As an old man Jacob Jankowski is very misunderstood. The ladys in the nursing home treat him like he can't do anything for himself. And when he speaks up about it they force him to take new drugs because he's acting "depressed", when he's actually just tired of the way that everybody's treating him.
Jacob wants his family to be able to visit him, and he wants them to not hold news back from him just because he's old and they don't think he can handle it. He also wants to eat real food because the stuff they serve in the nursing home is worse than our school lunches. He doesn't like how this new guy came along and everybody wants to hear his story about how he "carried water for elephants" back when he was on the circus. Jacob was actually part of the circus, and he knows for a fact that nobody can carry enough water for an elephant. But Jacob realizes as he's sitting in bed that his children are all grown up with lives and problems of their own now. As much as he wishes they could always be there, they can't. And they just don't tell him everything because they don't want to worry him or stress him out. One of the nurses that is actually nice and a little understanding gives him a bowl of fruit one day. He's so touched by it that he actually cries because he hasn't had an apple in forever! When the new guy comes along and brags about his time on the circus (that didn't happen), Jacob tells him off. He's not going to sit there and listen to some new guy take over his table and lie about bringing water for elephants when he was actually on a circus. Jacob's son forgets him one day when it's his turn to come and visit, so he goes to the circus alone. But by the time he gets himself down to the circus, it's pretty much over. Jacob finds this man that worked on the circus and tells the man about how he used to work in the circus. |
Jacob's parents die right at the end of his last year in college. He was going to a very expensive school to be a vet. He finds out after his parents die that the bank is taking his house and everything because his parents needed the money to pay for his school. During the middle of his final test he just gets up and walks out, because he realizes that even if he does finish school; he has nothing left.
He starts walking and has no idea where he's going until he finds a railroad track, eventually a train comes down, and he jumps aboard. Blackie wants to throw him off the train. Camel convinces August to let Jacob stay and he ends up getting a job on the show. Even though he didn't completely finish vet school; they still call him the vet. He ends up taking care of Rosie the elephant and he's one of the only people that she's not afraid of. August uses a bull hook to make her move, but Jacob knows that she'll do it on her own if you use love instead of abuse. Marlena is August's wife but she's an animal lover and she can't stand how cruel he is to the animals. Jacob always tries to be kind to the animals, which Marlena loves. They fall in love with each other in the end and won't have to worry about August anymore thanks to Rosie. Jacob and Marlena get married and have a lot of kids. |