i bought a bug today

I bought a bug today and I've decided to name him Puddle. It sounds silly I know, but it really is so, I'm my own grandpa -- er, it sounds silly I know, but it suits him. Personality-wise. You don't know him like I know him.

And don't you dare pick on my bug, or I will beat you up.

I met him yesterday when my market friend Melissa and I went to the Kirribilli art and design markets. I was on a spending freeze and Not Buying Anything but Just Looking, because funds are Rather Tight until the paycheck after this one. And honestly, except for $180 on a Very Worthy Insect Cause, that's all I spent. Besides, I slept on it, so surely it doesn't count as spending money at the markets.

Melissa and I, incidentally, have been wildly successful at various markets. Between the two of us, we've gotten a fabulous dress, some perfect presents (sorry; they're classified), a gorgeous bag, an Arabian nights costume and now a fantastic piece of artwork each. And those are only the highlights.

But yesterday we passed an as-yet-unnamed piece of artwork that jumped out at both of us: a giant purple dragonfly. Now, I realize not everyone cares particularly for dragonflies. Before today I would have counted myself among those ranks. I have never considered myself a bug person. But this bug was no ordinary bug: he was a splash of vibrant color so winning you couldn't help but stop and smile. He's just so darn endearing.



And so we stopped, and smiled, and Melissa walked on and I looked back and smiled some more. And we walked through all the stalls and saw everything there was to see, and had lunch and chatted and eventually she caught a train home. I ran back to visit my new friend. He was very happy to see me. So was his artist, a friendly woman named Elaine. I explained that I loved him, but that I was Not Buying Anything and Just Looking because finances were Rather Tight and she understood and said I could come back and visit him at the moonlight markets on Friday if I wanted. I said I'd think about it.

And think about it I did. Elaine had given me her business card and so I checked out her website and found that she is a very talented artist with many other beautiful paintings, but I Restrained and Did Not Buy because, really, I am Very Good with Money.

But I left the "Other Artworks" tab open on my web browser and popped back to look at Puddle's red brother every chance I got. And then I slept on it and woke up on it and looked at the red brother again to make sure I still liked it. And then I went to work on it and talked with my friend Pamela on it and got to think on it some more. And I thought and I thought and I decided that, despite my mother's warning that his eyes might scare me at night, Puddle was meant to be with me.

Then I got extremely worried that maybe someone else thought Puddle was meant to be with them (which, obviously, was Not the Case) and I knew I couldn't delay any longer. Furthermore, I'd gotten off work earlier than usual and it was still light out and I felt lively and slightly stir-crazy, so I called Elaine and explained I'd encountered some Emergency Funds and, please, please tell me that Puddle was still safely unpurchased. Thankfully he was, and so I hopped on the next bus to North Balgowlah and met her in a church parking lot where she handed him over and explained that she was happy I'd have him and that no, she wouldn't miss him too much since she knew he'd be well-loved. I assured her he would be and Puddle and I grinned the whole bus ride back. At least I assume he was grinning beneath the two layers of garbage bags she'd carefully wrapped him in.

And then I got him home and showed him to my flatmate, who thought he was a lovely hue, and her boyfriend, who remained I believe what would be best termed less than impressed. My flatmate agreed he could live in the living room if he wanted, but we couldn't find any suitable hangers, so I brought him into my room and rearranged the other artwork to make a special wall for him. And it's fantastic: I feel like I live in an art gallery now. With my very own purple bug watching out for me all night. What more could a girl want?

A name! Naturally he could not be called Purple Bug, or even The Purple Bug, forever, so I immediately set about skimming Book-a-Minute in hopes of being reminded of a favorite character. Failing that (he just isn't a Puck, Ariel or Huckleberry it seems) I wikipediaed a list of Narnia characters. And somewhere in the G's Puddle came to me. For several minutes it was a bit of a toss up between Puddle and Fledge (a noble Narnian horse formerly known as Strawberry), and even Shuffle was considered briefly, but in the end his eyes told me Puddle. And who am I to argue with a purple dragonfly's eyes?

And here we are now, Puddle and I. It's bedtime, but I know I'm safe. Puddle's here to watch me sleep, and reassure me if I have a bad dream. Unless, of course, it turns out his eyes scare me at night.