Suzie was walking home from school one day. The skies were cloudy and gray and it just hadn’t been a good day for poor Suzie. She moped as she walked and shuffled her feet along. Looking down she noticed a shadow coming up behind her. A very large shadow! What could it be? Poor Suzie got a little scared but curiosity made her turn around.
Wow! What a sight she did see. An elephant was right there behind her! It stood there just looking at her. She cautiously put out her hand to touch it, for she had to see if it was truly real. It was! She wasn’t dreaming, an elephant was following her home. Just wait until “fancy Franny” heard about this. She always thought that she had the best stories to tell, that everything exciting happened to her. Well Suzie sure has her beat now. Her face lighted up at the thought.
Once again Suzie started walking, though no longer was she shuffling her feet, she was practically running! So eager was she to get home and show her parents.
Uh-oh Suzie had a thought, what if her Mommy wouldn’t let her keep the elephant what if she sent her away? There was another thought that struck her as well. How was she going to fit the elephant into her house!
Slowly the air of excitement started leaking out of Suzie’s puffed up balloon. What was she to do? She stopped and walked over to the curb and sat down. Next thing she knew her elephant was sitting down beside her. Hmmm….Suzie had a thought.
“Miss. Elephant can you talk?”
“Well yes my dear I can, all you had to do was ask. ”
Suzie’s balloon started puffing up again. Not only did she have a pet elephant but she had one that could talk!!
“Miss. Elephant I would love to take you home. Do you want to come home with me?”
“Oh yes please!! You seem like such a nice little girl. I am sure we could have lots of fun! I was lonely and looking for a friend and then I saw you. ”
Suzie couldn’t believe her ears, someone else was lonely besides just her. Someone else needed a friend! Warmth started flooding through her little heart.
“Oh Miss. Elephant I would love to be your friend, but we have a problem. My house is not nearly big enough for you to fit in. What can we do?”
The elephant smiled and nuzzled Suzie with her trunk. “No worries my dear, I will just shrink before I enter your house. I have that special ability for friends that I meet. ”
“Wow!” said Suzie, ” You really are something special! Well then lets not delay, lets get on our way!”
They once again stood up and started to walk to Suzie’s home. Before Suzie knew it they were home.
“Okay Miss. Elephant can you shrink now please?”
The elephant stuck her trunk up in the air and “bippety bobbledy boo” she was the size of a small dog.
Suzie stood there with her jaw opened wide. Then she scooped her up and entered the house. Her Mom was there to greet her at the door. Suzie got a little nervous, for even though her elephant was small it was still an elephant. What would her Mommy say?
“Hi Suzie! How was school?” her Mom asked as she gave Suzie a hug.
“It was okay, but walking home was the best! Can I keep it Mommy please, can I ? ”
“Keep what? “, her Mommy questioned, “Did you find another frog on the way home from school? Go wash your hands and you can have some cookies and milk in the kitchen.”
Suzie was shocked. Did her Mommy really not see? She ran up the stairs to her bedroom and laid her elephant gently on the bed. The elephant was smiling away.
“What a nice room you have, we will have so much fun. We can tell stories after dark and we can have tea parties. Did you know that elephants like tea?”
She started giggling at the thought of elephants drinking tea.
“I don’t know how my Mommy didn’t see you Miss.Elephant. but it appears that she didn’t.”
“Oh that is easy, she didn’t see me, for she is an adult. I am only visible to children like you.”
Suzie really felt special now!
“So I can take you to school with me?”
“Of course! You can take me wherever you want. I am here for you! ”
“Well, why don’t we go downstairs and get some cookies then, does that sound good to you my elephant friend?”
“It most certainly does, lets go!”
Later that night at supper. Suzie’s Dad was talking about a problem at work. Something about the boss not wanting to deal with it. Suzie didn’t understand a lot of what he was saying. It was adult talk, but there was one thing that stood out to Suzie and her new friend.
“Its like there is an elephant in the room now! Everyone knows the problem but are all afraid to talk about it.”
Suzie looked at her new friend and they passed each other a secret smile. Oh if only her parents knew that there very much was an elephant in the room. It was right in front of their eyes but they couldn’t see.
When it was bedtime Suzie’s Mommy tucked her in and Suzie said, “Tuck in Ellie too please.”
“Ellie? Who is Ellie?”
“She’s my new friend Mommy, my best friend. Its Ellie the Elephant!” and Suzie put her arm around Ellie who was lying right beside her.
Her Mommy smiled and tucked in Ellie and then kissed Suzie on the cheek.
“An elephant! Oh dear! Won’t she take up your whole bed!” her Mommy said. Suzie giggled, ” No Mommy, she can make herself small when she is inside, so she’ll be fine. She will fit fine on the couch downstairs with me too. Though I told her she had to share the popcorn when we watch a movie.”
Suzie’s Mommy tucked the covers a little tighter for Ellie was a little cold.
“Sweet dreams my dear, don’t stay up too late talking to Ellie.”, her Mommy said, as she winked and walked out the door.
Walking to her room, Suzie’s Mom opened up her cedar chest. She breathed in the smell as her mind drifted back in time. She dug down deep and found what she wanted. She squeezed it tight as she remembered back to when she was 5 years old. She remembered her friend who her parents couldn’t see.
One day her friend went away, they bid farewells, Suzie’s Mommy was growing up. She went away but Suzie’s Mommy had never forgotten her and one day she saw the stuffed elephant sitting on the shelf in a old toy store. It so resembled how she had pictured her old friend in her mind that she decided she needed to buy it. Now she was holding it in her arms again as a tear fell down her cheek.
“Thanks for coming back my friend and spreading your love once more!
Nuggets of Gold 