There wasn't much money in screeving, but Bert loved it anyway. Every Sunday while the other sweeps took to the pubs to waste away their earnings for the week, Bert took to the sidewalks to create masterpieces from chalk dust.
He was just finishing a lovely seascape when a pair of woman's boots ran straight through the drawing, completely ruining a good two hour's work. He stood up to protest, but stopped dead when he saw what was attached to the boots. Or who, more specifically. Mary Poppins stood before him with flushed cheeks and an oversized butterfly net in one hand.
"You!" they both cried, grinning like the idiots they were. There was an awkward pause.
"So, uh," Bert said, running a hand through his hair. "What's the net for?"
"Giant butterflies!" Mary replied gleefully.
"Of course."
Two small boys ran up to the pair,, each armed with their own butterfly net. "Mary Poppins, they got away from us!" one of the boys exclaimed.
She put her hands on her hips. "Well they couldn't have gotten far now could they?"
The boys looked unsure of the correct answer.
"Of course not," she answered for them. "Now run along and see if you can find them. Oh, and this is Bert. He's going to be helping us."
This was news to Bert, but he wasn't about to protest. "Nice to meet'cher!" he chirped, extending a chalky hand.
"Jack," the taller one said, shaking his hand firmly.
"Harry," the smaller boy said, too shy to shake Bert's hand.
The boys ran off in search of the winged creatures.
"Now Mary Poppins, will I be getting me own net or shall I have to catch 'em with me bare hands?" Bert asked, as if this was the most normal question in the world.
"Oh, how silly of me!" she cried. She reached into a carpet bag that Bert could have sworn had not been there moments ago, and pulled out another net. Bert honestly wasn't surprised at this point, she could have pulled a full-size fire-breathing dragon out of her bag and it would not have fazed him. She handed him the net.
"Let the hunt begin," she said with a smile. She darted off into the park and Bert was quick to follow.
For hours, the foursome ran around the park laughing and lunging at the oversized insects. Finally the children plopped down on the grass out of sheer exhaustion, although their spirits were still as high as ever. Mary flopped as gracefully as one possibly could onto the grass beside them, and Bert followed suit (not quite as gracefully). They lay on the grass panting for a few minutes.
A few fluffy clouds rolled by, and Bert thought one looked exactly like a little terrier on a leash.
Bert turned his head to remark about the transformation to Mary. To his surprise, she was watching him keenly. She quickly blushed and looked away, picking at the hem of her skirt. He smiled to himself and rested his head back on the grass.
They stayed this way for several minutes, enjoying the quiet beauty of the park. After a while, Mary nudged Bert gently. "Look," she said, pointing to the boys. They were sound asleep on the grass.
She chuckled. "I suppose I should be getting them home, it's nearly dark," she said eyeing the skyline.
"No good in waking 'em up though," Bert replied. "I could carry 'em back home for you," he suggested.
She looked a bit startled. "Really? That would be lovely." She smiled.
Bert gently hoisted the two boys into his arms while Mary began putting the nets back into her carpet bag, which had appeared out of nowhere again.
Silently she led the way back to the boys home. They entered the house without a sound, and were able to put the boys to bed without waking either of them up. Only after creeping out of the room and shutting the door behind them did either of them dare to speak.
"Thank you so much for all your help today," Mary said shyly.
"Not a problem Mary Poppins," Bert said, tipping his hat. He paused. "Will I be seeing you around?" he asked quietly.
She bit her lip. "I'm afraid not. The wind's changing soon, and I'll have to leave for a while."
His face fell.
"Probably just a short while though," she added shyly.
He smiled. "Well alright then. Until we meet again, Mary Poppins," he said with a bow.
He left the house in good spirits, and skipped the entire way home.