Nelly and Her Zoo

Recently we spent Thanksgiving at my great aunt Nelly's in Sarasota, Florida. We often head to her home for a holiday, either Christmas or Thanksgiving. We thoroughly enjoy our visits, and they are never dull! Nelly is the childlike princess of her saintly sister, my grandmother. They grew up together in North Africa in Algeria. Nelly's daddy was gone at age two and her maman at 14. They were raised by their grandmother. 

During the war Nelly fell in love with a dancing and drinking soldier who matched her fun flair for life.Then one sad day the gossip came back that he was a cad with a family back home. Her wings and heart, broken for a time, were comforted by the kindest man around -- a daddy soldier named Bob. He scooped up the wounded bird and flew her to the US of A where they started their own family and had a lovely daughter. Eventually they ended up in Florida. Daddy Bob is now in heaven, surely looking over his child, princess bride. I say child, not solely because of a marked age difference, but much more because of Nelly's charm and character. For me she embodies Christ's words:

"Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." 

At one point Nelly and Bob crossed back over the pond. There was a nice inheritance for each of the girls. Her saintly sister promptly handed over her inheritance to her husband who wisely invested in long term plans and properties. Nelly, on the other hand, had another plan. After all, this was Paris!! She hit the boutiques on the Champs Elysee, and once fully decked out in Dior and Chanel headed over to Maxim's for champagne and an unending French feast! I love this story....call it unwise or frivolous, if you will, but had Nelly met a tragic end on this fine day, she would have had a smile on her face, a full belly, and a Chanel handbag on her wrist. How many of us can say that?

Alas, no tragic demise was to come, thank goodness, and today Nelly is going strong at 90 years of age. She is an artist who paints, makes jewelry with gems and creations from shells. She loves animals, probably more than most, but likes to eat them too, just another one of Nelly's sweet dichotomies. She currently has a dog, Bijou (jewelry) and a cat (Jolie, pretty). Of course because every princess needs beautiful jewelry. 

The pets have varied over the years. There were the usual dogs, and then the more unusual like  a lizard. There was also Sweetie, the cockatoo, and by all rights Nelly's second husband. The lizard met his sad demise one day, as his favorite lounging place was Bob's shirt pocket -- he found himself drowned in a soapy swirling enemy (the washing machine). I cannot be sure, but I think there may have been a burial service for the little guy. Sweetie the cockatoo was a typical second husband, jealous and demanding of our great aunt Nelly. If he felt his space invaded, he would swoop down and attack another man's head, namely my grandfather, . He had the reign of the home and liked it that way. Cooking during this time took on a special skillset of being able to quickly get a cover on the pot of ratatouille before there were any unseemly added ingredients.

Now Bijou is the one, never fully potty trained despite everyone's best efforts. Nelly does not want to hurt a grasshopper or a dog. We tried to explain that the kennel was not punishment, but training. Nelly likened his kennel to waterboarding and was convinced he held a grudge for days to come. This is Nelly's heart, kind and welcoming, and her childlike innocence, though not always based in logic, is based in something pure. 

Nelly is not a religious person. We once talked about God. She quickly said, "I don't believe in God, for me God is in nature. Do you think a man with a big white beard lives in the clouds?" I respond, "No Nelly, I see God as intelligent mind with the ability to create. I see God as love, omnipotent, and omnipresent, and yes he indeed reveals himself in his creation." I think we understood each other and it was good.

Several times Nelly has come with us to midnight mass. I look over and see her shiny brown eyes, standing out against her silvery hair. She is singing with joy, sometimes half words, and reciting the liturgy where she can follow along. She looks so pure and free and childlike. She inspires me.

So you may think that the title Nelly's Zoo has to do with the many animals and their stories, but in fact, no. I have taken this title from a recent conversation with Nelly's daughter over Thanksgiving. She said, "I told my mom to get rid of the zoo before you all came". And at this time I learned that not only had Nelly adopted her surrogate granddaughter Gabby, who has always lived next door, but also the boyfriend, and the gay friend of the couple. All of these teenagers had been kicked out of their houses for one reason or another. We knew about Gabby before coming to Florida, and put two and two together when the boyfriend was aimlessly hanging around. But I have to admit, the gay friend was a surprise. But this is Nelly -- she cannot see people she knows on the street, even if the rest of us are concerned for her well being.

We came home from church while we were there and Nelly asked, "Did they talk about the refugees? Because they should we should let them in. They have no place to go". This is her welcoming, childlike spirit -- not wanting to see others suffer, wanting every animal, lost teenager, and war-torn family to have food and a home.

Calvin walks out of our room, and just as we catch eyes we notice Bijou doing his pee-pee on the white silk stained couch, now a brownish yellow spotted mess. We look at each other after many mops and sighs and efforts and just throw up our hands and laugh, and laugh and laugh. We are bent over, belly laughing. Our inner child has been tickled, and in that moment we have forgotten our logical, responsible selves, and that is the beauty of Nelly's zoo.