The Ivory Elephant

By S. Thacker and T. Thacker

"The Ivory Elephant" is the story of thirteen-year-old Jabari. He was leading a pretty good life in England with his mom and dad, his best friend Rob, and plenty of videogames, but when Jabari's parents accept a research position in Africa, his whole world is turned upside down. Jabari winds up in a small village staying with an aunt he's never met, eating food he's never heard of, and attempting to make friends with classmates who don't all speak the same language as him. As Jabari quickly settles into the rhythm of village life, he discovers he enjoys it after all! Bonfire nights and swimming in the river more than make up for not having his Nintendo. But there's a problem. The river that sustains the village has been drying up, and a visit from a hungry pack of hyenas means that things are only going to get worse. Little does he know, but he's about to stumble into a mystery generations-in-the-making, and one he'll have to solve for the future of the village.

This vibrant mystery is a perfect coming-of-age story for middle-grade readers ages 9-12 and explores the concepts of embracing your strengths, building self-confidence, becoming part of a new community, and stepping out of your comfort zone. When Jabari is thrown into a world that is foreign to him and becomes the outsider, he learns how to accept change and tackle challenges, leading to his growth as a person. Gaining a diverse understanding of the world around us and learning how to adapt when faced with change is a crucial part of growing up, and Jabari's heartwarming adventure is a perfect peek into the process.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Mar 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9781667824741

Book preview

1. England

Jabari sat on the window seat looking out wistfully at the snowflakes drifting hither and thither in the breeze. Most of the trees in the backyard were bare, stripped of their leafy clothing, and a good couple of inches of snow, like soft confectioners’ sugar, coated their branches.

The pocket-sized garden was adorned with slender aspen trees around the periphery and a birdbath in the center flanked by four round bushes. From a distance, the birdbath looked like a bowl of white ice cream. All it needed was a spoon to dig in!

Longing for warmer days and a bowl of ice cream, Jabari realized that the voice he was repeatedly hearing at this very moment was his mother’s calling out to him from downstairs.

Jabari! she called, Come down for biscuits!

Unaware that his wish was about to come true, he responded to his mother, Be right there, Mum!

It was four o’clock in the afternoon and time for tea, the best time of the day as far as Jabari was concerned. He came sliding down the banister, leaping into the perfect landing and found his parents sitting side-by-side on the small couch in their study. The little, brown coffee table, bought secondhand from a yard sale, was polished lovingly to a smooth patina and covered in the biggest spread he had ever seen.

Oh boy! he exclaimed as he surveyed the goodies. What are we celebrating?

His mother’s favorite teapot, adorned with tiny violets, was steaming and surrounded by mismatched cups, each carefully and lovingly purchased from various yard sales and secondhand shops. A plate of full of sandwiches, and not the delicate kind that graced most English tea tables, but the big American kind his dad loved, made his stomach rumble.

And then there was the pound cake. Topped with his favorite powdery white sugar, the cake stopped Jabari completely in his tracks.

Darling, come sit next to me, his mother smiled, and we will tell you all about it.

It is indeed a celebration. And we have some wonderful news to share with you, said Jabari’s father in his deep, rumbling voice. It was slow, unhurried, and there was something soothing about it. When he laughed, Jabari thought it felt like a warm hug, making everything brighter and better. He always felt loved and protected and safe in his father’s presence. He knew his mother felt the same.

After his mother had poured them each a cup of tea and served them sandwiches and cake, she turned to Jabari and said, Your father, Jabari, has been offered a research grant.

That’s great news! Congratulations, Dad. Jabari beamed at his father.

I have to make my decision very soon. Jay chose his words carefully. If I accept the grant, it means some changes for all of us.

Well, that can’t be bad. Jabari looked at his father as his voice trailed off. Sensing something more underlying his father’s hesitation, he said more forcefully, Dad, whatever it is, we can handle it.

His mother was sitting quietly, her eyes reflected her concern.

Darling, the grant funds research work in Africa. It’s a wonderful opportunity for your father to advance his career. When he applied, we never dared to dream that he would get the offer over the hundreds of other applicants. But there it is. We are very excited about it, but it means we have to separate for a while. I know this will be a big adjustment for you. It is for me as well.

Jabari’s mother, Anne, was fair and slender with blue eyes and a ready smile. Liverpool, specifically the university, had always been her home. Both her parents had worked at the university, so Anne was practically raised on the campus. Even when her parents passed away during her early twenties, her decision to stay on in the familiar university environment didn’t come as a surprise to anyone. It was here that she met Jabari’s father and her little world had grown.

Six-foot-four and broad-shouldered, Jaheem had the physique of an African warrior. She had felt a tad intimidated by his appearance when she first met him, until she saw him smile. It was the smile of an angel, slow to spread across his face, but when it did, it was like the sun brightening the earth.

With the exception of losing her parents, life had been fairly predictable for Anne. Barring the occasional visits with her elderly aunt, now in the care of a home health provider in the suburbs of Merseyside, she rarely ventured outside the red brick, ivy covered campus. She was comfortable with her life, and so far, had not aspired for any changes or complications.

Just tell me what you have in mind, Mum, Jabari assured his mother. I’m made of tougher stuff.

He gave her a crooked smile. Honest.

Jaheem, or Jay as everyone called him, smiled at his son’s resilient attitude. While his wife continued discussing the upcoming trip, and his son tucked into the cake, leaving powdered sugar all over his mouth, Jay’s mind drifted to when he had left home in the first place.

Despite his warrior-like build, Jay has always been quiet and studious, preferring to read and study instead of play outside and get into mischief. When the opportunity of a scholarship for further education in England came, his sister encouraged him to go. He arrived in Liverpool with nothing but a small suitcase and twenty pounds in his pocket. Not much of a start, but he had fared well with far less back home, so this was just another challenge to him.

Although the scholarship covered his tuition and education, there were many other expenses. In the early days, he walked endlessly, the only means of transportation he could afford, and eventually found lodging in the basement of an apartment building close to the university.

In return for his windowless ten-foot room, he kept the basement clean, ensured the washers and dryers were in working condition, and reported any mishaps to the super. After he was somewhat settled, he started looking for a job. It wasn’t easy as there weren’t many employment opportunities, especially ones that he could juggle along with his education.

Resourceful as always, Jay had decided to talk to the administration for an opportunity, no matter how small, to contribute toward the campus grounds. He recalled that day clearly.

As he sat on a stone bench under a cluster of beech trees on the well-maintained university campus, Jay closed his eyes for a few moments and drifted back home in his mind. He thought of his sister their small cottage, covered in vines and flowers. She had green thumb; anything she touched grew. Even plants that people gave up on thrived under her care, and Jay had a little of that special touch too. Opening his eyes, he realized the sun was setting and looked down at his watch. The administrative building would be closing soon, so he needed to hurry.

The way to the administrative building was past the science block. The science building was, in a manner speaking, separate from the rest of the campus. It was a square red brick building with rows of tinted glass windows. Small and squat, it appeared aloof standing in its own little territory.

As Jay walked along in loping strides, a fluttering piece of paper in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Pausing in his tracks, he retreated to the bulletin board, and there it was—a job opportunity for a research assistant with training on-site for the appropriate candidate. It only offered a small stipend, but it was a job, nevertheless. At the bottom of the sign was a room number directing interested candidates to apply with Anne Brown in the Department of