A Perfect Friend

by Reynolds Price

  While the clapping and yelling went on, Phyllis and Mark kept waving and blowing kisses to the crowd. But when Sal wouldn’t lower herself to the ground, they began to look tense again.

  Finally Duffy stepped close to Sal’s right ear. His lips were moving and he was talking to her. Nobody could hear him but he kept on whispering.

  Sal stayed in place and still didn’t move.

  Ben could somehow tell that she wasn’t privately talking to Duffy or anybody else.

  By then most people in the bleachers had sat down and started to wonder if something was wrong. Was this great creature about to go haywire and begin breaking things?

  Even Dunk had sat down and was turning pale.

  But Ben kept standing for another ten seconds, looking straight at Sal. She was maybe twenty yards away. He couldn’t tell whether she saw him or not. So he sat down slowly.

  Dunk said “Do you think she’s confused or what?”

  Ben said “None of my elephant books explain this.”

  Sal stood where she was another few seconds. Then while the poor scared Ringoes kept bowing, left and right, Sal thrust her trunk out to its full length. It was not her usual salute to the audience— for that, she would have to raise her right leg. This move was aimed at the bleachers straight ahead of her, and it looked to Ben like the kind of searching she did in her own tent when anybody entered. She was smelling the air apparently. It was her secret business anyhow. Nobody could make her do anything else.

  Once she was finished she gave a brand-new salute—her trunk curled tight back against her forehead, and her solemn face came as close to looking glad as it could. Then she was ready to finish the act. She finally crouched down the way she was meant to.

  The Ringoes seemed to be grinning sincerely as they jumped to the ground and ran away fast.

  Duffy had never showed any fear or even impatience, and Ben could see his lips say the words “Good. Mighty fine, old pal.” Then Duffy gave Sal another signal, and she got to her feet again with the grace that only elephants can manage. It looked like a giant building slowly standing up and planning to walk.

  Duffy’s lips moved again. “Back home now, girl.”

  Sal turned around calmly and moved toward the outdoor end of the tent. This time the spotlight turned away from her in case she ran.

  But though Duffy was trotting to keep up with her, Ben could see that Sal kept up a steady pace and was soon out of sight in the dark. In an instant she might have been as far off as Asia. Would she ever come back?

  Ben thought his eyes might fill up again but no, they didn’t. He didn’t want to pretend to himself that Sal had found his scent in the crowd and saluted just him. He couldn’t imagine that seeing him might have made her act so strangely in the ring.

  Dunk tapped on Ben’s knee. “She saw you, boy! She loves your butt!”

  Again Ben couldn’t find words to reply. If Sal had truly seen him, and kept on watching him instead of playing her part in the ring, that would be very close to the biggest thing in his life except for his mother’s leaving. He had never made anything this fine happen. Good things were stacking up too fast here; something awful might come next. Still, Ben tapped Dunk’s knee in return and waited to calm his breathing down so they could watch the final half hour, which again was mainly clowns. It was Dunk’s favorite part, but tonight Ben halfway understood why. He had at least as many chances to laugh as Dunk did.

  At the end of the show, Ben and Dunk hung back and came out behind the crowd. Dunk thought Ben was making up his mind whether to go see Sal one last time, so he didn’t rush him. Dunk was right.

  Once they were out in the chilly dark, Ben knew what he needed to try to do. He saw Duffy standing not far ahead by the lion cage, looking up at the sky. It was almost solid stars.

  In the dark Duffy looked more like a bandit or pirate than ever before.

  But Ben stopped and said to Dunk carefully “I’m going up there to Duffy now. You can go with me if you want to. I don’t know whether he’ll think it’s a good idea to see Sal, or maybe it’s only me that should see her. Remember, she doesn’t know you as well and she’s probably tired.” Ben knew how selfish those words might sound, but as always he was counting on Dunk’s loyalty.

  And Dunk said “If I’m some kind of big drag on you, then I’ll go on back to the bikes and wait. You’re the one with the elephant problem, not me.” But he didn’t laugh; he wasn’t making fun.

  So Ben said “Come on. We’ll see what happens.”

