It was one of those fragile fall days when the air has an almost painful clarity.
The air was cool and the sun warm. People moved on the sidewalks with a conscious
briskness knowing that such a day could not possibly last and, if they stopped to
enjoy it, it would surely turn cold and rain. The day belonged to the adults of the city since
by this time the children were safely ensconced in school. Weaving in and out of
traffic, I watched them from my car; the secretaries and businessmen, the storekeepers
and shoppers. They formed a spectacle not as colourful as the dance of the falling leaves,
but more purposeful.
I basked in the glow of my new car She was a gem; a little red MGB. The sports car
was my last extravagance, before settling down as a responsible adult. I turned into
the park. It was quiet with the absence of children, but bright with the flame of
maple leaves. An incongruous balloon peddler was vainly trying to sell his wares to the
businesslike walkers and joggers. It seemed that I was the only person who was not
caught up by urgent business. On a crazy impulse I pulled over and walked up to the
man
"Only a dollar for a beautiful big balloon, only a dollar." He droned in a melancholy
voice knowing that, though he had the balloons to sell, no one would buy them. I
stepped in front of him and befoie I could change my mind I pulled out a tattered
dollar bill.
"I'll take the red one." The balloon man paused in his droning only 1ong enough to
take my money and hand me the balloon. It was the same bright red as my car, and
it bobbed eagerly at the end of its tether. I immediately felt foolish, and shortened
the string as if that could salvage my dignity. Yet a look at my new car revived my carefree
mood and I grinned as I carefully tied the balloon to the antennae of my car.
"That's a fine looking balloon you've got there." I turned to look for the speaker
and was momentarily stuck between a stare and a smile. He was a small elderly man
with thin hair of silver and a wrinkled face, yet he had the irrepressible look of
a small child. He was dressed in blue jeans and a gloriously loud Hawaiian shirt. His most
striking feature was his smile. It stretched from ear to ear and showed a warmth
most commonly reserved for good friends. His hand was stretched forward, so automatically,
I shook it.
"My name is Sammy" Sammy beamerd and shook my hand again.
"Oh yeah." I managed to stammer in reply. "Mine's Jim" He shook my hand a third time
then released my captive arm. Three times seemed to be enough even for Sammy
We had only stood long enough to exchange a few words, yet already the people on the
sidewalk circled warily around us as if they passed near something dangerous. We
did make a strange pair, me with my red balloon and Sammy with his joyous colour.
We were the only people not going somewhere. I blushed and quickly began to explain to myself
how I couldn't help talking to this guy, and I was just leaving anyway.
"What's her namer?"
"Who?" I said puzzled, 1ooking around for the girl who had so precipitously entered
the conversation.
"Your car," He said, "What do you call her? She's a beauty."
"Isn't she though. I just bought her this morning." Full of pride of ownership, I
rambled on about all her 1uxuries.
"If I had a car like that I would call her Esmerelda." Sammy interrupted shyly. "I
had a cat named Esmerelda, but they wouldn't let me keep her."
I looked around at the people all hurrying to undoubtably important appointments but
none offered any means of escape. Then I looked at my new car and laughed. Feeling
daring I pluncged in.
"Sammy, how would you like to go for a spin?"
"Go for a ride? In Esmerelda?" He beamed even wider and nodded vigorously
"Well then hop in." I waited just long enouch for Sammy to figure out his seatbelt,
then took off in my newly christened car.
We darted in and out of traffic; Sammy waved at startled motorists while that crazy
balloon flapped wildly in the breeze. Main St. was stop and go even in the middle
of the day. The business crowd studiously ignored us. We were just two more Main
St. crazies. Some teenagers kept up a running commentary on the balloon and Sammy's shirt,
while I bragged about my car. After a block we outdistanced them. A newspaper vendor
waved and called out some cheerful but incoherent greeting. Then we turned on to
Lakeshore, and headed west into the afternoon.
"Hungry?" I asked.
"Am I ever, I could eat a horse!" Sammy rolled his eyes and laughed.
We stopped at a diehard snackbar, still open in the park along the lake, and I bought
hamburgers and cokes. We walked along the boardwalk and talked about cars in general
and Esmerelda in particular. The lake sparkled in sunshine and sailboats were out
taking advantage of the perfect weather. Sammy suddenly stopped and with a cry of glee
and triumph swooped down on a coin lying on the pavement.
"It's one of those new dollar coins." He said showing it to me proudly.
"Don't they call them loonies?" Sammy looked at me and chuckled as at a secret joke.
"Then it's a good thing I found it." He laughed louder and held it up. The coin caught
the sun and shone in Sammy's hand bright like gold. But Sammy's smile shone brighter yet as he carefully placed his find in his pocket.
"I shall buy a balloon from the balloon man and let it go."
"Why?" It seemed to be a strange reason for buying a balloon.
"So I can watch it fly free and disappear." It sounded perfectly reasonable, but I
felt that somehow I had come close to dangerous ground so I retreated guickly and
changed the subiect.
