Have i lived a horseless life?

by Biodun Laaro

The lessons life teach us are never direct, however it presents us with scenarios from which we can learn.

Most recently I have suffered a case of misplaced priorities and my friend Paul has struggled all year long to help me realise this fact. I’ve had trouble attending to issue as they arise; instead I result to procrastination and the excuse that “I don’t have time to do these things”.

Recently life dealt a serious blow to my psyche and I’d realised that I need to redraft the idea within which I live my life.

My Childhood friend Lola had returned to Lagos as an expatriate with Exxonmobil and she has been feeling philanthropic in this regard. Last weekend she launched an animal shelter, the first of its kind in Lagos in a bid rescue and tend to stray animals terrorising the streets of Lagos. Quit interestingly the event saw recognition by some of the high flyers in Lagos including the popular social media platforms and blogs.

My friends and I were on board to support her and she has since begun work, saving animals off the streets of Lagos.

On my way back from work on this particular day there stood an eyesore a few meters away from my house.

There’s been a peculiar occurrence in Lekki lately, stray horses roaming the streets aimlessly looking diseased and malnourished, I sought to believe that this stems from the poor maintenance that these animals have met at the hands of their owner who are either horse riders at the beaches in Lekki or the multitude of royal families who keep them without Cre and throw them to the streets when they become sick.

As I returned from work on Monday, there stood one of these horses a few meters from my house, with welts, bleeding sores and a diseased leg which appeared to have rotted in its place, my heart sunk briefly and all I wanted was to drive into the house and forget it as quickly as I could.

The next day I remembered the scene as I drove out of the house a little relieved that the horse would have seemingly strayed away for some reason, to my dismay the horse was still there this time I sped off so fast I didn’t want to ruin my day with the sight. As I drove off I suddenly felt pity for this poor animal, I saw myself becoming the same person who must have kicked this poor animal out the door assuming its present state, at this point it struck me I would call Lola when I get to the office  and talk to her about this.

Tuesday passed swiftly I got home only to see the horse still in its position, I did forget to call Lola that day but told myself I would do that the next day as there was little that could be done at 9pm. I did however drive close to the horse and took a picture of it just in case I’d have to send it Lola.

Unfortunately, Wednesday passed as well and I still hadn’t called Lola. Knowing what i know, i would have saved myself from the series of scenes that followed this day.

. . . To be continued