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My Best Friend.
The best Friend I ever had was a beautiful mare. She had the
most gorgeous, huge brown eyes with little green flecks all
through them, and the most beautiful long black mane you've
ever seen. She jumped over the fence from my neighbor’s yard
one-day and, according to the law, she was then mine. I have
no idea why she did this, but when she pushed her head into
my chest with an adoration that could only be compared to my
adoration for her, I knew it was to be. It was the happiest
day of my life. You see I had never dreamed she would be
mine. I saw her every day and never gave her much thought
except that she was young, seemed to be very bright, and had
just enough attitude to make her intriguing. But never did
it cross my mind that she and I could bond.
Every day I would wake up and look upon her with a joy that
could not be measured. She was everything I ever wanted in a
horse and then some. She knew just when to walk. She knew
just when to run. And she never let me get lost. We spent
our time roaming through fields covered in wildflowers and
sometimes we would watch the sun set over the mountains on
the edge of my mind. She listened intently to my banter of
useless information and all my old war stories like a
contented pupil in a class with a teacher she had a crush
on. I adored her. Never in my life had I found such peace
and contentment. And every day I would look at her and
wonder just what I had done to make her jump that fence.
When we came home from our adventures I would brush her down
and comb her mane and tail, it gave me so much joy to just
look at her and touch her and smell her. Everything about
her was like a dream, and I often thought I was going to
wake up to find it was just that. Everything she did made me
smile and when she sensed that something was troubling me
she had an uncanny ability to make everything all right. No
one in the world ever made me feel the thoughts and emotions
she seemed to pull out of me without effort. I told her
things about myself that I had never shared with anyone. And
the time we spent together meant more to me than anything in
world. She was my best friend and I loved her more than life
itself.
But one day she jumped back over the fence and, according to
the law, she was my neighbor’s horse once again. I tried for
a moment to coax her back to me, but the light in her eyes
was gone. It was the saddest day of my life. I watched her
run and prance in his pasture and she seemed to be happy.
But I couldn't watch her because my heart was broken. It
seemed like forever since I’d been out in my backyard
because I don't want to see her, and I don't want her to see
me. I never felt so lost and alone in my whole life. And
though she didn't know it, every once in a while I would
look out my back window at her just to see that she was safe
and content. I think and wonder and worry about her
constantly.
Then one evening I heard her braying really loud at my back
fence and instinctively without a thought ran out to see
her. The look in her eyes was one I had never seen before.
She seemed confused and maybe a little sad. Without any
words, her eyes said she missed me but she could not jump
the fence. I thought about cutting it but that would be
against the law. Just then I saw my neighbor leave on his
weekly jaunt into town. And I climbed the fence and mounted
my mare. All night we explored all the places we used to go
to. It was my birthday and never had I been given such a
present. It was the best birthday I ever had. When we
returned I brushed her down and combed her mane. The smell
of her was intoxicating and as I looked into her eyes I
swore I could see that light still burning in the distance.
I adored her for a long last moment then jumped the fence
and went into my house without looking back. My neighbor was
due home any minute. I've never been so confused in my whole
life.
I'm going to start saving my money today. I'm going to see
if he'll sell her back to me.
You know what they say though … Some things money just can't
buy.
-Jeff Gaines
Monday, March 22nd, 1999
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