"How about an ice cream, Sammy?" His grin was answer enough. Sammy and I walked down
to the beach to eat our ice cream and to watch the sea gulls. They flew up to us
and screeched, demanding that we feed them. Nothing would satisfy Sammy but he had
to find something to feed to the birds. So back we went and bought fries. We tossed them
into the air to see the birds wheel and dive to catch the food. When they fought
over the food Sammy would chase them away, waving his arms and shouting.
"It's fun
to feed them but they shouldn't be greedy you know." He puffed as he returned from the chase
All too soon the fries were finished. Sammy chased the gulls down the beach for the
last time, waving his arms and shouting goodbye. He came back looking wistfully at
the now distant flock.
"They don't let me feed the birds." A breeze came up and the afternoon turned cold
and we returned to the car. The balloon was pulling and bobbing in the wind.
"The balloon wants to be free. See! It is trying to escape"
"Well, you hold it for me then." I said and suiting action to words I untied the balloon
and handed it to Sammy. He accepted it solemnly. Once in the car he cradled it carefully,
almost tenderly.
"It should be free." He announced in a firm volce.
"What? Oh, the balloon. Why?" I glanced at my companion, but he was mtaring intently
at the balloon. For the first time mince I had met him, Sammy was not smiling.
"It wants to be free, but we keep it tied down." He explained it to me like a teacher
to a slightly slow pupil.
"It's just a balloon." I looked away from Sammy this time. I felt uncomfortable, on
the edge of confidences that I didn't want to hear.
"This balloon is meant to fly up in the sky so we can watch to see it disappear."
"But it is only a balloon, Sammy."
"That doesn't matter, balloons or people it's the same." He said. " We should let
it go"
I lapsed into silence, hoping it would be safer than words. Sammy looked at me intently
then sighed as if I had failed a test.
"They didn't understand either."
"They?" I queried! glancing at Sammy. "Who are they?" He was covered with gloom, even
his shirt seemed no longer bright and joyful, just jarring and out of place.
"They keep me locked up. They don't like it when I escape. They always chase after
me to lock me up again." l looked away. "They don t understand." It was almost a
whisper, lost in the sound of the wind. "Nobody understands." We drove with a wall
of silence hetween us back through the rush hour traffic. The park was dimmed with the sunset
shadows of the maples. It looked a cold dreary place. The balloon man had long since
given up and gone home. The flame of the maples was quenched by the gathering dusk.
As we got out of the car a well dressed man with a harried look about him rushed up
to Sammy and took hold of his arm. Sammy still held the red balloon. But where I
had felt foolish carrying it, Sammy carried it with dignity.
"Hello, Doctor" Sammy's voice was subdued like a child caught skipping school. The
man was dressed in a dark blue suit Only the security tag, forgotten on his pocket
identified him as a doctor, although it was too faded to read his name.
"Where have you been Sammy. We've been looking al1 over for you." He 1ooked at me."
I'm sorry he bothered you Sammy isn't dangerous, not at a11, but he gets away from
us every now and then and we have to chase after him al1 day" He shot another sentence
at Sammy who now hung his head in utter defeat. "We warned you if you ran off again
we would have to lock you in." The doctor rolled his eyes in exasperation and looked
at me.
"He doesn't realize that we're trying to help him but he has these delusions. "
"What exactly are these delusions" I interjected, a little more rudely than I had
intended. The doctor glared at me.
"He imagines that there are people chasing him to lock him up, but he is not dangerous,
not at all." He turned to his captive again. "Sammy get rid of that ridiculous thing."
Sammy handed it to me. I held on to it awkwardly, and shook hands with Sammy.
"It's alright Jim." Sammy said quietly. "It was a good day" I shook his hand again.
The doctor guided his captive off.
"Wait!" Sammy suddenly pulled free and ran back to me.
"Here, take the loonie." I could find no adequate reply so I took the coin, then held
out my hand. Sammy shook it vigorously.
"Keep it for luck." He turned and trotted obediently back to where his keeper impatiently
tapped his foot. They headed toward a grey sedan. I couldn't just let him go, I needed
something more.
"Sammy" I yelled, and a young couple walking their dog turned to look at me "Sammy!"
I yelled louder, and more people turned to see what al1 the commotion was about.
"SAMMY" A11 attention in the park was fastened on me, and people began to edge away
from the disturbance, but I was oblivious. Yet when he turned back to me I felt trapped
by my lack of words. Then I looked at the balloon and smiled. I looked at Sammy and
beamed.
"Sammy," I said, "Look." And I let go of the string.
His eyes widened. He beamed back at me and waved. Then he watched the balloon with
childlike delight.
The balloon paused at first as if it weren't sure of its freedom. Then it shot up
into the air. The park was silent as every eye followed its flight. The last rays
of the setting sun caught the balloon as it rose over the trees, and it shone a brief
glorious red. It grew smaller and smaller until it was just a point of brilliant colour.
Then it was gone, and there was only the deepening blue of the twilight sky.
