The Chai's Have It

Back in the mid eighties I was working at a store in Rancho Bernardo, just north of San Diego. There was a jewelry store in the plaza and I liked to go in and look around. I’ve never been one to wear rings or necklaces and I wanted to see if there was anything that caught my eye. I was looking at things like Star Of David’s or Chai’s as, being Jewish, a cross wouldn’t be so nice. Besides, my Hebrew name is Chaim.

There were a number of items that were very nice but the prices were much more than I could afford. I found one that was a little over $100.00 and, though it was not as nice as most, I decided it was the best I could do and bought it. I wore it under my shirt every day. At first it was really uncomfortable, I’d never worn a necklace before, but I got used to it. I actually started noticing when I didn’t have it on. It made me feel something, I don’t know, connected I guess. I’m not religious in any sense of the word, never have been, but I felt that sense of belonging that we all seem to crave at most points in our lives.

It’s a rather small, skinny, well, scrawny one. Kind of like the Jew I am, not too much, if you know what I mean. When folks would see it they would invariably think it was some kind of animal. Most thought it was a cow and I would have to explain to them what it was and it’s significance to me. I got real comfortable with it. I would take it off at night and put it on right out of the shower. It became almost something I depended on.

I got married and Shelly and I, along with the two kids we had at the time lived in an apartment. The kids were fascinated with the Chai and I would constantly have to tell them not to play with it when they would see it on the dresser at night. Well, one day I woke up and it was gone. Obviously one of the kids had been messing around with it and it was lost. There wasn’t a lot to say to the kids, they were very small at the time and after Shelly and I searched the apartment over and over again we just gave it up for lost. I was bummed but I figured life goes on. When we moved out of the apartment I thought that we might find it. Needless to say, we didn’t. I would think about the Chai once in a blue moon but it really didn’t bother me.

I came out here to California last Friday and am staying at Shelly’s house. Friday night she got up off the couch, went into her room and when she came out, she handed me the Chai. To say I was surprised would be an understatement. I put it on and have worn it since I got here. I kept telling Shelly how I couldn’t believe she found it. She couldn’t remember where she found it but said she found it while unpacking here at her house that she bought when we split. This is the fourth place we had packed and unpacked since we left the apartment so the odds of her finding it were amazing. The more I think about it all the more grateful I am.

Anytime anyone has seen it, they still comment on how much it looks like a cow. I tell them the story of it and they understand how I feel about it but still laugh about it. Well, laugh all you want kids but this cows staying around my neck, right where it belongs.