Wednesday, April 08, 2015

The Groom



Jonathon Pargitter was a highly respected race horse trainer. His stables, Highwood Grange were the envy of the racing fraternity and he ran them with a rod of iron. The prestige of working there and the generous salaries he paid meant he could choose the best staff in the business.

However he was a hard taskmaster and inclined to be unreasonably demanding, and at times abusive, even cruel to his loyal workforce.

Gilbert Pope was Head groom. He had worked at Highwood Grange for over thirty years. He was payed far more than he could have possibly have earned elsewhere, so he tolerated everything his malevolent employer threw at him.

One evening after the staff had retired for the night Jonathan Pargitter was in a stable admiring his greatest asset, a fine and fiery mare which was proving unbeatable the world over. 

But whilst the staff put up with Jonathon Pargitter’s unpleasant ways, the mare no longer would and on that fateful night she flew into a rage trampling her owner to an untimely death.

The next morning Gilbert Pope found the stable door ajar. The mare was unusually calm. There on the straw laid the battered and lifeless body of Jonathon Pargitter. Nobody else had seen it....nor would they.

Jonathon Pargitter’s sudden disappearance remained a mystery to all but Gilbert Pope. His son Patrick Pargitter took over the stables.

                                *

Two years later the workers were clearing the slurry pit, and beneath the rotten straw and stinking excrement they found the remains of Jonathon Pargitter.

They recovered what they could so he could be afforded a proper send off.                                                                       
“Dust to dust, ashes  to ashes” said the priest.“Shit to Shit” muttered Gilbert Pope


Picture: Bucking Horse by Peachesrox at deviantART                                                              

Tomorrow 's tale will take a total change of direction and be a sweet tale about a little girl with magic powers. It's called Henrietta

21 comments:

  1. Ha! Perfect. Karma it's called?

    ReplyDelete
  2. pleasure, even if vicarious, is good for heart

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good riddance!

    Annalisa, writing A-Z vignettes, at Wake Up, Eat, Write, Sleep

    ReplyDelete
  4. Maybe I should start drinking coffee or slow down on the blogging. I forgot this was a flash fiction piece and thought it was real. Great job.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very good story-telling here but it left me with a question as to why the head groom didn't alert the authorities to the death of his employer. It wasn't as if..., I just thought of the answer of course, lol. I enjoyed this!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No need to answer you question thwn 'Wynn! Thanks so much for dropping by.

      Delete
  6. Great story. Can't say he sounded like a boss I'd miss.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had one which made writing this very satisfying!

      Delete
  7. He met a sorry end, looks like that mare didn't put up with shit!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Fine story, Keith! Sadly some deaths are most welcomed sometimes.

    ReplyDelete
  9. It all comes back and you pay for it in this world only! A good one, Keith :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Definitely wouldn't miss such a boss. Perfect ending.

    ReplyDelete