Next to our refuge there was a family living with their five-year-old daughter called Estela.
Estela grew up in a village, always in close contact with nature that she loved to observe.
In her house, there are two dogs and one cat she grew up with. Besides, she loves coming to the refuge with some treats
for the animals or to ride a donkey.
One day, Estela’s father comes to me saying that his daughter wanted to talk to me. The girl was ashamed, carrying something
in her hand, but without saying a word. In the moment she opened her hand some eurocents felt down on my hand.
The father starts explaying to me that the girl had seen in the TV our call for help and she decided to save money
from her piggybank for us. In that moment I was the one who became perplexed, the only thing I could say in that moment was:
“Estela… Can I hug you?” Afterwards, without being noticed by the girl, I gave her father back those eurocents that were
like a treasure to her, so the father could put them back to the piggybank.
I was so amazed, that I couldn’t really talk with them for a long time and I went back to my work with donkeys.
So far, even though the time has passed, I still remember that moment and I think I will never forget it.
That family doesn’t live in the village anymore, but sometimes they come with a visit. And this is when the little angel Estela
fills all the space with her joy.
Estela gave me the strenght to follow my project of saving the endangered Andalusian donkey
despite all the difficulties and problems.
Here’s one happy thing at the end of this story, a moral: let’s learn how to share and then the world
will be happier.
Rafael Fuentes, July of 2013
