My patchy friend

For the past three months I have driven by a piece of horse property, positioned randomly next to huge power lines and in between two neighborhoods, on my way to work. This family's land is small but has three long, narrow, dirt-filled pens. The one closest to the street had a vivacious white and brown paint horse, who I had become accustomed to seeing everyday.

If you don't know me, then you should know that I am a self-proclaimed lover of horses, so seeing this horse twice daily made me smile, even when I wasn't in a smiling mood. Usually he was eating, sometimes he was relaxing in the shade of the lone tree in his pen and other times I found him jaunting about, just like a happy horse should.

On more than one occasion I had planned to stop on my way home from work to make friends with the animal that unknowingly brought me so much joy. During one of my snack phases I had been brining baby carrots to work and usually did not finish them. I thought I could use them as an offering of friendship. I had often seen a mother and her child bonding while petting the horse; something my mother and I used to do when I was little.

Of course, I never remembered to stop. And a couple weeks ago, I was sorely disappointed as my excitement turned to concern and despair when I saw that my horse friend was not in his pen. I hoped that afternoon or the next morning he would reappear, thinking he was away on a competition, getting new shoes or at the vet for a minor check-up. Unfortunately that has not been the case and now there is another new horse in the pen next to his. Did the family trade him? Did he die? Is he on sabbatical? I've honestly contemplated stopping to ask the family, but decided against it.

I still have a view of horses to see on my way to work, even more than before, but it's not the same. I know there was something special about this animal, even though I never physically interacted with it. I miss him or her, but I keep faith that he or she will come back. After all, they haven't put another horse in his or her place yet.