Simple Pleasures

There once was a man. Not a very tall man, or a small man. A very simple man, indeed. What truly stood out about this man was his bow tie. He loved wearing fun, outrageous bow ties. Stripes, polka dots, swirls, and any other pattern he could find in every color you could imagine. They pleased him. The man with the bow tie had few pleasures besides his bow ties. Waking up on a Sunday morning to a newspaper and a fresh pot of coffee. Greeting his neighbor, Amelia, every morning as she worked in her garden. And taking his dog Pepper for a walk around the neighborhood. He was a man of simple pleasures indeed.

But one day, something strange occurred. Pepper, who is usually a sweet, timid pup, barked out the window at the top of his little lungs.  "Pep, hush!" The dog took notice, turning his head to the side and looking at the man with the bow tie as if to say, "but...but I must bark!" and returned to furiously yelping at whatever it was that had his attention. He would not be stopped. The man grabbed Pepper's leash. It's a little early to take him for his walk but maybe this will calm him down, the man thought to himself. The two stepped outside, and Pepper tugged at his leash so wildly the man hardly had a chance to close the door behind him.

"G'morning Em!" Amelia was out in her garden, as usual. Such lovely flowers, the man thought to himself. "Good morning. Nice tie today!" Amelia's smile was as bright as the man's bow tie. It was as if her sunny disposition was necessary for her garden to grow. "Out a little early, aren't we?" Pepper barked in agreement, wagging his tail and tugging at his leash to tell everyone he had places to go. "Yeah, seems like he's got ants in his pants. Guess I gotta go. See ya Em!"

The dog rushed down the street, his owner in tow. What could possibly have him so excited?, the man thought to himself. It was a beautiful Spring day. The birds chirped sweet songs. The sun was bright yellow, perfectly matching the man's bow tie. Nature was in full bloom. A squirrel ran across the road, scurrying up a tree but Pepper took no notice of the creature. That's odd, the man thought, usually Pep loves to chase squirrels. Instead the two pressed forward at a swift pace, like a strong breeze. Or like the butterfly that flew a few paces ahead of them.

What the man with the bow tie had failed to realize, was that the butterfly had been along for their walk the whole time. Just out of the dog's reach, a brilliantly blue butterfly fluttered like a leaf in the wind and Pepper was determined to catch it. "Pep! C'mon boy, we're getting a little too far from home now. It's time to go back." The dog barked in defiance and tugged with enough force that the man lost grip of his leash and Pepper was a free dog. "Pep! Come back!"

When the man with the bow tie finally found his dog, Pepper was sitting quietly in the park. Sitting and staring at a rock. "Pepper, you bad boy, you had me scared half to death. What ARE you doing?" The man went over to his dog, who he discovered was quietly whimpering and hadn't stopped staring at a large rock in the middle of the park. "What's the matter boy?" "I think he's just scared," someone replied. The man in the bow tie looked around, unable to find the source of the voice he had never heard before. "Hey, down here buddy," the voice said with a touch of agitation. The man looked downward, his eyes passing his yellow bow tie, toward the rock in the grass. "Yeah, the butterfly. And if you could call off your dog, that'd be great."

The man in the bow tie could not believe his eyes. Or his ears for that matter. So he slowly sat down next to his dog, deciding to join him in staring at the talking butterfly. The man and his dog sat together, mesmerized by the blue marvel. Spots speckled his wings, which were tinted like an ocean spray. Finally Pepper barked, his courage returning now that his owner had joined him. "Pep, no, stop it." The dog returned to his quiet whimper. "Thanks. Your dog is LOUD." "Yeah, he can get a little excited," replied the man, standing up and dusting himself off.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared darkening the skies overhead. Looking up and expecting to see a plane, instead his eyes met with the biggest flock of birds he had ever seen and they were headed straight at him. In an instant the flock dove, intent on attacking. What could they be after? the man wondered. Do birds eat butterflies? As the birds targeted the tiny creature, the man reacted swiftly and grabbed Pepper. Lifting the small dog high above his head, the man in the bow tie shouted "Get 'em boy!".

