Merle was poking the piece of cake (made by Nathalie, who usually had nothing to do with cooking or even baking) with her fork. They were sitting around the table in the freshly renovated kitchen. She wasn’t hungry and wondered how everyone else could be after she spoiled the day for them.
“Now, Merle,” Emma began and swallowed her bite. “You wanted to tell us something?”
But really, she didn’t. Merle’s stomach felt upset and she was afraid she would have to start crying when she opened her mouth. Blankly, she kept staring at her cake. To her relief, her Dad noticed her discomfort.
“Merle showed the mare to me at the Open Day at the Equestrian Center we visited last week. She sneeked backstage to see one of her friends from school and discovered the mare there. Apparently she was supposed to participate in one stable’s dressage show and didn’t exactly cooperate. I haven’t seen it myself, but Merle said the caretakers yelled at the horse and pulled its bridle violently. When she heard they wanted to sell her quickly or get rid of her otherwise, she came to me and asked for help.”
“So you bought her a horse, just like that?” Nathalie concluded with her eyebrows raised.
“First of all I only asked for a price,” Marko replied. “And said we would think about it. Merle didn’t feel like watching the show anymore afterwards, so we went home.”
That night, Merle remembered, she had begged her father on her knees like she never did before. She wasn’t a spoiled brat, but like almost every father Marko had a weakness for his only daughter. Merle wasn’t the kind to take advantage of this, except for this time.
Emma was impressed. “My parents would have never bought a horse for me. You are lucky, Merle.” She chuckled.
“Oh, we didn’t buy her a horse,” Marko corrected his niece with a smile on his face. “We barely borrowed the money to her. And we want to see every cent back.”
“She is the gift for my birthday and Christmas,” Merle explained. After a short break, she added: “And I have to find a job in the summer holidays.”
“Well, I’m kinda impressed,” Emma said, looking sincerely at Merle. “Really, I didn’t expect this from you. In a good way, I mean. However, I’m not sure she can stay here. Purchasing a horse doesn’t only cost a lot, keeping them does also, you know.”
“I’ll manage somehow,” Merle replied, feeling weakened. “I don’t ask you for a favor. I will provide for her.”
It got silent around the table.
Emma exchanged meaningful looks with Nathalie and Marko. Her cousin noticed that she is worried, but continued to stare at her plate full with cake. Did she actually believe herself what she was saying? How would she take care of the mare, when she was working all summer? And how on earth would she ever earn enough money to repay her parents and finance the horse’s accommodation here?
Merle pushed back her chair and got up. Keeping her face down, she managed to bring out a short “Excuse me” and quickly left the room. The others looked after her. Marko attempted to get up himself, but Nathalie held her hand on his arm, asking him to stay.
“Let Emma talk with her,” she asked. “You can help me clean up the kitchen. I’ll show you around afterwards.”
*****
In the meanwhile, Merle found her way back to the front paddock where the mare was grazing peacefully, and sat on the fence. She wouldn’t find a better place for her to stay, that was a fact to her, and the mare seemed to feel quite comfortable here, too. And she would fit in so well with the other Hanoverians, Merle thought, if she actually was one. Merle didn’t have any breed certificates for her, which would be another point of discussion between her and Emma. Summarizing how everything turned out, perhaps she was just stupid to believe everything would work out like she had planned. Maybe it was the best to bring the mare home again and sell her to someone that was capable of taking care for her.
Just as if she could read her sad thoughts, the mare came walking over to Merle and sniffed her legs. With a short, forced smile she patted her on the head, before the mare left again to continue grazing somewhere else.
Merle kept sitting, lost in thought while watching her horse. Suddenly she felt a firm grasp on both her shoulders. “Don’t fall!” Merle was startled, but she recognized Emma’s voice. A moment later, he saw the grinning face of her cousin next to her.
“Very funny,” Merle said annoyed.
“Oh come on, don’t be so grumpy.”
“Is that really a surprise to you?” Merle asked. She and her cousin looked at each other, but Emma didn’t reply. After a few moments, both their gazes turned to the mare.
“You may not believe me, but I can understand you,” Emma said eventually. “There is something special about her, but I just can’t put my finger on it.”
“I know what you mean. She is a mystery.” Merle answered. “What will happen now?”
Emma thought about this question for a moment, before replying: “I don’t know what will happen now, but I can tell you what will happen in about 10 minutes: You will go to the stables and prepare one of the empty boxes.”
Merle heard the words, but she didn’t understand their meaning. “What?”
“What ‘what’? If I remember correctly you said that you would take care of her! If you don’t want your horse to sleep outside tonight, I would suggest you prepare a box for her, because I certainly won’t.”
Unbelieving, Merle stared at Emma. “So… she can stay?”
Just 5 minutes ago, a positive answer to this question seemed further away to Merle than the sun and the moon. There was a part of her that was afraid Emma was just teasing her, but Merle never thought of her cousin as such a cruel person. Then again, after her initial reaction to the mare this midday, how come she changed her mind all of a sudden?
“The sun is setting already, Merle. That mare had one long trip today, and we finally have enough space for her, you and Marko, if he wants to stay. The mare can stay,” Emma emphasized, but added immediately, “temporary.”
There were no more words necessary, yet alone possible. Merle jumped off the fence and gave her cousin a big hug. Hiding her face in Emma’s shoulder, the tears started rolling. All the anxiety, stress and worries of the past days had worn her out and made her feel tired. Having a perspective for her mare was more than she could take right now.
Emma noticed that her pullover was turning wet, but didn’t say anything. For several moments they stayed in this position, before Merle slowly withdrew herself from Emma, wiping her eyes with one of her sleeves.
“Will you be alright?” Emma asked.
Merle nodded and smiled carefully. “Thank you… so much.”
“It’s ok. Now you better get started with the box, before it’s dark!”
With her red eyes and growing smile, Merle turned around to leave the paddock and walk straight to the stable. The relief she felt was overwhelming.
“Oh Merle! Wait!” Emma called, and the girl turned back to her cousin. “You didn’t tell me yet what the mare is called.”
Merle let out a short laugh that was filled with her tears. The smile that followed was the warmest and most caring one Emma had ever seen from her.
“Thillie,” Merle said silently. “Her name is Thillie.”