My Prinz

Psst... psst...

Ini cerita lama diceritakan semula. An old story retold.

 

Half way up the hill, I stopped for a while to inhale the fresh unpolluted air. Far beyond the horizon was a bewitching view of sky-scrapers and buildings that decorated the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur. As I was marvelling the scenery, I heard hoof-beats coming fast towards me. That must be the other riders. My horse, Prinz, started prancing softly, feeling excited at the company that will be arriving soon. I kind of agreed with Prinz. It definitely was quiet and lonely up here.

 

As the other riders gathered around me, we continued our ride up to the top of the hill. On the way up, as I was stealing a look at Prinz, I felt a jolt of sensation in me. The sweat that glistened his well-built body, the cool breeze blowing his mane, his steady speed that brought an adrenaline rush to me. Simply marvellous! We cantered and jumped over every obstacle. It definitely was the best ride ever in my lifetime. Some riders were already few meters ahead of me and some were left far behind. It was like in a "cowboy scene". I knew Prinz loved this kind of excitement so much that I thought I saw a smile on his face. 

 

As I was about to reach the top of the hill, I urged my horse to a slower pace and we trotted all the way up. As we reached the top and as we waited for the remaining riders to arrive, we wondered at the brilliant sight of the city. The sun was about to set and soon it would be dark but the city was already gleaming and sparkling with beautiful colorful lights. The remaining riders finally arrived and I got off my horse to check on his hooves. Grateful that Prinz did not hurt himself when he was in the middle of an 'excitement' few moments ago, I patted his shoulder and he responded with a neigh. Looking up I saw all riders were lost in their own thoughts. Prinz neighed again, breaking the rather dramatic silence.

We took our time to descend the hill. Most of the time we trotted and stopped only at FRIM Botanical Garden for a short rest. We reached the ranch around 1900hrs and quickly unsaddled the horses. After I bathed Prinz, I led him to his stable where his food and drink had already been prepared. I squatted down watching him savour the fresh grain. I could never describe how proud I was to have him. Powerful that he was but yet so gentle on the other side. I found myself so much more in love with him. Day by day it grew stronger. Until one day Prinz had fallen terribly sick. We had no choice but put him to sleep.

It's true then - Good Things Never Last.