//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: My Little Ponies // by JP Jackson //------------------------------// “How about these? These beds are nice,” there is no response from the mound of orange fur curled up in my bag. I let out heavy sigh and examine the bed more closely. It’s a bunk bed, made of whitewashed wood, a small detachable ladder sits on the side. Two display mattress rest snugly in the slots allotted for them. I came out eight miles to this Ikea so that I could find the ponies a bed, they’ve been sleeping on my couch for several weeks now and I don’t think it’s appropriate to let them stay that way. I dragged A.J. along so that she would get her mind off not getting accepted. It wasn’t very effective. A.J. stures listlessly in the massive depths of the blue Ikea bag. “Can we go home now?” She mumbles. “We can go home once we find you and the other’s some beds.” I examine the price tag. A little too much…. I let out another sigh. I need to start working more than 15 hours a week… I can barely afford to feed seven mouths, let alone buy some swanky Swedish bed for six of them. Later we sit in silence eating, the small food court hums with activity around us. A.J. remains curled within the cloth bag, ignoring the slab of corn bread that she would normally devour as if she hadn’t eaten in months. I pull my cell phone out of my pocket, three new messages. First one is a rejection note from another school, they’re full, it says. The other two state the exact same thing. I snap it closed, prospects aren't looking good for A.J. “Well look who it is.” I turn, I’m greeted by a man who think’s he’s still a kid playing cowboy. “Jon? What’re you doing here?” “Needed some new chairs for the barn, one of the horses gone and broke all of ‘em!” A small orange head peeks out of the blue bag, A.J. always liked Jon, she visited his house a few times since she first came and he lets her watch his old westerns, I’m beginning to worry if the whole thing is going to her head. Jon looks down at her and ruffs up her mane. “Hey there sugar cube, how are ya’ll doin?” He turns to me. “What’s she doing with you?” “She kind of lives with me, if you’ve forgotten.” “Har har, you know what I mean.” I lean over and whisper into Jon’s ear. “She didn’t get accepted into the school, I thought getting out of the house would help her get over it.” “When was the first day?” “Three days ago.” Jon looks contemplative, he rubs his chin like an old scribe pondering the meaning of life. “So she’s been doing nothing for three days?” “Didn’t take you long to figure that out did it, Plato?” “Did ya’ll try another school?” “I’ve been doing nothing but that, all the schools have filled up for the year.” He leans back in his chair. “Poor rascal, she use to be such a wild thing to.” Just then his eyes light up and he springs from his chair! “HOLD YER HORSES! I’m about to be plum brilliant!” I start to interrupt but drop my hand, finally surrendering to the inevitability of my defeat where it comes to Jon’s dialect. “Why don’t ya’ll let the little devil help out on ma’ ranch?” I look up at him, that was out of left field…. “How so?” “I have twelve horses I need t’ take care of, I could use the extra help.” “How will a horse help you take care of horses?” “She’s not just a horse, her talking should have shown that to ya’ll.” “I don’t know… I still want her to get a basic education.” “My sister's coming up from Calli, she’s a teacher, she can smarten her up after her chores are done.” I look down at A.J. she’s been listening to the entire conversation, it’s the most energetic that i’ve seen her in months. “Do you want to work with uncle Jon?” She nods. I let out another sigh, this has been an exhausting day. “I’ll drop her off tomorrow.” Jon slaps me on the back and bounds off. “Pleasure do’in buiznes with ya’ll!” *** Me and A.J. wait in line, a trio of unassembled bunk beds resting in their boxes on a flatbed cart. while we’re waiting, I notice that there's a small bin of used clothes with small sign reading “free.” Sitting on the top of the pile, is a old cowboy hat, I pick it up off the top of the pile, A.J. peeks out of the bag and I plop it on her head. “There, now you’re a proper cow girl.”