Chapter Three...Getting Through
Caleb took off school those next few days, due to the company. Only one more day of school until graduation. And he was looking forward to it. Caleb was flipping through a magazine, Theodore resting on the sofa, and Uncle Lawrence on the phone in a backroom. Then suddenly he ran out.
“Caleb, I have news. A man by the name of Conner Chapman owns a ranch very similar to mine. I needed a certain breed—a very special kind of horse. He has just what I need. And he’s asked me to come see him in person, to make my decision. I’d be honored if you came along.”
Caleb nodded. He wondered why people thought so poorly of Uncle Lawrence. He was very nice and polite. But still mysterious.
“Theodore, grab your coat. I’ll be back in a moment.” Uncle Lawrence left the house to start the car.
Caleb finally noticed Theodore’s movements. He very unnoticeably ran his fingers alongside the table and then onto the sides of the bare wall.
Caleb eyed him suspiciously and then let his mouth drop open. “Wait a minute… you are blind. You said you weren’t.”
Theodore turned in the direction Caleb was standing. “I never said that…and I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re—you’re absurd.”
“Theo, why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
“Theodore, you obviously can’t see and you know it.”
Theodore crossed his arms. “Say what you want. It doesn’t matter to me.”
“Just tell me the truth. Do you really want to live, always hiding something?”
“Why would I care?”
“I’m not asking you to care—”
“Time to go boys!” Came Uncle Lawrence’s cheerful voice.
The evening dragged on. Uncle Lawrence talked to Connor in a large stable while Caleb and Theodore stood by a horse on the opposite side of the corral. Theodore though, stood suspiciously far from the mare.
Caleb let out a sigh. “Theodore, you don’t have to be upset. I’m sorry if I was rude. Do you want to stroke her mane?”
“Does it look like I want to?”
Caleb sighed again. “You like horses?”
“Not particularly.”
“How about you just touch her? She’s real gentle and soft.”
“I will do no such thing!”
“Theodore, you’re not…you’re not scared, are you?”
Theodore shifted nervously. “I simply don’t like horses. What’s wrong with that?”
“No—nothing.”
“Then why do you keep asking questions?” This new Theodore was quite cold.
Caleb didn’t like it.
Caleb looked off towards the mountains. He heard a faint neighing. He turned to the sound of the neighing and spotted a horse galloping circles in his corral. His mane blew in the wind and he ferociously dug his hooves into the dust. Air blew out of his flaring nostrils. He was wild.
Caleb felt an urge to touch him. To calm him. He left the mare’s fence circle and walked towards the distant corral. He reached his hand out and then quickly pulled it back. The wild horse’s reaction to his hand startled him. But he persisted. Caleb extended his hand out farther than the first time and came but an inch from touching the horse’s dry nose. “You must be thirsting…are you boy?” Caleb took out his water bottle and poured it into the trough near him. The horse drank deeply and gave a neigh of thanks. Caleb smiled. While the horse drank Caleb stroked the smooth mane the horse had. He spoke calming words to him and sang quietly under his breath.
A loud round of applause woke Caleb from his daydream. Connor and Uncle Lawrence watched in surprise and awe. “Well done, boy!” Connor exclaimed. “We’ve been trying to get through to that wild thing for weeks. You’ve got some gift, lad.”
Uncle Lawrence grinned proudly. He noticed the way Caleb was with horses. If he only had a man like that in his company…
“Where’s Theodore? We best be going. Come two days we’ll be heading back to Florida with the horse inside.”
Caleb cocked his head towards Theodore who stood still as a stone.
Uncle Lawrence wrapped his arm around Theodore’s back and brought him to the car. Caleb shot a glance at them and looked confusedly.
The three arrived and Mom had dinner ready. It was a hearty meal. After everything was cleaned up, Theodore held his books in his hands and was walking upstairs. He tripped. He dropped his books and landed with an aching groan. Caleb ran to help him.
“Get away! I can do it myself!” Theodore pushed him aside.
