Andrea Carter and the Missing Taffy

by Mabel Jo F. 

Photo Prompt #10 Taffy Far from Home

San Joaquín Valley, California, Fall 1881

“Andrea! wake up! It’s almost time to leave for school!“ Mother told a very sleepy Andi. “I am going downstairs to help Nila with cooking breakfast. I expect you to be at the table when I sit down.” 

As soon as the door to Andi’s room closed, she leapt out of bed. Grabbing her Bible as she did so, she opened it to PSALM 91:2, so she could work on memorizing that verse while she got dressed for school. “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and fortress. My God, in whom I will trust. Psalm 91:2.” Andi recited.

Andi was so focused on reciting her verse and getting dressed, that she did not notice Hannah’s tousled head peek through the crack in her door. “Hi, Nandi!”   Hannah greeted her, giggling at the surprised look on Andi’s face.  “Did I scare you, Nandi?”    

“Hannah! You startled me! Shouldn’t you be downstairs at the dining-“    

“Gra’ma sent me up to tell you to come down for breakfast.”  

“Tell mother I’ll be right down. All right?”  

“Right ‘way, Nandi!”   

“Good girl, Hannah. Go on now.” 

She had just watched Hannah disappear down the stairs, when Nila called, “BREAKFAST!”                                                                                                                                                     

“Coming!” Melinda replied.  Then she headed for the stairs, coming to a stop in front of Andi’s door to watch her little sister stuff books into her schoolbag. She said, “It’s time for breakfast, Andi.”   Then Melinda turned and went downstairs.  

“Okay.” Andi told Melinda. She quickly finished stuffing books in her bag, tenderly shut her Bible, grabbed her school bag and ran out her bedroom door to follow Melinda to the table. And skidded to a stop. . . The banister railing looked so tempting. She climbed on and tightly grasped her books. Whish.  She almost collided with Melinda on her way down. 

“ANDI! What do you think you’re doing?”  Thud.  “Here, I’ll help you pick your books up.”  

“Thanks, Melinda.” Quickly picking herself up, she helped her sister pick her books up, she and Melinda ran breathless into the dining room where the two sisters slid into their seats. They looked up just as Mother came in.

“Good morning, Andi!” Her family chorused.

She replied in kind, saying, “Good morning, Justin.  Good morning, Kate. Good morning, Chad. Good morning, Mitch. Good morning, Melinda. Good morning, Levi. Good  morning, Betsy. Good morning, Hannah.”

They all acknowledged her greeting with a nod, then Justin prayed. The table came alive with talk and people passing food.  Andi ate as quickly as possible, because she wanted to go see Taffy before it was time to leave for school. 

Diego had hitched Pal to the buggy while Andi and her family ate breakfast. Justin had already helped Rosa into the buggy and now was waiting for Andi to hurry from the barn where she had been talking with Taffy before she had to leave for school.                                                                                                         

“ANDI!” yelled Justin.” Hurry up! We need to leave, NOW. If you don’t get over here right now, I’ll leave you here, ALL DAY!”

“You know that would be fine with Me, Justin.“ Andi replied, laughing. 

“ANDI, I was joking, Now, get over here and in this buggy before I come after you.” Justin yelled at her, absolutely out of patience with Andi.

At that, Andi ran as fast as she could over to the buggy and stepped in, ignoring Justin’s helping hand.    

Justin then stepped into the buggy and grabbed the reins where they had been put on the dashboard when Diego had hitched Pal to the buggy that morning, picked them up and slapped them on Pal’s back. Pal jumped into a gallop. The buggy jerked forward unexpectedly and threw its occupants into the dashboard. Pal, startled by the sudden slap from Justin, settled into a smooth easy lope towards town. 

“Well, here we are, Ladies.” Justin said, pulling back on the reins. Justin jumped out and help Rosa out, then turned to help Andi out.  

“We’d best go on in, Rosa”   

“Si-“ Rosa caught herself.  “Yes, Andi. Let’s go.”               

Clang, Clang. “That’s the bell. We gotta fly!”      

