Everyone loved her. She was practically perfect in every way.
But perhaps no one loved Mary Poppins as much as he did. She was
his best, and for most of his life...his only friend. He remembered the first time he met her. He didn't know it then, how drastically she would change his life, or what a beautiful friendship that was about to unravel. Looking back, the first time he saw her she was the most beautiful thing he had set his eyes upon. He remembered the good times, when she came to visit him...with Jane and Michael...their Jolly Holiday and singing "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocius" Or the bad times when he was all alone in the world and he would cling to her and cry out loud "somebody love me, somebody please love me!" For years, Mary Poppins was the only one that showed any compassion toward him.
Before when Mary Poppins would leave, he would wave goodbye with a tearing his eye and go on optimistically. But something was different this time Mary Poppins left; it felt like the candle that had lit his world had suddenly been blown out. He had always held Mary Poppins dear, but he didn't know this feeling before. Perhaps...just perhaps he was falling in love.
Mary Poppins promised she would come and visit him every so often. It happened to be one Sunday that she did drop in to say hello. Bert was selling matches, but while he sat at his nearly vacant booth he drew a picture of a heart.
He was thinking, Mary Poppins would never love him back. If she did have true feelings for him, she always denied it. She'd always raise her hand or shook her head in a no gesture. Always. Always. Always. Bert remembered Mary praising him for never pressing his advantage on her, at that time he felt warm with it but now he felt rejected.
Mary would never love him back. If Bert ever told her how he felt, surely Mary would be highly insulted and probably hate him for the rest of his life. And Mary Poppins was so much more noble and honorable than he was. She was an immortal goddess, fiercely independent, adroit and punctual. He was a lousy street beggar. Bert sighed as he started to draw a crack in the heart. He was so deeply thinking about this that he didn't realize the tap on his shoulder.
With a second but harder tap, Bert jolted up. He gave a huge banana faced smile. It was Mary Poppins herself. Suddenly, his candle lit and everything was well again. "Its nice to see you again Bert!" said Mary Poppins. "Oh, well it's my pleasure. He looked in his pocket; there was not enough money to buy tea and cakes, to take Mary out. "I'm sorry, no business today." Bert sighed heavily. "That's okay, Bert, I'm not in the mood for tea anyhow." Mary Poppins expressed a tone she rarely used.
"Do you want to take a stroll through the park?" asked Bert. Mary Poppins agreed. It was her day out. The park looked lovelier to him than it had ever been. Bert kept eyeing her. Mary Poppins was getting suspicous of him.
.
Once they got deep inside the park's garden with the parsley, the forget-me-nots, lilis and lambs ears. "Ummm…Mary," Bert mumbled to himself "I really don't want you to leave. You've been so good to me ever since we met even when I've not been good to you. You been like a sister to me, I've never met anyone so remarkable and neighborly in all my life." Mary Poppins cocked her head curiously, as her friend mumbled…he got more and more panicky. "I guess what I'm trying to say, Mary that I…" "What are you talking about," said Mary Poppins "I uhh…I uhh…" Bert was blushing. "Yes," repeated Mary Poppins. "I LOVE…tea! Boy I wish we had some tea! Woooeee!" "Is something the matter Bert?" asked Mary Poppins, for now her friend was acting quite strange. Bert banged his head against a tree. "Perhaps you should sit down," said Mary Poppins. "Mary Poppins…" he gagged, entering the pine forest, "PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME! I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO! NOOOO!" Mary Poppins gave an odd look.
He grabbed his head and started banging it against a tree and crying. Mary stopped him. "Come now, Bert, you're acting like a child! This is no preschool!" Bert snapped to his senses. "You won't leave me, Mary will you?" asked Bert, on his knees. "You must realize that I cannot stay with everyone forever, there are many children that need me."
"Mary, what I'm trying to say is, and I don't know how you'll take this…but I'm in love with you, quite insanely to be precise." Mary Poppins looked deep into the wood. She was silent. "I knew that, Bert." She jolted around in shock to see Bert being attacked by a wild dog. "Leave him alone!" she commanded to the dog viciously. "But I'm hungry!" said the dog. Mary Poppins bent down and held Bert. "Why?" asked the dog. "Because he is a human being!" "But you're a goddess! You have few things to do with mortals! Do you love him?" "No, we're just…"
Mary Poppins realized something at that moment. Her heart beat fast. She realized Bert had been her friend for ages, the kindest heart she had ever met. No, she couldn't fall into that mush; she had much more important things to do. She looked away. "Mary are you okay?" asked the dog. "Shoo! You sauerkraut sandwich!" she commanded angrily.
