Unusual traditions are rife in many establishments, none more so than the yard of the Redbridge Riding School. For some unwritten rule states that when a person either has a birthday or leaves a yard they should be part of a form of celebration. The exact form of the celebration had been handed down through the ranks of grooms and instructors for years. The 'lucky' person is grabbed by the assembled staff and thrown onto the stables muck heap. There are many variations of this dire treatment. However, most of them involve the victim getting out, having a nice hot bath and change of clothes and pledging revenge on the person who organised their 'downfall'.
However somewhere along the line, tradition had gone horribly wrong. Therefore, as Adam and Kate stood staring at the muck heap they could quite clearly make out a worrying form. Adam turned to Caroline, who was standing quaking.
"It shouldn't have happened like this. . . I wasn't me who did this to her. . . Please don't get too angry. . ."
Adam ignored her and strode towards the steaming heap. He climbed to the top and knelt next to Amanda who was buried up to her neck and not looking very happy.
"Hello Amanda!" Adam looked down towards her tear stained face. Straw was matted into her long brown hair and a strip of brown parcel tape prevented her speaking what was undoubtedly on her mind. "I just want to apologise on behalf of all the staff and say that what has happened here is no doubt an unfortunate mistake." Amanda raised her eyebrows and looked up towards Adam. "I would also like to say, that given time I will no doubt be able to discover who is responsible for this and will bring them to justice, and that you shouldn't worry at all." Amanda made a muted squeaking noise followed by a low mumble. "Now if I remove this tape will you be reasonably restrained?" Amanda stared at him. "I know you're angry but I just want to know that you won't get in a state about it too quickly." Amanda shook her head. "So you're a little calmer?" Amanda nodded. Adam pulled the tape off. "Oops! Sorry. . . I hope that didn't hurt too much."
"Please just get me out of here. . ." Amanda spoke in slow, well-controlled tones.
"What's it worth?" Adam laughed.
"Come here. . ." Adam knelt closer as Amanda whispered to him. He shuddered.
"Okay. . . I suppose it is worth getting you out of here." Adam paused. "You wouldn't do that. . . Would you?"
"Do you want to find out?"
"No. . .. No, we'll get you out of there right now. Caroline fetch a pitchfork. Kate can you give me a hand?"
So the digging began. Amanda was normally a very careful dresser, she always ensured that she wore a white blouse and tie with a v-necked jumper. Her long brown hair brushed or in a hair net and white jodhpurs topped off with brilliantly shining leather riding boots. When she was finally removed, her soaked hair riddled with straw, her blouse torn, her white jodhpurs anything but white and her boots were missing entirely.
Adam took his penknife and cut through the bandages used to tie her wrists and ankles, and carefully helped Amanda step down onto the yard. She rubbed her wrists and looked around the assembled staff. Suddenly there were none of them who thought this had been funny. Caroline was on the brink of tears. Karen who had finally realised that this was a mistake, took a step forward ready to apologise but stopped when Amanda threw her a particularly bitter stare.
"Adam I want to see you in the office!" Amanda yelled.
"Actually I have things to do right now. . ."
"Now! Get into the office!" Amanda noticed that Caroline had burst into tears. "What are you snivelling about? Do you want to take Adam's place?" Caroline was silent, she looked pensively at Adam. "Well shut up then!" Amanda stormed into the office with Adam closely behind.
Amanda waited until Adam had stepped into the office before slamming the door and closing the blinds. The kettle that someone had switched on some minutes before was boiling. Adam walked towards it and poured a mug of coffee.
"Do you want some coffee?" Adam held out the mug.
"No I don't!" She knocked the mug out of Adam's hand, spilling hot liquid across him. He yelped in pain dropping the mug, which smashed, on the floor.
"There was no need for that!" Adam clutched his scalded hand.
"Do you know how long I was left there?"
"Look I didn't know you were there until this morning. You may not believe me but I really didn't know what was going on. If I had, I would never have let it happen. I'm very sorry." Adam sat down opposite Amanda at the desk. She held her head down, tears dripped slowly onto the green blotter. "Oh Amanda. . ."
