Growing Up

Richard Carter was proud of how successful he was in his business of computer programming. He was somewhat disappointed that his son, Steven, wasn't as passionate about computers as he was. Richard didn't understand why Steven had the desire to ride horses, but he decided it was a phase his son was going through and Steven would soon get over it.

Richard wore a pressed black suit and polished black shoes every day to work. His dark brown hair was kept short. Richard usually worked late and rarely saw his son. The few times that Richard was able to do something with Steven, they nearly always argued about something, whether it was what Steven was wearing, or an activity that Richard thought ridiculous, such as horse-back riding lessons.

When Steven first requested riding lessons, Richard was reluctant to agree because he didn't think Steven needed to know how to ride. He agreed only when Steven assured him that he would keep his grades up. Together, they registered Steven to begin lessons the following week.

On the first day, Richard's presence was required at the barn because Steven was not yet 18. Richard glanced at his son. He disapproved of Steven's attire--a t-shirt, blue jeans, and tennis shoes--even though Steven had explained that casual clothes were preferred over a suit. Steven was chattering about how excited he was to begin lessons.

During a lull in Steven's babble, Richard cleared his throat. "Why are you so interested in riding?"

Steven was stunned. "Dad, I've wanted to learn for years. I did a bit of research at school and found the Learn to Ride Equestrian Center. It's near our house, and the price is quite reasonable compared to the other barns nearby."

Richard glanced at Steven again. "You sure it's not for some girl? Or to get out of working with computers? I know you don't want to follow me in the family business."

Steven held his sigh. His father was always bringing up the fact that Steven wasn't interested in computers like Richard was. "It's not for a girl," he replied. He didn't say anything else. Horses, he had read, could tell if you were angry or upset. Talking about the family business would lead to an argument, which Steven didn't want.
Richard turned into the barn's parking lot. The gravel crunched under the tires of the sleek black car. "Go on," Richard said. "I'll be along shortly."

Steven left the car and walked to the barn. A young woman with curly red hair greeted him. "Are you Steven?" She held a clipboard in one hand and was sitting in a chair by a dusty table.

He nodded. "I am," he replied, shaking her hand.

"My name is Vanessa. Is your father here?" Vanessa's blue eyes followed Steven's finger as he pointed to the spotless car.

"He said he would come in a few minutes."

Vanessa smiled. Setting the clipboard on the table, she stood up. "Let's get you started. You'll be riding Byron. He's a bit tall, but you have long legs, so you should be fine." Vanessa led him to a stall.

Steven stopped in front of the stall and a cloud of hot breath covered his face. He stretched a hand out to Byron's nose, letting the brown horse smell him. Byron nuzzled his hand. Vanessa chuckled from where she leaned against the stall door. "He likes you. What do you know about horses?"

Steven looked at her. "I looked a few things up online. They have blind spots directly in front of and behind them. They don't like sudden movements. Am I riding English or Western?" There were other ways to ride, but English and Western were the most common.

"English; Byron doesn't know Western." Vanessa took him to a room filled with riding equipment--it was called tack--as well as brushes and a lot of dust. She picked up a saddle, bridle, girth and saddle pad. "Find Byron's grooming bucket. I think it's the green one. His name is on it."

Steven looked through the buckets and saw Byron's name in big letters on one of the green ones. He grabbed it and returned to Byron's stall. "Internet can't teach you how to properly groom a horse," Vanessa told him, taking a brush from the bucket.

Vanessa walked Steven through the steps of brushing Byron. She picked the hooves, explaining as she went. As Vanessa told Steven how to put the saddle on so it wouldn't pinch Byron, they heard footsteps in the aisle. Vanessa wiped some dust from her hands on her pants.

"You must be Steven's father." Extending a hand, she had to wait a moment while Richard stared at her. He finally shook it, releasing it quickly. Vanessa took in Richard's now slightly dusty suit. "I would suggest not going in the arena. It's rather dusty."

Richard glanced to his son. "I'll watch from the car."

Steven hid his disappointment. He should've expected that his father was going to sit in his car. Byron turned his head to stare at Steven with one eye; Steven gave the horse a small smile and ran his hand along Byron's neck.

"That's fine," Vanessa said. She turned back to Steven. "Ready for the bridle?" she asked.

"I think so. Is the girth tight enough?"

"We'll make sure it's snug before you get on."

Steven watched as Vanessa put the bridle on. She passed him the reins and waved to Steven to follow.
Steven led Byron out, following Vanessa to the mounting block. She lined Byron up and tightened the girth. Vanessa picked up a helmet and fitted it to Steven's head. Vanessa told Steven how to get on; following her instructions, he mounted.

Vanessa walked beside Byron's head, telling Steven some last-minute tips about riding. They walked a lap before going outside. After a few more warm-up laps, Vanessa helped Steven cue Byron to trot.