  Dunk said “I’m your man” and stepped up beside him. The short space between them and Duffy felt endless as they walked uphill.

  All that time Duffy stayed looking upward as if he were bathing in warm star shine and it was healthy. As the boys got only six steps away, Duffy looked down, saw them, and said “Four hundred sixty-six billion, five million, nine hundred eight thousand, and twenty-two.”

  Ben said “If you’re saying I owe you that much, you’ll be badly disappointed.”

  Dunk said to Ben “He was counting, Great Wizard of Wazuma.”

  “Counting what?”

  Duffy spread both long arms wide out and looked up again. “I count every star, every night of my life. And tonight’s the record. Eighty-four more stars in sight this minute than ever before. God’s making new ones every night of His life!”

  Dunk said “There’s a fixed number of stars, Mr. Duffy. We learned that in school.” Dunk knew he might well be wrong about the number, but one thing he truly loved about school was news of the sky, the comets, and planets—astronomy. He hoped to be an astronomer, which was fairly unlikely; but still he kept the ambition alive.

  Ben said “This is one nice man, Dunk. Beg his pardon.” Ben reached across and scrubbed Dunk’s scalp with his knuckles, not too hard.

  Dunk gave out a loud yell.

  The lion, who was nearby, roared so strongly that all their teeth ached.

  Duffy put up a hushing finger to his lips. Then he looked just to Ben. “Son, you ready to see her?”

  Ben said “Do you think she wants to see me?”

  Duffy said “She’s been a little weird today, as you saw in her act, but I’m betting yes.”

  Dunk said “Sure she does. She loves my boy.” He reached out and hugged Ben toward him roughly.

  Ben took the hug with no complaint.

  But Duffy looked to Dunk. “You can come on behind us, son. Keep your noise down, though; or Sal will shut you up.” Duffy smashed his right fist into his palm, then put that hand up onto Ben’s shoulder and led the way.

  Ben wanted to ask Duffy what had gone strange in the act tonight—Sal wasn’t sick, was she? But then he decided to wait and try to see for himself.

  Off in the distance Patrick—or Otho—was standing alone. He was still in his giant costume, bare-chested, even in the chilly air. As they passed him, he didn’t turn at all. He tilted his head back and, like Duffy earlier, he took in the whole sky and so many stars.

  Outside Sal’s tent Duffy stopped and faced Ben. “Like I said, you saw she was balky in her act.”

  Ben nodded. “I hope you don’t think she’s sick.”

  Duffy said “You almost never know with elephants—not till they’ve gone too far to bring back.” He paused and took his hand off Ben’s shoulder. “You be as gentle as you’ve ever been now. It’s late and Sal’s tired.”

  Ben said “Don’t worry.”

  Duffy turned to Dunk. “Son, I’ll ask you to wait outside here till we’ve gone in. I need to see how Sal feels before we bring her people she’s barely seen. She’s had a lot of sadness in recent months, and it’s burdened her mind. I’ll let you know as soon as I’ve checked her.”

  Dunk didn’t seem hurt or disappointed. This was a small change of plans for a boy who’d lived through so many tough things at home—shouting and bruising and even the frequent sight of blood. He sat on the ground by the flap of the tent. “Good luck, Ben. I’ll be right here. No hurry; take your time.”
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  The flap was not tied shut; and Duffy stepped inside, bringing Ben behind him. They were both completely quiet.

  At first it all seemed dark as the night they’d left outside. But then Ben saw there were two oil lanterns burning low at the back of the tent.

  Between them, and in her usual place, Sal was standing still. There was no hay around her. At the first hint of visitors—or maybe of trouble—her trunk reached out and smelled the air.

  By then Ben’s eyes had opened enough to notice that Sal’s eyes were so wide open he could see the whites. She seemed a little depressed or scared, so he tried to speak toward her. In silence he said It’s your friend, Ben. I wouldn’t hurt you in a million years. He’d already decided that, if he saw her this last time tonight, he wouldn’t use the word Goodbye. That would be too hard for him and for Sal.

  Duffy went up to her, hugged her trunk, and laid his brow against her forehead.

