A Room of Their Own by Rakefet Yarden (best summer reads of all time .TXT) 📕

have to figure out how to help them move on and heal − and us, too.” She then turned to look at Tal and me. “Please understand. This isn’t very easy. We admired Grandpa. Who could have even imagined him doing something like that? Give us some time to take this all in and we’ll continue talking about it tomorrow.”

She sat down on the couch next to Dad, her eyes filled with sadness, and they both adopted a kind of new silence. They looked shell-shocked, as though they had endured an agonizing battle.

Mom got up and walked towards the bedroom, and then remembered something and turned around. “And will you all agree with me that Grandma must be spared all this? It won’t help anyone with anything, and would only cause her heartache.”

We all nodded in agreement, and Dad remained sitting in silence. The visit didn’t end with emotional hugs, nor with any doors slamming shut. It ended with quietly getting up and saying goodbye. We left that suffocating space and came out into the fresh air.

Relief.

Tying Up Desires as You Would Horses

An abrasive brush moving in circular motions in line with the fur growth, followed by a soft brush in long straight movements, also in line with the fur growth, in order to remove all of the dirt that had brushed up. I already knew what to do with the bridle − it’s a kind of harness that you put on the horse’s head so that you can take him around and care for him. I also already knew how to clean hooves, and I did it unaccompanied, with the more easy-going horses. And, yes, I already began to understand what each horse needed − which one liked his neck scratched, which one liked his nose to be petted, and which one preferred to be left alone.

I was going to the ranch twice a week, and was assigned to either Liora or Tomer each time I arrived. Liora majored in animal sciences, wanted to be a vet, and worked at the ranch part-time. Tomer worked there full-time, not yet having decided what he wanted to do with his life. In the meantime, he was studying to be a therapeutic horseback riding instructor − a field that really interested me. They were both very nice, and always made sure to give me as much information as possible so that I could become completely independent there. At that point I could already carry out a few of the tasks independently, mainly with specific horses, and that was fine with me.

Of course it was easier for me with horses. That was my calm place. When I was at the stables with Billy, Robbie, or Evelyn, I’d become completely serene and confident. The challenging moments were when I needed to talk to Liora or Tomer, or with one of the boys volunteering there. Rotem and I spoke a lot about my ability to come out of my shell and talk. It took a lot of energy out of me, but I realized that I had to do it. After a few times at the ranch, I realized that I wanted to move ahead and become a formal employee, not just a volunteer, but I had to be able to speak for that to actually happen.

My volunteering hours were 4 - 7 p.m., the ranch’s busiest times. Little children, teenagers, and parents wandered around the ranch, and there were at least five instructors in the riding area at any given time. We needed to stay focused and organized because the schedule was packed, and there was a lot to fit in. I liked showing up ahead of time. Sometimes I’d arrive at 3 p.m. , when everything was still calm and quiet. That way I’d get in more time with Billy and Robbie, the horses I was most attached to. I liked staying there until the gates closed for the night, at around 8 p.m. That was a magical sort of hour, when the horses would come out to the enclosure, or go into the clean stables after having eaten their dinners, each in its own spot for the night. There was a mixture of tranquility and tiredness. Everyone wanted their quiet-time.

I learned to have my afternoon snack right before my shift there would begin. I’d find a quiet corner, usually next to Billy, at the end of the stables. Two slices of bread with a spoonful of tahini and a spoonful of honey. I’d then eat my apple at 7:00. I’d make sure to leave some of the flesh of the apple core and give it to Billy for a treat. It always made him so happy.

Hand, Fur, Hand

I felt something grab my right leg, then my left one. I looked down and saw two little hands holding my pants. “I wanna help you,” said the little girl, maybe five years old. She looked familiar, and it took me a couple of minutes to realize where I’d seen her. I eventually recognized the red spot on her neck. It was Orri, who’d arrived for her 5:00 ride with Evelyn, a beautiful little golden horse. I’d heard that Evelyn had been flown here from abroad especially for therapeutic horseback riding. Orri had a major limp, and she’d usually sit on the horse together with her instructor. A lot of employees and volunteers took part in Orri’s sessions. They all loved her dearly, and they affectionately nicknamed her “Berry.”

“I wanna brush this horse. What’s his name?” Her childish impatience interrupted my thoughts, forcing me to come out of my shell and cope with my embarrassment.

“His name is Billy.”

“Let me brush him,” she said confidently.

I was confused. I wasn’t sure if I was even allowed to take her into the stables, and anyway, where were her parents, and how did she just latch onto me all of a sudden? My heart started to pound, and the whole situation stressed me out. Get it