A Brand New Life by Leon Rice

It was a cold, crisp, December morning, Christmas eve. Billy Brenner sat quiet
ly in the stall with Mandy, Uncle Tommy s prize mare. Mandy was with foal. Ther
e was a feeling of great expectation as Billy and his Uncle Tommy comforted Man
dy in the hours before giving birth. It looked like it was going to be a glorio
us Christmas - there was a new life coming to the farm.
Billy s parents had been killed in a bus accident about a year ago and he lived w
ith Uncle Tommy and Susie since the tragic event. He missed his parents, but
his love of Uncle Tommy and Aunt Susie was enough for him. His life was comple
te and he figured he couldn t have done better if he had chosen his life himself.
He kept a picture of his parents on the dresser and as he figured it, it was in
a place of honor in his room.
Uncle Tommy had promised Billy that the new colt would be his, that he could r
aise him and care for him. Billy was overjoyed at the thought of having his ver
y own horse.
Billy had listened closely to Uncle Tommy over the months leading up to this da
y and knew exactly what to expect from Mandy. He had done research on the inter
net, learning everything he could about horses. He watched videos of a colt bei
ng born on Youtube and he figured he was ready for the wonderful event. As Mand
y labored to give birth, Billy gently stroked the mares neck and provided, alth
ough unnecessary, words of encouragement - the mare had given birth twice before
and things were progressing normally.
Do ya think she s alright Uncle Tommy, said Billy , with a look of concern on his fa
ce. Even though he had watched this on video, the experience of the real thing fo
und Billy with butterflies in his stomach and thoughts of uncertainty in his mi
nd.
What if somethin goes wrong, Uncle Tommy?
Nothin is gonna go wrong, Billy . She s doin just fine. Just keep stroking her neck
, it s almost time. Very soon, we ll have a brand new life here on the farm, and t
he colt will be all yours.
This is beyond belief. How awesome is this, thought Billy , My very own horse!
Billy had told all of his friends at school about the colt and they were all
envious of him. Billy s attention was momentarily interrupted by thoughts of a c
onversation he had with his best fiend. None of us has got a horse, commented hi
s best friend, Do ya think I can ride it when it grows up?
Sure ya can. We can all ride it when it grows up! Maybe you can help me take ca
re of it
Billy s attention was returned to the mare, when she shuddered slightly and made
slight sounds of discomfort. Then the colt started to appear.
This is it, Billy , said Uncle Tommy . Your horse is on its way! Just keep rubbing
her neck, and talk to her. Talk to her and tell her everything is going to be
just fine.
You re doin great Mandy, said Billy , Tuck is going to be a happy dad, when he sees hi
s new colt. All the animals is waitin for your baby to be born and I m gonna help
you take care of it, and so is Uncle Tommy , and everybody can t wait.
Time slowed to a standstill, as they watched the new colt appear from its mother
. Watching a video is nothing like the real live birth, thought Billy . This is t
he most fantastical thing I ve ever seen!
Mandy shuddered slightly, and with one last push and Uncle Tommy s help, the colt
was free and lay on the ground near its mother.
Uncle Tommy started to wipe the new colt clean and motioned for Billy to help
him. Billy cradled the colt s head in his arms as Uncle Tommy finished wiping
the colt off. The colt opened his eyes and struggled to lift his head. Billy
talked to the little foal.
I m gonna take care of you little horse, said Billy . I m gonna make sure you got plent
y to eat and I m gonna brush you and take you for walks and it s going to be great f
un. You ll like it here; this is a wonderful place and I know you re going to be v
ery happy. Your mom and dad will show you how to be a horse. Later on, after
you grow up a little, we can go for rides in the forest behind the house and you
can run and play. Yes, that s right little horse, we re going to have great fun tog
ether. And you re mine, all mine! Billy hugged the little horse around the neck
and thought Life is really wonderful sometimes, really wonderful.
What cha gonna name him, Billy , asked Uncle Tommy as the colt struggled to his f
eet. He stood on spindly, wobbly legs, and eased up next to his now standing mot
her.
Well I been thinkin about that, Uncle Tommy , and since I didn t know if it was a gi
rl horse or a boy horse I decided a long time ago to call it Tinkerbelle - Tinke
r for short.
Well that s just fine, Billy . Tinkerbelle it is. Tinker for short.
