Thunder and Trust

by Abbi G.

     Andi Carter rolled onto her back and studied the blue skies above. Fluffy white clouds drifted lazily above as Andi struggled to put a story to each shape. There, that one’s a hand, and that one is a mouse. She smiled triumphantly as she made sense of the white blob. 

    “Andi, what’re you smilin’ about?” Mitch’s drawl came from her left where he too lay on his back. He, however, had been studying the back of his eyelids. Andi raised a hand to point out the cloud she was focusing on. 

    “It’s a mouse.” After studying the cloud for a good five minutes, Mitch turned to her, bewildered. 

    “Where’d you come up with that one? That’s no mouse by any stretch of the imagination.” 

    “Look, that wispy part is it’s tail, and you can see it’s ear right there,” Andi struggled to dissect her discovery. Mitch shook his head. 

    “The sun’s gettin’ to your brain, sis.” Andi ignored him and sat up--promptly checking on Taffy. The creamy palomino stood unharmed grazing about twenty feet away. 

    “Mitch, what say we walk down to the creek and do some fishing. It’s been awhile since we ate and I’m gettin’ bored.” Andi was loving spending the afternoon with her brother. Luisa had packed a delicious picnic, and Andi was thrilled to be out of school this Saturday. 

    “Sure thing!” The siblings were soon filling a string with nice bass. Andi’s stomach growled imagining the tasty feast that would be their reward. Thundering hoofbeats interrupted her day dreaming. She turned as Chad halted Sky so abruptly he almost went over the horses head. 

    “Mitch, you gotta come. Thunder is gone!” The beautiful black stallion Mitch had spent months chasing was one of a kind. Mitch planned to use him for breeding to make some fine looking horses. 

    “What?” Mitch stared at Chad in disbelief. Andi watched as Chad explained he had been to the east pasture, and upon his return found the animal gone. The ranch hands had been busy repairing a busted fence and hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary. Andi was horrified. Her brother had worked so hard! 

    “What are we gonna do?” Chad seemed to notice Andi for the first time as she spoke. 

    “It’s nothin’ to worry your head about,” he answered shortly. Andi frowned. She was fourteen years old--much too old to be put off as an annoying toddler! 

    “Chad, I’m not a baby anymore! I want you to answer my question!” 

    “I don’t know, Andi, why don’t you tell me?” Chad shouted in return. Andi opened her mouth to respond, but Mitch beat her to it.

    “Having a yelling match isn’t going to help anything. Andi, will you get the supplies and take them back? Chad and I can ride out from here and search the hills.” Andi thought about arguing, but reluctantly nodded. It was the only reasonable thing to do. She waved to her brothers, but they were much too busy to pay her any heed. She heaved a sigh. Her perfect afternoon was over. 

*****

    Andi woke Monday morning to pounding on her door. She groaned and rolled over. 

    “Go away!” She called crossly. She had been exhausted and the only thing her family talked about now was Mitch’s missing stallion. It was indeed a mystery. No one could make heads or tails of the disappearance. It was driving Andi crazy. 

    “Get up. I’m taking you to school because I have some checking to do around town.” The door shut with a resounding thud and Andi groaned again. What a great start to the day. 

    “You better not be late!” Chad shouted back at the closed door before jogging down the stairs. Andi struggled to ready herself quickly. Justin would be patient and understanding, but Chad would come banging on her door. She burst out the door and skittered to a stop at the steps. She discreetly checked for Mother or Luisa. Both would scold her severely. Seeing neither, Andi settled herself on the railing and flew down. She failed to get her legs under her as she neared the bottom and tumbled onto her face. Great. This is already an amazing Monday! Andi found it more difficult than usual to focus on her lessons and it earned her countless reprimands from Mr. Foster. Where could Mitch’s stallion be? Who could’ve let him out? Why would anyone let him out? The questions swirled in Andi’s mind as the day progressed. Finally, a sharp jab in her back brought her up right. Mr. Foster was staring at her from the front. 

    “Three hundred,” A voice hissed behind her. 

    “Three hundred,” She said aloud. Mr. Foster’s eyes narrowed, and for a split second, Andi thought someone had played a joke on her. 

    “Correct. Please continue to keep your attention on me, Miss Carter.” 

    “Yes, sir.” Andi struggled through another long hour before dismissal. Usually, she walked with Corey to Justin’s office and waited to go home. Today, however, Corey was staying after. If only he hadn’t brought that little black snake in, Mr. Foster would’ve never caught his swap with Ollie for three aggies. Andi decided to wait and began pacing around the school building. 

