Wildfire's Miracle

 by Arabella Waugh

California, Spring, 1881 

All my life, I have loved horses, dreamed about them, and waited for the day when I would finally have a horse of my own. This day didn’t come until I was thirteen years old, when I met a girl named Andrea Carter. 

My name is Elise Callahan and this is the story of how I became the owner of Wildfire, my first horse, and my best friend. 

*********** 

My first day at school was always terrifying, no matter how many times Father and I moved. Which was a lot. My mother died when I was eleven, and Father never seemed to settle down. I think he was lonely, but he’d never admit it. So, for the fourth time since the Lord took Mother home, I found myself standing in another schoolhouse full people I had never seen before. 

‘’This is Elise Callahan. She will be joining us for the rest of this term, and possibly longer. I want you all to be kind and welcoming to her while she is here.’’

I stood beside the teacher, Mr. Foster, and felt my cheeks heat up as the other children stared at my pale complexion and almost-white blonde hair. When Mr. Foster said that I could sit down beside a girl named Virginia, my face went even hotter as they all watched me limp to the two-seat desk. Virginia happened to be the teacher’s daughter, and I hoped that it meant that she would be friendly.

The moment I sat down, though, I realized that I was wrong. I gave her a small smile, and she barely glanced at me. My shoulders sank, and I stared down at my small pale hands, wishing for the millionth time that I was more confident. Mr. Foster began the morning’s lessons as I buried my face in my hands.                                                                                               

***********

The morning of my first day at school went by without me saying a word to anyone, except Mr. Foster. I spent most of noon recess standing awkwardly as everyone else ran off playing, talking, laughing, and I didn’t have the courage to do anything but watch and listen.

But near the end of recess, a girl with long, dark hair and bright blue eyes walked up to me. ‘’Howdy!’’ she said, in a friendly voice. 

‘’Howdy,’’ I answered nervously.

‘’You looked lonely, and I thought you might want a friend. You’re Elise, aren’t you? 

I nodded. ‘’Yes, I’m Elise’’ 

‘’I’m Andrea.’’ she said. ‘’Everybody calls me Andi.’’ 

Andi plunked down on the soft grass beside me.  ‘’So,’’ she began, ‘’Why’d you and your family move here? Where did you live before? 

So I told her the whole story, right from when me, Mother and Father moved to San Francisco to live with Grandmother after Grandfather died. Two years later, Mother and Grandmother got a terrible fever, and both Grandmother and Mother died. 

‘’I still miss them,’’ I said, fighting tears. ‘’I was eleven, and I loved them both. I think it hurt Father even more than it hurt me, because he hasn’t been the same since then, he always seems sad. After they died, Father sold the house and we have moved four times since then, and now we’re here. I hope we don’t move again. It’s nice here’’ 

Andi placed a hand on my shoulder. ‘’My father died when I was five,’’ she said softly. ‘’I know how you feel.’’

The bell rang. Andi stood up, and I did too, wavering a little as a familiar, sharp pain shot up my bad leg. But I ignored it the best I could, and gave Andi a smile. ‘’Thank you,’’ I said, ‘’For talking to me.’’ 

She smiled back. ‘’Sure .’’ She held out her hand. ‘’Let’s go before the bell rings again.’’ 

And as I placed my small, pale hand in her strong tanned one, I shot up a quick prayer. Thank you, Jesus. For sending me a friend. 

**************** 

Three weeks later, I stood in front of Andi’s home, a huge hacienda- style ranch house. ‘’It’s amazing!’’ I said, feeling at a loss for words. Andi hadn’t told me how big her home was. 

We spent a few minutes inside the house and I met Andi’s mother, who was very, very kind and made me ache for my own mother. After that Andi took me to the horses. She had told me about her horse Taffy, and I was excited to meet her. As we walked Andi asked gently, ‘’Why do you limp?’’ 

I looked at the ground. ‘’I was born with it.’’ 

‘’Oh.’’ 

I sensed that she wasn’t really satisfied with my answer, so I continued, ‘’I told you that my mother and grandmother died of a fever. What I didn’t tell you was that I got sick too. I never properly recovered, so that’s why I’m so pale and skinny.’’ 

‘’I’m sorry,’’   

She squeezed my hand and smiled, and we came to a paddock. There was Taffy, silvery white mane blowing in the gentle breeze. 

