Lament of the Fig..........

'Horse looking well...but not seeing well'...an often quote from my Dad.
When I was about 7 or 8...I became fascinated with the attraction...the yen!..of wanting a horse.What started the 'madness' I can't quite recall now.But call it what it is...I was obsessed with this need to have a horse...own a horse.Day and night...I became a thorn in my fathers side.
And bare in mind...our history together, was not good...we have never seen 'eye to eye' on anything in my favor (and so say all of us...Right?).I wonder why?...LOL.
Finally, after perplexing his brain for so long...he decided to 'get real'... it boils down to the 'nitty gritty'...dollars and cents...or in our case at the time...pounds and pennies (let's not even talk about where I was going to Keep...the horse!).I still refuse to get.
The horse in question was one recently added to a stable next door to my school (if you can call 2 miles away...next door...LOL)..and it/he/her/whatever!...was a magnificent beast to look at.
I had the itch...bad!
One lunch time when my dad came home...and I just happen to be home (no school)because of some reason or another.I twisted his ear until finally he just said 'fine'..let's go take a look at 'your horse'I felt like I just won the Jamaican sweepstakes....I wore the bastard down!
So we both hopped on the #36 'Jolly Joseph' bus up to Shortwood....and a place called 'Cherry Gardens (home of the wealthy)'...and yes!...it was named thus...because of the over abundance of cherry trees (I think?...indulge me...Ha-ha-ha!).I took him to stand outside the fence where I would often stand and day dream...when I was on my lunch break at school.Aaaah (snap of the finger)!...that is it...I remember now...I was a big fan of the comic book series 'Prince Valiant'.I fancied myself one of his knights!...and a knight needs a horse to attend to his knightly duties...does not one?...Ha-ha-ha!
My father took one look at the fetching...magnificent beast I was pointing at...sighed...shook his head...and said...'Aaah!'...in that way he has when he was disappointed with...and in me....which was often!In that time and space...there are many choice words my father could have said to me...that might have made sense (not that I cared to see sense)... just 'My son...that's a Trojan Horse (we had just done that story in school, all but 2 days before), or...'Son...please learn to...'Look a gift horse in the mouth'...something my Mom loved to say to me...of which...he is a constant witness.But NO!...'Ol tight-wad just said in that rye...irritating....'know-it-all' way of his....'Horse looking well...but not seeing well''What the hell!!!???
And to add insult to injury....he just dismissed me and walked off to go have a chat with the guy who I assumed owned the stable.
My father knew everybody...and everybody knew him.
My ass carries painful reminders!
Other kids could miss-behave on the street and get away with it...Me?...NO!...they had his permission to spank me on the spot...then when I got home...round two...was in store.
And he liked to produce 'mr. happy (that's the name of the leather strap he used)' just before bed time.
Nothing like a good flogging to put you right to bed.
I was fit to be tied...throwing imaginary hatchets into his departing back.....I was so steamed...my ear were red hot!..and venting high pressure steam!
He knew it too!
We both had a temper, so he stood his distance and watched...while spanking with the gentleman...until he figured was calm enough to be approached with reason again.
Fat chance!
But he had that look about him (Don't test me boy!)...so I took my cue from that, and hushed.

Moments passed, and so he came back over with the owner of the stable....introduced 'Mr. So-and-so (who cares what's his-face name was)' to me.
And they both commenced in my placation....my education!
Explaining the history of each horse (never knew my dad was an old pundit of the race track...lots I never...and still don't know about him...very guarded he was)...starting from way over yonder!
Fully well knowing...I was only interested in one horse...The Big Black Beauty!
Seems this place was a retirement home of sorts for worn out race horses...and it became very evident when they put the light on it all.
but MY horse was different...even I could see that!
He was frisky....rearing to go....chafing at the bit!
Still a youngster...strutting his stuff.

They were about 2 horses away from my horse in exploration of each horses history...and me almost at the end of my rope where patience was concerned.
My eyes were still on MY horse...even though my ears were listening to them 'jabber'.
Suddenly my horse nayed, pranced, and railed-up on it's hind legs...then dashed off on a sprint.
How magnificent a beast!
.........And charged right into the fence of the corral!...Ouch!

Huummmm...it suddenly dawned on me.......
And I looked up at my dad...who was looking down on me...with a knowing smile...
Damn!...that so irritates me!
'Horse looking well...but not seeing well!'
Which was why he was retired and put out to pasture...and stud.
He had very poor vision...even with blinkers on.

Priceless!!!