    “I told you, this stallion will bring us a mint! I even got it before they branded him!” Andi stilled instantly, her breath hitching in her throat. The voice was coming from an alley several feet away. The man was instantly shushed, and the voices continued much too low for Andi to hear. Desperate to help Mitch, Andi crept closer, carefully avoided the empty wooden barrel lying on its side as she leaned closer.

    “They’ll never find him! He’s in the valley in the corral behind the old cabin. Thomas is watching him, and we reinforced the corral with new boards so he won’t be able to break out.” These men have Thunder, I’ve got to tell Justin! Wait! I need to get a look at them. I’ll just go over by the school and wait for them to come out. Andi moved to do just that, backing up slowly to keep an eye on the alley, Andi never saw the wooden barrel she kicked. However, she heard the deafeningly loud sound shatter the quiet and almost screamed. Before she could run, strong hands grabbed her and yanked her into the alley. 

    “Make one sound, little girl, and I’ll blast you to kingdom come.” Andi turned slowly in the man’s arms to find two pairs of cruel eyes fixed on her. She struggled until her back was crushed against the man’s chest. 

    “What were you doin’?” The fat, bald man to the right of her captor studied her scrupulously. Andi tried to come up with a believable answer, but her mind blanked as she saw the gun in her captor’s hands. 

    “Nothing! I was just--walking!” Wow, Andi! Real believable story you got there! Andi scolded herself mentally. 

    “Wait just a minute!” She was spun roughly and looking into a bearded face. The man was tall, muscular, and around Justin’s age. “I know her! She’s the Carter girl. The baby of the family!” Andi winced, wishing she could deny it, but the man knew the truth. 

    “You were spyin’ weren’t you, angel?” The fat man’s glinting eyes raked up and down her. Andi cringed and tried to step back. The fat man came closer. “Tell you what, pretty thing,” The man gripped her hair and forced her head up to make direct eye contact. “You tell anyone what you heard and seen, and your brother won’t make it to see marriage. You know the one, the handsome, rugged, blond one? You understand me, girl?” Andi stared, wide-eyed and speechless. The next second the man struck as quick as a rattlesnake, slapping her across the face. Andi’s hand went to the blossoming sting as she blinked back tears of anger and frustration. “I expect an answer.”

    “I understand.” Andi’s voice portrayed little of the fear building inside. “I have a friend who will be coming to look for me any second.” 

    “Well, we were done anyway.” The fat man motioned for her captor to release her. “Just remember what we said, sweetheart. Remember it clearly.” The men disappeared around the corner. Andi gulped as tears cascaded down her throbbing cheeks. What was she supposed to do? 

    “Andi?” Corey’s call had Andi wiping her face gingerly and pasting on a fake smile. She exited the alley. 

    “All done?” She asked Corey. 

    “Yeah, hey, what happened to your face?” Corey swept her disheveled hair to the side with a gentle hand. Andi swatted it away and averted her eyes. 

    “I tripped over that barrel and fell into the wall,” she lied. Corey gave her an apprehensive look. “Seriously, Corey, drop it. I’m fine.” Andi smiled brightly to prove her point. Corey reluctantly let the issue drop and the two friends began discussing other matters. Before long, Corey was leaving her at the door to Justin’s office. Andi stayed quiet the whole ride home, and despite Justin’s nagging, refused to mention what was going on. 

    “I’m just tired!” She claimed countless times while avoiding her brother’s eyes. Finally, Justin let the matter drop, figuring his sister would tell him when the time was right. 

    “Wait a minute! Did you get in trouble with Mr. Foster?”
    “No, Justin! I am seriously fine. I’m just tired,” Andi claimed as she jumped from the moving buggy into the yard. 

“I’m going to study.”

 Justin sighed. Something was definitely wrong with his sister. That night at dinner, the conversation once again focused on the missing stallion, Thunder. 

    “Maybe he wandered off and went to the valley and some people took him and are keeping him there.” Andi spoke before she could stop herself and immediately wished she could take it back. All conversation ceased and eyes turned toward her. 

    “That was oddly specific, sis. You know something we don’t?” Mitch put down his fork and studied her eyes. He knew when his sister wasn’t being honest. 

    “No,” Andi quietly responded. 

    “That’s not true,” Chad chimed in, “You know something, little sister, and you need to tell us now.” 

