Elepha was troubled to the point of perplexion . This was bad, very bad. It was an 11 on the scale of one to ten type of bad.
He had never forgotten a thing in all of his 87 years. Until now.
Elephants are legendary for their recall ability.
All his memories from the time he was a wobbly calf with the biggest ears in his calf group till now were accounted for except one!
He knew he had forgotten something and that whatever it was, it was very important but he couldn't even figure out what it was.
His trek to Phanti's enclave was fraught with trepidation. He knew Phanti would bend his ears to no end over this, and he was, put it mildly, very embarrassed about asking her for help, but he had no choice. If any Elephant could help him feel less like the world was about to end, it was Phanti.
He had known her for more than Seventy of his years. Her family had joined his herd in 1938. They had trekked all the way from India.
He still remembered the scary tales her parents told his herd about life as circus Eliphants. How they were starved for days as punishment for missing routines during a show.
Their trainers were mean and desparate for money, fame and glory and would stop at nothing to get some form of obedience from the often very overworked and underfed Elephants.
Phanti's Father kicked a trainer one day. That trainer had been trying to force Phanti's mother to do a stool balancing routine. Poor Ellie was too starved and dizzy to stand on one leg on a tiny stool, she knew she was going to fall off if she dared. So she just stared blankly at the trainer and pretended not to understand the commands.
The trainer went berserk and started to whip Ellie. Eli was going to do like the other Elephants and just watch, this was not the first whipping Ellie had gotten, the 'whip appeal' as they called it, but that trainer chose the wrong day to go too far.
When he pulled out a gun after he figured out that whipping wasnt getting him anywhere, Eli didnt stop to think. He gave the most ear deafening bellow and lunged headfirst at the startled man.
Eli was furious. He later wondered if that extra kick was necessary, but it helped them all escape so he figured it was good.
Years of wandering followed. It was tough going but they were free and that freedom was a right they defended fiercely.
By the time they wandered into Nigeria, Ellie and Eli had become a couple, and Phanti had been born.
Now Elipha hoped his old playmate could help solve his problem because they had at least seventy years worth of shared memories.
They hadn't become a couple, but they were fast friends.
Phanti was the only Cow who could cuss him out without fear of being gouged to death.
She was biting into a carob pod when he got to her. Her ears flapping like banana leaves being teased by a gentle breeze.
He stood by and let her fininsh chewing. He knew her well enough to know she would ignore anyone while she was chowing.
When she was done she pressed her head gently on the trunk of the tree then she walked round it. Next she rubbed her entire side along the tree as she whispered "thank you mother tree, your nourishment is good for me."
That was her way. She remembered to thank every tree she ate from.
"Elipha you creaky old sod, what brings you this way today? Don't tell me you've missed my tongue?" Her old eyes were twinkling.
"Phanti I wish I could say I had," he grumbled as he squinted into the young and eager morning sun, "but you already know that'd be a lie. I'm many things but I'm not a liar".
Phanti chuckled at that. "Thank the trees for that," she agreed "but that still doesn't explain the worry I see in your eyes." She looked intently at him, and realised, amongst other things, that his trunk was curled downward and was almost tucked between his knoby legs. The way it always did whenever he was trying to hide something embarrassing.
"Phanti can you help me remember what I'm forgetting? I know I'm supposed to remember something important today but I don't know what it is."
Age and time had done something curious to Phanti. It had taught her empathy.
A younger Phanti would have laughed and teased him for doing the unbelivable; for forgetting. Everyone knows Elephants never forget. Her friend obviously had. But she didn't laugh at him or tease.
Instead, she reached between his legs with her trunk and nudged his trunk back out.
Then she grinned. Remembered mischief climbing fleet-footed across her leathery face. "Remember when we disturbed that hive of bees in '39, and had all the grown ups flapping ears all day"? And that was how the rest of the day was spent.
They stood together under the carob tree and recounted seventy years worth of shared memories to see if he had forgotten any of them. He hadn't. He remembered each one.
Just as the moon began to draw shadows around the Nigerian nightlife, Phanti threw him a sideways glance and told him in her most nonchalant manner; "oh, by the way, this is the best anniversary of my parents' death yet."
The fog lifted! That was what he forgot! Today made it ten years since his best friend's parents both died in a tusk raid by poachers.
"Some friend I am huh"? He said, his trunk inching between his legs again in mortification. She nudged it back up. "You're here Elipha, you came to me like you've always done whenever you were worried. I didnt spend today weeping for my parents. You kept me too busy poring over treasured memories to be sad. That's a friend."
They stood there, the Elephant that forgot, and the one that wished she could, as the crickets began their nightly ode to the moon.