“Not so fast! I can’t keep up with you.” Rosa panted in Andi’s ear. They clattered up the steps and into the schoolhouse.                                                                                                                                                                                              

**********

When Pal trotted into the ranch yard that Friday after school, Andi jumped down from the buggy and ran as fast as she could into the house and up the stairs to her room and quickly and quietly shut her door.

 As soon as her door shut, she got out of her school dress and grabbed a split skirt, a shirt, quickly changed, then she quickly ran outside and into the barn where Taffy was quietly munching hay. She neighed a protest when Andi slammed the barn door. “Sorry, girl, I was just in a hurry to see you I guess.” Andi said, as she picked up a pitch fork, walked into Taffy’s stall and began cleaning it. “But guess what tomorrow is, Girl! It’s Saturday! You and I can go riding all we want tomorrow, oh Taffy, I just can’t wait!”

Saturday morning dawned bright and clear. Of course, Andi didn’t have to be told to get up. She was up with the sun, getting ready to go on a day-long expedition on her family’s ranch.

After she finished her chores, she walked over to Taffy. Then threw her saddle blanket on her mare.  She then threw her saddle on Taffy and cinched it up. She turned Taffy around in the barn. Then led Taffy out in the sunshine.     

“Hey, ANDI! Wanna come to the east pasture and help brand? Don’t forget Taffy!” Chad teased.

Andi quickly mounted and raced toward Chad, skidding to a stop in front of Sky.  “Let’s go, Big brother! I’m ready.”    

“Then let’s go!” Chad said.

They arrived at the east pasture 30 minutes later and set to work branding calves. Andi was so engrossed in roping the calves and bringing them to the fire that she didn’t see an angry mama cow come barreling at her and Taffy to rescue her baby.

However, Mitch’s: ”AAANNNDDDDIII!” brought her to her senses and she looked up to see the mama cow about 6 feet from her and Taffy. Then, all at once, she felt herself airborne. She heard Taffy’s loud frightened neigh. Then with a thunk, she landed. Taffy screamed and ran away toward the foothills like a cougar was after her.  Andi watched her beloved mare gallop away.

“Mitch! We have to go after her! Now!”

“No, Andi. We can’t. At least not right now.” 

“ANDI! Are you all right? That was quite the tumble you took!” Chad said, chuckling. “I sure am glad that wasn’t me on Taffy when she saw that mama cow barreling towards her at top speed! Andi, what’s wrong?”    

“Oh, C-C-ha-d, I-I w-want T-Taf-fy! Oh, Cha-d, p-p-lea-se   g-o   ge-t   her f-or me.   p-p-le-ase?”  

“I will, little sister, I promise. I will not come back until I find her.”  Chad told Andi. “Please don’t cry, I’ll be back soon with Taffy, I promise.” With that, Chad turned, ran over to Sky and didn’t really even touch the stirrups, he mounted up so fast! He whirled Sky around in the direction Taffy had taken and lit out after her as fast as Sky could go. The chase was on!                                                 

“Hey, Lang, there’s a golden palermino all tacked up heading straight towards us.” Jon grabbed at the horse’s reins and grabbed them. “Whoa there, hoss.” Jon soothed. “Hold steady now, nobody’s gonna hurt ya.”

“What brand is on that there palermino? Were ya able to look an’ see it?”

“Uh, Lang, ya won’t believe it. The brand’s a Circle C.”           

“Wha!!!!!! Jon, are ya crazy? Ya and I both know Circle C horses go home if they get scared.”       

“Not this one, Lang, at least not this time! Lang! Come ‘ere quick! An’ hurry.”    

“What seems ter be the matter, Jon?”       

“There’s a rider coming towards us at full speed, Lang, do ya s’pose he owns the horse?”      

“Good thinkin’, yar prob’bly right. We need ter get out o’ here! Now!”       

“Lang, what’ll we do with the palermino?”     

“What do ya think? Leave that perfect specimen o’ horseflesh here to get caught by a wild beast? Or caught by that mad cowhand that’s racing up here? No sirree! We’re a ‘takin the horse with us.”                                                                                              “Come on, Sky! We gotta get Taffy back for Andi. What in the world!” Chad exclaimed as Jon and Lang snatched Taffy’s reigns and galloped away. “Why, they’re taking Taffy with them! Come on, Sky we gotta catch up to them. Go, boy, Go!”   