"They all hate me!" Amanda looked up. Her eyes red with tears. "Last night I had time to think about it all. I know I've been hard on them. But don't they understand, we just aren't making enough money. You must have noticed, there aren't as many lessons, more people are either keeping their own horses or just not riding at all. And as for the holidaymakers, they're all going over to that new holiday centre. You know I would love to have a hotel or a posh equestrian centre, but we just don't have the money. I'm just treading water to keep us ticking over."
"It's not that bad!" Adam took Amanda's hand. "We still have quite a few lessons. We are the only stables and livery yard for miles, and as for the holidaymakers. Well who needs them? This isn't like you. Not after all we've been through. There's something else isn't there. What's really worrying you?"
"It's nothing. . ." Amanda looked up into Adam's eyes. "Look at me. . ." Adam glanced away. "No look at me. I'm a figure of fun. I have no respect on this yard; the staff enjoyed doing that to me last night. . . They deliberately left me there. As they were tying me up, they were laughing, saying how this would be 'really funny'. Is that all I am?"
"Look. Don't be so stupid." Adam stood up. "It was a mistake that you got left. But you must admit that it was a bit of a laugh. At least it would have been. . .-"
"I knew it! You are always on their side. . .-" Amanda started crying again.
"No listen! If they had left you there for only a few minutes would you have thought that they hated you?"
"Well, maybe not."
"Of course not." The clock ticked loudly in the background. "It was just a show of youthful exuberance. They are all young. They saw that they could get you back for all the shouting and arguing that they have had to put up with over the last few months. Just it got out of hand. I think they would have dug you out earlier, but they all went drinking and. . . . You know what I mean. I know there was no malice intended. But I would take it as a warning."
"A warning?"
"Yes. Try not to take it all out on the staff. You've been a real cow for quite a while now. They work really long hours and its all hard work. They just get frustrated when they're told off at the end of a hard day’s work. Please try and be a little more restrained. They don't hate you, in fact, they really respect you, but you are upsetting them when you shout at them." Adam took a box of tissues from the shelf. "Here dry your eyes; you can't go out looking as if you have been crying."
"Thank you Adam. Do you think I could change, for the better?" Amanda tried to smile.
"Of course you can. Now I think you had better go home and have a nice long bath and change. Don't bother coming back to the yard today, I'll look after everything."
"Do you think I should have a word with the staff?"
"No. I'll make sure they know that they don't do that to you again."
"Or anyone. . ."
"Well I don't think that I can dissuade them, if they have their minds set on it. Remember it's my birthday next week."
"I'll have to make sure we have enough parcel tape!"
"I really wonder why people don't like you!" They both laughed. "Right are you ready to face the masses?"
"I think so. . . Ah! Only one thing." Amanda looked down at her bare feet.
"Oh! I'll get them to find your boots, and I think that there is at least one person who could do with boot polishing practice." Adam slid off his Wellingtons. "But here, you can have my wellies for now."
"Are you sure?"
"Go on! I can borrow some others later on."
"Oh you're great!" Amanda smiled. "Is your hand okay?"
"I'll live! Anyway when you get back home you'll find a little surprise waiting for you. . ."
"What is it?" Amanda rubbed her hands together.
"That would ruin the surprise. . . I'll come round later before I do the late check."
Amanda pulled the door open. The staff were standing around outside the office. They scattered as she stepped outside.
"I'm going home, Adam is in charge." She strode off through the mud and puddles to her car. Adam watched as she drove off, Kate walked towards him.
"She looked like she was in a fierce mood." Kate caught sight of Adam's hand. "What has she done to your hand Adam?"
"That's nothing. . . Just an accident, I dropped my mug of coffee." Adam paused. "Can I ask you a favour?"
"Yes of course!" Kate smiled.
"Can I borrow your spare wellies?"
"Why? Oh Adam! Did she take your boots as well?"
"She borrowed them for a short time." Adam smiled. "Could you get all the staff together in the tack room. I would like a word with them all."
"Sure!" Kate kissed Adam on her cheek. "You're so brave you know."
"If only you knew everything. . ." Adam whispered under his breath as he walked away.