    “I said no!” Andi leapt from the table and charged up the stairs, ignoring the calls of her family. She threw herself onto her bed, chest heaving and gasped out a prayer amidst her tears. 

    “God, I can’t do this on my own. Please, help me. I’m so scared!” Andi tossed and turned, surprised that her family had left her alone. 

*****

Downstairs, Elizabeth had stopped Chad and Mitch from pursuing their sister. 

    “Boys, something is wrong, but Andi will tell us when she’s ready. We can’t force her.” 

    “You’re right, Mother,” Mitch agreed, “She’s as hard-headed as Chad.” 

    “Hey!” Chad shot his brother a scathing look that Mitch ignored with the ease only a sibling could understand. 

    “Will you pass the biscuits, Melinda?” 

*****

    Andi woke to a sweat soaked pillow, trembling from head to toe. Her sleep had been fitful at best since she drifted off around two in the morning. She lit a lamp and checked the pocket watch by her bed. Three in the morning. Andi groaned. She would not be going back to sleep soon. Hoping to sneak some hot chocolate, Andi crept down the stairs, expertly avoiding the creaky seventh step as she went. She needn’t have bothered. Justin sat at the table with a steaming mug in front of him conversing with Chad. Chad noticed her instantly as she stood uncertainly at the bottom of the stairs. 

    “You okay, sis?” Concern sharpened his words and Andi nodded. 

    “Couldn’t sleep, honey?” Justin stood as Andi entered the room. He moved to the kitchen and came back shortly with a mug of blessedly hot chocolate. Andi murmured her thanks and seated herself next to Justin. She knew what she had to do. 

    “I’m ready to tell you.” The sound of her own voice startled her. She hadn’t meant to voice that yet. 

    “We’re listening, honey.” She took a deep breath and sent a desperate prayer to heaven for strength before continuing. By the end of her story, Chad’s eyes were ice chips and his face was red with suppressed anger. Justin took it all in quietly. 

    “Thank you for telling us, sweetheart. And you have nothing to worry about, Chad and I will take care of Mitch.” Andi took another shaky breath and nodded. She finally allowed herself to trust God and her family. Justin helped her stumble to bed thirty minutes later. 

*****

    The next morning, cheerful sunshine woke Andi from her deep slumber. She stretched and stood to look out the window. Suddenly, she remembered last night and threw a dress over her head. She charged down the stairs, tripping over her own feet. 

“Good morning, sweetheart.” Andi stopped running at her mother’s greeting. 

“Where’s Chad, and Justin, and Mitch?” She questioned breathlessly. 

“They went to get Thunder, Andrea. The sheriff arrested three troublemakers last night for starting several bar fights. Justin went to question them and they’re the men you saw, plus the one from the cabin.” Elizabeth smiled. “Thank God for miracles!” Andi smiled back at her mother, but couldn’t help the small tinge of annoyance at being left out of the rescue. God, I trusted you and you came through! Thank you! Andi’s stomach rumbled as Luisa brought steaming trays of food into the room. Andi fixed a plate, asked the blessing, and brought a forkful of food to her mouth. She paused. 

“Mother!” 

“Yes, dear?” 

“It’s Tuesday, and I’m not at school!”  

“Correct,” Elizabeth smiled, “I decided you had enough excitement and deserved a break. Besides, I thought you would want to be here when the boys returned.” Andi left her breakfast and ran to her mother’s side to throw her arms around her neck.

“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!”

The rest of the morning dragged by as Andi waited by the window with bated breath. She had just turned when a chorus of voices echoed outside. 

    “They’re back!” She squealed as she burst through the door. Andi was shocked to see not only the stallion, but also a beautiful white mare. 

    “Hey, Sis, we got Thunder, but ran into this beauty on the way back. She was practically begging us to take her.” Mitch left the group to wrap his sister in his arms. “You were very brave, Andi, I’m proud of you.” He whispered. 

    “I wasn’t brave, I just trusted.” 

“Well, little sister,” Chad smiled widely, “What do ya think?” 

“Oh! She’s beautiful, Chad. Can I name her?” 

“What do you have in mind?” He asked suspiciously. 

“Trust.” Andi responded instantly. Mitch caught her eye and winked. 

“I think that’s a great name!” Andi closed her eyes and sent a prayer heavenward. Her trust had come out of the thunder in her life. 

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy path. Proverbs 3:5-6