Me And The Big K/Chapter 3

Sonita and I came out of the arena and into the damp, blowing wind. Steam swirled away into the gray sky. She jigged and danced nervous circles around me.
I jerked her reins and stomped off towards the stalls.
She stood quiet for the brief moment it took to drop her bridle and slip on her halter. Then she began her mindless dance, her anxious whinny blasted in my ear.
Her coat was wringing wet, the red winter hair curled like a 4H steer. Sweat trickled in a steady stream off her belly and down her legs. I'd be lucky to get her cooled out before our next set of classes in the evening.
I sat down on a hay bale and leaned against the stained, white, shed row wall.
A heavy mist melded with gray skies, and blurred the edges of the dirty, shabby, buildings. Amarillo in February pretty much matched my mood.
Sonita pawed the ground and kicked at her belly.
I pulled my hat over my eyes, and slumped into my own personal pity party.
The Big K led his horse down the row. I didn't have to raise my head to recognize the muffled clink of his spurs.
The jingle paused in front of me. Still surly, I tried to sink farther down into my Carhart. Sonita nickered softly at his horse, and the Big K's steps faded as he continued down to his stalls.
I peeked out from under the brim of my hat. The Big K had loosened Sonita's cinch.
Embarrassed, I got up and began fussing with my stall. My butt was wet from the damp hay.
It occurred to me that I should help him get his next horse ready.
Instead, I grabbed a fork and began sifting through the already clean shavings.
He was back within minutes, his three-year-old relaxed and confident, trailing at the end of his reins. I took my imaginary cleaning to the darkest corner of the stall, hoping he would keep on going.
"Come on out here." He said.
I walked out into the alley.
"What's going on?"
"I think I'm done." I replied.
"With what?"
"That psychotic horse." The dam broke.
"She's a freak! Did you see that mess? She looked like frigging Rudolph launching into those run downs! Do you realize I had 16 penalty points before I even did my first lope depart? What the hell! She's nuts. I'm selling the stupid bitch. I can't do this any more."
He leaned across Sonita's saddle, and idly picked at the saddle strings. She quieted under his weight.
"She looked pretty good on her cow."
"She bit the cow! How is that pretty good?"
"She was on it though." I swear he was trying not to laugh.
"You aren't hearing me! I'm about done!"
"You're being about stupid." He wasn't laughing now.
The Big K is pretty scary when he gets mad. His normal, easy going slouch disappears, and his eyes do this steely, John Wayne thing. It's easy to remember that he's not particularly well-broke.
I felt my anger fading, but my resolve was still strong.
"She's making me look like an idiot."
"Do you want to be a trainer? Or do you want to win?"
"What?"
"Do you want to be a trainer? Or do you want to win?"
"Can't I do both?"
"Sure, once you train this horse."
"She's too much for me. I can't get her done."
"If you want to win, then go ahead and sell her. I'll find something nice and sweet, and we'll get you a bunch of ribbons."
The sarcasm dripped like the rain running off the roof.
The Big K came further across Sonita's back, and looked straight into my eyes.
"Train this horse. This is the horse that will turn you into a trainer."
He accented each point with a stroke down Sonita's croup.
"Quit being such a cry baby. Figure out this mare. Be a trainer.
Now get her settled, and come watch the rest of our class. Hold your head up, and support the rest of the riders. Watch the other runs, and learn something."
He mounted up, and headed back to the show pen.
I stood, leaning on my fork, turning his words over in my head.
Sonita began to buck in place, worrying over The Big K's retreating colt.
His last shot floated through the fog. "I mean it, train that horse!"
I sighed, and went to dig out Sonita's heavy cooler.