Wanted

Chapter 18

"Are you a man or a mouse?" Edwards grunted.

"Neither," John muttered more to himself than Edwards but Edwards heard and gave him an angry look with eyebrows raised.

"Sorry," John quickly apologised from his very vulnerable position on top of the horse.

"I am warning you, boy. Don't get fresh with me this morning. I don't have to bring you," Edwards growled at him, which made John exceedingly nervous of him. Maybe hungover the man was just as dangerous as his wife. John almost wanted to tell him that he had changed his mind, but then reminded himself that the fishing trip might present a chance to escape. 'No,' he needed to do this, he told himself and with gritted teeth apologised again.

"I am sorry, Mr Edwards. Please, I really want to go fishing with you. I'll be good, I promise," John reassured the man.

Goliath was the type of horse that generally did what he was told, and in fact for the most part didn't need to be told anything in the first place. He was part of a team, and thus when Edwards on the back of Samson moved out, he simply followed them. John was terrified and very uncomfortable so high up on the broad backed animal. His legs barely reached halfway down its belly and John felt they did nothing much to keep him sitting up on the big horse. He feared he could slide down as the movements made him sway from side to side at first.

After a while John got a little more comfortable and relaxed, trusting Goliath that he wouldn't suddenly just run off with him on his back, not that he imagined he would be able to stay on his back should he take off. Goliath however did the opposite of running away, in fact he slowed down so much, that he and John fell further and further back, and at some stage, when he realised that John was just passively sitting on his back, he stopped walking altogether, and started to munch on the grasses and flowers that grew on the side of the road. Apparently even horses as good as Goliath sometimes like to tease their rider a little or maybe just want to do their own thing now and then as well. John pleaded with Goliath to keep moving, too scared to call for Edwards, who seemed oblivious to John and Goliath being left behind.

Eventually however Edwards did notice and came back for him, looking disgusted with John, so that John had to lower his gaze ashamed at his lack of ability. "For god' sake boy. I told you, you have to show him who is boss. Give him a kick with your heels," he told John.

"Kick him?" John asked astounded, "you want me to kick him? He's four times the size of me, and you want me to kick him? What if he just runs away with me?"

Edwards laughed sarcastically, "Goliath wouldn't do that. He's too lazy to run. Kick him, I said," he instructed John again, but even with John doing as he was told, Goliath did not move even an inch. Only when Edwards used his hat to swat the animal on his behind, did he slowly start moving again.

"I told you, there is no need to be scared of Goliath," Edwards reprimanded John in a critical tone, "he wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Phew," John huffed, "Wouldn't hurt a fly my arse, I've seen how he whips at those flies with his tail," John muttered, which earned him another disapproving look of Edwards, but this time John could see that Edwards also hid his amusement somewhat. His mood seemed to improve the further he got away from the town or maybe it was his wife.

"Scared of Goliath," Mr Edwards mumbled in disbelief, rolling his eyes and shaking his head, "you can't be a scared chicken around horses," he muttered contemptuously. 

"Phew, I ain't no scared chicken," John said with a huff, "Chickens run away when they are scared. I ain't scared, I am terrified, but I am here ain't I? And I think that makes me darn brave," John said looking at Edwards defiantly. He was no coward, and calling him a coward, always made him stand into his opponents, no matter who they were.