Mary tried to speak to Bert but stopped in her tracks when she looked into his eyes. She forgot everything. Looking into each other's blue eyes and it seemed like all nature and all the heavens sat for that moment in complete serene peace. All was silent. They began to move closer to each other. They kissed slowly and passionately. It felt like they were filling a hole that's always been there. The dog nearly vomiting, got the point and ran away.
Mary Poppins opened her eyes and jerked away. She put her hand over her lips. Bert got up, he forgot about the dog attacking him and his minor wounds. "What's wrong?" asked Bert, concernedly. "I'm so sorry Bert, I...I...I..." Bert had never seen Mary Poppins so frustrated and upset before. She didn't know what to say, she was so confused, she felt like the whole world was rushing at her.
Bert came over and put his head on her shoulder. "Shhh," he said. "Oh, I've never felt this way before! My duties, my responsibilities! What will I do?" "Its alright," he comforted. "Herbert, I think I'm in love - madly in love! I have always loved you but not to this degree. I think I've been holding it inside for years, always denying you. Oh, I think I'm in love, Herbert. I'm in love with you." "Don't be afraid. You're free to love me now. Lets get married, darling." Bert kissed her cheek, they said no more words throughout the whole night.
They were married high in Cupid's Grove, high up in the clouds. It was a church made entirely of clouds. Among the guests were Nelius, Mrs. Correy and her two daughters, Andrew, the starling, Mr. Twigley and Mr. and Mrs. Turvy. Mary Poppins was extremely nervous before the ceremony, she was a bit reluctant to marry. But when they kissed, they forgot about everything.
When Bert came by her on the street the next morning, she seemed perfectly calm like nothing had happened. They had a small conversation. "I shall be leaving," she announced "I should get back to my charges." "Goodbye, Mary!" cried Bert, and his candle had been blown out again. He walked lifelessly down the street.
Bert was painting a few weeks later when Mary Poppins greeted him again.
"Oh, Bert you won't believe it...something has Supercalifragilsticexpialidocious
has happened!" Mary Poppins laughed. "Guess what?" she asked. "Lets see, umm... Ms. Correy baked gingerbread cookies..." "No, its something about me!" said Mary Poppins still rudely. Bert was wondering if someone had spiked her tea. "You've finished a book?" Mary Poppins gave a snort and tapped her foot. "You've taught Michael how to dance. I don't know?" "Oh Bert, why must you always see a minnow as a whale!" Mary took Bert by the hand and looked into his twilight eyes. "Herbert Alfred," she breathed, "we're going to have a baby."
"Whaaat?" said Bert with his mouth dropping wide open. And then it seemed like all he world was flashing through his mind. His eyes rolled back in his head and he dropped on the floor knocking the ground.
He had fainted. "Oh, Bert!" chuckled Mary Poppins.
Bert waited outside the room and tapped his foot anxiously. "Are you feeling all right, Bert?" asked Mrs. Correy. "Fine…I…feeling…am. Just fine!" he tapped his foot rapidly, his face looked pale and he was shaking and biting his nails. Mrs. Correy stepped away. Bert wondered how he could be a father if his own father had abandoned him when he was young and left him heartbroken. He wondered how he would support his child, when he couldn't even support himself. He wondered if his child would succumb to a life of alcohol like his father did. He wondered how they were going to go to school, or college. Would he hate him? Would he argue with him? What if Bert couldn't take care of him anymore? What will happen when the child moves away? What if him and Mary started to not get along? All this and more cut through his mind like a razor saw and was killing him.
He shook so hard he couldn't breath. He didn't even here the doctor call for him…that was until the doctor sprayed him with ice-cold water. "The father may go in now," said the doctor quite hostily.
"Oh!" cried Bert arising quickly and pushing the doctor out of the doorway. "Mary, Mary, Mary!" Bert screamed wanting ever so badly to hug her. "Hyena!" said Mary Poppins weakly, "This is no zoo!" Bert stopped in his tracks and stood up straight. Mary Poppins was holding, not one but two bundles. "Oh!" Bert gasped like he'd never gasped before. Mrs. Correy held the blue bundle up to Bert. "Timothy," said Mary Poppins. The young baby held Bert's finger. The father's eyes opened like grapefruits and shined like freshly polished glass. He grinned from ear to ear.
"Cute little guy isn't he. He looks just like you Bert." Mrs. Correy picked up the second bundle and placed it in its father's arms. "Elizabeth," said Mary Poppins very frailly. Elizabeth looked just like a Dutch doll; she had big hands and big feet. She had bright blue eyes and little stubs of black hair. She smiled at him. All the worries will come when they come, he thought, for right now was clearly the best moment of his life.
Mary and Bert held hands on the park bench, they were now more closely bonded than they'd ever been before. Each had wanted this day to come so eagerly. Everything seemed so perfect, what could possibly go wrong now?