Amanda drew up at the cottage. She had bought it with the yard those years ago. It was a stone cottage with two small bedrooms. The garden at the back of the house was filled with herbs and vegetables; Amanda was not one for flowers or fancy plants. She didn't have the time to look after them anyway. So she would plant up hardy things that would have a use. She had good lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes and many others; often yielding so much that she would gladly donate any surplus to the staff at the stables.
Walking inside it was in the same state as she had left the week before. Across every surface were scattered papers and documents. She had not realised that running a stable would involve so much paperwork; she was always filling in this form or providing that document. Amanda paused to pick up some papers from one of the tables and knocked a calculator tally roll that fell and unrolled itself across the carpet. She sighed and threw the bundle of papers back down.
Catching a glimpse of herself in the dressing table mirror, she thought of her sleepless night. But perhaps Adam was right; in fact, she knew he was, Adam was so often right. Perhaps she had been a bit rough on people. Amanda always seemed to be screaming at the staff. She had lost count of the number of times she would leave some of them in tears just to drive home and reduce herself to the same state out of pure frustration.
Amanda stripped off her filthy clothes and considered washing them. Looking again at her ripped blouse and mud splattered socks she put them into a pile to throw away. She had expected some sort of problems, it being her birthday and all, so she had worn her oldest clothes. Her only regret was that she had worn her leather boots and not borrowed a pair of Wellingtons. No doubt, Adam would get them back.
She ran the hot water and added a copious amount of bath foam. This was the way to get over these problems. Slowly she immersed herself in the fragrant water.
Adam strode across the yard, approaching the tack room he heard a number of expectant voices, each trying to blame each other for what had happened, they became silent as he walked into the room.
The rain had stopped, but the air was still cold and damp, and so the tack room with its warmth and shelter was a favourite place. Saddles lined the walls, each with a bridle hanging beneath it. The heady smell of leather and horses was intoxicating; Adam strode to the front of the room and looked across the silent crowd.
"I do hope you are satisfied with yourselves." The staff all looked down at the floor. "Caroline, I expected more from you than this. You deceived us yesterday and now look what has happened."
"I'm sorry. . ." Caroline whimpered.
"However I think that there is one person who is more to blame than the rest of you. Isn't than so Karen?" Karen looked up sternly. "I hope you got Caroline a card for her birthday."
"I'm sorry. It got a little out of hand." Karen frowned.
"I have a job for you. . ." Adam smiled. "You may have noticed that Amanda was not wearing her boots a little earlier. I don't suppose you know where they might be. . ."
"Someone buried them on the muck heap."
"Oh how pleasant of someone. Well I want you to find them, and when you have found them, get some boot polish, because before I bring them back to her I want them absolutely sparkling." Adam smiled. "Okay?" Karen muttered under her breath. "Oh as you have some much to say you can clean out the yard drains. . ." Karen was silent. "Thank you." She stormed out of the room. "Oh dear perhaps we have upset her." Adam nodded and Kate left the room. "Right here's the deal, I have spoken to Amanda, or rather I have been spoken to by Amanda, but I managed to ask her to be a little nicer to you lot. So hopefully she will be a bit better. So please let’s not have this happen again. Okay?" The staff nodded and agreed. "But, here's the nasty bit!" Adam laughed. "I'm sorry but I think you had better have some jobs to do. . . So I want the paddocks skipped out, the muck heap thrown back, and some of you can help with the drain cleaning. After that, I want all the tack cleaned. Off you go."
Kate was waiting outside the door.
"I'm worried about Karen."
"Worried? What about?"
"No Adam I'm serious. I'm worried about her. I am worried about what she is saying she would do to you."
"What she would do to me? Like what?"
"She is really mad about what you have made her do."
"A little hard work never hurt anyone. She had it coming to her. I wouldn't worry about her, of course, she's mad; I think I would be in her position. But it will wear off" Adam hugged Kate.
"I just hope you are right."
"Of course I am."
Amanda had just stepped out of the bath when the doorbell rang. She swore to herself and unlocked the bathroom door. The bell rang again. She grabbed her bathrobe and put it on.
"I'm coming. Have some patience. . ." Amanda ran down and across the living room. When she opened the front door there was a man standing on the doorstep his finger poised to ring the bell again. "I heard you the first time."
"Miss Amanda King?" The man spoke with a local accent.
"Yes."
