WARNING: Friends of PETA, please do not read this, or if you do, please forgive me.
Years before she died, my beloved Grandmother Charlotte gave me a beautiful coat made of spotted Jaguar fur that she bought in the 1950's. It was a short swing coat, with big fancy cuffs, bright black spots, and a gorgeous brown sheen. I wore the coat proudly and treasured it, not only for its beauty, but because having that coat next to me meant that Grandma Charlotte was always in my heart, as well as next to my heart. However, years went by and the lack of good storage of the coat (by my grandmother and myself) meant that the 60 year old fur was getting old and dry. It began to crack, shred, and fall apart in places. It quickly became unwearable. I took the coat to several fur stores in Washington DC to ask them if they could repair it, or use the good parts and turn it into something else. But they all refused or quoted me hundreds and hundreds of dollars to do anything worthwhile with it. So, I did nothing.
When I moved to Indonesia, I knew I was crazy to bring a fur coat to a tropical climate, but I was determined to keep the coat as close to me as possible, and maybe by luck, turn it into something grand. Several weeks ago, I met a friend who shared with me the name of a wonderful leather craftsman in Kemang, 15 minutes from my house. I was so excited, I arrived at his store as soon as it opened Monday morning. Once there, I explained to the adorable 76 year-old Indonesian craftsman exactly how much this coat meant to me. We discussed it at length and he described to me how he could make the coat into a handbag. We designed the handbag together and he was careful in explaining every single detail. He also said he could use some of the remaining pieces to make me a pair of shoes. We designed these together too. I was elated. Even better, the prices he quoted me for doing this Houdini-like transformation were amazing. It would cost me roughly $70 for a custom made handbag and $35 for custom made shoes! I was in utter disbelief, and I was so excited that I might be able to use grandma's coat again. I left my precious coat in the craftsman's capable hands, but after I left the store I literally ran BACK inside to kiss the coat goodbye. I realize this coat is just a thing, a possession, a carcass even, and something that many people would not even like to see or appreciate. But to me, the coat meant that grandma was always nearby. It was not a dead animal to me, because somehow, the coat embodied my grandmother's LIVING spirit.
After 2 short weeks, on Saturday I went to go pick up my new reincarnated coat. These pictures say it all. (forgive my little camera phone pics!) I was literally in tears when I saw the gorgeous purse and handbag made out of the recycled coat. The fur still had it's unique bright black spots and it's gorgeous brown sheen, and now it was made into something I could carry with me and wear frequently. After I paid the bill, I tried to give the old man a tip of 200,000 Rp ($20) and he told me "not necessary" 3 times in a row. Then, I looked at him squarely in the eye and said, on the verge of tears as I spoke: "You have made me SO happy, please . . . . I insist." Then he started to cry. Along with his tears, he was beaming with pride at how happy he had made me.
I can't remember if I've ever seen a 75 year old man cry with joy, but it was pretty beautiful.
And now, once again, I can have something close to my heart to remind me of my wonderful Grandma Charlotte!
I love you grandma!
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