Dreams come true………

Cathy drove up the lane towards the old farm, the pungent smell of cow parsley wafting in through the open windows. Funny how smells could bring back memories. She stopped at the entrance and got out, pushing her sunglasses on top of her head .It was fifteen years since she’d last been here. The old place was falling apart, walls crumbling, and roofs long since collapsed but there was still an atmosphere about the place and she felt herself shiver as though someone had walked over her grave. Memories came flooding back………….

**************

The young girl with ginger pigtails hid behind the low wall by the follyfoot gate peeking over the top every so often hoping to catch a glimpse of her idol. She was too shy to approach anyone and ask to see the horses.

“Dora, that young girls out there again. Why don’t you invite her in?”

“Because I want her to get up the courage to come in by herself. You don’t get anywhere in this world by being so shy and timid. People will walk all over her when she’s older.”

“I think your mean” Steve pulled a face at her.

“She’ll come in on her own soon enough you’ll see because she won’t be able to resist and then I’ll make a special fuss of her”

Cathy watched as they saddled up two of the horses and ducked down as they rode through the gate. They pretended they hadn’t seen her.

I wish I could learn to ride, she thought, and then I could help them on the farm. They won’t want me there if I can’t ride. She ran off down the lane in a hurry as her father Joe Bradley had said not to be late for tea and she was afraid of doing anything to anger him.

*************

Sarah Bradley was setting the table when Cathy came into the tiny kitchen and sidled up to her.

“Mum can I have riding lessons?”

Joe, sitting in a shabby armchair by the kitchen range, threw his newspaper down in disgust and bellowed “NO, you damn well can’t. Do you think we’re made of money? Now let that be an end to it and get away up to your room before I tan your backside!”

Her face crumpled and she rushed upstairs, hot tears spilling down her cheeks. It wasn’t fair!! Opening the wardrobe door she pulled out a battered riding hat bought with pocket money at a jumble sale. Running her finger over the tatty velvet a new determination came over her. Tomorrow there would be no hiding behind the wall at follyfoot, it was time to pluck up the courage and go in. She wanted so much to be like that girl Dora.

“Joe, can’t we find some way to let her ride?” asked Sarah.

“ You know how things are at the mine, there’s talk of strikes. We’ve got no money for fancy riding lessons and why does she want to go riding for anyway?” he sneered. “Snobby lot I reckon. You’ve only got to see them spoilt brats at the Pony Club with their noses in the air to see that”.

“They’re not ALL like that. Mrs Whitely two doors down lets her daughter go and they‘re no better than we are.” She took a step back as Joe leapt from his chair.

“For gods sake belt up you stupid woman!” He glared at her, clenching and unclenching his fists. “I have to go to a Union Meeting. Don’t know when I’ll be back.” He stomped from the room slamming the door behind him.

Yes and I bet you’ll be at the pub afterwards. Plenty of money for that now isn’t there. Sarah kept her thoughts to herself lest she get a backhander.

************

“Here, come and have a look at this.”

Dora put down her broom and followed Steve’s gaze. Creeping across the yard was Cathy looking fearfully to left and right.

“You see. I told you her love of horses would overcome her shyness.”

“Hello lass. Can we help?” called Steve.

Cathy blushed and mumbled something they couldn’t quite hear. I can’t do this she thought and was about to turn tail and run when Dora said gently “Would you like to see the horses? Come this way and I’ll give you a guided tour” and before Cathy had time to think Dora propelled her towards the first stable. This is Copper. Isn’t he beautiful?” Cathy nodded. “And this is Charlie. He’s an ex pit pony.”

They moved on to the next stable. Cathy jumped back in surprise as a bloke with a shock of ginger hair, piece of straw sticking out of his mouth, suddenly popped his head over the door. “Wotcha!”

“And this” said Dora with a smile “is funny old Ron”

“Come to look at the old nags then? ”Cathy looked down and nodded. “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue? Blimey your face has gone as red as your hair!”

“OH RON!! Don’t be horrid” Dora glared at him.

Cathy’s new courage left her and she turned to run off but bumped straight into Slugger.

” Hey steady on!!” he held her gently by the shoulders to stop her falling. She looked up into this kindly old mans face and tears welled in her eyes.

“She’s come to look at the horses but Ron was teasing her”

“ Typical. He ought to do some work that’s what he ought. What’s the young ladies name?”

“Cathy Bradley” came the whispered reply.

“Is your dad’s name Joe?” asked Steve who had come over to join them.

“Yes” she said in a small voice.

“That figures. I’ve heard about her dad, he’s a nasty bully with a vicious temper. Knocks his wife about and I dare say he belts her too. The son ran away from home a few years ago and hasn’t been seen since. No wonder she’s so timid with a father like that.”

Dora put her arm around Cathy’s shoulder. “How would you like to come up here tomorrow. We could do with some help and I could give you riding lessons in return.”

“You want to be careful. If her father finds out they’ll be trouble. There always is with that sort.” Slugger grumbled.

“So we won’t tell him then shall we. It will be our little secret. What do you say?”

“Yes please!” Cathy was almost bouncing out of her skin with excitement.

They watched her run past the lightning tree and out of the gate. Dora and Steve smiled at one another.

” Well she went out happier than when she came in that’s for sure. I’m going to turn her into a confident little rider” Dora was determined to help the girl because she could see a little bit of herself in Cathy.

Ron watched the girl with the ginger pigtails skipping and jumping away down the lane and shook his head. “Weird kid!” and went back to reading his comic.

******************

She had been going to the farm for a while now and her mother had noticed how happy and more confident she had become.

” Where do you keep scuttling off to every day our Cathy? Have you made some new friends?”