‘’She’s so beautiful!’’ I breathed, thankful that Father had let me come to the ranch. Taffy turned her pretty golden head toward us. She trotted over, and pushed her head into Andi’s hands, looking for food. I laughed, and Taffy snorted, looking at me with her huge brown eyes. ‘’I wish I had a horse. We don’t even have a carthorse, since we always lived in the city. Father always hires a horse at a livery.’’ 

Andi showed me the other horses, pointing out yearlings, brood mares, and others. ‘’That’s Pal,’’ she said, “And that’s Chase. He’s really fast.’’ 

‘’What’s that beautiful horse called?’’ I asked, gazing at a striking chestnut with a perfect white star standing in a regal position on a hill. 

‘’Which one?’’ Andi asked. 

I pointed in her direction, and Andi’s frowned. ‘’Uh, I don’t actually know. Chad must’ve bought a new mare.’’ 

‘’Why isn’t she in a paddock?’’ I asked, perplexed. 

‘’She’s in a— ‘’ she stopped, eyes wide. ‘’No she’s not! Your right!’’ 

Then the horse spooked and cantered away. 

‘’I wonder where she came from.’’ Andi murmured thoughtfully. ‘’I sure hope she comes back.’’ 

****************  

Two months after we saw the mysterious mare, Andi and I sat side by side on the wooden fence railing, watching Taffy graze. ‘’I’m glad that your mother agreed to let me stay.’’ 

‘’Me too.’’ Andi answered.

The week before, Father had heard that the cobbler’s shop that he used to work in offered to pay him to work three months. Father needed the money, but it was in San Francisco, and he couldn’t afford to take me too. So I was staying with Andi and her family. ‘’Do you think the chestnut mare will ever come here again?’’ 

 Andi wrinkled her dark eyebrows and chewed on her lip. ‘’Don’t know,’’ she said. ‘’I don’t think she was branded.’’ 

‘’She was so pretty. The colour of fire.’’ I sighed. 

We sat in silence for a while, watching the sun set and swinging our legs. Well, Andi swung her legs, I swung only one. Soon, we were called in for supper. We walked inside, as the sky darkened and the birdsong ceased.   

**************                  

Later that night, I was just drifting off to sleep in the Carter’s spare room when I heard a loud crack! I shot up straight in bed, pain shooting down my leg, as a shrill whinny pierced the quiet stillness of the house. I slid out of bed and limped to Andi’s room.   

She was already up when I arrived. ‘’Something’s wrong,’’ she said, ‘’with the horses. We have to wake up Chad.’’ She looked worried.

We hurried to wake Chad and they ran outside in the warm summer night, with me limping close behind. Another whinny came from somewhere close outside. Andi and Chad ran faster, leaving me behind. I heard Chad yell at Andi, ‘’Get some wire cutters!’’ I tried to go faster, my leg felt on fire, and— 

I stopped dead. There, trapped by her foreleg in a broken wire fence, was the chestnut mare. My heart melted instantly as I watched her struggle for her life.

Chad tried to get closer to the beautiful horse, but her ears flattened and she reeled backwards, sinking the wire deeper into her bleeding leg. Andi returned with the wire cutters and Chad said, ‘’If I can’t get close, I don’t know how I can help her. The wire’s deep in her leg.’’ 

My heart sank. 

The mare screamed again, and reared, wire tightening its grip. Chad took a step backwards. 

I don’t know what made me do it, because it certainly wasn’t bravery, but I stretched out my thin white arm toward the fiery horse. I’d expected to be terrified, but I felt strangely calm as my fingers brushed her scruffy neck. 

Andi started to stop me, but Chad grabbed her arm. ‘’Let her try.’’ 

I don’t know why he let me try, and I don’t know why the horse let me near. But I found myself gently placing a halter over the terrified horse’s head, and she stayed still. Chad told me how to cut the wire without hurting the mare too much, and tears sprang to my eyes as she flinched at each movement.  

Chad said that she might have been hurt by a man before, which was probably why she was afraid of Chad, but not Andi or me.   

Slowly and carefully, we led her to the barn. Each step made my heart ache, and I watched her limp painfully—- 

Just like me. 

I stared at our feet as we walked. I limped on my right leg. She limped on her right foreleg. 

We were the same. 

 ***********

I spent every spare minute of the three months with the chestnut mare. Chad said I could name her, so she became Wildfire.  

‘’I doubt that she’ll ever be ridden again,’’ Chad said one day. ‘’It could be possible, but I think her leg was too badly damaged.’’ 