Towering high in the sky, Pepper snarled and growled to scare off the winged predators. He barked a warning, giving the birds notice they were not welcome in his presence and should never come back. The man in the bow tie set his dog down. "Good boy." He gave the pup a treat from his pocket and a vigorous pat on the head. As the hubbub died down, the man straightened his yellow tie and looked back to the rock. His newfound discovery, the mysterious blue butterfly, was gone. Being the reasonable man that he was, the man decided to go straight home and rest. Talking butterflies and a swarm of vicious birds? My imagination is working overtime, the man with the bow tie thought to himself. So he took Pepper by the leash and the two walked back home. Back to his simple, quiet life.

The streets were empty, or at least they were to the man with the bow tie. A dark cloud loomed overhead as he passed by old women, schoolchildren, and even his neighbor Amelia without a word. He was lost in his own thoughts. Butterflies don't talk. It's not possible. Imagine, I could have been a rich man! "I must be going mad," the man muttered to himself. When he got home, the man took off his tie, now speckled with mud and changed out of his clothes which were dirty from his scuffle with the birds in the park. He then decide to relax in a comfortable chair he had under a small tree in his backyard. A good book will take my mind off of everything, he thought. A good book and some fresh air. The man sunk into his chair with a sigh. Pepper laid at his feet, sensing his owner's troubles, and rested his head on the man's foot as if to say, "It'll be okay."

Time passed quickly, and the sun was ready to set. The man, no longer wearing a bow tie, had fallen asleep reading and so had his dog. Pepper snored loudly, dreaming of squirrels. The man, however, dreamt of birds. Just like the ones in the park, they were vicious and chasing the man, mistaking the tie he wore in the dream for a butterfly. For that brilliantly blue butterfly that spoke to him earlier that day. Running from these nightmares, he was awoken by a tickle on his face. He slowly opened his eyes and there, on the tip of his nose, was the the mysterious blue butterfly. "Hi. Uh, don't freak out, okay?" "Why would I freak out?" the man replied, "you're only a TALKING BUTTERFLY!" With this outburst out of the way, the butterfly continued, "Yep. Name's Henry. I just wanted to thank you, you AND your dog, for saving my life back at the park. That was very brave. Those birds would have eaten me alive if it wasn't for you. I owe you my life."

The butterfly flew into the man's hand. He felt the delicate creature settle into his palm and in that moment he realized Henry must truly trust him. "I'm just happy I could help," he told the butterfly, "but if you'd like to return the favor...". Henry knew what the man was thinking and stopped him from finishing his thought. "No no no, no one can know about me." The man tried to hide the disappointment from his face. "I'll make a deal with you. Give me a week. If I can't make you richer than you can imagine, I promise you I will do whatever you wish." The man stared, baffled at the idea. Richer than you can imagine. His mind drifted, picturing mountains of gold, rubies and silver, but before he could answer Henry, a voice called from across the fence. "Everything alright over there?" He hadn't noticed Pepper was growling, and Amelia could tell something was wrong. "Oh, um, everything is fine Em. Pepper's just...he's just being weird today." "He's not the only one," Amelia said with a chuckle. The butterfly flew away, circling Pepper before disappearing over the fence that separated the two neighbors.

That night, the man could hardly sleep a wink. His thoughts drifted between fame & fortune and the possibility that he might have let it slip through his fingers. Fly right out of his hand. Could he trust the butterfly to keep his word and deliver on his promise? Can he trust it wasn't a dream, something seemingly real that happened in that special space between sleep and wake? Was it a miracle or simply madness? The man tossed and turned while his loyal dog slept soundly in his small bed across the room.

The next day, the man in the bow tie went about his day, doing everything as he normally would, but anyone who really looked at him would notice he wasn't all there. His eyes glazed over and the man was lost in his own thoughts. Staring off into space, the man was startled by the sound of his doorbell ringing. Pepper ran to the window, tail wagging with excitement. A visitor, how unexpected! Do butterflies ring doorbells? The man with the bow tie opened the door and there stood his neighbor, Amelia. She was wearing a beautiful dress with mint green polka dots and a ruby red bow in her hair. She thrust a large dish into the man's hands. "It's cherry. The pie, I made it this morning. I thought you might have guests after I heard you talking yesterday!"