Cathy had never made friends easily, not fitting in with the miners’ children who pulled her pigtails and called her carrot tops. She would stand there with tears sliding down her red cheeks and be called a “cry baby” and then mostly ignored.

So understandably she was bursting to tell her mother the lovely time she was having at the farm. “Please don’t tell dad but I’ve been going to Follyfoot and helping Dora, Steve and Ron with the horses and Dora’s teaching me to ride and Slugger cooks bacon and eggs for breakfast every day and the colonel lives in this huge house and…”

“Hang on a minute love, slow down! What is this Follyfoot?”

“It’s a place where they rescue old horses. I can do rising trot and canter now without holding on and Dora says soon I will be able to go out hacking with her and Steve”

Joe was listening in the hallway and his face had turned scarlet with rage. Bursting through the door he made a lunge for Cathy punching her in the face and she cried out in pain.

Sarah grabbed at his arm. “Give over our Joe let her be! She only wants to ride horses and it isn’t costing us anything. Can’t you see how happy she is?”

But he couldn’t care less about that, he had told her not to go riding and she had undermined his authority. “Come here you little brat!” and he made another grab for her but Cathy dodged his fist and ran out into the street. In his frustration he turned on Sarah punching and kicking her over and over again. Fortunately for Cathy she didn’t see her mother being battered.

She ran to Follyfoot, the only place where she felt she truly belonged. Steve saw her first as she careered into the yard blinded by her tears.

”Hey slow down girl… oh Jesus!” He saw her bruised and bloodied face. “ DORA come quickly!!”

Dora dropped the bridle she was cleaning and rushed out from the tack room. Seeing Cathy’s swollen face she felt a lump rising in her throat. ” Who did this to you? ”

“Who do you think? I’ll bet he’s found out she’s been coming here.” shouted Steve angrily.

“My mum…please help her, he’ll kill her……….” sobbed Cathy in Dora’s arms.

“Dora, Steve! What IS all the fuss about?” The Colonel strode across the yard and stopped in his tracks when he saw the damage Bradley had inflicted upon his own child.

“Good heavens!”

“Uncle, I think someone should go to Cathy’s house. I’m concerned for Mrs Bradley.”

“I’ll come with you” Steve was already running to the Land Rover.

“I wish I could get my hands on that evil bastard!” Steve thumped the steering wheel with his fist. The Colonel laid a hand on Steve’s arm.

“Come on Steve, this isn’t helping Mrs Bradley. We must hurry.”

As they approached the miners’ cottages a police car with Joe Bradley in the back pulled away.

“This doesn’t look good Colonel……” he stopped in mid sentence. The crowd of onlookers parted as Mrs Bradley was carried out of the cottage on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance. They drew up beside it and Steve leapt out. “Is she…………?” he started to say but the ambulance man shook his head. “Dead I’m afraid”

Steve shut his eyes and muttered, “that poor kid!” He walked slowly back to the Colonel who was talking earnestly to a policeman.

“There doesn’t appear to be any other relatives who could look after Cathy apart from Joe’s sister and she has five small children already so she doesn’t want her. It’s been suggested we have her for the time being. What do you think Steve?”

He nodded his agreement and they returned to follyfoot in silence, neither of them relishing the prospect of telling Cathy her mother was dead.

*****************

Three months had past since that terrible day. They were all sitting in the kitchen, a birthday cake with eight candles sat on the table.

“Where’s the little ‘un? Slugger looked at the clock.

“She’s just putting Charlie out in the paddock. Shh!!! everyone, here she comes.”

Cathy popped her head round the door. “Dora what do you want me to do next?…..oh!!!” She had spotted the cake and her eyes opened wide.

“SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY” They shouted in unison.

“Oh goody it’s chocolate. My favourite” and she gave each of them a big hug and a kiss.

“Yeuk! Give over.” Ron made a big show of wiping his cheek where she’d kissed him. “Can’t be doing wiv all that soppy stuff”

“Blow out the candles and make a wish.” said Steve.

Cathy skipped around the room, shut her eyes and muttered under her breath then blew out the candles. A cheeky grin came over her face. “Do you want to know what I wished for?”

“NO! Your not supposed to tell us,” laughed Dora.

But Cathy was going to tell them anyway! “I want to live in the big house with the Colonel. Can I? Can I? Please!”

The Colonel ruffled her hair. “Don’t you like living in the farmhouse with Dora and Slugger?

“Yes but its so much bigger up there and I’d have my own room and I could slide down the banisters.”

“Come on then young lady, let’s go and choose a room in the big house.” All thoughts of chocolate cake gone from her mind Cathy pulled him out through the door and they heard her say, “Can I have the one with the four poster bed?”

Steve grinned at Dora. “Remember the timid little thing that didn’t say boo to a goose a few month ago? She’s turning into a right little madam. Not surprising since she spends most of her time with you!”

“Cheek!” Dora handed the cake round. “Come on tuck in. Slugger spent ages making it.”

“Cor Slugs, this aint arf good.” Ron stuffed more into his mouth. “Makes a bleedin’ change!”

******************

She remembered Dora and herself riding side by side up the lane towards the farm, the verges on each side covered with cow parsley, the wind rustling through fresh new growth on the trees, skylarks singing high overhead and the May sun warm on their backs. She sighed contentedly.

“Penny for them? Dora had asked her.

“I love living at Follyfoot. I don’t EVER want to leave.”

Dora smiling at her had pushed Copper into a canter shouting over her shoulder “come on slow coach, race you back!”

Cathy had needed no encouragement. It was home!!

She shook herself from her reverie and walked slowly back to the car. Something had drawn her back for one last look and she was glad she’d seen it before it all crumbled away. Having spent ten happy years here she would never forget it as long as she lived.

Follyfoot had weaved it’s magic again!

Dreams certainly did come true………

© Suzy 2008