1 views
Mr.Elephant
The old man stood in the shadows, watching his sad grandson. The old man sighed heavily, throwing his hat to the ground and sat on the chair.
“Mr. Hart, are you okay?” The old man, Mr. Hart, looked up at the worker and smiled weakly.
“Yes, son.” The worker smiled gently and his gaze averted to the boy who sat near the small pond, looking down at his feet.
“Isn't it your grandson’s birthday today?” Mr. Hart nodded. Mr. Hart was in his fifties, short and chubby. He was kind and hard-working.
“I tried to make him happy but,” Mr. Hart's voice saddens, “Since his mother and father died in an accident two years ago, I have been trying my best to make him happy but he doesn't open up.” The worker sits next to him, listening attentively to the man.
“That's why you bought him here?” Mr. Hart nods. He brought his grandson to the zoo, where he works.
“I thought maybe he would brighten up seeing the lively animals.” Mr.Hart cleared his throat and stood up walking to the boy.
Mr. Hart’s face cheered as he shouted, “Oliver! Let's go! I will show you elephants!” The boy jumped from his seat. Mr. Hart ruffled his hair and led him. The boy was silent and followed his grandfather silently without any bother.
“Do you want to eat something?” Mr. Hart asked in a playful tone. Mr. Hart has been raising the boy, Oliver, on his own for two years. He loved his grandson and the loss of his son and daughter-in-law didn't stop him from giving the best to the boy. He would daily bring him chocolates, cakes and games to make him happy but the boy, Oliver, has grown silent and dull.
He missed his parents who promised him to return to him by night but turned to ashes in a blink of an eye. The boy was small, fragile and thin. He turned eight this year but his mind has stopped at six. He revisits his mother and father's lane of memories every now and then.
“How about some ice-cream?” Mr. Hart asked. The boy shook his head. Mr. Hart’s shoulders slumped in defeat. It was early evening, the sun was slowly bidding farewell for the day.
“Momma! The elephant was so big!!” Mr. Hart heard a boy shout to his mother in excitement. Mr. Hart’s heart wrenched in sadness as he saw Oliver eying the passing by mother and son.
Mr. Hart halted and bent over to him, slightly ruffled his hair with a genuine smile. Oliver looked at his grandfather with his big doe eyes and listened.
“Would you like to meet my friend, Oliver?” Mr. Hart’s voice shook. Oliver’s eyes softened and he looked so much like a boy with a soft face without any sadness blooming over his face.
“You–have friends?” Oliver whispered in a low hesitant voice. Mr. Hart was more than happy to hear him talk and mumbled, “Yes. He is a very cute dude! Let me show you! Come.” Oliver interlaced his hands with his grandfather’s and strided as fast he could. Oliver was sometimes stunned with his grandfather's energetic vibes. He was a child at heart.
They both walked in the zoo which was slowly becoming empty with the sun setting. The orange canvas of the sky slowly kissed the earth with its beauty.
Mr. Hart stopped in front of the care house gate in the zoo. Oliver looked up at his grandfather and expected him to speak but Mr. Hart stayed silent and guided Oliver inside the house.
The care house was huge with large ground, filled with trees on the sides and a small pond at the far end of the ground. There was shelter on the left.
“Your friend lives here?” Oliver questioned. Mr. Hart nodded and whistled with a wide smile. Oliver looked ahead in confusion until an elephant came out of the shelter. Oliver gasped looking at the elephant which was running towards them. The boy’s hand tensed in Mr. Hart’s hold and he slowly hid behind the man. He peered slowly at the elephant which was twice the man’s size, and was in fact standing in front of them.
“Wow.” Mr. Hart’s heart warmed.
“He is my friend.” Mr. Hart gestured at the elephant and slowly caressed its trunk. The elephant in response triumphed. Oliver was speechless, his mind blurred with the beauty of the friendship between his grandfather and an animal.
“What do you call him, grandpa?” Oliver bravely stood next to Mr. Hart and asked.
“Uhh–I don't call him anything.” Mr. Hart trailed off.
“So…he doesn't have a name?” Mr. Hart shook his head.
