A Day To Remember

There’s a day I hardly remember -

But, it’s one of the most

memorable days I’ve had!

Way back when I was a teenager, I was sitting

at the edge of a market. A Thai market

I can’t remember why I was sitting there.

(With unfamiliar languages bouncing around me,

there’s a chance I didn’t know - even then!)

I don’t remember exact events

or smells or noises from that day...

But, I remember Thai markets.

I’m sure there was a lingering sewerage smell

and the stench of rubbish would

have drifted from a dark corner.

Old ladies, bent from years of rice planting,

would have moved through the stalls,

selecting pieces of fruit and vegetables for their meals.

No doubt, it was hot and

I was sweating... for sure!

I probably heard the splashes as an eel

flipped in a tub of water, waiting to be sold.

Tiny turtles, frogs and fish were probably around me.

A buffalo or a goat may have been

chopped up and laid on the hot cement,

ready to be sold.

Chickens would have been housed

in small bamboo domes.

Desserts and delicious treats

would have been on display and someone

would have been selling iced coffee,

drowned in sweetened condensed milk

and served in a plastic bag.

So, what made this day so memorable?

... A sudden weight on my shoulder.

I was sitting on the seat,

surrounded by the market,

when a great weight

suddenly dropped onto my shoulder.

As I looked over my shoulder,

I stared up the trunk of an elephant.

An elephant had placed its trunk on my shoulder!

If it hadn’t happened,

I probably wouldn’t have believe it.

The elephant’s mahoot must have thought

I was a strange sight, sitting by the market,

surrounded by all things Thai.

A moment later, the elephant

lifted its trunk and turned away.

I gazed after it in amazement.

Years and years later,

I still remember this so clearly.

It's proof that even the most usual of days

might turn out to be one of the most amazing...

You just never know.