Jazz's shock is obvious. Not many could praise her in her life, for sure. She is just staring at me, with half-opened mouth. Like she wouldn't react. A Frozen Jazz. I agree with Tyler, this little girl is very cute.
"What… what do you do in The Anchorage?" She asks finally.
Her emotions are not shown on her face, so I can't decide whether she is curious, or just embarrassed by the silence. Maybe more of the latter.
"Well, I think, I'm the only one up there from whom you can't learn almost anything. I know some martial arts, but on a show-level. That's all I learned up there from the others."
"So are you not a martial arts trainer?"
"Not really, unless you are interested in equestrian Archery." I smile at her, but her smile is fading. "It is not very useful in MMA fighting, but a good opportunity to do something else, than martial arts. We have a small training ground among the hills, if you would like to try."
"No, thanks."
She kindly rejects the opportunity but rejects it.
"Can you ride a horse?"
She shakes her head.
"I could teach you, if you want. There are a lot of horses in The Anchorage, and I could use a helping hand to ride them daily. You could ride them free, if you are worrying of the money."
Silence. Her face still doesn't show her emotions.
"Don't you organize martial arts' training camps?" She asks finally. Not the best answer, that I hoped for.
"Yes, we do. Why?"
"Because of the horses."
I laugh, but inside I have already given up on Jazz. It seems she doesn't like horses.
"The horses are Andrew and Ian's fault. Having horses there is mainly Ian's fault, but the beginning is connected to Andrew. Ian originally didn't keep horses."
"Why did he change his mind?"
"It is the usual thing: he couldn't say no to a suffering living being. That's why we are all there, in the house after all."
"Were the horses suffering?" She says with a weak voice. At least she is compassionate and concerned about animal welfare. Weak beginning, but encouraging sign for the future.
"Not all of them. One of them was brought by Tyler from a filming."
"Tyler? Filming?"
Jazz's voice shows her shock, but her face doesn't. She doesn't know about us a single thing. I really like her, so I easily forget, that she is a real newbie among us.
"According to your facial expression, Tyler really said nothing about us."
"We didn't have time to talk about you. Everything happened very suddenly."
"Just like always." I smile at the reluctant girl. "I mean in the history of the house residents. Fate has always been a strange and fast-paced game with the residents of The Anchorage."
"Why? How?"
She is expecting something. Probably just the most banal thing: to find out why her fate brought her here. But I don't know. I try to know her better, and she doesn't really helping me. Maybe the medicines she has taken is the cause, or she is basically a frightened child, I don't know. But I won't know anything, if I stop the conversation here.
"I don't know too much about the other residents, but with me, it was like a thunderstorm."
"Thunderstorm?"
"Are you interested?" I ask, and Jazz nods.
I finally discover what might have caught Tyler in her. The eyes. Jazz's eyes show all her emotions. Truly, even the most beautiful gold mirror. This trait is very appealing when viewed from the human side, but dangerous if she really wants to fight. Too bad she'll have to get used to hide them. As fighter, those eyes could be her traitors, so the others will soon teach her to hide her intentions. At that time she will be closed fully, and no one knows whether she could open herself to us, or not. Well, she is not too open now. She behaves like a snail: most of her is safely in the shell, but her eyes and tentacles are out. I suppose she could pull them back, for the slightest sign of threatening.
"I am the last one, who joined to the team. Well, basically you are the last one, but until you have come, I was, for more than four years. Originally I was an ostler, and worked for a small stable not far from here. The owners were mainly engaged in rented horses, they did not have their own, but those horses also had to be cared for, moved regurlarly, etc. Their owners visited them relatively infrequently, especially on weekends. In fact, as if I had my own stud, as I felt among them. One day Ian and Andrew came to the owners of the stable. One of Andrew's patient's had died. Don't worry, he would die anyway, but he didn't die, until Andrew promised him to take care of his precious pet. So he inherited a horse."
"Didn't the relatives protest? A horse is an expensive animal."
"I don't know. Ask Andrew. As I remember, the old man was always alone, and he treated his horse with love. Do you remember Ian?"
Jazz is thinking for a bit, then nods. He was beside her at the wedding.
"Imagine him to froze completely! He was so shocked when he realized, that the big animal was the heritage." I am still laughing on his face.
Jazz smiles politely.
"He even asked what did a horse eat!" I am still laughing, and Jazz fortunately joins to me. "Neither of them knew anything about the horses. They originally wanted to sell or give the horse for someone, who cares about him, but the horse was relatively old. Nobody would want to buy him, or adopt him. So they came and brought him home. Ian asked me to go with them, and both of them were serious about giving good care for the heritage. I went there once or twice in a week, to help them with the horse, and like you, I was fell in love, and married to Andrew. I stuck at The Anchorage."
"And what about your previous workplace?"
"The owners sold it three years ago, so the horses also came to The Anchorage. It was the best decision for them."
"Why are you laughing?"
"I just remember, that Ian always says, when a new animal arrives to The Anchorage, that that would be the last one. The very last one."
"And he really change his mind?"
"Yep. He always adopt them, but he says every single time, that that animal is the very last one."
"He seems to be a funny man."
"Oh, no. He is a very serious man, but his behavior is sometimes funny. He built the house, and the property is his, after all."
"Is he a mason?"
"No, he is an architect."
"Is he also not a martial arts trainer?" She cries disappointed.
"But don't really try to kick him!" I laugh. "He is a very good martial arts trainer, but he has another jobs too. I think, you are not infamous enough, to attack us from behind. Moreover judging by your physical condition, even I could give you a quick beat!"
Jazz looks at me so painfully that I feel sorry for her. She is so weak, that I would stop teasing her.
"Ian is also a master of several martial arts, in addition to working as an architect." I say seriously.
"You..."
"I work with our herd besides working in the camps, and sometimes I join to the boys at filming as a stunt."
"Whoaa! Everybody…?"
"Yes. Everybody has their own work besides the work in the camps."
Jazz doesn't say a word. I don't force the conversation either. I see she is immersed in her thoughts.
"Is it easy to put together?" She asks quietly.
"Put together what?"
"The work and your dreams."
"It is not easy, but somehow all of us could manage. We all help to each other, so yes, it is not too heavy, when you are a part of a family."
"Family?" She asks with a tone, that scares me. I can't decide whether this tone is terrified, dismissive or derogatory. Somehow all in one.
"You know, there are different families in the world. Not all are good, but not all are bad either. And this family, in The Anchorage is a very-very good one. Since the Moore girls stepped off, it became almost ideal."
She is in silence, but the refusal is in her eyes.
"You are also a part of the family." I say her reassuringly.
"My marriage with Tyler is just a fake one. So I am not an official part of your family."
"Really?" This time I am the one who voice her doubts. "You were kissing like the world could collapse around you in the next moment!"
"Tyler is a good kisser." She says embarrassed, and her face is redden into a very deep scarlet color. "I can't help it. But I don't belong to any families just by kissing a man!"
"Really?" I ask again to tease her, and I don't mention again, that she is married to that man.
"Really!" She cries, and pulls the blanket above her head.
The snail went back to its shell completely. I could get her out of it, but our newbie snail seems too weak. I choose to leave her there for a while.
"Would you play cards with me?" I knock the blanket above her head.