“Maybe we can call him, uhh– Mr. Elephant?” A small laugh escaped Oliver's mouth making Mr. Hart stare at him with wide eyes. It was rare for him. Oliver rarely smiled, let alone he spoke more than two words a day.
“You like that, right? Mr. Elephant!” Oliver nodded.
“Mr. Elephant, this is my grandson!” Mr. Hart imitated a funny voice. The elephant stroked Oliver’s hair with its trunk and triumphed loudly. Oliver giggled.
“Do you want to know how we became friends?” Oliver nodded in anticipation. Mr. Hart’s eyes gleamed with unshed tears as he looked into the elephant’s eyes.
“He was so small when I met him. Smaller than you,” Mr. Hart placed a hand on Oliver's head, “He lost his mother when he came here. His mother suffered from some illness and passed away but I befriended him. I gave him extra care. I used to visit him daily and play with him. He slowly started to lose his sadness and became the funniest and cool guy ever!” Oliver was shocked by his grandfather’s words.
The elephant slowly stepped closer to the boy, it seemed more like it was hugging him. Mr. Hart laughed and watched them play. It was enough for Mr. Hart, it was enough for him to see his grandson happy.
“He is very friendly.” Oliver beamed as the elephant ran around in circle.
“Yeah, he is. You know, even after losing his mother, he found a reason to stay happy. He lives and plays with his other friends happily. I guess that's why others like him so much!” Oliver hummed and ran to the elephant in joy.
Mr. Hart sat on the ground, watching the boy with a heartful grin. Oliver broke out of his shell slowly and warmed the environment with his heartfelt cute presence. Mr. Hart as promised brings him to the zoo every Saturday and Sunday for his own time with Mr. Elephant.
One such evening, he leaned his forehead against the Elephant’s trunk, his eyes teary as he whispered, “Thank you my friend, you made my grandson live his life again.” The elephant triumphed.
The elephant’s eyes teared as the man shed tears. It was a warm friendly gesture. The friendship of man and the elephant.
Mr. Hart was more grateful for the elephant in his life than for any other human.
© Akshaiya
“Mr. Hart, are you okay?” The old man, Mr. Hart, looked up at the worker and smiled weakly.
“Yes, son.” The worker smiled gently and his gaze averted to the boy who sat near the small pond, looking down at his feet.
“Isn't it your grandson’s birthday today?” Mr. Hart nodded. Mr. Hart was in his fifties, short and chubby. He was kind and hard-working.
“I tried to make him happy but,” Mr. Hart's voice saddens, “Since his mother and father died in an accident two years ago, I have been trying my best to make him happy but he doesn't open up.” The worker sits next to him, listening attentively to the man.
“That's why you bought him here?” Mr. Hart nods. He brought his grandson to the zoo, where he works.
“I thought maybe he would brighten up seeing the lively animals.” Mr.Hart cleared his throat and stood up walking to the boy.
Mr. Hart’s face cheered as he shouted, “Oliver! Let's go! I will show you elephants!” The boy jumped from his seat. Mr. Hart ruffled his hair and led him. The boy was silent and followed his grandfather silently without any bother.
“Do you want to eat something?” Mr. Hart asked in a playful tone. Mr. Hart has been raising the boy, Oliver, on his own for two years. He loved his grandson and the loss of his son and daughter-in-law didn't stop him from giving the best to the boy. He would daily bring him chocolates, cakes and games to make him happy but the boy, Oliver, has grown silent and dull.
He missed his parents who promised him to return to him by night but turned to ashes in a blink of an eye. The boy was small, fragile and thin. He turned eight this year but his mind has stopped at six. He revisits his mother and father's lane of memories every now and then.
“How about some ice-cream?” Mr. Hart asked. The boy shook his head. Mr. Hart’s shoulders slumped in defeat. It was early evening, the sun was slowly bidding farewell for the day.
“Momma! The elephant was so big!!” Mr. Hart heard a boy shout to his mother in excitement. Mr. Hart’s heart wrenched in sadness as he saw Oliver eying the passing by mother and son.
