Free I'll See You In Your Dreams by Tony Miller Page B

about ten years ago. I know Crabbet Park well. I was raised by an English general who had served in South Africa when they suffered one of their biggest defeats at the hands of the Zulus.”
    “The Zulus defeated the British?” asked Colton incredulously.
    “Soundly. Over eight hundred British lost their lives. The British eventually gathered a large enough army to overpower the Zulus. In the ensuing battle, the village of my birth was overcome in a horrific engagement. I was one of the Zulu survivors.”
    Colton leaned against a wooden rail. “You were a survivor of a war? How did you end up being raised by a general?”
    “I was given to a General Novak by the king of the Zulus, Cetshwayo, who was captured and exiled to Cape Town. This gesture by the Zulu king obligated General Novak to treat me in an exemplary fashion and see that I received a top education. This Zulu tradition was a nation building one. It propagated emissaries throughout warring tribes until the various factions began to unite, rather than war with one’s own brother.”
    “So, you’re a Zulu?” Colton asked with admiration.
    “I am a descendant of the Zulus, but I’m afraid the noble traditions and courage that I scantly remember, have been subjugated to the might of bigger guns but smaller minds. The Zulus of my birth no longer exist.”
    “How did you end up here in California?” Colton asked.
    “I came to America and to California to breed Arabians. A visit to Crabbet Park with the General when I was twelve inspired me. The farm, the horses, and overall set up was so impressive. What most impressed me, however, was a woman horse trainer whom the General and Lord Blunt, co-owners of the breeding farm, were discussing, as we all watched her put a horse through its routines.”
    Colton was now riveted. Sam continued, “she was magical in her handling of the beasts. Lord Blunt was convinced that she somehow mentally talked to the horses. They seemed so bent on pleasing her. They also discussed the possibility that her extreme beauty and poise affected the horses just as it did men.” They both laughed.
    Sam went on. “Lord Blunt told my father, the general, her story of being born into a prominent Swedish breeding farm. It accounted for her fair complexion and blonde hair. Then suddenly a seven-year-old came walking out from the barn with an Arabian following. “Now, who could that have been, Colton?”
    “Good God almighty, this is too much of a coincidence.”
    “Exactly.”
    “Why are you here, Colton?”
    “I’m seeking my destiny, my fortune, or at least some adventure.”
    “I have a deal for you, Colton. I believe in providence, and I have often thought of how lucky Lord Blunt was to have your mother on as a trainer. I’ve only hoped in my wildest dreams to find someone with such talent. Now here you are.
    “I suddenly see an opportunity for both of us. As a black man, I often hit the color barrier in some dealing or other. You with your sunny blond hair would make a perfect partner. Hmmm, I’m sure that together we can far more than double what I could do alone. So Colton, I’m offering you a partnership in this Arabian breeding dynasty consisting of fifty acres, a livery service downtown and twelve Arabians.”
    “Downtown San Francisco?” asked Colton.
    “No, downtown Fresno,” responded Sam.
    “Fresno? Where’s Fresno?” Colton asked with a puzzled look.
    “It’s in the San Joaquin Valley, not far from here. It’s near Yosemite Valley. So, what do you say? Remember it will cost you no money up front, just a commitment to a lot of work, for several years.”
    Colton thought over the uncanny coincidence of meeting Sam and of such an opportunity to use his most loved talent in pursuit of his destiny. “Well, I’ve decided,” Colton said with confidence.
    “What have you decided?” Sam asked with trepidation.
    “I’ve decided that you are my friend, and partner, Sam!”
    Colton and Sam shook hands.
    They