Wheelchairs and Watermelon

By Iris Tuftin

Book 1 of the Double H Ranch Series. Sixteen-year old Jesse deals with the challenges of his paraplegia as he is expected to contribute to the everyday work at the ranch. A nasty neighbor, suspected of a destructive act, is set up by Jesse and his young ranch friends in a secret plan that turns deadly. Learn along with Jesse how the philosophy and training methods of Natural Horsemanship are applied. This is a feel-good story that leaves the reader with happy tears and faith in humanity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Iris Tuftin
• Release date: Dec 18, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311345110

Iris Tuftin

Iris Tuftin, a retired school teacher, has lived the rodeo life. Although she didn’t grow up with horses, she was introduced to them by her husband, Nels, and soon became a knowledgeable and proficient horse person. Over the years, the family involved themselves in gymkhana, 4-H and rodeo.Both sons qualified to the National Finals High School Rodeo and went on to make names for themselves at the professional level, Daren as a bullfighter and clown, and Dean as a team roper, becoming the first Canadian to qualify to the NFR in that event.Iris and Nels have competed in team roping, with Nels claiming a Canadian Senior championship, but Iris’ claim to fame in rodeo proved to be in the barrel racing event. She was a multiple amateur champion, a qualifier to the Canadian Finals Rodeo in the mid 80’s, and a Canadian Senior Pro barrel champion.Iris and Nels live in central Alberta, Canada, hauling their horses south to their Arizona winter home for training.Music has always played a major role in Iris’ life as she played and sang in family bands from a young age and still performs with an all-female band called The Hinge.

Book preview

WHEELCHAIRS AND WATERMELON

(Book One of the Double H Ranch Series)

By

Iris Tuftin

Copyright © 2014, 2004 Iris Tuftin

Smashwords Edition

All Rights Reserved.

Other Double H Ranch Series titles by Iris Tuftin:

Heartbreak and Heroes

Cowboy Up, Cole

Reunion

Dedication

To disabled people everywhere who, while they struggle with daily challenges, contribute to and are valued by families and communities.

And to those who are making a difference in the horse world by dedicating their lives to the teaching of natural horsemanship.

Table of Contents

1 A Special Connection

2 A Visit to Little Bits

3 A New Neighbour

4 Jesse Gets Mounted

5 Willing Partners Horsemanship Clinic

6 Building Fort Hollis

7 Cattle Drive

8 The Set-up

9 Hidden Talent

10 The Trap

11 Truth Heals

12 Let the Games Begin

13 The Anniversary Concert

Epilogue

Acknowledgements:

Cover Credits:

About The Author:

1. A Special Connection

Tina Hollis kept her eyes shut tight as she rolled over and reached for the phone at her bedside. ‘Who could be calling so late? It’s after 11:00,’ she thought in annoyance. But she wasn’t at all surprised to hear her twin sister, Marla’s, voice on the other end of the line.

Tina, I’m sorry, I always forget that one-hour time difference between B.C and Alberta. I just came in from my jog around Stanley Park, and I know I can never catch you during the day. I swear you ranch folk must live outdoors from dawn to dusk, Marla accused as she stood looking out the window of her high-rise apartment.

Hi, Marla. If it was anyone but you, I’d be mad. I just nicely got to sleep. Yes, we do spend all our time outside, especially in the summer. I’ve been helping Jay with the hay, and we’ve got a bunch of young horses we’re working with, not to mention the roping practice and checking cattle. What’s up? I know you would have e-mailed if it was just regular chit-chat.

You know me too well, Sister Dear. You’ll never guess who called me—Rhonda, from the Little Bits Therapeutic Riding Association in Edmonton.

Rhonda Wheeler? Tina asked. I haven’t heard from her in years.

Her thoughts returned to a time thirteen years prior when she and Marla, as young women in the final year of their university degree programs, were looking for a change from their dormitory studies and offered two hours twice weekly to the worthy cause. The fact that they rode competitively on the horse show circuit made them perfect candidates. They knew how to handle horses, and they were both about to graduate from programs that were child-centred. Rhonda had accepted their applications enthusiastically and put them to work immediately assisting disabled children as they rode the well-mannered horses at the Whitemud Equine Centre.

She had a request to take on another disabled rider. He just happens to be Jesse Fletcher. Remember me telling you about him and his mother, Jean? I helped them out when his dad died out here several years ago. They moved back to her parent’s ranch west of Williams Lake. The poor woman was totally devastated and financially strapped. The family wasn’t able to help much at the time. I often wondered what happened to them, and now I know, and it’s not good, Marla said, the concern telling in her tone.

I remember. You said he was the cutest little kid you had ever seen. So what’s happened? What are they doing in Edmonton? And what’s he doing at Little Bits? He wasn’t disabled, was he?

"He wasn’t then, but he is now. Jesse’s mother, Jean, remarried two years later to a rancher from the area. He was a lot older than Jean but apparently really good with Jesse—took him everywhere—on his horse, on the tractor, in the truck. The two became very close.

