thanksgiving morning, Kitten and Mama got up early to prepare their part of the menu. Mama put Kitten in charge of making a huge salad, and Karen roasted a kabocha squash to go with it. Mama baked yams and steamed string beans. Together, they cooked cranberries and honey into a sauce and then added walnuts, after it cooled.

For Pegasus, Karen created a full-size turkey sculpture made of carrots, celery, and Rice Krispy Treats, that she lovingly cooked with real butter and the best quality marshmallows. She chopped the celery and carrots finely with a French chef knife. She melted butter in a pot and blended marshmallows into it. Then she stirred the liquid marshmallows and butter into a bowl of Rice Krispies. After mixing them, she used her artistic skills to mold them into a sculpture of a baked turkey, and she stuffed it with raw carrots and celery.

Pegasus will love this, she said to herself.

They finished cooking just before noon. Karen dressed for dinner in her favorite purple and white striped, sleeveless dress, with a matching cotton shrug. On her feet, she wore black Mary Janes. Mama wore a casual, mustard yellow sheath dress with a white textured rayon A-line coat over it.

They drove to the stables and carried their offerings into the big ranch house, where Tex, Babs, and Rocky lived. Babs welcomed them and led them into the dining room, where Pegasus and the others were already waiting. The dining room floor now had a sturdy carpet on it, and the furniture was rearranged so that Pegasus had room to stand and eat at the foot of the long table. The turkey and pies that Tex, Rocky, and Joshua had helped Babs bake were already on the table. Karen proudly placed her turkey sculpture in front of her magical horse.

As they ate, the humans took turns sharing what they were thankful for, and in spite of the glum national mood, they kept their focus on the positive. Pegasus kept quiet except to whisper in Kitten’s ear, “I’m thankful for you.”

The Healing Horse, Ch. 11, Scene 3: Karen Visualizes Walking to the Ranch

The story continues from one high point to the next. Karen and Mama are on a roll.

Scene 3: Karen Visualizes Walking to the Ranch

As they crept through the traffic, Karen visualized herself walking the entire distance from their new home to Pegasus. As soon as they moved into their new home, she would do it. She made that promise to herself, and she would share it with Pegasus.

The Healing Horse, Ch. 11, Scene 2: Friday Evening Rush Hour

The time period that this chapter covers brought events that shook the world, but this scene is all about dealing with everyday difficulties.

Scene 2: Friday Evening Rush Hour

On Friday evening of that first week of Pegasus living at the ranch, Mama patiently waited for the car ahead of her to move forward, as she drove her daughter home. They had sat through two full cycles of the traffic light, and they still had not crossed the intersection, but then, neither had the car in front of them. The rush hour traffic was a reality. There was no point in getting upset, but there was a point in adapting and taking action.

Mama’s original estimate of a half hour each way had turned out to be wrong. Even though she picked up Kitten at school promptly at three each afternoon, which was just before rush hour started, they always got stuck in traffic on their way home from the stables. If they got to the ranch at half-past three, and if Karen spent only an hour with her horse, then they did not get home until six. This made making dinner, eating, and relaxing into a rush–which was the opposite of what she wanted it to be.

“Krana Layala,” she said. “This is just too much for us. I don’t want us wearing ourselves out with all this traffic. We’re spending more time going back and forth than you’re getting with your horse. I’m gonna find us a place close enough so you can walk to see him. It’ll be great. Just you wait and see! Thanksgiving is coming in less than two weeks, but I’m gonna start my quest for a new home, immediately, and by immediately, my girl, I mean first thing tomorrow morning!”