Isn t he the most wonderfulest horse you ever saw, Uncle Tommy ?
That he is, young nephew, that he is. . .
Young Tinker stood quietly in the stall and Mandy nuzzled the colt as they made
tiny little sounds of assurance and reassurance to one another. The colt and ma
re were bonding, a bond that would last a lifetime.
Come on Billy , we need to leave them alone for a while. They ll be fine tonight.
We can come back down to the barn in the morning. There ll be plenty of time for
you and Tinker to get to know each other.
They left one light on in the barn, and with great reservation, Billy squinted
through the crack in the door for one last look at the pair and finally closed t
he door all the way shut. Tommy and Billy made their way up the small lane fr
om the barn to the house. They were chilled to the bone from the time they had
spent waiting for Mandy to give birth. Their breath could be seen as they exhal
ed with each step closer to the warmth of the farm house. It seemed that Mandy
and Tinker weren t the only ones to be bonding on this Christmas eve.
So I guess we better get to bed right a way. Santa Clause is coming tonight as w
ell, said Uncle Tommy . What do ya think Santa is going to bring you for Christma
s this year, Billy ?
Well, I guess he kind of already did. I mean, Tinker is the best gift a person c
ould get for Christmas. If I don t get nothin else, I ll be very happy.
The light of the full moon lay gently on the yard and house as Billy and Uncle
Tommy slipped in the back door to the farm house. Aunt Susie was asleep and t
he house was as quiet as could be. Lights from the Christmas tree and the rema
ining embers in the fireplace illuminated the living room.
Billy put on his pajamas and drifted off to sleep in peaceful slumber as Uncle
Tommy placed presents under the Christmas tree.
* * * *
Billy sat bolt upright in bed the next morning, and his eyes sprung open wide.
It s Christmas morning, said Billy , and there s presents under the tree for sure! He
scurried out of bed and ran downstairs, sliding on the rug in the upstairs hall.
He knew he d get more that just a horse for Christmas, although the horse would
definitely have been enough for him. Santa and Uncle Tommy and Aunt Susie did
n t let him down. His parents, as well as his relatives, always made sure he had
a wonderful Christmas. Even though his parents weren t here, he still had the lov
e of his relatives to see him through. This year was no exception.
Billy ripped and tore his was through all the presents. He was right. There w
ere new clothes, and books, and a new fishing rod, and video games that he had a
sk for, but all of it was nothing compared to Tinker. Marvelous Tinker, he though
t, Marvelous, wonderful Tinker!
Christmas was good for Uncle Tommy and Aunt Susie as well. They exchanged pre
sents quietly, while Billy ran back up stairs to get dressed.
Aunt Angie busied herself preparing Christmas dinner. They usually ate around t
wo in the afternoon on Christmas. The relatives usually arrived around noon and
they exchanged gifts before dinner.
Billy ran full speed through the kitchen toward the back door, putting on his c
oat as he went. Goin to the barn, he yelled as the screen door slammed shut. Put y
our hat on, Aunt Susie yelled to the back of his head as he left.
Ah, to be young again, Susie thought, If only I were young again.
The day went as usual, except for the fact that Billy s parents weren t there. Bil
ly spent the day petting and talking to his little horse. Dinner was exception
al. Aunt Susie outdid herself. They sang Christmas carols and drank fruit pu
nch and everyone nibbled on pumpkin pie and Cherries Jubilee.
Uncle Will and Aunt Edna were the last to leave late that afternoon. Everything
had calmed down. It had been a marvelous Christmas. The three of them sat qui
etly in the living room, in front of the fire, contemplating the awesome day the
y had all had.
So, did you like your presents, Billy , asked Uncle Tommy , as he gave Aunt Susie
a telling glance.
Everything was great, said Billy .
Well, we have one more gift to give you, Billy , said Uncle Tommy , as he handed a
n envelope to Billy . He opened it and said, What s this?
It s the adoption papers, said Aunt Susie . This makes it final. You can stay here
and live with us permanently.
We love you very much, Billy , said Uncle Tommy , and we hope you ll continue to be h
appy here. So you have a new beginning here with us.
Life couldn t be better, thought Billy , I must be the luckiest little boy who ever l
ived. Thank you God for A Brand new life on the farm.