They stayed on the ranch until Jesse was twelve when Bill had a mild stroke. They sold the ranch and moved into Williams Lake so he could get treatment. Then last fall, Bill suffered an aneurism while he was driving Jesse to a hockey game. The truck went off the road and rolled. Bill died. Jesse was thrown out, and the truck landed on him, causing a T-11incomplete injury of the spine. Neither one was wearing a seatbelt. Jean blamed herself for not driving instead of Bill. She had never gotten through to Bill about seat belt use, and she knew his health was not good.

That’s terrible! Just what exactly does a T-11 injury mean? You know I don’t know much about medical stuff.

It means his eleventh thoracic vertebra was injured, so he has abdominal control, that is, he can sit on his own. He can’t walk although he has shown improvement in power from the hip and buttock area, Marla explained.

You said ‘incomplete’. What does that mean?

The spinal cord was only partially injured, so symptoms are not definite, and the prognosis is unsure. These next few months will tell the tale.

Are Jean and Jesse just in Edmonton for therapy, or did they move out here to Alberta? Tina asked.

They moved there, Marla continued. At least for now. Jean’s sister is a nurse at the Royal Alexander Hospital in Edmonton. That’s who encouraged Jean to bring Jesse and get him into the Glenrose Rehabilitation Program. Jesse’s been through three months of it. It’s the Glenrose medical team that wants to see Jesse do some regular riding. Unfortunately, he’s just on a waiting list, and that’s why Rhonda called.

I still don’t get it. Why did she call you? Tina asked, puzzling.

Apparently, Jesse’s physiotherapist was going over Jesse’s history with Rhonda, trying to convince her to make an exception and fast-track him into the program when she came across my name. That reminded her of you and Jay, but she couldn’t remember Jay’s last name or your hometown. So she called and asked me to ask you to contact her. She says Jesse’s medical team recommends that he do as much riding as possible now at this stage of his therapy. There is some hope for a certain level of recovery as he does have some sensation in his lower limbs.

You mean there’s a chance he could walk again?

No one knows that for sure. It is a spinal cord injury, after all. But there’s some wonderful research going on thanks to the awareness and money raised by people like Rick Hansen and Christopher Reeve. It’s important for Jesse to keep mobile by working his muscles, Marla explained.

So what are you suggesting, Marla—that Jesse come here to the ranch?

Yes, Tina, just for the summer. If you and Jay would consider it, there would be a lot of very happy people. Jean won’t want to let him out of her sight, but that’s one of the most vital aspects of this plan. Jean does too much for Jesse. She’s the biggest obstacle to his independence right now, and as long as he is in the home with her, that won’t change. She has even kept him in home-schooling so she can shelter him every waking hour. The Glenrose staff just isn’t getting through to her, and Jesse is still in a stage of self-pity so he’s not helping either.

Wow! You’re pretty convincing. I’ll talk it over with Jay first. Then we’ll have a family meeting and see what we come up with. It would affect us all. We would all have to buy into the plan, Tina decided. And I’ll give Rhonda a call. I’ll look up her number. I’m not about to turn on a light to write it down now. I do have one condition, Marla.

What’s that?

You come and spend a few days and help out. You’re the one with the Masters degree in psychology. Besides, I don’t see enough of you.

Sounds good to me. I can take off a few days in mid July. And I miss you, too. Sorry about calling so late. Let me know your decision. Bye, Tina. Love ya.

Bye, Marla. Love you, too.

Tina had a difficult time slowing her mind down so that sleep would return. What would Jay say? He had stayed asleep throughout her entire conversation with Marla. It always amazed Tina how he could be asleep within a minute of his head hitting the pillow and could sleep through thunderstorms and phone calls, but at six A.M. he wouldn’t need an alarm clock. He would be wide awake and ready for the day, making jokes and whistling a tune while he started the coffee. Meanwhile, Tina would savour a few more minutes under the blankets and need more time before she was prepared to join the living.

She knew what Jay would say: Whatever you think, Tina. They were a team and had been from the beginning. Jay had made a rancher out of her, and he showed his appreciation for her contribution by helping her whenever he could. When Tina went to work teaching Grade Two in Clear River, four-year-old Bailey and two-year-old Brayden stayed at home under the care of their father and grandparents. It was the most ideal situation possible for babysitting. Bailey practically lived in the saddle with her dad, and by the time she was five she was managing her own horse while Brayden took her place on the front of the saddle with Jay.

Then, when Bailey started school, she went along with Tina in the morning and soaked up more ‘school’ in the hour before school started than most kids got in the whole day. Bailey was always way ahead of her years. Sometimes, it was almost scary what she knew and understood. Yet, she was so thoughtful and sweet. Once she said to Tina, I already knew all the words, but I didn’t tell the teacher because none of the other kids knew them and I didn’t want anyone to feel bad.

The next year Bailey was in her mother’s class. In a small school like Clear River there was no choice. There was only one class for each grade. Tina had thought about getting permission from the principal and Grade Three teacher to skip Bailey ahead, but in the end it was decided to keep Bailey in Grade Two. Later, she wondered why she had ever been worried about having her daughter in her class. It was like having a teaching assistant. Bailey offered help to others, and Tina was able to give her challenging assignments of her own.

Tina taught one more year after that and applied