~ WTS 13 ~ Home Again

"Home Again"

Music

December 23th, 2016

“Oh, girl,” Will said, fondly stroking the flaxen chestnut’s forehead. “I missed you a little, you know that? You aren’t cross with me, no?”
Windmill wasn’t. She stood still and enjoyed the caressing of her favourite human, head deep enough to make sure he could reach the favourite spot behind her ears well enough from his sitting position.

She didn’t look too bad, Will observed once again - healthy and maybe a little too well fed, yet she hadn’t lost much of her fitness and form. He rode her whenever he could spare a weekend to undertake the two hours of train travel and return to his hometown, which of course wasn’t enough to keep her in shape. Nana exercised her throughout the week, he knew - which he was very thankful for. Not only was the extra work keeping her fit and capable; it was also noticeable in the horse’s skill and behaviour that an experienced dressage rider was working with her.
Will still showed Windmill once in a while, but even that had gotten less throughout the last year. He was slowly growing tired of the whole business, it seemed; he was thinking of riding as a pastime now more than ever, despite the fact that it involved a lot more effort since his accident. Competing tired him, stat. Even though many speculated on how far he could come with the horse: Windmill had been an eventer, and was a capable dressage horse, that was sure; also, Will was a sensitive rider, and they had a deep connection that linked them - enough training would’ve gotten them far, they said. Truth was, Will indeed had been almost close to being qualified for international events in Para-Dressage when he and Windmill had competed at the German Championships in June.
Looking back, he was only glad that he hadn’t made it back then. Sure, the thought was exciting, but for him all of that was only unnecessary pressure, and he felt like he had more important duties to fulfill right now.

Bribing the mare with half an apple to let him go, Will said goodbye and rolled back towards the main house. Cold wind hit him as he closed the door of the stable building behind him. He wrapped his scarf tighter around his neck and hurried to reach the front door of Anne’s house, where he could take shelter from the weather. Winter was awful, he thought.

Inside, it was much more comfortable; as warm as the old brick building could get and filled with soft, orange candlelight. As it wasn’t dark yet, the big windows still let enough light in.
Will loved moments like these, the mixed light, the cold, dim light from outside and the warmth that promised security and love inside. It was a special atmosphere, and the cosiest he knew.

Night would fall very soon.

In the kitchen was Magda - sitting next to Anne at the kitchen table, busily forming little balls of pastry that she accurately lined on a baking sheet. Her cheeks were rosy and her arms covered in flour up to her elbows, but she was happy, and almost smiled brighter than the candles that Anne had lit. Her dog Wolf was lying under the table - a mountain of fur - but surprisingly calm and well-behaved. The Bernese was very protective of the girl, and would never leave her side.
The girl had had her last day of school before Christmas break today, and to celebrate the occasion, she had taken the bus to the Waving Tree and spent the afternoon with Anne and Nana. Now that it was almost dark - she knew she would have to return soon, but for some reason she hesitated. She was having a good time, and didn’t want to leave already.

Anne noticed the girl’s anxiety. “You know how to get home?”
Magda nodded. “The last bus leaves at 10:12. That’s plenty of time,” she said, resuming her work.
“That’s pretty late. I’d rather you took an earlier bus… don’t want to get in trouble with your parents,” Anne smiled.
Magda only shrugged. “They wouldn’t even notice. Mum and Dad won’t be home before Monday,” she said, and then, as if to apologise for what she’d said, added, “They’re very busy.”
“Then whom are you spending Christmas with?” Anne was astonished.
Magda hesitated; she obviously didn’t want to speak about it. “...My grandparents, probably.”
She had said it without real emotion in her face, yet Anne felt there was a certain resignation she carried in herself.
Anne knew what she was supposed to say, and to offer. Yet, something inside her kept it from passing her lips. She knew that Magda liked coming to the stud, that she did it more often now, even when she didn’t have a lesson. Andrew had allowed her to care for C whenever she came, and to have an “own” horse to care for was exciting enough.
But since it had become too cold for outdoor activities, Magda had often sat inside with Anne, Andrew and Nana, playing games or drawing while the others were talking. Anne was strangely moved by the girl’s behaviour.
Magda mostly came by bus (the stud was about half an hour away from town) - but sometimes, her parents brought her or came to fetch her. Whenever they did, she clearly saw that they loved their daughter very much and Magda did also; but the girl sometimes mentioned that her parents were often away, which was difficult for her.
Anne felt sorry for the girl, she really did. People, or animals, like her were the very reason for the Waving Tree’s existence… she herself had been the first that had been taken in by its charm, had been healed by its steadfastness and unique beauty; and since, had only extended the offer to others as well. In a way, that position had drained her of strength - even now, she knew precisely what she was to do, yet she couldn’t. There was an end to things, there must be.  