Caleb felt hurt. “I was just trying to help.”
“I don’t want your help.”
“Why are you so angry at me?”
“Just go.”
“It’s not wrong to use help, once in awhile.”
“I’ll look helpless in front of Father.”
“What?”
“Him seeing you help me. It just upsets him more.”
“Why?”
Theodore wiped away a tear. “At the ranch…I didn’t want to touch the horse, I—I was scared.”
Caleb gave a gentle smile. “It’s okay to be scared.”
“But you see, it’s not like that. The last time I rode a horse…” he looked down as if remembering a dreadful memory. “We had an accident…me and Father…the horse stumbled…I fell…” The words hardly came out right, as he spoke through pained tears.
Caleb was speechless. He kept trying to get Theodore to touch the horse, when really, he was probably just stirring up painful memories. “The fall made you blind?”
Theodore nodded, still refusing to look at Caleb. He felt ashamed.
“Why did you keep it a secret so long?”
“I was ashamed!” Theodore spoke his thoughts. “Father thinks I’m useless. He never let other people see me. Until now, at least. He never let me leave the house or out of his sight. He’s ashamed of me, I tell you. He can’t bear to even look at me. But…” His gaze turned to Caleb. “He loves you.”
“He loves you as well.”
“Maybe a little. But he wants to take you back to Florida. And he wants to put me in some asylum. I just know it. It’ll come to that, you’ll see.”
“That’s not true.”
“Really? And you seem to know everything?” Theodore tried to hide his face. He struggled to stand, and on shaky legs he found his way to Caleb’s room.
Caleb didn’t know what to think. The words,
He wants to take you back to Florida. And he wants to put me in some asylum, haunted him. Did his Uncle really desire to do such a thing? God give me strength. Let me help him.
Ring, ring, ring!
“I’ll get it!” Caleb slid in his socks across the hardwood floor and plopped on the armchair next to the phone table.
“Hello?”
“It’s me, Caleb. Are you busy today?”
“No, Mr. Riley. Not at all.”
“Your uncle’s not needing you at this moment?”
“No…he’s been quiet busy since he arrived. It’s just me and my cousin Theodore at home.”
“Is there any chance you come stop by at the church?”
“Right now?”
“If you’re not busy, of course.”
“Right away.”
Mr. Riley hung up first.
Caleb didn’t know what to think. He turned to Theodore who sat silently on the sofa. “You want to take a ride?”
“You mean without Father?” Theodore almost sounded scared.
“Well, yes. My pastor at the church I go to, he wants me to drop by. I’m sure he’d love to meet you.”
Theodore fidgeted nervously. “I don’t want to go without Father…I’ll just make a fool of myself.”
Caleb sighed. What was it going to take to get Theodore out of his comfort zone?
“Theodore. Mr. Riley is a very kind man. He’s not going to think anything of you. Nothing at all. He won’t bite, you know.”
Theodore shook his head. “I can’t go. I can't do anything, so it’s best I stay here, out of trouble.”
“How much trouble can you do?” Caleb shot at him.
“How much trouble can I not do?” Theodore shot back. “You make it seem like being blind is easy. Well, it’s not. It’s best I stay here.”
Caleb was done convincing him. “Fine. But mark my words, you’re just like anybody else. You’re hardly different, and you know it. If you want to live your life feeling sorry for yourself and not really living at all, then that’s your choice. But if you ever feel like waking up from that lie, then take my hand.” Caleb reached out to him.
Theodore turned away.
Caleb felt defeated. But he kept reassuring himself that none of this was his fault. He wasn’t in the wrong. How could I be? Mom didn’t tell me my cousin was blind. And she didn’t tell me my uncle’s been sheltering him from the world all his life.
Caleb grabbed his coat and was leaving when Theodore latched onto his arm.
“Take me with you.” He said quietly.
Caleb sighed contently. “It’ll be alright. You’ll see.”
Just as they were walking out the door, Theodore added, “Don’t let anyone know. Please.”
Caleb nodded. “I won’t. I promise.”
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