Rodeo Pat

For those of you who took such an interest in the ancestral Visa saga you will all be pleased to know that the Ancestral Visa arrived safely with a little help from Nicci Grubb, who sent my letter to Steve of FedEx and he and his wife were so great. So Zimbabwe's latest refugee Jonathan Hunter boy Retzlaff leaves for London on Tuesday. I am glad that it is all over but sad to say goodbye to Jonno who joins the growing throng of young Zimbabweans in England. We have had an exciting week.

Firstly a burglary, Mai Zuze banged on the bedroom door to tell me there was tsotsi in the garage, rather apprehensively I nudged Pat and told him to go and look while I put the duvet over my head. Unfortunately, the tsotsi and his tsotsi mates had long gone with whatever they could carry but they left the crowbar behind obviously planning a return visit. Then a Government vehicle careered down the drive brandishing more documents this time a section 7, its then I knew we were in for a good weekend. On Sunday Pat bounced out of bed, flexed his muscles and did a little John Travolta side shuffle dance routine.

He was full of the joys of summer and off to try his newly broken in horse Brutus. We were expecting him back for lunch but at two he hadn't arrived and just before we were going to phone the police we received a phone call Pat will not be joining us for lunch, he is incapacitated. It appears that Brutus did not share Pat's high spirits that morning. As Pat leapt into the saddle to execute a few equestrian manouvres and show off his horsemanship skills to the few people gathered there, his horse had other ideas.

Brutus in indignation lunged into a full frontal backward buck and sent Pat flying through the air and he landed flat on his back in front of the astonished group of people. As Pat lay in the dagga winded, a little girl watching in awe, said that he flew through the air like an eagle but then she shook her head sadly and added but you didn't land like one. Fortunately I wasn't there, I am not known for discretion when it comes to mishaps and would have been bent double trying not to laugh. Pat managed to pick himself up and get back on his horse but he has been in the most excruciating pain ever since. He has cracked his ribs and his previous high spirits and joie de vive seem to have eluded him. We are trying to nurse him back to health and you know what? I think he is going to make it. 

Mandy Retzlaff
Bvumba
Zimbabwe