Elephant Speak: A Devoted Keeper's Life Among the Herd Interior Layout

volunteers, involved in the round-the-clock watch on their
patient. Their duty was to observe Belle for signs of distress, the
presence of blood or mucus in her urine or stool, and whether
she ate or drank. The volunteers’ intentions were good, but only
Roger and his team knew the subtle clues to look for, those
things they’d learned over years of working with elephants.
Roger sat in one of the chairs, balanced on the edge of his
seat, elbows on knees, gnarled hands clasped. Now and then, he
glanced at his wristwatch, noting the passage of time. The ball
of his thumb brushed across the scratched surface of the Timex
and he thought of Me-Tu—who’d once broken it—and of Rosy,
and all the other elephants that had blessed his life. The barn
held so many memories. On nights like this, it was easy to feel
the presence of old friends, two-legged as well as four.
After an hour of quiet watching, Roger stood and left the
room, returning a few minutes later lugging a large plastic garbage
can. Bright green fronds of bamboo sprouted from the
top. Belle raised her head at his call and slowly shuffled around
to meet him. Reaching into the bin, he offered her a carrot,
but she displayed no interest. He dropped it and brought up a
mixed handful of hay and bamboo. This she accepted, grinding
the offering between her immense molars. He dug deeper,
searching for something tempting, and found a banana. She
took this as well and chewed slowly, peel and all, but refused
further handouts. He put the bin away and dragged out a long
black hose. Placing the nozzle in Belle’s mouth, he let her drink
her fill. Once again, he stroked the back of her ear and promised
to return. He was glad she’d eaten, but sensed her compliance
had less to do with the state of her appetite than with a
general desire to please him.
Roger sighed as he settled back onto his chair in the visitor
area. It had been a long road to this night, but he couldn’t
imagine being anywhere else.
20 ◆ Elephant Speak: A Devoted Keeper’s Life Among the Herd