Uh oh. A child presses her foot into me. If the child’s foot fits inside me, it’s time for me to go to a child’s home. Let me explain.

Every day, a shoe is paired up with another one that looks exactly like it and leaves Maria and Toby’s Shoes, the store that I’m in right now. Well, unless the child’s or adult’s foot fits inside the shoe pair. The pair goes to a child’s or an adult’s home. I’ve never experienced it, but rumors say that it’s a painful experience. One day, people will return you to the store, and you’ll be relieved.

But sometimes, the pair might become put in the trash. Or worse-burned. And that’s why I am very glad where I am right now! One of the storekeepers, Maria, sees that the child’s foot fits into me. “So do you want to buy this shoe pair?” she asks. The mother says, “We’ll take the pair.” 

I see another shoe in the box I’m put into. It’s hard to see anything, and everything gets dark as the lid is on the top. I hear a ca-ching noise from that machine thingie, so the mother must have paid for us. The child must be carrying us and skipping since we are being jumbled. Don’t get me started on the car ride.

We get to the child’s house. The child is a she. She opens the box, and I see a huge house. Maybe I might like this. “Mommy, can we go outside?” the child asks. “Sure!” the mother replies. “Put on your new shoes!” The child slips her feet into us. It hurts so much. The child and her mother walk outside, stepping on gravel, twigs, and grass. 

It’s so painful. She doesn’t even care about us shoes! She likes their looks but never thinks that they could be in so much pain when it comes to walking. Finally, we reach the park, and the child sits down. Yes! Now it’s time for pure relaxation-

“Swingggg!!!” the girl squeals. She perches on the swing. Whenever a child does that, that means that you’ll be getting sick. I have made a guide to life as a shoe. 

Advice #1: Go on roller coasters more often. You will have to be prepared for being on the swing and roller coasters more often. Depends on what your child likes, however.

Yep! Pretty good, right? Anyways, the girl pumps her legs, and the other shoe and I soar off! Not literally, but we’re flying! Sort of! It is actually a good vibe, though! I feel like I have wings. Soon, that feeling disappears as the child climbs up the ladder to the slide.

That doesn’t hurt as much as it does when the child goes down the slide. She slides down to the ground and lands on the ground. The child gets up and runs to her mom. The mother gives her a bottle of juice, and the child drinks some of it. After thirty minutes of pain, the mother and child finally go home. 

I decide to give the child a talk. If she still doesn’t understand, I will live in a box. As the girl takes off the other shoe and me, I say, “Can’t you please treat me correctly?” The girl looks shocked. She says, “You’re my shoe. You can’t talk!” “But I am,” I say.

“Okay, then I’ll throw you out.”

Those words make me so happy! The girl runs outside and throws me high in the air. I land on a soft patch of grass. Now I can go back to the shoe store. I immediately hop to the shoe store and go back into my box with Mom and Dad.

…………..

It has been two years, and I start missing the child. I feel like I want to go back there, but then again, I’d probably not survive. A ten-year-old walks into the shoe store. She asks, “Can I have my other shoe? It ran off.” The store owner says, “What do you mean?” “I accidentally lost my shoe, and I think it’s here,” she says. 

“What did it look like?” the store owner questions. “Ah, it was blue with black laces. And it had a star on the bottom!” the ten-year-old says. The girl just described me. “I’ll look for the shoe, ma’am, I promise. Or we can replace your whole pair and give you another.” “No,” the girl replies stubbornly. “I only want that shoe I described.” 

I think about something: the ten-year-old could be that girl who got me two years ago. The store owner starts looking in boxes. The girl helps him look, and they finally find me. “Is this the one?” the store owner asks. “Yes! Thank you so much!” the ten-year-old says. She grabs me and rushes to her house.

The girl goes to her room, saying, “Look, shoe, I’m really sorry about how I treated you. I will be nicer to you. I don’t know how to do it.” “Maybe,” I explain. “You can wear sandals often in the summer, and when it’s winter, you can wear snow boots. And during spring and fall, you can wear me.”  

“That’s a suitable plan for me! Thanks!” the girl says. “Thanks!” I echo. 

“No problem.” 

And so that’s how we become best buds forever! The plan worked. Now, you’re probably wondering how I still fit in the girl’s foot. Well, shoes grow! Isn’t that cool? I think it is. Just like humans. Too bad humans don’t live forever. #Happilyeverafter!

Written by Kruti Patel