Dreams of a Dancing Horse by Dandi Daley Mackall Page B

back is to me, and the other two girls are yelling at her from the ground. I can tell she’s as comfortable standing on the back of that horse as she’d be standing on the ground. I remember what Tina said about her being the best rider. I believe it. Simply bending down to talk to the other two girls, this girl is as graceful as an angel.
    There’s something familiar about her …
    Suddenly, Princess reaches up, grabs the new girl’s ankle, and pulls it out from underneath her. The poor girl falls and lands on her stomach with a thump. Her body bounces in the sawdust of the arena.
    I can’t believe it! I gallop into the arena to keep Princess from harming the girl further.
    The girl appears to be struggling to get her breath. Just as I arrive at her side, she turns over onto her back. When she looks at me, her green eyes grow as round as the full moon.
    It’s Lena. The new girl is my Lena!
    â€œFred? Is it really you? It can’t be. But it is!” She jumps up and flings her arms around me. “You’re here! I’m not dreaming. You’re really and truly here!” She draws back. “Unless I hit my head too hard and I’m crazier than a june bug in August.”
    I nudge Lena and nicker.
    â€œIt is you, Fred! I’d know that nicker anywhere!”
    I nuzzle her and feel warm tears well up in my throat. Lena. My Lena. I thought I’d never see her again.
    â€œWell, you can knock me in the teeth and call me Mabel!” Lena exclaims. Tears are streaming down her cheeks. She scratches me behind the ears, just like in the old days. “I’ve missed you so much, Fred! You have no idea.”

    She’s wrong about that. As hard as I’ve tried not to think about her, the pain of missing Lena has always been there, in my heart, with my mother’s song.
    â€œI’ve never forgotten you, Fred,” Lena continues. “I’ve missed you something awful. You’re the reason I’m here, you know!”
    This confuses me, but I listen.
    â€œYou were bound and determined I oughta keep dancing. You gave me the guts to dream and the gumption to do something about it. I finally done run away from Uncle Herbert, Cousin Rollo, and that sorry excuse for a farm. And none too soon neither.
    â€œWhen the circus came to town, I snuck off and joined up. For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been dancing on the back of one of them white horses. They’re pretty snooty. But I do love dancing in the circus.”
    I’m so proud of Lena for following her dream. And I’m pleased to hear her say I had a small part in that. Somehow, that’s better than reaching my own dream. I feel like I did when Bessie announced she was going to be a cow comedian. Or when Mary realized she was getting a pony. Or like I felt when Jonathan and Molly got enough money to go to New York.
    Only I feel that joy a hundred times over for my Lena.
    Lena presses her soft cheek against my neck, and I could stay like this forever.
    â€œCircus dancing is a hoot, Fred,” she says. “Only no horse has ever been as good as you at dancing. Those white horses with their skinny backs can’t hold a candle to you. Why, I can’t even do a pirouette without falling off.”
    Leo runs up to us. “Are you all right, Lena?” he shouts. “I saw what Princess did to you. She shouldn’t have done that, and I told her so. But those two gals have been here longer than you. So if we’ve just got two horses, I’m afraid I have to let them ride tonight.”
    Lena hangs her head, then nods at him.
    â€œI’m awful sorry,” Leo continues. “I know I promised you center ring tonight, but without a horse … well, I knew you’d understand.”
    Lena nods again, and sniffs. “Yeah. I reckon,” she says.
    I can’t stand seeing Lena sad. Tonight was going to be her big moment in center ring. And now she can’t even