What made me buy this book? Horses!! of course...i love horses...so strong...yet so elegant and loving. What an amazing animal it is. Then, as i read the synopsis i found out that the story was set during Robert Mugabe's land invasions in Zimbabwe and how this family was forced to flee with their horses. What more do you need to hear before you buy it!!
This book made me wonder, how could you run for your lives with 104 horses!! How could anyone do that? I mean, i always felt lucky that i never had to pack my things and move from the place i was born until now as my parents still live in the house i was born and i still have some of my childhood stuffs in the cupboards or under the beds. Though i now live 2 and hours away from home...i never had to lose the memories of the place i was born. If i had to run for my life from there...what would i have packed?? Clothes..? money?? some photos maybe...books?? and my doggie of course...but if i had 104 horses to bring along?? what would i have done?? I honestly could not imagine it! Especially to think there are brutal people coming after to kill me, would i risk bringing along 104 horses? Though i surely would want to rescue those horses...would i know how i could do that..? Again...i cant imagine it. But i am now convinced that it is possible. Especially because this story is not from time when Jesus or Krishna was walking among people inspiring them with miracles and love....no...it happened during our time...while i was going to college, enjoying my student life. While i was planning my dream wedding, or was organizing family gatherings and even still killing myself laughing at Road Runner or Tom & Jerry on TV..yes while i thought the whole world was doing more or less the same things...there was this family who was in danger of being brutally murdered with their 3 young kids and yet chose not to flee the country as their friends and relatives did simply because they could not abandon their horses!!they risked it all to save their beloved horses.
Even more inspiring is the fact that it was not all their own horses. Some accumulated as they went from one farm to another and found horses left by owners who fled or some from owners who approached them before leaving the country to request them to take in their horses as well as they had no heart to put them down. So, the Retzlaff family took in peoples' horses as well. Then when the invasions reached their farm...again they ran to the next farm. They went on and on....risking their lives each time...for years!! till they finally crossed the borders into Mozambique ermmm WITH 104 HORSES! Is it not a miracle??
So, what i learnt from this story?
That, no matter what age this world seems to be moving towards....technology or not...Mars or not...Aliens or not...one thing for sure is the human strength and the unbreakable bond shared among all living things. We marvel at mothers who will risk anything for their own children...but now that seems ordinary when compared to what this family did for their horses! So, its not about bond between mother and children...its about the bond with all living things...something we may not even realise until it is put to test. The human strength is just unbelievable. On normal circumstances, we might grumble even when packing a few books to school as it is a hassle yet we are capable of packing ourselves with 104 rescued horses to flee the country. Is it not amazing what we CAN do if only we decide to do it! And is it also not disturbing to wonder how much of our capabilities are going to waste simply because we are not determined!! We limit ourselves based on what we see around us. We see everyone do a few set of things ...the "Normal" things and we come to believe that is all we can naturally do. But why settle for "normal"....? Why not go beyond?? It may seem crazy to many ...even The Retzlaff family were called crazy when they refused to leave the country for their horses...but then they did it ....didn't they??
Why let others decide what you can do! Its our precious life! ONE precious life! a gift in our hands to be tested only by ourselves....why give it to others to be abused! Lets have it back....lets live this precious life the way we want! crazy or not....never mind.... lets just run with our horses... just as strong...as elegant...as determined...as focused as the horses...and lets see where it takes us :)