The moment was lost anyway. Magda, wanting to change the subject, quickly asked “Is your family coming to visit?”
Anne picked up an already filled baking sheet and put it into the oven.
“Uh, no. We always had family reunions for Christmas at my parents’ house, but I don’t want to leave the stud alone in Winter. I’ve celebrated with the others from the stud every year since I’m here - and they’ve always been like a family as well, so…”
Magda nodded. “Must be nice to celebrate at a horse stable -”
“Oh, if anything, it’s just really cold.” They laughed.

Soon, the baked goods lined the kitchen table, still warm and spreading a pleasant smell. The clock read 9:39.
“I guess I should go,” Magda said and stood up. It was pitch black outside, and a faint, but steady patter suggested that it had started raining. “Oh, duh. I should’ve left earlier.”
Anne smiled, and circled the table to hug her. “Come home safely.”
Magda nodded, then she went out of the kitchen to fetch her jacket. Having said goodbye to Andrew and Will - whom she only knew briefly - she walked towards the front door.

“Magda,” Anne exclaimed before the girl could leave the living room, holding her back. “Come here tomorrow. Celebrate with us.”
Surprise was on Magda’s face. Pleasant anticipation, which was yet soon replaced by concern. “Really?” She wasn’t sure.
“Of course.” Anne’s face was cheerful, despite the anxiety that was overwhelming her - now, having said what she’d said.
“I don’t know,” Magda said after a while.
“Um, you can think about it. I mean, you didn’t seem too thrilled about the thought of spending Christmas at your grandparents’ place.”
The corners of Magda’s mouth curled into the slightest of smiles.
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll think about it.”

December 24th, 2016

The afternoon was quiet. Anne was reminded of last year’s Christmas - the first real quiet celebration they’d had in years, after the young people had fledged and left the stud, and with it, a chapter of their lives they’d grown to cherish. Only her brother Daniel and the ever-faithful Andrew had stayed behind and spent the holidays with her.
Now, that Nana had come to the stud and was living with them, the small company had grown by one - but it still wasn’t the same.

Many of whom she called her closest friends had come, and for the first time in months, Anne felt completely and utterly content. Will was there, and Sky; Kain had come, who was now sitting with Nana by the window - even Rahel had showed up. Most had spent the Holy Night with their respective families and afterwards joined to drive to the stud together, rekindling the friendship that had connected them when they all had been regular visitors of the place.
With them all sitting in the same room once again, the family felt almost complete. Summer had texted her earlier, had wished them all a wonderful Christmas; and even though it was such a little message only, it made her feel closer to the young woman she’d bid farewell to so long ago. Even the Bahrams had spent a few hours with them, earlier this evening, but they’d already returned to their own separate apartment.

Anne felt a warmth growing in her chest that she’d dearly missed. There was food, even little presents that proved how much they still meant to each other, a small tree that Andrew had cut and Nana decorated… the only thing that was missing was Kain and Will whipping out their instruments and they all making music together - then the illusion would be perfect that nothing had changed after all.

In the middle of them all was Magda, shy at the faces she didn’t know, sticking close to Anne all the time. She wasn’t forward enough to ask for everybody’s name; after all, these people were older than her, and knew each other well… for some reason she felt like an intruder.
But as long as Anne was close, she didn’t mind - after all, she enjoyed to listen to the tales they shared, what kinds of jobs they did now, or what they studied… she could hardly imagine that these people had been in her position, had been 16 once, too, and riding students nervous to mount a skittish school pony. Whatever little she knew about them came from Anne’s passionate stories - the horses in the stable were the only remnants of a time that marked the early days of the stud in its current form. She knew that the dappled grey she adored so much had been the horse of the girl they called Sky, both showjumpers and pretty good at what they did. Then there was Rahel, with short black hair and a wide t-shirt with the words “Miami Vice” in blue and pink on the front. She was a former Biology student (she’d dropped out of the course) - who had competed with a Zweibrücker called Tunguska, recently sold, whom she only knew from pictures. Windmill, a chestnut and probably the friendliest horse she’d ever met, was Will’s horse - who was becoming a teacher, judging from the conversation that ensued around the Christmas tree.

Shy at first, Magda was yet incredibly curious; and wished nothing more than to be a part of this beloved circle of Anne’s, whom she’d grown to love like an aunt, or much older sister.
And then they started talking about the Waving Tree; about the very thing that connected them all. They reminisced about what they’d experienced here, told stories of things that had taken place years ago, reminded each other of the childhood they’d spent here. And Magda listened; and laughed, and nodded - and then everyone listened when she told the story of how she’d met her favourite gelding C, and how she’d brushed him this afternoon.

And everyone smiled - because they knew.

And it's a wrap! For 2016, at least. It only took about a year haha. I have to catch up, theres still so much that's to come for 2017 and the following years.
With this chapter, I feel like we have finished some kind of prologue... hope you enjoyed the ride so far ♥ I'm thankful for every single one of you who follows this story and enjoys it (:

Art, written art, characters (c) by me, no ref used
DIN A5 pencil sketch, coloured with PS

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