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Yusuf had just put dinner on the table when he heard Nicolò coming through the door.
"Yusuf?" Nicolò shouted from the small hallway. "I need your help."
"Let me guess," Yusuf smirked. "You need my help with getting undressed?"
"Not quite," Nicolò replied. "I need help with our guest."
Yusuf threw the tea towel on the kitchen counter and walked out into the hallway expecting that Nicolò had found another hungry person in the need of a meal.
"Where have you gotten the foal from?" Yusuf wanted to know when Nicolò placed the chestnut foal in his arms.
"In the ditch outside town. She has broken her leg. I just couldn't leave her there, Yusuf," Nicolò replied as he placed a hand on the foal's muzzle. "I know she isn't a human, but no one deserves to die alone in a ditch."
Yusuf could see the tears in Nicolò's eyes. Nicolò's compassion for others was one of the things, Yusuf loved the most about Nicolò.
"You're right. No one deserves to die alone in a ditch," Yusuf said. "Let me carry her into the fireplace, while you get into some dry clothes and find some towels to dry her fur."
Nicolò nodded and walked into the bedroom, while Yusuf sat down with the foal at the fireplace. By the way the foal was breathing, Yusuf had his doubts about whether the foal would survive the night.
"You dry her fur, and I'll try to correct her leg," Yusuf said. "But Nicolò, if I can't correct her leg she won't survive at all. A horse needs four legs."
"I know, Yusuf," Nicolò replied. "But let's try. Please."
Yusuf nodded and placed the foal in Nicolò's arms, so he could dry the foal. While Nicolò was doing that, Yusuf broke a chair so he had sticks to stabilize the leg and tore a sheet into long pieces of strips. When Nicolò had dried the foal, Yusuf took a closer look at the leg before he pulled it into place. The foal didn't make a sound at all or put up a fight. After putting the makeshift cast on the foal's leg, they placed the foal on a blanket with two pillows as support on the side.
Yusuf tried to get Nicolò to eat, but Nicolò wasn't hungry. All he did was starring at the sleeping foal. Yusuf knew that Nicolò was praying to his God for a miracle, that might not come. After eating Nicolò laid down next to the foal and ran his fingers through the foal's fur.
For the next many days, either the foal or Nicolò moved much. The foal only moved when it moved its head, while Nicolò only moved when he had to go to the bathroom or he was hungry. Yusuf would check the foal's leg a couple of times every day. There wasn't much sign of healing. Both Yusuf and Nicolò knew it, but they also knew that if the foal was about to die it would happen in front of their fireplace and that the foal at least would have been loved.
On the sixth day, Yusuf had fallen asleep in the armchair when Nicolò woke him.
"Look Yusuf," Nicolò said with happiness in his voice and pointed at the foal, that was trying to stand. "Look."
"I can't believe it," Yusuf said as he hugged Nicolò. "She is actually trying to walk."
"Let's try to see if she wants to eat," Nicolò said. "Do we have any milk?"
"No, but I'll talk with our neighbour," Yusuf replied. "His camels have just gotten calves."
Nicolò nodded and while Yusuf was getting milk, Nicolò tried his best to prevent the foal from knocking things down along its way. Yes, a vase was broken together with another chair, but Nicolò didn't care at all. He was just so happy that the foal showed signs of wanting to live. When Yusuf returned with the milk, he also got a bottle with him. After filling the milk in the bottle, Nicolò offered the foal the milk and it started to drink to its heart's content. Yusuf placed a hand on Nicolò's shoulder, and they smiled at each other, both feeling happy about what they were seeing.
"So, did the foal survive?" Nile wanted to know.
"Yes, she did. Nicky called her Speranza," Joe replied. "It means Hope."
"What happened to Speranza?" Nile wanted to know.
"Nicky kept Speranza until she died 28 years later," Joe replied. "You should have seen her, Nile. When she was a foal, she followed Nicky around like a puppy. As an adult, she served Nicky well through two wars and one peacetime. In fact, I would say that Speranza was the best horse Nicky ever had."
Joe drank the rest of his tea.
"Nicky was of course heartbroken when Speranza died," Joe said. "But I like to think that Nicky found some solace in that Speranza died in a warm stall instead of a ditch."
"I can only agree with Nicky about that. That no one should die alone in a ditch," Nile said. "Oh, morning Nicky."
Nicky came into the kitchen with bed hair and kissed Joe, before taking a cup of coffee.
"Morning," Nicky said. "What were you talking about? I felt someone talking about me."
Joe laughed as he pulled Nicky down on his laugh.
"You're always my favourite topic," Joe smirked. "As always."
"Could you please not do anything gross while I eat my cornflakes?" Nile wanted to know.
"Of course," Nicky replied as he moved Joe's hand from his thigh. As he reached for an apple he saw the drawing. "I haven't seen that in ages."
Joe gave Nicky the drawing.
"I found it while I was looking for a backpack," Nile said. "I hope it's ok I ask Joe about it."
"It's more than ok," Nicky replied. "As we have told you before. Ask us if you want to know about our past."
"Thanks," Nile replied. "Joe told me how you found Speranza. Could you tell me more about her?"
"I would love to," Nicky replied with a smile. "What about when Speranza decided to make art with Joe?"
Nowadays Joe could laugh over the story, but back then he couldn't.