THE LAST STRAW TODAY 15th JAN

It has rained all night and there has been a cow mooing outside somewhere close, since about 04h30. I feel like death. I go to make coffee and already there s an atmosphere in the home. I hear Don telling Cheryl that just because she has woken up grumpy, it doesn’t mean she has to have a go at him. I question Cheryl whether all three of us are going to the stables or just Cheryl and I. I am shocked at the response of “Well you can also stay behind if you like”. I see this is going to be yet another day in Paradise! I am dropped off to herd the horses. They are obliging and all 20 head for the stables with me in tow. We tack up for the ride. It is a small ride. I am riding Apollo. I am mounted and Cheryl has asked me to lead the ride. I am tightening the girth on Apollo at the launch pad and get told “If you move, I can mount”. I move towards Blaze who is standing at the end of the line to go out and continue to tighten the girth. I am told, “You need to go to the front”. I state I am just tightening my girth and I get a glare from hell. I can see where today is going!
We are not crossing the river due to the rains last night. I head for the gate which leads to the road. I am reminded I need to head for the road. I confirm I am. We get onto the road and I am waiting for all to come through the gate when suddenly my reins are in two pieces. Somehow the buckle has undone itself. I get told to walk on. I state I am fixing my reins when I am asked whether I would just prefer to not ride and return home. I ask Cheryl whether she would prefer I went out with 2 reins instead of 1? Cheryl is then on the phone to her daughter Luisa at full voice telling her how both Don and I have attitude today. Two things cross my mind. How a grown up chats to a 16 year old about issues like this and why the hell I should go on this ride. Nothing I have done for Cheryl in any form of assistance, from cleaning stables, to cleaning her car which is in a disgustingly filthy state to cleaning out the tack room, to guiding and helping any riders, is appreciated. There and then my decision is made. It is time to return home. I phone my kids to make arrangements for an e-ticket for me for tomorrow.
The living situation at home and the way in which I have been treated by Cheryl since the freak accident of 5th January 2009, is untenable. I now see, I have no choice but to return home. I question in my mind whether this has been her intention since the accident. She told people who were with us that she was amazed at the fact that I had not been prepared to accept my responsibility for the accident that occurred. What am I to feel? I however, have still remained civil and gone about the work expected of me plus more. I cannot take this anymore. We finish our ride. I say goodbye to Apollo and take my last pictures of him. Luisa and Janine arrive back from their trail with the Father and Daughter and untack and sort their stuff out. Everyone is told to round the horses up to the field across the road. As usual and as has been for the past ten days, I do all the rounding up with no one else in sight. I even comment at the top of the road abt the gate, that I will manage this all on my own. The client who has been on trail gets out the car to assist!
We return home. I pack up my suitcases and then go and tell Cheryl of my plan. I am told OK and enquire about a refund of some R8000-00 due to me and am told IT WILL NOT HAPPEN and I must see her web page which states NO REFUNDS. I advise Cheryl that this would no doubt apply under normal circumstances but her behaviour at making things at home so untenable have forced me to leave. I reiterate to Cheryl I attempted to talk to her regards the accident the previous Thursday and when I made a comment about the fact I did not like a comment I had heard her make, she had left the room defending herself that the comment was not made about me. Cheryl never returned to the lounge to continue with any further discussions. I asked Cheryl just how grown up was that response from an adult? I then advised Cheryl I will take this matter further to which she then threatened to sue me for the medical costs that Rudi was claiming from her for the medical bills of his wife. I told her to go ahead. I had signed no documentation accepting any liability for Mkulu Kei Horse Trails when I came for a working / riding holiday.
I returned outside to making other means possible for me to get to the airport, such as a shuttle so that I could leave on the 09h00, flight to JHB. Staying at the house till the next flight at 16h45 would be too unbearable. All is planned by 19h00 and I am pleased at the thought of going home. I shall get a call in the morning when the shuttle is turning off the N2 towards Haga Haga, to give me an estimated time of their arrival to fetch me. I scan the house to pack up the rest of any of my belongings. I go and shower and wait for dinner. After dinner I go to bed.