"You heard us talking?" the man asked, afraid he had been discovered. "I heard YOU talking. Unless you were talking to yourself." Amelia giggled at how uncomfortable the man looked, his black bow tie crooked and loose. "I w-was," the man stuttered, "I was talking to Pep. Pepper, he's...he's easy to talk to." Pepper barked, happy to be a part of the conversation. "Well in that case..." Amelia disappeared into the kitchen and returned with two plates, each with a slice of cherry pie.

It was a lovely evening. Amelia was wonderful company for the man with the bow tie, but the man could not stop himself from thinking about Henry, the talking butterfly. Had Henry disappeared? Was he just a dream? Amelia could see the man was distracted and excused herself. "I've had a very nice time, maybe we can do this again soon." And with that, the evening was over. But it would not be the last.

Day after day, Amelia returned with another dessert. Delicious sweets that could only be matched by the woman's sunny disposition. Having someone to talk to, a real friend, helped ease the man's mind. He was no longer preoccupied with thoughts of talking butterflies or fortune & fame. Anticipating Amelia's arrival each evening, the man would carefully choose which of his bow ties to wear in hopes of impressing his visitor. Ties with bright colors and crazy designs all worn in the hopes of catching her eye. He was having a wonderful time, and after spending these evenings together, the man with the bow tie decided to invite Amelia along for his daily walks with Pepper. "Of course. I'd love to!" Pepper barked, pleased at the idea of Amelia joining in on the fun.

The next morning, the man woke with excitement. He nervously sorted through his collection of bow ties, searching for his favorite design - a peppermint red and white swirl. After checking his watch for the fifth time, the man looked out his window at Amelia's well-tended garden. It brought so much color to the neighborhood, and she's brought even more to his life these days. The man with the bow tie grabbed his dog's leash, "Alright boy, let's go for a walk!"

With Pepper at his side, the man knocked at his neighbor's door. Along with the peppermint swirl bow tie, he was wearing a pink shirt much to Amelia's surprise. She had never seen the man wear a colored shirt before. The man had clipped a matching pink bow tie onto Pepper's collar as well. "Such handsome men!" Amelia said as she opened the door. The man didn't know what to say. "Em, your dress...". Amelia had worn her her favorite outfit, a dress handpainted with dozens and dozens of blue butterflies. "Do you like it? I made it myself." The man stumbled over his words, "It's, it's... it's beautiful!" The man was blown away. The butterflies, they looked just like the one that had disappeared a week ago. "So boys, are we ready for a walk?" Pepper barked in agreement, pulling his leash.

The two walked and laughed and had so much fun together. It was a beautiful Spring day. The birds were chirping and the sun was shining bright. The streets were empty to Amelia and the man with the bow tie. They passed by old women and schoolchildren, but they only saw each other. Neither noticed that Pepper had begun to follow a butterfly toward the local park, and when they got there the couple sat at a bench in the shade.

Pepper, seeing a flock of bluebirds, pulled at his leash and escaped the man's grasp. "I'll get him," Amelia said as she chased the dog down. The man watched her chase Pepper in circles, laughing, when a familiar blue butterfly landed on his knee. "What do you think? She's pretty, isn't she?"

"Henry? Where have you been?!" the man asked, "You disappeared!"

"I had to work on my promise to you." The butterfly explained to the man how he would fly into Amelia's window every morning and flip the pages of her recipe book, opening it to different desserts, and fly away in the hopes she would find inspiration.

"Desserts? I don't understand."

"The desserts were the excuse she needed. She wanted a reason to speak to you. I could see the look in her eyes, searching for anything to get the chance to talk to you."

The man with the bow tie looked up at Amelia. She had Pepper in her arms and the two were rolling around on the lush green grass. The man smiled, his heart filled with warmth, and before he could say anything else Henry flew away. "Thank you," he said waving at the blue butterfly ascending into the sky. "This is better than anything I could have ever imagined." "Howard!" Amelia called out to the man as she wrestled with Pepper. Howard loosened his tie, stuffed it deep into his pocket, and ran over to join Amelia and Pepper. The three of them chased birds and rolled around in the green grass all afternoon.

It was a simple pleasure indeed.