Christmas Eve with Rojo

My life is so weird. 

A few days ago, Lori called with one of the strangest and highly honoring invitations I have ever received.  The taxidermist working on preserving Rojo the Llama wanted guidance on capturing Rojo’s face.  Shannon couldn’t bear to go.  Would Rob and I be interested in coming along?

I debated with myself for several minutes, trying to use social distancing as an excuse to say no.  Rob barely let me finish my sentence explaining the invitation before he said yes.  So many times recently (hello, 2020), I have found myself digging deep and saying an adulty ”yes” to things my less mature self wants to run screaming from.

And so that’s how Rob and I ended up in a crowded taxidermy workshop in southwest Washington on Christmas Eve.

We arrived right behind Lori and Becky.  I pulled my coat on over my “Llamastay 6 Feet Away” t-shirt, plunging my hands in the coat pockets to confirm my Kleenex stash.

I was about 15 feet from the entrance to the workshop when I heard Lori exclaim in a grateful, love-filled voice from its doorway, “OH, Rojo!”

I caught up and peered in.  A very thin, wide-eyed, expectant Rojo greeted me.  There was clearly still work to be done, but even in this very early stage of re-creation, Rojo was unmistakable.  Instead of bursting into tears, I smiled broadly under my mask and stepped closer.

The four of us studied our beloved llama. 

Arnie and his son never met Rojo in real life.  In fact, they had never heard of him.  They were starting to sense his impact when another client entered their workshop and nearly fell over when she saw Rojo.  “Oh my God!!  It’s ROJO!”  They declined her requests to take photos, but politely listened to her tell stories of meeting Rojo at a local school and posing for photos.  Maybe he was kinda famous after all?  Rojo's magic is working on Arnie, too.  Having never really noticed llamas before, Arnie is now fascinated by them and has (sort of) jokingly told his wife they need to move to a place with more property so he can have his own llama buddy.

Arnie didn't have any experience with llamas (few taxidermists do because really, who hunts llamas??) but he was willing to take on Rojo.  With no llama forms to use, Arnie has had to get creative modifying other body prefabs.  His wife, an experienced sculptor, has used clay to help transform a woodland creature into a llama.  Arnie was thankfully able to use Rojo's scull, so his head is the correct proportions.  Arnie has taken numerous exacting measurements and consulted with experts to make sure Rojo is just right.  "Ten people have worked on Rojo so far," Arnie shared with a mixed sense of wonder and dedication.

All of Arnie and Lyndon’s preservation work has been done based on photos.  Luckily, with Rock Star Status, there are thousands of Rojo photos available to show the tiniest nuances.  Nuances I didn’t realize I was aware of until I realized they were missing.

Could the eyelids be more relaxed?  Could the nose be longer? Could the lips cover the teeth a bit more? Could the cheeks be fuller?  Could the chin be tucked?  Could the nostrils be rounder?

It was astounding how just the tiniest change made such an enormous difference.  As Arnie relaxed the eyelids, Becky and I gasped as we both felt Rojo’s familiar, easy gaze upon us once again.

As the others talked and searched for clarifying photos on social media, I stepped closer to pet Rojo. 

As I touched the silky fiber on his neck, I was flooded with love and peace and relaxation and gratitude.  The memories of so much laughter and so many smiles and so much pure joy filled my soul.  It was the one moment I fished around in my pocket for my Kleenex.  But the tears were of gratitude, not sadness.

I wasn’t sure how I would react seeing a beloved friend all taxidermied.  I’ve had arresting reactions to seeing family members in caskets.  But instead of being creeped out or revisiting the depths of grief, seeing Rojo again brought joy.  My heart healed just a little more.

Strangest and most unexpectedly wonderful Christmas gift ever.