This, of course, is where the novel diverges from the memoir, where imagination takes us into the realm of the supernatural, where healing can occur on the deepest level. Kitten meets Pegasus, a carousel horse who will soon speak wisdom to her. I titled the first version of this story The Broken Hoof. This is also where that theme first appears.

Scene 13: She Let the Tall Man Lead Her to the Horse

She let the tall man lead her to the horse. The horse’s coat was shiny and polished, except for his broken hoof.

“His hoof is hurt,” Kitten said. “Can you fix it?”

“I’m afraid not now, darlin’, as we would have to call in a specialist who fixes wooden horses. Would you like to mount another steed, perhaps?”

“No,” she said as she looked at the horse’s hoof. “I want this one.”

His supernatural lavender color spoke to her heart. She intuited that he was a being of wisdom and a teacher in his essence. She felt an immediate, deep connection with him, even though no words had been spoken. She identified with the horse’s hoof because it was on the same side as her paralyzed left arm and leg. His left hoof had been split, laid open, damaged, yet it continued to function as best it could for him. Just as her paralyzed left side had been destroyed by paralysis, but yet continued as half of her body, this horse’s hoof was forever sculpted to remain in flight, bravely overcoming every challenge that came before it.

With his muscular hands, her new carousel friend gently lifted her up onto the saddle and buckled her in. She felt free as he raised her up onto the horse’s back. She was ready to ride. She was going to whirl around and around for the very first time.

With each new experience, Karen felt herself becoming more poised, more self-assured and more eloquent. Not only was she taking the biggest outward steps of her life, she was nourishing herself inwardly.

#horse #hoof

©2021, Karen Lynn-Chlup. All rights reserved.