Post by issalyn on Jan 6, 2010 12:36:30 GMT -5
Pain (any pain--emotional, physical, mental) has a message. The information it has about our life can be remarkably specific, but it usually falls into one of two categories: "We would be more alive if we did more of this," and, "Life would be more lovely if we did less of that." Once we get the pain's message, and follow its advice, the pain goes away.
The dashing male figure slid out of his SUV, parked neatly in the front row of spaces in front of the building lit up as "Java Joe's." He ran his hand through his sandy brown hair and tugged on the bottom of his hunter polo, trying to smooth out the wrinkles that had accumulated from his long drive.
When he'd pulled off the highway and into town he'd seen the sign that said "Welcome to Felicity." He'd been getting tired of sitting in the car and needed to stretch his muscles, so he had decided it looked like as nice a place to pull off as any. On the outskirts of the town he'd passed a couple of horse farms settled on large, green plots of land. That was probably what had lured him to stop in the town more than anything else.
Gabriel had just moved from his old home and steady job. He'd been a longtime instructor at a prestigious equestrian based university. He'd taught both english and western riding classes as well as other courses. He ate, drank, and breathed showing horses. It was his life. Or so it had been. During the spring semester his beloved mare, Clue, had died during foaling. Her young colt hadn't survived either. Clue had been the only horse Gabe owned after selling most of his others when he started teaching at the college, since most of his time was focused on the training of the school's horses and he had little time left for his own.
She'd been his companion and a champion. He'd won Congress with her two years in a row in Pleasure Driving and had won a World and Reserve World championship in it as well. She'd also taken him to the blue in Hunter Under Saddle in futurities all across the region and had been a top five at Congress and World in that event as well. He'd had so many hopes for her, and her young foal. But in just a matter of minutes, all his hopes had been dashed.
As soon as the semester had ended, he handed in his notice and he'd packed up what little belongings he had - there really wasn't space for much in the quarters he'd called home above one of the school's barns. He'd set out in his silver Escalade and started driving. He didn't know where he'd end up, all that mattered was that it was somewhere he could start over fresh. He didn't want to face the condolences of all the students and faculty. He didn't want any reminders of the mare he'd lost. She may not have been the only horse he'd owned in his lifetime, but he'd had her since she was a weanling and she had been the only he'd accomplished so much with.
Gabe absent-mindedly ordered a tall cup of coffee. Black. No special flavor, just whatever the regular was. His gray-green eyes scanned over the seating arrangements, finding an open table in the corner by the windows and made his way there. He hopped up onto the tall stool type chair, facing the windows with his back to the rest of the place. He wasn't there for socializing or even getting to know anyone. He wanted to sit where he could enjoy the view of the town, not where he would have to smile politely at anyone else.
His coffee was only lukewarm by the time he took his first sip. The strong flavor slid down his throat, warming him slightly. It was a good coffee. He studied the other buildings on the street, eyes squinting slightly to catch all the details. He saw a lot of trucks drive down the not-too-busy road, two hauling horse trailers. It was definitely a horse town.