jueves, 2 de abril de 2020

Good bye Mr. Horse


Today I received a message from Imke, the host who welcomed me in the Netherlands a few years ago after my year trip to Australia, Indonesia and New Zealand. Imke's text broke my heart. My mind immediately traveled back to that time in my life where our paths crossed.  

October, 2016. “The journey from Friesland to Zeeland was about 7 hours which seemed to me 7 minutes. I could not relax and get carried away by my thoughts because every two hours I had to change trains and needed to pay attention to the stations we passed to know when I should get off. To remember the Dutch streets or towns names is an impossible task for me… I was doing HelpX for the first time in Holland after a really intense time in Australia.  

Jacqueline and Willem were two really great hosts in Friesland and although the work every day was hard I felt being cared by them. I enjoyed the surrounds a lot and I met really nice helpers there. I spent the last 4 days with Xiao, a Chinese girl who also was a helper. I took her to the sites that are traditional with helpers as Alissa and Anthony had done with me the previous week. I shared the bench where you can watch the wonderful sunset in front of the canal, paddling in a canoe to get to the pub, and cycling to the nearest coffee shop. The time in that little paradise was a great experience, but it was soon time to move again. 

During the train ride to Vlissinger the landscape did not seem to change much. It is hard to say, the truth is that it was really hard for me to set foot on the ground and be aware of where I was. I arrived at the Ferry Terminal in Vlissinger an hour in advance of my 18:03h ride. I bought the ticket for the ferry went outside and sat on a terrace drinking a beer and thought about how it was possible to miss a place and the people as much as I was missing those from my time in Australia. I was watching the coming and going of people who came and went on the ferry at five. Ferries always remind me of New Orleans and the Mississippi River ... my guess is that it has to do with seeing so much Tom Sayer when I was a little girl. A lot of bikes came and went continuous transit of people until the ferry departed... then I was alone in the place again. Suddenly I was aware of the sound of thunder in the distance; I began to observe the sky and clouds while I could hear the storm not very far away from me. There I was, alone in Vlissinger, a town I did know existence just a few days prior, waiting for a ferry that would take me almost to the border with Belgium, with a whirlwind of emotions and feelings in my heart. 

The ferry ride was going to be about 20 minutes long; I would be meeting my new HelpX host Imke in Breskens at 18:26h. As I got off the Ferry I observed a woman waiting for someone, me! Imke was my host of my new Helpx place, the second one in Holland. I was surprised at first, because I thought that Imke was a man's name! Haha that is one of those things that happens with foreign names... After picked me up she took me to her place and showed me around. My room, which was separated from the main house by a garden, it included a kitchen and a large living room where there was everything I needed to cook. My space was completely independent and I wouldn’t need to bother Imke and her family. It was just perfect for both of us to have privacy. She also showed me to the paddock with the horses, a couple of kilometers away from the house. 

My days here started around eight, although my alarm goes off at half past seven I liked to stay in bed a little longer. After drinking my first coffee I took care of the cats. First two kittens that were abandoned who Imke was taken care of. I cleaned the cat's toilets and gave them food and clean water. I then took care of the cat who has back problems, she lives in the room where the kitchen is ... same thing…. toilet, food and water, and sometimes I allowed her to go outside for a while… she loves the garden. After spending time with this cat I moved on to care for the three cats in the stable.

Once the cats were all ok it was time for me to check the chickens and other animals. There were about 35 chickens. I feed them, cleaned their water and once a week I would clean the corral. I also gathered the eggs that the hens had laid. I would find eggs not only in the hen house but also in the rabbit’s house. I would give bread to the geese, and apples and dry grass to the rabbits, and everyone got clean water and more straw in their beds if it was necessary. I liked seeing everything clean and tidy when I finished and I think that the animals appreciate it, but five minutes later they would start shitting everywhere again ... it's amazing how everyone shits! 

I would next feed the donkeys and sheep. Bread and straw for the sheep and for the donkeys I would only have to collect and stack the shit because they eat grass where they are. Once all of these animals were cared for I would finally be able to take the bike and a bucket with feed and medicine for Mister Horse. I ride the straight road between fields of potatoes, onions and sugar beets to reach the meadow where the horses are. I open the gate, remove one of the electrical wires that protect the paddock and I get inside with the bucket where I then add some water and the pill Mister Horse must take every morning. I set the bucket with the food away from Mister Horse while I turn to Junior. The names I’ve chosen to call the horses, the young horse Junior and the older horse Mr. Horse, because it is impossible for me to remember their Dutch names. Junior usually walks towards the entrance when he sees me getting close with the bike. He used to participate in jumping competitions until one of his legs was injured. As he was no longer of service to his owners Imke kept him to prevent him from ending up at the butchers. As I stood in front of him, I tell him good morning and ask how he is feeling and share with him how my heart is feeling. While I’m supporting the rope around his neck, so he knows what I'm doing, I pass the harness over his head and behind the ears. Once the rope is tightened properly I guide him to a position near the fence to leave him tied there while I approached Mister Horse to feed him. Junior needs to be tied so he doesn't kick Mr. Horse while he eats. 

While we wait for the old horse to finish his meal I approached Junior again with a handful of fresh grass as a compensation, he does not need to eat feed, but he wants it!. Mister Horse (so named because it's like an old man) usually greets me by pushing me with his head when he finishes their feed with vitamins and pills. I like to speak to him, it's like he understands me…. I tell him about the sky and the desert and the Kangaroos in Australia… Day after day I felt more confident, I hug and kiss them without fear, and they seek physical contact with me. I love that even when sometimes they leave my pants and shirt covered with drool and snot. 

I love horses; I love to feel their power. I am intrigued by their behavior and they even frightened me greatly being so close, having no idea how to deal with them, I try to show the utmost respect in their presence. I love to stroke them; they have a very beautiful and powerful energy. It was a challenge in the beginning but every day that passed I felt more confident and calm. It was my favorite part of the day. Especially when I was giving them dinner, almost at sunset, and I could see them wallowing in the illuminated field with that yellowish hue of the end of the day that gives the landscape these bright saturated tones so special in this part of the world. It is a sublime beauty! Magic moments…” 

Well, Imke texted me today to tell me that Mr Horse is riding for the last time… he is 33 years old and it is time to say good bye. I can’t avoid the tears while I feel a new scar is being placed on my heart. It is awesome how each scar makes us stronger… I feel particularly proud of this new scar… the time I shared with Mr. Horse was a part of my life journey where I learned that I am capable of more than I thought I was. I realized how rewarding and satisfying it is to help people and I found that I can handle myself anywhere despite the fears and insecurities. At that time, without knowing it, I was preparing for my first round the world trip, which would take place two years later. Those days with Mr. Horse, Junior and all the animals will be in my memories forever.  

Goodbye and Thank you, Mr. Horse.

1 comentario:

Unknown dijo...

I wish your four-leg friend a nice travel

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