Chapter I: Elegant Elephant

            I stood outside my grandma’s house and sighed.  Thanksgiving at grandma’s was definitely not going to the same this year.  This was something I had been dreading since I received the invitation from my mom last month.  I tried desperately to come up with an excuse but it was made clear no excuse was acceptable.  Thanksgiving at grandma’s was mandatory this year.  While coercion is not usually an acceptable invitation, I decided I would go to the house one last time, suffer through the dinner, and pick up what was mine.