My mind spun back to when I was eight years old. Mother and Father had paid an expensive specialty doctor to see if he could help my leg. I remember he took my parents outside my room to talk, but I could still hear them clearly. All I remember him saying was, ‘’I’m sorry. It would take a miracle.’’ 

I was only eight, but I knew what that meant. I would never walk without a limp. 

And neither would Wildfire. 

So I decided to do what my parents had done for me. I would make her life as enjoyable as I could, and do whatever I could to help her heal.  

*******************

Wildfire healed fast, and learned even faster. Four weeks later, when her leg was almost healed, Chad said that I could lead her around the paddocks. We explored all over the ranch, sometimes with Andi and Taffy, sometimes alone. I taught her to understand the words ’walk on’, ’halt’, and ‘trot’.  After a while, Wildfire even learned to trust Chad. Chad taught me how to lunge Wildfire, and we soon had her trotting obediently in a wide circle. 

Chad asked everyone he knew if they had lost an unbranded chestnut mare, around 15.2 hands high, with a star in the middle of her forehead. Nobody knew who she belonged to, or where she came from. 

***************

‘’I think she’s ready,’’ Chad announced seven weeks since we found Wildfire. 

‘’For what?’’ Andi and I asked, confused. 

‘’For a rider. That foreleg healed up better than I thought it would.’’ 

My mouth dropped open. So did Andi’s. 

‘’But you said that she would never be ridden again!’’ I said, stunned. 

‘’I thought so,’’ he explained, ‘’But she’s better than I expected.’’ 

Andi and I grinned at each other. ‘’So,’’ she said, ‘’Looks like we’ll be riding together.’’ 

 **************

‘’Whoa, Wildfire!’’ Chad yelled from the fence. ‘’Bring her back to the fence, Elise! Let her know that you’re in charge!’’ 

I did as I was told, and I couldn’t help but grin. Here I was, on the back of the most beautiful horse I had ever seen. I was having some problems at being the leader, and sometimes Wildfire thought she was in charge. But we were working on it and were getting better every day. 

It wasn’t the only thing that was improving. One night when I climbed the stairs to bed, I noticed that the pain in my leg was less than usual. When I got out of bed the next morning, the usual throbbing ache hardly came. It seemed to be that the more I rode, the better my leg was. 

All the time I spent in the sun was paying off too, because my skin wasn’t so pale anymore. I felt happier and more alive than I ever had before.  

Two weeks before Father came home, I ran for the first time. I ran!  I can’t believe how freeing running feels!                                 

 *****************  

‘’Good girl, Wildfire!’’  

I leaned down and hugged her chestnut neck. I was going to miss her so much, since I couldn’t come to the ranch very often,

‘’Elise!’’  

My head snapped up. I knew that voice! ‘’Father!’’ I leapt off Wildfire, tied her to the fence, and ran into Father’s arms. ‘’You’re early!’’ I said, surprised. 

‘’And you’re running!’’  

I laughed. 

‘’But how? The doctor—- ‘’ 

‘’The doctor was right,’’ I said. ‘’He said it would take a miracle.’’ I stroked Wildfire’s soft muzzle. ‘’This is Wildfire, my miracle.’’ 

Father put his hand on her neck. ‘’Thank you very much, Miracle. I don’t know how you did it, but thank you.’’ He turned his attention to me. ‘’Elise,’’ he said. ‘’I was reading my Bible on the train today. I opened it to 1Samuel 12: 24. ‘’‘Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he has done for you.’  

‘’All this time, I’ve been thinking about what the Lord took away, and I forgot to think about the things he has given me. I will always miss your mother and grandmother, but I still have you. We’re not going to move again, Elise. We’re going to stay right here, in San Joaquin Valley.’’ 

I hugged him. Then I hugged Wildfire’s neck. ‘’I’m going to miss you, girl.’’ 

‘’No you’re not’’ Chad said. 

‘’Why?’’ I asked, confused. 

‘’She’s yours.’’ Andi grinned. 

‘’If your father agrees,’’ Mrs. Carter added. 

I looked at him. 

He laughed. ‘’How can I say no?’’ 

‘’Thank you, thank you! Did you hear that, Wildfire? You’re coming home with me!’’ 

 ************** 

I rode Wildfire home that night, alongside the horse that Father had hired. She lived in the paddock behind our house, and she was my best friend for many years. 

We never did find out where she came from. She was always a mystery.