Startled by the horse and rider racing toward him, Jon worried, “Uh oh, Lang, he’s afollerin’ us.”

“What do we care, come on, we better hurry if we want to make Visalia by nightfall.”      

“Wha!! We’re takin the palermino into Visalia? Are ya touched in the ‘ead?”  

“Naw, but first we gotta lose the cowhand that’s follerin us.”  

“Yea, and how ya gonna do that?”   

“Like this, ya peel off in one direction an’ I’ll peel off’n the ’tother direction…”  

“Whoa, Sky.” Chad slid out of the saddle 24 hours later at the Circle C ranch yard.  He was ready for bed. Right then Diego walked by, and asked Chad if he wanted him to take care of Sky for him. Chad told him yes, he was so tired he would go straight to bed.

Two months later

 “Andrea, can you go into town and get some items from the mercantile for me? Please?” 

“What horse should I take to town Mother?”

“Would you be willing to take Misty for me? I haven’t ridden her in so long I know she would really appreciate it.”    

“Yes ma’am.” Andi walked outside towards the barn. She still hadn’t gotten used to the fact that Taffy was gone. Maybe forever. Just then she spotted Sid, her family’s Ranch foreman. She hurried over to him and asked if he would saddle Misty for her. Sid said yes of course he would and Andi thanked him. Soon she was on her way towards town.  

She reached town just as the 4:30 train rolled in. She watched the people and livestock as they made their way off the train, something she had started since Taffy was stolen. When some movement caught her eye and she saw a golden palomino being unloaded from the boxcar closest to her. She dismounted and cautiously walked over to the men that were unloading the palomino. The palomino was skittery, she had obviously not enjoyed her ride in the boxcar.

“You, men, you are scaring my poor horse, get away from her.”

Andi, startled, turned to see who was talking to the men who were unloading the palomino, and was shocked at what she saw. She saw a young lady dressed in a blue traveling dress, about sixteen, walking towards the palomino.

“Shhh, Honeybunch, we’re here,” the girl crooned as she petted and soothed her horse. The girl grabbed the noseband and went to walk away then stopped. She turned and addressed Andi, “Hello, my name is Anna Whitney, what’s yours?  Do you know where the livery stable is? I would like to board my horse as soon as possible. But I am hungry and would really like to go to the hotel and maybe get something to eat?”              

“My name is Andrea Carter, and yes, I know where the livery stable is. I also know where the hotel is. If you would like, I could show you where everything is. That is, if you’re not tired?”        

“Oh no, I’m not tired and I would really like to see the town. Would you please take my horse to the livery stable? My mother and I are going to head over to the hotel and get a bite to eat, would you like to join us?”         

“Um, no thanks, I already ate.”       

“Well, could you take my horse over to the livery stable for me, please?”               

“Of course.”  Andi graciously replied. With that, Anna walked away, leaving Honeybunch with Andi. “Taffy? Is that you?” Taffy answered with an excited nicker and nuzzled Andi’s hair. “Taffy, it’s really you! It’s really and truly you!”              

Two Days Later 

The next Sunday, Andi and her family were walking out of church, when they saw the young lady Andi had met two days ago at the train station.   The young lady who had asked her to take Honeybunch to the livery stable.     

“Mother, that’s Anna, the girl that owns Taffy!”      

“Justin, would you go talk with the lady and see where she got Taffy?” Mother asked.       

“Please, Justin?” Andi asked, with tears in her eyes.  

Justin then walked over to the young lady and asked her where she had gotten Taffy.    

“My father got her for me from two horse traders, she came with a saddle decorated with star etchings and silver star conchos, my father kept the saddle, for what reason I have no idea.”       

“Do you know what the men’s names were? Does your father?” Justin asked in his lawyer tone.       

“I do, they are Lang and Jon, I don’t know their last names.”     

“My little sister got Taffy when she was 6 and she has missed Taffy very much. And we think your horse, Honeybunch, is Taffy.”   

“That’s so sad. I had no idea, please, give Honeybunch to your sister.” Anna said, as she slid down from her saddle with Justin’s help. Then she gave the reins to Justin, and walked away towards the hotel.