Story: The Belly Riders., Chapter: Part 1 The Belly Riders of The Islands It had been a little over sixteen years since Harry and Jean had been down to Brazil and he worked for the Alfalla ranchero, crop spraying and Jean won the derby for belly riding that year. Things had changed drastically for them, but mostly for their good. The had bought the two hundred fifty acre island, and built a log home, stable and eighteen hundred foot landing strip. Added a riding path all the way around their land when they returned from South American and now had their home, a very luxurious log cabin facing the downstream side of the wide river all around their island. The grass runway was long enough for Harry to land on with ease in his new Super Decalathon aircraft and a beautiful training ring for their stable full of horses. The barn was air conditioned and heated in the winter time so that old ‘Macho‘, Jean’s favorite belly riding horse, could live his life in ease as he grew old. There were several new palomino two year old stallions that Jean still trained and would ride belly style when their two twin daughters were at school and not on the island. Oh yes, there were children in the home now, two beautiful fifteen year old daughters that were exact copies of their petite mother. They were twins so close alike that it was impossible for anyone to tell the difference and even their father couldn’t tell, but Jean could. Harry was amazed at the two young teen agers. They even sounded like their mother when they talked and were just as swift to learn anything they could about life. Their curiosity was at its peak at this age and he had to be careful about what he talked about around them now. He started teaching them how to fly just as soon as they were old enough to understand what he was saying they were tall enough to reach the rudder pedals. Now they could fly an aircraft just as well as their mother. They had their own ultra light aircraft that they used to fly to the local airport and catch the bus for school and return home in each day. They even used the Easy Flight ultra flight aircraft to fly back and forth when they went on dates which only occurred on the week ends, but horses were their main interest. Both girls were superior riders in any style that they wish to do. They used both the English saddle and the Western saddle. It just depended on what they were going to do during the ride. They spent hours training their horses for horse shows and that was their main interest. Their rooms were full of cups that they had won during the many shows they entered. The beautiful red Super Decathleaon buzzed the house and then did a slow one eighty over the river and side slipped down to the end of the runway and landed on all three wheels as gently as you would put a baby down in the crib. It gunned its engine and spun around in front of a big metal hanger just off of the runway but out of site in the tall pine trees off to the far side of the log home. Then a petite blond woman ran out to the man walking towards the house and flew into his arms. “Hi, honey. I missed you all day.” Jean whispered to him as she pulled away from his face after the long passionate kiss. “I missed you too, sweet cake. I was thinking about you all the time when I could. It’s been a busy day for me.” he told her as he carried her in his arms back to the house. She was only five feet tall and didn’t weight over one hundred pounds, an easy load for her muscular husband to carry. “Where are the girls?” Jean’s husband asked. “I think they are in the barn, grooming, Shadow and Prince, as usual. You know they spend all of their time in the barn with those animals. It’s strange that they haven’t discovered boys yet. I thought sure they would be going nuts over the boys that keep calling for dates and wanting to come over her to visit but they just aren’t interested. Their main interest is the stallions ever since they were fourteen.” “You are right. They do spend a lot of time with those two stallions and I haven’t ever heard them mention a boy. You don’t suppose they are gay, do you?” Harry asked. “My God, I hope not, but it is good they learn to take care of their stock and take pride in them. I have to take them to a horse show next weekend and I guess they are getting the two palominos and their gear ready. We will leave the mares home this time. I think they are ready to foal.” “Is supper ready, I hungry baby doll?” He asked his wife. “In about an hour the roast will be ready.” And the answer he got made him grimaced. “Well, if I have to wait that long, I think I will walk down to the barn and see how the girls are doing with the two stallions.” he replied. “Okay, but don’t stop them from working. Leave them along and come back in about an hour and I will have your supper on the table.” Jean told him. The father wasn’t a tall man, but he was very muscular. He had wide shoulders and it was easy to see that his hands were very powerful. He walked with a kind of rolling gait like a sailor which wasn’t unusual. He had been a sailor for many years, flying for the US Navy before he got out and started his own crop application business many years ago