Slipper

The scorching sun smiling at me vigoursly on its success to break my resolution to ride only bicycle back home, to cope up with the hiked fuel prices. I give my slipper to the cobbler for mending it. He gives options either to wait or to come back after his lunch time. Thought I could conserve time, fuel and some liters of sweat in option one. So I decide to wait.


While the physical me takes cover in the nearby shadow. The memory races back how I got that slipper.


I think I was shameless owner of at least half a dozen pair of footwear then. But either I was putting on my shoes wherever I go or walking bare foot. It happened when I visit home time the last time.


Last four-five days prior that vacation was hectic. What all I did at home and office was work, work and work. Of course, brushed & bathed after a short 3 or 4 hours of sleep before going to office.


On the day of flying, woke up in the morning; tugged the laptop and a change cloth into the shoulder back and started to office. The plan is to leave for the airport from office. It was in this background I missed to take my slippers.


The first day back home land was busy catching up friends as scheduled. The next was catching another flight to home town. Had an unwelcoming surprise back home that forced a travel and stay some 130+ km outside my home town. In between all this busy me, had only once opportunity to visit a slipper shop. But the shop keeper was busy closing his shop.


One of my elite listed friend lived in that city. We met & went for a walk the talk, a relaxing walk for me and a forced long walk for him as it’s happening since our UG days. We stepped in to a mall for use of rest room & have some decent place to sit.


As we entered there was a shoe shop. We went in. I let my eyes glare around; it got struck at somewhere-something. I forced to move my eyes further but I was actually moving towards it. I lifted it; Ooopz, close to 4 digits. The miniature picture of the cat in it mesmerized me, as it always do. But that much for slipper, I never thought I could buy it, though I always thought of getting it.


“Was it done?”

“May be another five more minutes” I notice he had not yet start mending mine.


“One – two – three – four and two fours are” my neph questioned.

I was at my sister’s place with my amma.

“Eight” replied my amma.

“You have eight pulis (tigers) in both your slippers”

My amma complained, to her grandson that his uncle has spent so much on a slipper.

I turned both the slippers upside down and showed him another 2 cats engraved in the bottom of the sole.

“So, eight plus one plus one, total ten pulis” he verified in his typical firm tone for such statements.


It is the very slipper getting inspected by the cobbler now.

“Ensure the stitches are not visible” I say.


Somehow my memory caught in the whirlwind of slippers. This time it races back long, unsure how long it is. May be 15 or 17 years.


I used to wear rubber slippers then. If it’s broken (or if I broke it-as my amma used to say) has to fix it with a safety pin and then after one or two days will take to the nearest cobbler to put stitches on it. The slippers are not allowed have tolerance limit for the number of stitches allowed in it. Use to pray desperately that the slipper would break as many times so that it cannot be stitched any further.


My slipper reached one such coma. I was at a church and praying fervently for a pair of new slipper. Got a pair after considerable wait. It was an inducted habit by my amma that anything new, dress or anything should be wore to church first. I wore it to church the Sunday that followed. Left the slipper at the entrance


“Boss, it’s done” the cobbler’s word pauses my memory.

I takes and inspects “Hmmm… good job”


I thank him and leave the place after giving the amount he demands, which reflected the inflation of the nation.


The paused memory started from where it left as my arm slowly twists the accelerator.

Left the slipper at the entrance, went in, knelt down thanking for the slipper. The Sunday service began with a nice hymn and went on. The eyes were busy doing watch dog job for the new slippers during the entire sixty plus minutes of service (mass), with no attention to the songs, prayers, sermon and even GOD.


HE has helped me to improve my life these years. The quality of the slipper and the opportunity of wear the slipper of my very liking is just an example of that.


As this play back of memory going on, simultaneously I see the church exactly opposite to where the cobbler has set up his shop. I realize, then and now the slipper has manages to sweep the time and attention which should have been given to the ONE who gave it to me.


A point to note and a point to correct “I should not allow the gifts to steal time of the ONE who gifted it”
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~ May '2012

 

Thanks for complimenting the blog with your nice words sir

 

Perfect summarization viswa! Thanks

 

Thanks for the appreciation Akila Mani; am very please to know that you enjoyed it.

Comments like this makes me post blog weekly in spite of busy schedules. Many thanks for you & all for the motivations!!!