Finding the giraffe

Father’s Day came and went. I did nothing. My father’s been gone for a few years. My maternal grandfather has been gone for nearly a decade. My paternal one left us about three weeks before I turned two.

For business reasons, my dad moved around a little bit. We were all born in Brooklyn. The real Brooklyn. I was raised on Staten Island. We moved there shortly before I turned eight and entered the third grade. Dad went from Staten Island to San Francisco to Houston to Tampa. Six years ago, he left us in Tampa. He probably spent most of his time with us when he was on Staten Island. We visited him in the other locales.

Because of me, my dad started collecting giraffes. His Tampa house had a giraffe room. Other rooms had a few, too. After he passed away, I cleaned the house. I took a few home and some Disney giraffe artwork.

This is how it started, my paternal grandfather, Sam or “Jimmy” and his brothers owned a few juvenile furniture and toy stores throughout Brooklyn. When I was born, he gave me a small giraffe toddler bike. I could sit and it move along with my feet. I called it and any other giraffe, “affe.” I guess I couldn’t pronounce the “g.” I was told he got his name, Jimmy from the vaudeville acts he used to participate in.

My maternal grandparents gave me an amazing bear. I still have the bear and affe. The bear is with me. The giraffe is at mom’s. Years ago, I saw my cute little nephew ride it. He was about three. I was so happy. Bears and giraffes are my favorite animals.

I remember in 1976 a new Toys-R-Us was opening near Kings Plaza. My dad took me to the grand opening. Mom was pregnant with my sister. I wished for her. Geoffrey Giraffe, his wife Gigi and Baby Gee were there. We went into the new store and got Baby Gee. I gave her to my sister.

As the years progressed, we always looked for giraffes in zoos. Years ago, dad and I were at ZooTampa at Lowry Park.  One of the attractions is to climb up way high, buy some grass, (not the kind you smoke) stand at the edge of the deck and hope the giraffes come and eat out of your hand. We tried. The giraffes were grazing from the trees and never acknowledged us. We returned our grass, hiked down and went on the merry go round. I was disappointed.

It seems that whenever my sister and I go somewhere either together or independent somehow we encounter a picture of a giraffe. It could be on an ad on the subway, a store selling them, etc. Once I was boarding my EL Al flight to return to NYC, as I was walking to the gate, I saw an ad for an EL AL flight to South Africa. What animal do you think the safari ad showed? Yep, a giraffe.

On the first Sunday of May 2015, we dad’s unveiling. I ran it. I did my maternal grandfather’s, too. Not sure I am as good as some of the elderly men who hang around the cemetery and ask if you need them to join your minyan or run the service. Years ago, my dad told me about these guys. He said they’d hit you up for $5. They used to hit me up for $10 when I would go. Inflation. I work for free. Well, not free. To quote Collins from Rent, “That boy could use some Stoli.” It gets you in the mood.

No baby sitter was available for my then 5.5-year-old nephew. So he attended. At the end of the service, he placed a small giraffe on the tombstone. We left the cemetery and had lunch at Chosen Gardens. Everyone went their separate ways. I went to see Avengers: Age of Ultron, which opened that weekend.

In the few months after the unveiling, I visited dad many times. Each time I went the giraffe was still sitting on the tombstone. He was kind of guarding it. A few times he must have jumped off. He’d be in the grass in front or behind it. But he was always there. Maybe he was hungry?

Around a year later, I didn’t see him. I searched and searched to no avail. Every time I visit dad I talk about the Yankees, my sister and giraffes. I continue to search for the giraffe. One day, I hope I can report I found him.