The Boy Who Loved Pies

Theodore had always been the talk of the town. A prodigy in many ways, he was a dreamer of grand adventures, and of course, very handsome.

He learned to read and write before he turned three. By the time he was five, he could already play classical tunes on the piano. At seven, he was hailed as the smartest preschooler in town, excelling in everything from math to the arts and sciences. Theodore was truly one of a kind.
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” his mother asked one day.

“I want to fly planes and travel the world! I want to dive into the ocean and discover the unknown. Oh, and I want to write a book, filled with magnificent, dazzling tales, and share them with the world!” he answered, his voice brimming with confidence and the promise of a bright future.

And indeed, Theodore’s future would have been perfect—if he hadn’t tasted apple pie for the first time.

You see, Theodore’s mom was very strict about his food, always ensuring he was fed nutritiously, with no brain-dumbing sugar in sight. But Theodore was growing, and naturally, he would eventually discover more than his mom’s homemade delicacies.

One day, at a school fair, a scent reached his nose—something he had never smelled before. It was sweet, maybe a little tangy. Was it honey? He couldn’t quite tell. But the aroma lifted him, guiding him to an apple pie stand.

“Woah!” Theodore exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. He looked up at the elderly woman behind the stall. “Good day, ma’am! What are these?” He pointed to the array of apple pies on display.
The old lady chuckled and smiled. “These are magic, dear boy. They’re called apple pies.”

“Apple pies?” Theodore echoed. “Are there more pies than just shepherd’s pies?”

“Ohoho,” the old lady said with a wink, reaching for a paper plate, “indeed there are more pies than shepherd’s pies. There are also cherry pies, blueberry pies, peach pies… even pizza pies!” She sliced a generous portion of apple pie and handed it to Theodore, completely unaware that this single, tiny slice would change the course of this young boy’s life forever.

Theodore reached for the slice of apple pie the old lady had given him, his fingers brushing the crisp crust before he brought it to his mouth. The moment he took his first bite, his world shattered—like a balloon bursting, releasing a shower of color. Another bite, another pop. It was his first taste of sugar, and he was hooked. After a few more bites, all while the old lady watched with a pleased smile, the slice was finally gone. Theodore, in that moment, was changed.

Talented Theodore, who once dreamed of grand adventures, now dreamed of pies instead. He was determined to taste them all, eat them all, and he wanted nothing more than pies. He started to ignore the healthy food his mother gave him. His mother, concerned that her son might starve to death, tried everything—hiding the pies, offering fruit, even baking savory meals—but Theodore’s cravings only grew stronger. What started as a harmless indulgence turned into an obsession, and no amount of nutrition could compete with the promise of that warm, sweet crust.

He still played the piano and dreamed of traveling the world and writing stories, but food—especially the sugary ones—seemed so much more important now. At first, he would occasionally think about flying planes or writing his book, but the scent of fresh pies became too much to resist. Every bite was a distraction, a momentary escape from the uncertain, distant future he had once dreamed of. And so, as the years passed, he grew rounder and rounder. Oh, how delectable the sugary pies were! So irresistible that, even as he grew older and started his own family, he brought them nothing but pies. He named his daughters Cherry and Apple, and his only son, Pecan.

Theodore became too round to be a pilot, and his fingers too fat to play the piano. Writing? He could hardly hold a pen. He never forgot his childhood dreams, but he felt that pies were better. They only needed a few hours to bake, or even less time if you bought them cooked and ready to eat from a bakery. Why bother studying and working hard for dreams that might take who knows how long to come true? Pies were so much easier.

And so, the talented little Theodore grew up to be a big, round man who couldn’t even run. Even in his old age, after all his children had married and left home, he still cherished his pies. Every now and then, his childhood dreams would call, but what did it matter, with pies to soothe it all?