  She’d known this man more than half of her life, and he’d never so much as raised his voice to her. So soon her breathing sounded calmer.

  Duffy kept his arms around her trunk, but he looked back to Ben. “Come on, son,” he said.

  When Ben got to Duffy, Duffy took his own arms down and waved Ben closer in to Sal.

  For a long moment she didn’t move at all. Then she blew out a powerful breath that sounded like sighing. Her trunk turned through the dry sawdust at her feet as if she might find one last piece of hay.

  Ben looked up to Duffy to see if things were right.

  Duffy was nodding.

  So Ben stepped up, one arm’s reach from Sal, and tried a few first words aloud. “You were amazing in the show tonight. I was really proud of you. You’re going to be fine on your own now—I know.”

  Sal’s silent voice reached him. She said the word Hope.

  Ben wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but he put up his right hand and laid it on her trunk.

  She let him press her lightly there. Then her trunk came up and, once more, smelled all through the tangled crown of his head.

  When she finished Ben told her Here’s a promise. When I’m grown I’ll try hard to find you again—remember that. We’re both young enough. We’ll spend some time together one day and know each other even better than now.

  Duffy had taken a few steps back and was out of sight.

  Ben looked around to find him; but when he saw nothing, he faced Sal again and said You remember now.

  She said Remember. Then she did what Ben had only seen her do once before. She curled her trunk back up to her forehead and lifted her huge left foot high.

  At first Ben thought she was just repeating her salute from the ring. But now she lifted her leg even higher till it formed a wide shelf maybe three feet off the ground. Then her trunk came down.

  Ben wasn’t sure he understood her meaning. This might be better than he’d expected, and it almost scared him.

  When he turned back to Duffy, he was inside the tent flap, waving Dunk in. The two of them came a little way toward Ben and Sal before they stopped in place.

  When Duffy saw Sal’s leg up in the air, he quietly spoke to Ben. “She’s offering you a visit.”

  Ben’s fear had turned to excitement. “What kind of visit?”

  Duffy stayed back but said “Climb on her leg there—right back of her knee—and she’ll show you the rest.”

  Ben had seen this happen in books and movies. He’d imagined it happening to him many times but not with Sal. She had seemed so private and alone with herself. He paused a long moment.

  As softly as he could possibly manage, Dunk said “Go, boy. This’ll last you for life.”

  Ben wheeled around fast and faced Dunk, standing in the shadows.

  Dunk was smiling—this was his good luck and not just Ben’s.

  Ben gave both his friends a quick wave as if he might be leaving for the moon. Then he took a few steps around to Sal’s side.

  When she gauged his height, she lowered the leg some.

  And Ben stretched both his arms far forward, grabbed the far side of Sal’s thick leg, and pulled himself up till he knelt on the shelf she’d made to help him. Before he was more than two feet off the ground, her trunk wrapped around him.

  First she held him in place on her leg.

  And at first Ben liked her grip around him—a strong grip but not too tight.

  Then slowly the trunk came the whole way around him and lifted him off the leg and thrust him out in the air straight ahead.

  In the first few seconds, Ben thought this might be one of Sal’s acts. Was she holding him out toward Duffy as some kind of circus stunt? Or maybe to Dunk? Could she see Dunk standing there in the dark? Did she know how hard Ben treated Dunk sometimes, and was she offering Dunk the chance to punish Ben or pay him back?

  Her grip was still just strong enough to hold Ben safely in the air, well off the ground. But then the hundreds of muscles in her trunk began to tighten, one by one.

  Ben could feel the extra pressure at once. In silence he told her Easy, girl. I’m a human, remember.

  But the trunk kept tightening.

  Ben was trying his best to stay calm, though soon his lungs were working to breathe against the pressure. If he spoke aloud to ask for help from Duffy or Dunk, he’d use all the air he had left in his body. In silence he tried to speak again. I’m a young boy, Sal, a lot weaker than you.

  If she heard it she offered nothing back.

  He begged her. Please, lady.

  No word from Sal.

  So at that bad moment, Ben looked out and saw Dunk step from the shadows, stand beside Duffy, and whisper a few words.

