The Richest Elephant in the World

Just imagine it, the most crisp October day. Autumn is fully upon us here in our small town of Mintier. You aced the math test you were so nervous about, you played perfectly in tune on your clarinet during band, all your best friends got to sit with you at lunch, and you got to show them the totally adorable (and expensive) bracelet your parents gave you for your 15th birthday. It couldn’t have been a more perfect day . . . until it was the absolute worst day.

You see, my mom married the richest man in the world. And that’s no exaggeration. Louis Lexingotn is THE richest man on the entire planet. He basically owns half of Mintier. You name it, and my stepdad probably owns it. Mintier Mart? Check. Louis’s Little Hardware Store? Check. Lexington Furniture, Decor, & More? Triple check.

Louis almost always picks us up from school. My older brother Kole and I get picked up after the twins, Reese and Carmen. They are only 10 and their school gets out before ours does. I go to Lexington junior high, and I am the most popular girl in 8th grade. At least I was the most popular before Louis ruined everything. Allow me to share with you the most embarrassing story of my life.

“Uhm, Hazel? Is that your stepdad…with an elephant?”

I spun around so fast I am still currently experiencing the whiplash. I could not believe what I was seeing. But it was there. My stepdad and the twins, on a huge carriage being drawn by… an elephant?!? They were waving profusely at me. The twins shouting, “HAZEL! COME ON HAZEL THIS IS SO COOL!” I was in awe, and NOT in a good way. I looked around for Kole, surely Kole would know what to do. I had started looking too late, because there was Kole, sprinting in the direction of home. All eyes were on me, classmates standing around me mocking the twins, ‘Haaaaazellllll, come on Haaaazellll.”

I. Was. Mortified. I quickly shuffled to the carriage. As soon as I was in, I covered my face from my classmates.

“Go, Louis. NOW! Make this thing go!”

When we arrived home, I ran straight over to my mom.

“Mom, I can’t do this anymore!”

“You can’t do what anymore, sweetie?” she replied.

“Your husband showed up on an elephant today. AN ELEPHANT!”

“Actually,” Louis chimed in, “I was in the carriage attached to the elephant. I thought elephants were your favorite animal, I wanted to surprise you.”

“They WERE my favorite animal until you completely ruined them for me by embarrassing me in front of the ENTIRE SCHOOL! Mom, I don’t want him to pick me up from school anymore. He’s so embarrassing! Everyone is going to be calling me Elephant Girl for my entire life now, thanks to him.”

“Sweetheart,” my mother said, “Louis tried to do a very nice thing for you. He planned this entire carriage ride for you, he spent a lot of time tracking down an elephant, and even more time training the elephant to take the path to and from school. One day you will learn to appreciate how much he cares for you, and regret that you didn’t realize it sooner.”

I don’t think I’ll ever know whether or not my mom is a psychic, but she hit that dead on. That’s a bad choice of words considering how the accident happened…

It was a few days later. Louis still picked us up from school, but there were no more elephants. Just his regular Tesla Model X, the larger Tesla so he could fit all four of us comfortably. Looking back on it now, this should have been one of the first signs I noticed. He really did care. He sold nearly all his fancy convertibles. Any fast expensive cars he deemed unsafe for children. And he bought this environmentally conscious family car.

On his way to pick us up from school that day, he got into a terrible car accident. A man in a GMC Sierra truck, who had been day drinking, ran a red light and ran right into Louis, on the driver’s side. He was immediately rushed to the hospital. I was at the school, complaining to Kole about how long he was taking to pick us up. I wish I hadn’t complained. It makes me feel even worse now. When our grandmother arrived about an hour after school let out, I knew something was wrong. At first, I thought it was our mother. I was worried sick. I kept begging grandma to tell us what happened. She only replied with, “It’s not my place to tell you. Let’s just get to the hospital, okay?” It didn’t feel okay.

A few weeks have gone by now, and Louis is much better, but still recovering.

“You know, Hazel, the elephant is being kept at a sanctuary I bought not far from here. There’s many more, and they are all ready to meet you. I could arrange for someone to take you out there tomorrow, if you’re interested. They are still your favorite animal, right?”

“Yes, they very much are my favorite. Thank you, Louis,” I reply, “but I’d much rather wait until you’re completely healed. That way you can take me and embarrass me all you like. If you’re not still mad at me.”

“I was never mad at you, Hazel. My dad used to embarrass me constantly when I was your age, I understand. I’d love to take you to meet them all.”