My Very Sad Christmas Story

It was a little blue elephant. A little blue, glass elephant ornament. It was an antique, given to my brother-in-law when he was a little boy. It was his first very own Christmas tree ornament. My husband and I were at my sister's house helping them set up and decorate their Christmas tree. My husband dropped the elephant ornament and it broke. My sister and her three girls would not admit how upset they were, how much it meant to them, because they didn't want us to feel bad. But they saved the pieces in a little plastic bag. My brother-in-law was not at home at the time, and they decided not to tell him.

I decided to look for a replacement little blue elephant ornament on ebay. I spent hours, looking at hundreds of ornaments. But there was nothing like their little elephant, with his painted on face and little white tusks. The next day I searched some more. The next day and the next day and the day after that. Finally, one day there it was! The identical ornament! Exactly the same! It was an antique, from the 50s, made in Italy. I bid on it and won. When I received it I was so happy... it looked exactly like the one that broke! I told my sister and her three girls. They were so excited. We decided we would put it on the tree and see if he noticed. I packed the little ornament safely in its box and waited to take it to my sister's house.

In the meantime, I was busy wrapping Christmas gifts. The floor was strewn with paper and packages. The box with the ornament was among them. A few days later I noticed it was missing. I searched all over the house. I called my husband. "Did you notice the little white box sitting there?" I asked. No, he didn't remember it. But he had taken some empty boxes that I had set in the hallway out to the trash last week. Oh no, it couldn't be! Had he thrown out the little ornament? It appears he did. We searched the house again, together. No sign of it.

He had also taken some papers to the recycling bin up by the library. Could he have taken it there? He couldn't be sure. Today, he and I went to the recycling bins. We went "dumpster diving", looking for the little box. It wasn't there. I have come to the conclusion that the little elephant ornament that I found against all odds is gone. Of course, we had a fight. I asked him how he could have picked it up when it wasn't with the other trash? He asked me why I didn't put it someplace safe? Now, he has gone off to a movie to get if off his mind. And I am here, writing the story.
The End.