There's an elephant in a bowl • short story • Hali Ravid Horesh

By Hali Ravid Horesh

I ended up at this dinner party that I didn't even want to be at. At night, I walk around a bit, there is moonlight, lamps, music and full of mosquitoes. They immediately stick to me, the annoying ones. We were invited to an event in a harvested wheat field, from a party or a nouveau riche meal of a joint company celebrating its 50th.

I didn't feel like coming at all. The moon is full and impressive on the other side, far away from us. If we were in the right month, we would be on a Jewish holiday but it happened in November. Still hot and a bit stuffy. Even in the evening, there is no real relief from the heat.

Loud music and lots of food. Abundance, opulence. Lots of people eating and dancing. I'm crowded, the whole event is interesting to me, I have work tomorrow and I have to get up early. Traffic jams and such, and maybe the daughter will call from the army, ugh. I'm looking for a place to sit, trying to be presentable and sociable. I suddenly noticed that there was a starving kitten howling under the table, my radars immediately sharpened. An abandoned and hungry cat.

Alcohol is served and there is an electronic beat in the background, a somewhat anachronistic tribal sound. I look at Nimrod, he smiles. We came together but it doesn't feel that way. He chats with everyone and I'm stuck. Put some food on me, it's nice to have a lettuce salad, carbohydrates, and suddenly I notice that there is a bowl with an elephant in the center of the table! Not true! Yes Phil! A baby elephant cut in half and you can see its trunk which actually looks like a tail? He is all gathered, it is not clear what it is, or what half-animal it is, what this event is, and in general... why am I here?!

is that an elephant Is there an elephant in the middle of the table or am I imagining it?? What is no one else seeing?

I'm looking for Nimrod but he's busy talking to young, smiling women with long straight hair and a tank top, just my stomach flipping? There is a Philo here, is it real? Phil Philon?

A feeling of laundry rises in my throat and I wash it down with a glass of wine. I just got from my mother, who can't remember my children's names and tells me that my shirt is inside out... no mom, it's the fashion now, a shirt with seams on the outside.

I sit down, a lady man in his 70s who smiles and cuts himself from the meat. I seep... doesn't he see? He doesn't know?, only I'm fucked up?

Then the howling of the tricolor puppy, which rubs against my leg, melts my heart.
Food, give me food, meat, meat!! she asks This innocent and thin puppy will eat elephant meat? It can not be. I choke, howl, scratch. It's hard for me to meet the demands, she reminds me of someone close. She rubs on her leg and I'm debating... should I give her meat? Give her an elephant? Do cats eat elephants?

I turn to the gentleman next to me and ask: "Excuse me, is this an elephant in a bowl"? And he answers "abortions are still legal". I don't understand how he knows. I still haven't told Nimrod. I have an appointment until the end of the month, but...
"Luckily, with the government today it's still possible", I answer, and he laughs "Yes, for now"...

Tell Nimrod? I'm not sure. He won't know anyway. I'll go in the morning to have an abortion and come back at noon, I'll still have time to make majdara or dal and he'll be upset, he won't know anything. He won't even imagine that it's not from him... 

And the gentleman next to me says: "You know, it's not pleasant, from full anesthesia, you always wake up crying"...
"Well?" I ask, "And how does the Lord know?"
"My wife had a miscarriage, I was with her," he answered proudly.

I thought to myself, and I will be completely alone... You must not tell Nimrod. "And where is she tonight?" I am intrigued. He doesn't hear. It doesn't really matter…

"Say is that an elephant on the table?" I doubt, determine, doubt, ask
He laughs… "It's meat… what does it matter?"

"it matters?" I ask the puppy next to me and she doesn't answer, just purrs with obvious pleasure... I give her another piece.

She is from nature, she will decide what is moral. I don't understand anything, and she eats without the evil eye... as if to anger... What, you don't care that it's an elephant? A cat is not supposed to eat an elephant, at most a chick or a swarm of bees... but she wants more...

I'm sad.. looking at the moon and thinking. Our whole world is based on a system of predators and prey, always one at the expense of the other. Even among plants, the one who has more water, soil or sun survives. Why isn't the world built differently? A completely different set of rules... like the breastfeeding rules: the more you breastfeed, the more milk you'll have, that's huge! Breaking the rules of math, 1-1 is 2, not zero. Those who give get more, not one at the expense of the other, no eating pileons... I look back at the table, what a world of shit!

And, you are such a beautiful soul... I think to myself, why exactly did you wake up now? Is Philo holier a lamb or a calf or a pullet? What a hypocrite... the most hypocrite is Adi, the one near Nimrod with all the silver jewelry and shades of the sun in her hair, mascara in her eyes and bright orange nail polish, very fashionable...

I feel sick. I want to throw up, I don't like the gentleman next to me. I'm looking for Nimrod, and he just went to the bathroom.

"Tell me, when will it end?", I ask, "don't worry", the man smiles, "it will end as it should, we will all finish in the end, that's one thing that is certain". Some guests wish the happy bride long life, contentment and health. And I'm really upset, after all, there's an elephant here, why doesn't anyone see? Elephant on the table. We are eating Phil Philon. I shout and no one hears...

The man next to me updates: "If you go to the committee you will get a free abortion, you are still young, no problem."

I throw another piece of meat to the little puppy and he seems to deliberately eat. I hate him and myself and all the people around me... looking for Nimrod for a moment of sanity. He's at the bar. Drink and enjoy. I get up and approach him and say worriedly: "There is an elephant on the table and everyone is devouring it." He hugs me and says: "Everything is fine, my love, let's dance a little."

I mean to say that we are like that, not really together anymore and he obscures my meaning with alcohol, music, dancing and his charming smile... together together... "There's an elephant, there's an elephant on the table!" I'm suffocating…

And he tells me: "It's okay to abort baby, I'm not angry, I didn't want children anyway. Everything is fine."