Madferit: The Novel

Chapter 126

            I used to think February drug on forever when it was the shortest month of the whole year. When I was young, it always felt like its days passed at a glacial pace but as I got older, the pace appeared to speed up.

Noel didn't want me driving us to London so he rang up Simon to get us there instead. He thought the roads were too dangerous because of the weather and reasoned Simon should be put in charge of our travels to keep us both safe. I tried telling him I had a lot of experience driving in winter given where I grew up but he wouldn't have it.

The roads weren't even that bad on the way to the Capital. Splotches of muddy brown slush lined either side of them and the asphalt had a chalky hue from the salt but other than that they were fine. The snow had melted away but winter still wasn't over.

We took Rupert with us because we didn't know how long we'd be away. We set him up in the garage at Supernova Heights and let him have free range of the backyard during the day.

Since the grass was still brown and winterized, we loaded him up on hay. I put a few flakes out on the ground in the middle of the yard and wished he had a better option for a hay rack. The only one he had was kept in the garage and wasn't even an actual hay feeder. It was a plastic bucket we cut a whole out of the side of it just big enough for him to stick his snout in. His horns made it impossible for him to have a hay rack or net. The net would've been a danger even if he didn't have horns. A round feeder was also too dangerous for those curly hollow things protruding from his head so the only option he appeared to have was eating his food off the ground outside. He didn't mind. He just picked at it whenever he was hungry. He made more fuss over his grain and cookies.

I was happy a giant wall surrounded the house and the gate kept everyone out. It allowed us not to worry about Rupert getting loose but also allowed us to keep the neighbors or anyone else from seeing what he was up to since apparently it was quite a concern.

I would've preferred to stay outside in the garage with him but Noel would've thought I'd gone mad. But anywhere was better than Supernova Heights. I wasn't a rock 'n' roll star and fuck knows I had no business being in one's house.

Buckinghamshire was home though with all the trees and grass and wildlife. And plenty of yard and acreage that could easily be turned into pasture fields.

"Addie, we're not-"

"I'm allowed to dream." I told him. "And I'm allowed to go down the road and get my fill."

The bleachers on all sides of the arena were filled to capacity. Those who couldn't sit on them didn't let that stop them and just brought their own folding chairs instead.

We didn't have to worry about finding places to sit though. It was one of the many perks of being one of the competitor's family.

"Are you two all ready to go?" I asked the girl while stroking her pony's neck.

"Yes, Mummy." The girl replied with a grin as she petted his neck as well. "Windsy can't wait to get in the ring."

His registered name was Windsor but we called him Windsy for short. He was a purebred Welsh Pony and white as snow with a few gray flecks thrown in all over his coat.

We stood there cooing over him and checking his tack while someone else moved up closer to his head.

"Listen here, you." Noel hissed into the pony's ear just loud enough for me to hear. "If you drop our Grace it's straight to the fuckin' knacker's with ya! Or the glue factory or fuckin'-"