Josie Obguia

The Happy Giraffe – A Fable Once there was a Giraffe walking slowly on an empty street. He was tired and needed a place to stay. While walking, a lot of things ran inside his mind. Some are happy, some are sad, some are heartbreaking, and some are blissful. He continued to walk and walk until he noticed a piece of paper floating in the air. Then suddenly, the paper landed right in front of him. He noticed that the paper was colored dainty pink with glitters. There was something written on the paper. It reads "In time". Mr. Giraffe was baffled. He was unsure if what was written meant anything for him or for his current situation. But he took the paper and thought "There's no harm taking it anyway". He then went on walking while his mind was still being nostalgic. When his thoughts were suddenly stuck into the heartbreaking memories, he tried to shift his focus into something else. He thought of the paper, and much to his surprise, what was written was something else. "Smell the roses." He was more confused than before. How come? What happened? Is this a sorcerer's paper? He felt scared for a second but then, he couldn't keep the paper off his hands. He couldn't throw the paper away. After a few minutes, something was falling from the sky. It was water. It's about to rain. He panicked. He desperately needs a roof right that very moment! He wanted to continue walking but the empty highway seemed endless and never a sight of a shade or bench where he could rest. He was so tired and scared but he went on walking slowly. Then there was thunder. A loud thunder roaring. He remembered the paper. He looked at it again wondering if it would have another writing again. It did! "At the back", it read. This time, he decided to look at the back. There was a police box. He felt relieved! He ran fast straight to the police box. But he noticed something or someone inside it. When he opened, he was surprised to see another Giraffe lurking there. A lady Giraffe. It was his wife. "Thank God you're here", he told his wife. "I'm sorry to have hurt your feelings. I will never do that again". "I'm sorry too if I made you worry about me. I will never go away from you again. I was too hurt by what you said and you did not even let me explain", the wife answered. "I was too scared you don't love me anymore", he answered back. "But I know there's no excuse for the hurtful words I said. I am deeply sorry, my wife". So just like in life, always make sure to say the right words to everyone especially your loved ones. The road represents the world. Our world would be empty if our loved ones are far from us. The paper is the lessons we have long learned in our lifetime, but we tend to disregard. We know that there is a right time for everything but we still act impulsively. We know that we should take time and enjoy every moment in our lives but we take it for granted. We know that sometimes, we have to step back so we could reflect what we need to do when we face any challenges. The “glitters” on the paper tell us that the lessons we have learned from our experiences are actually treasures in disguise. The police box represents our real friends who are always there for us, sometimes unexpectedly. Good thing, Mr. Giraffe did look back and got his life again.