Steven's lesson was going well. While they were trotting along the rail, the sudden barking of a dog startled Byron. He leapt forward, throwing Steven out of the saddle.

Fright froze Steven's muscles as he flew through the air. As he hit the ground, he rolled, making the dust cloud up. He stayed on the ground as the dust settled around him. Steven stood up as Vanessa led Byron back over; she was stroking Byron's face and murmuring soothing words to him. Glancing over his shoulder, Steven saw that his father was halfway out of his car, concern etched on his face. "I'm okay," Steven assured Vanessa before she could ask. "I want to get back on."

Vanessa helped Steven return to the saddle. "Take it easy for a few laps. That dog spooked him quite a bit." Steven nodded and steered Byron to the rail. He noticed that his father had returned to the car. After a few laps, Steven cued him into a slow trot. Steven heard a loud clack as Byron's hoof struck a rock; Byron skittered away from the rail.

A nervous tingle spread to Steven's fingers. He hunched his shoulders and grabbed some of Byron's mane. Taking a deep breath, he released the mane and slowed Byron to a walk. "Easy Byron," Steven murmured, imitating what Vanessa had done. He stroked Byron's neck. "Easy, boy."

After the sky grew dark, Steven returned Byron to his stall. Vanessa supervised while Steven took off the tack. Vanessa told Steven where he could find some treats for Byron. He grabbed two and held a flat hand out to Byron's nose. The whiskers covering Byron's nose tickled Steven's hand as Byron took the treats. Steven brushed Byron again and glanced at Vanessa.

"I'll take it from here. I need to get his dinner together."

Steven shook her hand again. "Thanks for the lesson. I'll see you next week."

Vanessa nodded and waved as she started crossing the arena.

Steven left the barn. He brushed dust from his clothes as he walked to his father's car. He tapped on the window and heard a click as the car doors unlocked. He brushed a bit more dust from his shirt before climbing inside.

"Did you enjoy the lesson?" Richard started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

"Yeah, it was a lot of fun." Steven rested his head back. His muscles were a bit sore.

"Are you hurt?" His father asked after a pause. "I didn't think a horse could throw someone like that."

"No, I'm fine. Byron was spooked by a dog. Horses are sensitive. A loud noise or sudden movement could cause a horse to bolt."

They were silent for the remainder of the ride home. "I'm going to take a shower," Steven said as he got out of the car.

Richard nodded. "I'll be in my office, downstairs."

In his office, Richard sat in his chair. He rubbed his temples and wiggled the mouse for his computer. He clicked on the Internet, drumming his fingers on the desk while it loaded. His email popped up. Scanning the messages, he didn't see anything that needed his immediate attention. Most were from his main office, and would be dealt with tomorrow.

A new email suddenly showed up in his inbox. It was from Jasmine, his wife. He opened the message and read through it. Steven knocked on the open door, rubbing a hand through his wet hair. "Something from Mom?" he asked.

Richard nodded. He waved a hand at the screen, inviting Steven to read the email. "She arrived in Australia yesterday. She's been sleeping off the jet lag. She's going snorkeling tomorrow and wants to know what you want for a souvenir." Richard summed up the email while Steven read it.

Jasmine Carter was taking a few months to travel some of the world. She usually served as a middle-man for Steven and his father whenever they were about to get into an argument about Steven's future.

Steven already had quite a few souvenirs from his mother's trip in his room. She had purchased them and sent them straight to their house; Steven didn't have to wait until his mother returned home before getting them.
Steven thought for a minute. "I think a boomerang would be cool," he said, thinking aloud. Richard began typing.

"You want a boomerang, you said?" Richard asked. When he was finished typing, he skimmed the email and clicked on save. He planned on adding a few things when he was done talking. Turning his chair to look at Steven, Richard was startled to see something different about his son.

"Yeah, that'll work. Look, I still have some homework, so I'm going upstairs to finish it up. When I'm done, I'm going to go to bed. Night," Steven said.

"All right, Steven. Good night. I'm glad you enjoyed the lesson."

"Thanks for paying for it."

Richard gave his son a nod. "I'll see you in the morning."

Steven repeated his father and waved before going to his bedroom.

Staring after Steven, Richard thought about the lesson. Steven was persistent. He knew that at Steven's age, he likely wouldn't have gotten back on the horse. He hadn't had difficulty learning how to program computers. Steven hadn't given up when he had fallen. With a resigned sigh, Richard decided that he was going to do his best to stop hounding Steven about computer programming. If Steven decided he wanted to pursue horse-back riding, Richard knew that he should support Steven's decision.

Pulling up the email to Jasmine, Richard told his wife about Steven's lesson. At the end of the email, he added what he had decided. He read through the email again before clicking Send. He wouldn't be able to change his mind about Steven's future now; Jasmine would make sure of that. Rubbing his eyes, he shut down his computer and went to bed. Life in the house would be different now.