The Elephants’ Big Day Out is a fragment by Shem Hankowitz, published here Sunday, February 29, 2004. It is part of Stories.
The previous entry, God Only Knows, was written to a reader request. I requested reciprocity, stipulating that his story must contain references to Peru, elephants, skyscrapers, tea and prostitution.
“Mum,” cried Jackie, “give us another piece of shortbread, please!” Colleen smiled and brought out the tin. Jackie reached in and grabbed two, but his mother gently took one away, chiding, “You said one, honey.”
The little boy dipped the biscuit into his watered down tea and stuffed the whole mash into his mouth at once while his mother looked on, smiling again and shaking her head.
This was their fourth month in Trujillo, late February, and the weather was perfect. The thermometer left by the last missionary was nailed to the post supporting the front porch and read 73 degrees. Past the porch Colleen could see down to the bay, which was ringed by colorful houses of bright blue, yellow, red and orange. The edge of the Espana was visible as it wound around the center of town and the fisherman could be seen hauling baskets of fish that would soon be made into ceviche.
Colleen told Jackie to go outside and play. It was time for her two fishermen. She waited patiently for their arrival, knowing that this was the only way that she and Jackie could get along.
In 1966, the U.S. advisory mission, SECPANE (Servicio Cooperativo Peruano-Norte americano de Educación) occupied the entire tenth floor of the Education Ministry’s skyscraper, which until recently was the tallest building in Lima. Jackie’s father had worked there for 6 years, until 1972 when Jackie was born and Mac died. Mac’s brother had visited him one day in his office, and Mac had leaned back, arms behind his head, in his new leather chair in the corner office, and the chair had tilted too far. Mac fell to his death when he toppled backward through the partially glazed window. An embarrassing death, amusing to some but a tragedy to the Hurry family. Mac dead, Colleen alone with an infant and no pension since Mac had just been re-employed by a new sub-agency; chosen to head the 19 farmers markets around Lima and the other 32 in the boroughs and villages outside of town. Because of some bureaucratic mess, he had lost his pension and no amount of pleading from Colleen or entreaty from their families could induce either government to change their byzantine policy. Colleen had nowhere to turn and for some strange reason, Mac’s family blamed her for their son’s death. They had never even seen Jackie.
While Colleen entertained her fishermen, Jackie wandered out and down to the Espana. Then beyond to the Cerro Bolongo where he watched the trucks dole out water to the people. Five gallons for one penny. The water was dirty but they gladly took it — he couldn’t remember the last time it had rained. By the time he got back home it was late and he was dirty. His mother was tired. They washed from the same bucket, then got ready for bed.
1. The Elephants’ Big Day Out is a delightful book written and illustrated by Elise Hurst; more information is available here.
Colleen read Jackie his favorite story, The Elephants’ Big Day Out1. Jackie liked it because the elephants sneak out of their cages at night, and the zookeepers trade places and dress up in elephant costumes, so that the folks in town won’t know that the elephants are gone. In the end everybody is happy because the elephants come back and the zookeepers, having been cramped and lonely in the cages, build them a new enclosure, one that is bigger and more pleasant for them.
The story reminded Jackie of his mother and he, because he felt that one day he would come back home, after the walk to Cerro Bolongo, and have a new place to live, like when he was a baby, and he would have his Mommy and Daddy, his own baby elephant, and no ceviche and no Espana and no fishermen.