A Beautiful World

The morning chill forced Benjamin’s eyes open. The faint lantern light crept its way into the boy’s room, where the musty blanket he called his bed placed him next to a pile of mismatched clothes, ready for him to slip into. Half-asleep, he did as he had for innumerable mornings, the chill motivating his movement. After layering himself in tattered clothes, Benjamin looked into the corner of his room, where a small cocoon hung. He had been observing it for the past month, waiting for the butterfly to emerge, but it still hadn’t yet. “Did it die?” his thoughts echoed as he opened his creaking, lopsided door.

Benjamin was shocked by the frozen air outside, and, not wanting to catch too much wind, he slowly made his way to his workplace. His worn boots echoed as he tread across the cobbled road framed by lanterns. The morning mist combined with the native black fog to create a cloud that obscured everything distant. Despite this, Benjamin knew exactly where he was going.

By the time he reached his destination, the sun had started to rise between the towers of the gas house. The muted light of dawn seeped into the sky above. Benjamin’s own breath mingled as he made his way to the entrance. As always, the heavy metal doors were left open for workers to come in. Only one man was able to move them before and after every long day, and Benjamin jumped when he heard his voice boom from the darkness, “Good morning, Benny!”

Saviore, a great bear of a man, stood across the way, yet his voice was so loud as to be right by Benjamin. One could hear his footfalls from a block away as he sauntered over.

“How are you doing today?” Saviore boomed.

“Good . . . Good morning, Saviore,” Benjamin managed to peep. “I’m doing fine today.” He wasn’t ready for the older man’s bombast so early in the morning.

Saviore erupted with laughter. “Only fine, Benny? I should think you’d be more lively!” He patted Benjamin on the back, which for the boy felt like great waves smashing him into shore. “Then again, it is quite cold today. It’s hard to be excited when you can’t feel your hands, eh?”

“Mhm.” Benjamin exhaled into his hands instinctively. Saviore could tell that he was detached from the conversation. Luckily for the both of them, more people were piling into the factory as the sun crept over the building.

“Let the work warm you up, okay?” Saviore patted Benjamin on the back one more time before going to speak with other incoming workers. Benjamin turned to the dull sky. It was another unremarkable start to another harsh day.

Benjamin quickly felt his hunger taking his strength. He didn’t have the energy to keep warm, and it didn’t help that he had the duty of refilling the sump with water, a task that often left him soaked to the bone.

When lunch finally came, he ate his single potato without care for delicacy. “Dammit,” he thought to himself, when he heard heavy boots shaking the floorboards. He looked up for the foreman, but instead saw Saviore’s shaggy beard, hand outstretched, offering him a steaming potato. Benjamin gingerly took the gift before taking a small bite.

“You’re a growing boy. You shouldn’t be ashamed to eat plenty,” Saviore stated. The great man relaxed as he sat down next to his smaller companion. “Be sure to go slow with this one. Don’t want the foreman to catch you not working, now do we?”

“Won’t you get into trouble if the foreman sees you?” Benjamin asked. Saviore replied with, “Perhaps, but he’s not going to fire me anytime soon. I can get away with just a bit of lazing about.”

After a moment, Benjamin split his potato in half, and handed one to Saviore, who gave him a look of surprise before smiling and taking the half-potato graciously. He leaned back to enjoy his meal.

“How are you always so happy?” Benjamin asked cautiously.

After a couple moments, Saviore spoke. “Do you know why I started working here?” Benjamin looked at him, confused by the question. Saviore smiled.

“I started working here because my wife and children were sick. I needed money to pay for medicine so they could live. It was good work, and I had a purpose. Eventually, I was finally able to buy the medicine. Unfortunately, it was too late. My family died.”

He paused.

“. . . After that, I fell into despair. I worked for nothing, I gambled my money away, and I starved myself half to death. It was only after I almost died that I realized something. How blessed am I that I am a strong man? How blessed am I that I have a job I am good for? How blessed am I that I am able to help others out of the position I was in? It all made sense to me. I must live so that others can live. I must see the beauty of this world so I can point it out to others, so that they may be able to live beautiful lives.”

Benjamin couldn’t find words to speak. After a moment, Saviore smiled and stood up. “There is beauty in this world, Benny,” he said, almost a whisper, before he walked away.

Benjamin was hooked on those words the rest of the day. He didn’t realize how easy the work had become. After leaving the gas house for the night, he felt the weight of his wage in his pocket, and smiled at a day’s good work. The sun was setting, still radiant with rich colors that filled the sky. The warm lantern light guided him to his home, sweet with the scent of honey, waiting for his return. After he snuggled into his blanket, he gazed at the corner with the cocoon. There, a single blue butterfly, effervescent in the night, waited for dawn to come with excited anticipation.