Mr. Hart halted and bent over to him, slightly ruffled his hair with a genuine smile. Oliver looked at his grandfather with his big doe eyes and listened.
“Would you like to meet my friend, Oliver?” Mr. Hart’s voice shook. Oliver’s eyes softened and he looked so much like a boy with a soft face without any sadness blooming over his face.
“You–have friends?” Oliver whispered in a low hesitant voice. Mr. Hart was more than happy to hear him talk and mumbled, “Yes. He is a very cute dude! Let me show you! Come.” Oliver interlaced his hands with his grandfather’s and strided as fast he could. Oliver was sometimes stunned with his grandfather's energetic vibes. He was a child at heart.
They both walked in the zoo which was slowly becoming empty with the sun setting. The orange canvas of the sky slowly kissed the earth with its beauty.
Mr. Hart stopped in front of the care house gate in the zoo. Oliver looked up at his grandfather and expected him to speak but Mr. Hart stayed silent and guided Oliver inside the house.
The care house was huge with large ground, filled with trees on the sides and a small pond at the far end of the ground. There was shelter on the left.
“Your friend lives here?” Oliver questioned. Mr. Hart nodded and whistled with a wide smile. Oliver looked ahead in confusion until an elephant came out of the shelter. Oliver gasped looking at the elephant which was running towards them. The boy’s hand tensed in Mr. Hart’s hold and he slowly hid behind the man. He peered slowly at the elephant which was twice the man’s size, and was in fact standing in front of them.
“Wow.” Mr. Hart’s heart warmed.
“He is my friend.” Mr. Hart gestured at the elephant and slowly caressed its trunk. The elephant in response triumphed. Oliver was speechless, his mind blurred with the beauty of the friendship between his grandfather and an animal.
“What do you call him, grandpa?” Oliver bravely stood next to Mr. Hart and asked.
“Uhh–I don't call him anything.” Mr. Hart trailed off.
“So…he doesn't have a name?” Mr. Hart shook his head.
“Maybe we can call him, uhh– Mr. Elephant?” A small laugh escaped Oliver's mouth making Mr. Hart stare at him with wide eyes. It was rare for him. Oliver rarely smiled, let alone he spoke more than two words a day.
“You like that, right? Mr. Elephant!” Oliver nodded.
“Mr. Elephant, this is my grandson!” Mr. Hart imitated a funny voice. The elephant stroked Oliver’s hair with its trunk and triumphed loudly. Oliver giggled.
“Do you want to know how we became friends?” Oliver nodded in anticipation. Mr. Hart’s eyes gleamed with unshed tears as he looked into the elephant’s eyes.
“He was so small when I met him. Smaller than you,” Mr. Hart placed a hand on Oliver's head, “He lost his mother when he came here. His mother suffered from some illness and passed away but I befriended him. I gave him extra care. I used to visit him daily and play with him. He slowly started to lose his sadness and became the funniest and cool guy ever!” Oliver was shocked by his grandfather’s words.
The elephant slowly stepped closer to the boy, it seemed more like it was hugging him. Mr. Hart laughed and watched them play. It was enough for Mr. Hart, it was enough for him to see his grandson happy.
“He is very friendly.” Oliver beamed as the elephant ran around in circle.
“Yeah, he is. You know, even after losing his mother, he found a reason to stay happy. He lives and plays with his other friends happily. I guess that's why others like him so much!” Oliver hummed and ran to the elephant in joy.
Mr. Hart sat on the ground, watching the boy with a heartful grin. Oliver broke out of his shell slowly and warmed the environment with his heartfelt cute presence. Mr. Hart as promised brings him to the zoo every Saturday and Sunday for his own time with Mr. Elephant.
One such evening, he leaned his forehead against the Elephant’s trunk, his eyes teary as he whispered, “Thank you my friend, you made my grandson live his life again.” The elephant triumphed.
The elephant’s eyes teared as the man shed tears. It was a warm friendly gesture. The friendship of man and the elephant.
Mr. Hart was more grateful for the elephant in his life than for any other human.
© Akshaiya