"Sign here please." The man handed her a clipboard with a delivery note attached.
"What for?" Amanda looked at the paper and then back at the man. She noticed that he was slightly balding and that he had tried to cover the patch by brushing the hair over it. She smiled quietly to herself.
"I have a delivery for a Miss Amanda King."
"Yes that's me, so what is it?"
"If you would just sign please madam, I have other deliveries to make this morning." Amanda signed the form. "Thank you madam. I will just get your package." The man walked back down the path, leaving the front gate open, he appeared a moment later carrying a brown cardboard box. "There we are madam, one litter tray, one sack of cat litter, five cans of cat food assorted and various sundries."
"But I don't have a cat?" Amanda frowned as she put the box down on the doorstep.
"Oh! I am sorry." The man walked back up the path, again leaving the gate open and appeared again, this time carrying a pet box. He handed it to Amanda. "Good day madam." Amanda peered into the box and saw a tiny black and white kitten. She took it out of the box and put it on her lap.
"Oh! Aren't you beautiful?" The kitten purred softly and settled itself down in her lap. She noticed that there was an envelope attached to the box. She pulled it off and opened it. Inside there was a birthday card inscribed. 'With lots of love, Adam.' "Well what do I call you little kitten?"
Karen growled as she waited for the phone to be answered.
"Come on, come on..." She glanced out of the office window. "Yes, what happened?... Look shut up! I went to a lot of trouble..." She paused. "No you look here!..." She paused frowning at the phone. "Alright. Don't screw up..." Slamming the receiver down she walked out of the office."
The day had passed. The staff got to work doing their tasks and had finished them with few complaints, apart from Karen who had not appeared at dinner and was sulking in her room.
Adam put his jacket on.
"Where are you going?" Kate looked across to Adam.
"I promised Amanda I would get her boots back to her before I did the late check. I'll be back soon I promise." He picked up the now gleaming boots and went downstairs.
It was only a short distance to Amanda's house. As he reached there, he saw through the windows that she was sitting on the living room floor playing with her new friend. Adam tapped on the window. Amanda looked up, and blushed. She ran to the front door.
"Oh Adam! Thank you!" Amanda rushed forward and hugged him. "Come in, please." The kitten walked majestically out into the hall to see who had arrived. Adam picked him up and stroked him.
"He's a lovely little thing isn't he?" Adam smiled. "What have you called him?"
"Pinkerton." Amanda announced proudly.
"Pinkerton?" Adam paused. "Oh I remember now you had that fluffy elephant called Pinkerton. I think it’s a very nice name. It suits him." Adam handed the kitten back to Amanda. He clawed his way onto her shoulder and sat watching. "I only came round to drop your boots off. I have to get back to the yard."
"Oh can't you stay for a drink?"
"I'd love to but I think I had enough last night, anyway I don't want to leave the staff alone tonight."
"Are they okay?"
"They're fine. I think Karen has held a bit of a grudge against me though!" He laughed.
"Oh do be careful Adam."
"What do you think she's going to get a gang out to ambush me?" Adam laughed. "Anyway I'll leave you and Pinkerton alone. See you tomorrow."
"Of course." Amanda smiled and closed the front door.
As Adam returned to the yard, Kate was waiting on the drive for him.
"Hi Kate. Anything wrong?"
"No I just thought I would get out of the flat, you can cut the atmosphere up there with a knife!" Kate put her arm round Adam's waist. "Anyway I wanted to be alone with you for a while!"
"Promises, promises." Adam laughed. "Let’s check the yard first!"
The late check involved walking round the yard ensuring that all the horses each had adequate water and that their rugs were fastened. Adam and Kate went round the main yard together.
"Let's do the one of the back yards each. It will be quicker that way." Kate smiled.
"Okay." Adam watched as Kate went off into the darkness. He went off to the other yard. As he was checking one of the horses, he heard a slight noise, something he couldn't describe. He left the stable he was in and went round to the other yard. As he turned the corner he saw that the lights were off, Kate would have switched those on, he thought to himself. He flicked the switch but there was nothing. "Damm lights! Kate are you okay?" Adam paused there was no response. "Kate!" He saw a vague movement in the shadows. . .
~~~