  Duffy waited for what seemed like a slow hour, and then he spoke in his ringmaster’s voice. “Set, Sal. Set.” Those were the words that should have told Sal to set Ben down.

  Sal gave out another breath that ended in a deep long grumble.

  Duffy didn’t move forward—that could be a mistake—but he tried again. He said what sounded like “Huduganna ilasu.”

  And scared as he was Ben managed to think “That must be something in Sal’s native tongue.” He was right; they were words from her part of India—“Set the boy down.”

  But she raised Ben higher, still straight out before her.

  His feet were at least five feet off the ground.

  If she slammed him down, it would break him to pieces from his feet to his skull.

  Duffy stayed where he was and again said “Set. Girl, please set him down now. Set.”

  Ben understood how helpless they were—the three humans here—but all he could think was “Why did she kneel down to me in the show if she meant to kill me now? Or is this some kind of love she can’t stop?”

  As if he’d heard Ben and knew the true answer, Dunk stepped closer forward.

  Duffy said “Back, boy. You don’t know what you might cause.”

  But Dunk came on to where he could reach out and touch the sole of Ben’s right shoe. He touched the underside of Sal’s trunk and rubbed it very lightly. Then Dunk took two steps back and spoke to Ben. “Just tell her you’re sorry.”

  Ben quickly wondered what that could mean, but he tried it anyhow. In silence he said Oh Sal, I’m sorry.

  Everything inside the tent seemed to freeze—the humans and Sal and even the flames in the two oil lanterns. Nobody or nothing moved at all.

  And Ben could see everything around him but he couldn’t speak. He finally thought “This may be it—I may be gone.”

  Then Sal let out one more deep breath like a whole rocky hillside rumbling to the valley. Her grip loosened slightly and, easy as blowing a feather from your hand, she pulled Ben back from the empty air and stood him again on the shelf of her leg. When he had his balance and had drawn a deep breath, she slowly nudged him higher on her head till finally he was sitting on her back behind her ears.

  Dunk said “All right!” and looked around to Duffy.

  Duffy had almost knelt to the ground in real relief.


  But all Ben’s fear had vanished and turned into happiness that grew by the moment. He’d seen other children ride elephants in movies—mostly brown boys from India or African jungles. They’d laugh as if they were on rocking horses. But this chance meant a good deal more to Ben. He said to himself “She trusts me completely,” and then he was happier than he’d ever been. He looked out to Duffy and said “Duffy, thank you.”

  Duffy said “Ben, it wasn’t my idea. I’d have been scared of it—Mr. Grimlet would kill me. Sal’s done it on her own.”

  So Ben leaned forward till his head was almost touching the two great knobs of Sal’s skull. He tried to imagine a way to thank her enough for this, but his mind was way too thrilled to think clearly—he’d have the rest of his life to do that. So his chin came down to rest on her head, and he let his joy try to reach her in silence. It was all strong feelings, too strong now for words. He did see one distant thing in his mind—but only in his mind. It was his mother’s face, looking almost pleased. If she could have been here, or even heard the news, she’d have smiled outright.

  After maybe fifteen seconds Sal’s trunk reached upward toward Ben and again smelled his hair.

  After that he could tell her the main thing he felt, and he knew the words to use. I’ll remember you every day of my life. He knew he might live many more years, but he felt entirely sure those words were the simple truth. Nobody else in all his years would give Ben Barks any more than this.

  Ben and Dunk were silent as they walked away toward their bikes in the woods. They were almost into the clumps of dead weeds and thorns when Dunk yelled out “Oh Lord!” He stopped in a crouch, looking at Ben and pointing to the right.

  Ben could tell Dunk was half joking anyhow but he looked around. Soon he could see the shape of an old man’s legs, his wide hips and sloping shoulders. The man’s head was tilted back to the moon—there was just a little less of the moon than Ben had noticed a few nights ago. The color of its light was silver—old silver polished but not quite clean. Was everybody outdoors tonight, staring at the sky? Had a spaceship flown past? A dangerous comet? Were angels coming with good or bad news? Or was everything that had happened tonight some welcome dream that Ben shared with Dunk? It might as well have been a dream for all the proof Ben had that it had happened.