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My Grandfather’s Elephant
My Grandfather’s Elephant
My grandfather used to keep a collection of toy elephants in his house, some where crystal, some were steel and a special one was made of gold but they all brought luck, or so he said. I remember this particular one, a small, golden, shiny elephant with its trumpet up. He kept it with him at all times, when we were traveling, at home or taking a stroll by the park, always near him in the pocket of his clothes. I was young when he first showed it to me, he told me it used to be his fathers and that when he passed the elephant was left for him. He began collecting more of them because it reminded him of his father and he said they would always bring luck, but this particular one was not to be touched by anyone, not one hand on the shiny elephant was allowed or else the luck could run out. You could always find that elephant around my grandfather, all year round he would have it by his side. As time went by his collection of elephants grew, we would all bring back elephants from our trips to give to him, different sizes, styles, colors and they were all kept throughout his house the most valuable ones on the burrow besides his bed and the others you could find on the shelves, in the kitchen and the tv room, those were always moved around, but that golden one was kept in a suede box at nights. I never really understood why that particular elephant was to be kept out of reach, for a man who doesn’t really believe in chances, destiny, black magic or else he really truly believed this golden one would be helpful to him and bring luck whenever he was in need of it. When we travelled I used to watch his rubbing that elephant at the casino as I walked by or when trying to find a specific location when we got lost and had no clue where to go and had to take a guess. I guess now that I think about it was not the specific animal or material the animal was made of that gave that specific elephant the most importance but the significance it had coming from his father, and the belief he gave that particular one since he believed that as his father always said it brought him luck it would bring him as well. I guess he pictured the elephant more like a reminder of his father and that it could have had a part of him on it.
