Ok such a crazy experience! Albeit a dream. Very, very real and I was on a real high when I woke up… Which, as my friends will know, this is not a usual as I’m a nightmare kind of girl.
It began in a cafe in Italy. A white cat came up to me and started to purr. I cuddled him and his owner came up and said he NEVER did this. In fact, he scratched them if they tried to pick him up. With me however he was a most loving cat.
Then I was in a room with a family. I do not speak Italian (to my embarrassment) and a young girl was trying to make sure I kept up, with fluent English! They were all very animated talking about a race event being held that afternoon in which the teenage daughter, slightly older than my English speaking friend, was driving.
It appears it was very much like rally driving, but with upmarket cars and on the road at the speed limits. Everyone had a handicap however which they’d find out about when they got there.
Whilst we waited (I decided to go to watch) I went into their grounds to talk to a horse I’d seen. Percheron, pure white, with the most gorgeous feathers you’ve ever seen. (It’s the hair on the back of the fetlock area.. Not real feathers). He trotted over to me and we became firm friends that afternoon.
Half an hour before the event there was an argument between the girl and her boyfriend who was to be her navigator and he stormed out. She burst into tears and flew upstairs vowing to never come down again and forfeiting the race.
Her family wrung hands and lamented as the prize pot was huge and suddenly a man said something in which I recognised my name, and everyone stared at me!
Ok I’ve never driven in Italy. It’s all on the other side of the road!
I denied any need to be involved. They told me I had to. They were relying on me. I told them my driving WAS my handicap without adding anything else into the fray. They begged and pleaded with Granny wringing hands a lot and wailing.
I gave in
They gave me money for their bet. Shoved me out the door with the young translator, and I was soon following her, running up a narrow street towards the heart of town.
Cars! So many very expensive cars! The young girl introduced me to the event manager… who laughed! Spoke to me in fast foreign language gesturing towards the back row of cars, and hurried off.
The girl grabbed my hand, and the betting money, and pulled me towards a fat lady with a moustache, who took the money, wrote up a slip, looked at me and laughed, and gesticulated hysterically towards the back row of cars.
Walking through a pristine row of Lamborghini’s, Ferraris and the like, I ended up being dumped in front of a huge 1white Jeep. The white cat sat on the bonnet washing his face with a perfectly formed white paw. He stopped mid-lick when he saw me, mewed prettily, and stalked off 100 paces to watch.
A tall young man, dark and very handsome, walked up to me containing a grin and handed me all the paperwork left to have at the end. Asked if I had my mobile phone for directions, and on the affirmative nod, walked away to the next driver who had just opened the door of the shiny red Ferrari sitting next to my Jeep.
A load of youngsters then walked into view once all drivers were standing next to their cars. There was a bell, and all youngsters then went back around the corner and all came into view leading….. Horses!
A young lad walked over to me with… My friend the Percheron!
My little friend explained he was not the friendliest of horses as he approached. I held out my hand and he nuzzled it and I flung my arms around his neck feeling not so alone as I had 5 minutes earlier. The girl stood mouth open, then grinned and said goodbye. Before I could say “wtf?” She’d gone, along with the horse handler and most of the cars… Driving very slowly with a horse trotting along side each car.
I looked at my horse. He looked at me and whinnied. Didn’t take long for him, with a little gentle persuasion and clunking of hooves against the paintwork, to hop up on the back seat, front legs dangling over the front, hooves making huge dents in the lovely leather heated seat.
My horse’s mane waved gracefully in the breeze as we drove carefully in my shiny, scratched up white Jeep down the wrong side of the street, past Ferraris, Porsches and Lamborghini’s towing sweaty horses, drivers swearing.
It was a huge payout and I made a handsome profit after giving out the family’s share.
I kept the horse too…. But that’s another story perhaps.
I don’t have an image I’ve done of a Percheron, so here’s my little white Shetland instead
