Mantis

6. Victor's dilemmas and Paula's descent into hell

I led Victor two streets down to the stable where I was such a frequent visitor that no one was surprised when I showed up after dark. I fumbled around the dark stable corridor for a moment, trying to find the switch, and then the light flashed on, revealing the outlines of the stable interior from the darkness.

- Welcome to the kingdom of peace and majesty, - I said, spreading my arms wide to showcase the interior.

Victor turned around on his own axis, looking around left and right. He walked along the rows of stalls, from which occasionally a horse's head would emerge, its owner curious who was disturbing its peace at this hour. He walked slowly and carefully, glancing sideways, although the row of stalls was only on one side, and the opposite side was just a white wall.

- This is La Vie - I approached the bay mare closest to Victor and stroked her head.

The mare sniffed my hand as if hoping to find a treat in it, and she moved away disappointed when she found nothing there.

- And this one? - Victor turned to the tall, chestnut-colored horse, which was definitely catching attention.

I smiled at the huge horse before taking my first step towards him.

- This is Navajo - I approached the horse, who initially pinned his ears back, and only allowed himself to be stroked when I offered my hand for him to sniff. - When my... - I hesitated, not entirely sure what to call Philip now. – Friend - I said after a brief pause, - found Navajo, he was already sentenced to the slaughterhouse.

- Why? - Victor took a step towards the horse.

- He was so afraid of touch that he would lash out at people.

- Why? - This time Victor took a tiny step back.

The little voice inside me chuckled softly. Afraid of him?

- I have no idea - I said, gently stroking the horse's neck. - Someone must have done him a great deal of harm. I don't know for how long, but he must have been severely beaten.

Victor nodded with a look that seemed to express deep, sincere sympathy mixed with slight emotional shock.

- Your friend saved his life - he said in a moist voice.

I smiled at the huge horse.

- He was certainly given a chance here, which his previous owner didn't give him. He didn't deserve death. It wasn't a solution.

Victor fell silent for a moment, then looked at me with a cloudy gaze, from which some strange contemplation was fading.

- And what is the solution in a hopeless situation? - he asked in a slightly altered tone.

I shifted my gaze to my interlocutor. He said it in such a tone that for a moment I felt like he wasn't asking about the horses.

- It probably depends on the situation - I shrugged. - With horses, often just working through something is enough. And someone sentenced him to death because they didn't want to try anything else.

- Maybe he had already lost all hope because he couldn't find a solution anywhere?

- Maybe... - I looked into Navajo's calm, large eyes. - Or perhaps he overlooked something. Because there are no shortcuts with horses. There's not always, never, and for sure. You have to observe and wait. You can't accomplish much by force and violence. It's certainly not worth sentencing a healthy, strong being to death just because they've had a hard life.

- Yeah, true - Victor agreed with me. - Someone wanted to decide for him, but there are people who take their own lives. No one tells them to, but they still do it. Sometimes, I think, you just want to escape from the whole world and disappear for a while until everything starts falling into place again.