“Dad, can u buy me a new shoes please? Because the old one can’t be used anymore... Every time I wear it, the little stones get into my shoes as there are too many holes under it…”
Dad secretly took out an old wallet that doesn’t look like a wallet anymore. He checked the wallet hoping to find a few notes so that he can buy a new shoe for his beloved daughter Ana although he knew there’s nothing in it except business cards given by the promoter found when he walked in the shopping mall. Still, he looked in the wallet diligently thinking that he might have put a few dollars and forgot about it. But, nothing came in sight. It hurts his heart and pride. His little angel complaining about the little stones that hurts her feet and he can’t do anything about it. A long sigh came out his mouth- slow enough that the little girl in front of him didn’t realize.
“Honey…I promise I’ll buy you a new shoes. But, not now. Can you please give me a few days? Then, we’ll buy something nice for these little toes” Dad said while tickling her feet which cause her to laugh and struggling to escape from her father. Her laughter brings him joy and spirit to work harder.
7 years ago, when Ana was I year old, he went to a restaurant with his beloved wife to celebrate Ana’s birthday. Every thing was perfectly arranged and they had already overwhelmed with the happiness of celebrating Ana’s birthday. Conversely, the drunken driver crushed his car and Ana’s mother died trying to protect Ana while he himself stuck at the driver’s place with both legs couldn’t be moved. The injury was so bad that one of the legs couldn’t be saved anymore. The situation became worse when he stopped working as he couldn’t help being away with Ana. The lost of his wife really affected his life and he doesn’t want to lose Ana as well. Thus, he couldn’t believe anyone to take care of her except himself…
With only one leg left, he tried to do any works that he is capable of. However, not much would hire him as they are afraid that he can’t be a productive worker. Fortuitously, after so much difficulty, he managed to get a work as a car washer. He’s given 3 dollars for every car that he washed. Thus, no matter how tired he is, he never complained and washed every cars that came to the shop together with another worker.
But this week, the weather was not on his side. Every day was visited by heavy rain and there is no one that fools enough to wash their cars on rainy days…
“Daddy…I think there’s blood on my sock…”
“W..what happen to your feet? How did this happen? Did you step on something? I told you to always wear your shoes especially when you’re playing at the playground…”
“I did wear the shoes, but there too many holes under it I felt like I was walking bare feet…” Ana answered with tears came rolling down her pink cheek because of the pain she had to endure.
He looked at the shoes and Ana was right. The blood on Ana’s feet tore his heart apart. How could he let something like that happen to his little angel…He took a wet towel and wiped the wounded foot while his other hand wiping the tears gently and lovingly. Deep inside his heart, he wanted to scream out loud to express the agony of looking at his little girl hurt because of him, because he couldn’t get her a pair of new shoes…
The next morning was just as gloomy as yesterday. There are no sounds of birds chirping happily. Al that left was the sound of thunder and strong wind. The rain haven’t stop and he can’t just wait at the car wash when he knows that he’ll be waiting for nothing. So, in order to get Ana’s new shoes, he went searching for empty cans, papers, bottles and anything that can be recycled. He went from house to house, dustbin to dustbin and everywhere that has a lot of those. He ignored the coldness of walking in his rain-drenched clothes as in his mind, there’s only a pair of new shoes for Ana.
Ana who is now 8 years old is old enough to understand the difficulty that his father had to go through in order to get her a new pair of shoes. Although her dad has never shown his exhaustion back from work in front of her, the drenched clothes and his pale blue lips for being too long in the rain is more than enough to describe the whole thing…Deep inside, Ana regretted her request...She knows that her father struggled everyday and unknowingly, tears welled in her eyes. She closes her eyes tightly and prays that God will bestow her beloved father with strength and patience.
“Ana…come here sweetheart. I got something for you. But, close your eyes first…”
“Daddy…how am I going to see if I close my eyes…”
He gently put on the new shoes that he bought at the market at her feet. Ana knew at the moment her father had bought the shoes. No words can describe her feelings at that time and only tears of gratefulness shows her gratitude towards mr. daddy.
Sadly, the shoes can’t be used after a week later... It was worse than the old shoes she had! The sole of the shoes was made from a low quality of PVC , low enough that she accidentally tear it apart when trying to escape from a hole she fell in. But, she could never ask for another pair. She could not bear another sight of looking at her father came back from work shivering and the thing that hurts her the most is the fake smile he tried to carve trying to hide the pain he had gone through the whole day…So, she kept it to herself. Every time she walks through a wet path, her socks drenched in water and when she walks on rocky path, every single stones don’t miss the chance of hurting her soles. But she didn’t complain…Not a single word uttered to her father. Whenever he asks her about her shoes, she said
“I like it Daddy…it think it’ll last till next year. It’s very comfortable I don’t wanna take it off…” she said with a bright smile on her face. Dad was satisfied with it and he too smiled proudly thinking that his daughter doesn’t need to suffer anymore.
When Ana was walking back from school, she felt like she was walking with bare foot. When she lifted up her foot, just like what she imagined, the sole of the shoes was totally broken. There is no way she can fix it and she couldn’t pretend wearing it anymore as it was obvious the shoe was broken. Instead of heading home, she stopped at an old hut placed not too far from her house. It has been a secret place where she rested in whenever she felt too tired of facing the obstacles in her life. The hut decorated with the wild flowers that she found nearby always managed to tranquil her worried heart. But this time, it fails…All she could do was burst into tears. She knew that her father will buy a new one whenever he sees the shoes. But she doesn’t want that. She would rather walk bare foot than asking for a new pair. Burdening her father is the last thing she wanted to do…So there she sobbed, alone….hurt...Deep inside her heart, she prayed hard that she can have a new shoes without having to burden her father…
She went home with heavy steps. She wished she doesn’t have to go back and faced her father. As she walks bare foot carrying both shoes in her hand, she was thinking of works that she can do to gain money so that she can buy the shoes using her own money although she knew dad would totally opposed it. He said she was still little…
When she came home, dad was not in the house. She quickly hides the shoes in the place her father couldn’t notice.
“Ana…daddy’s home…”
“Hai dad…how’s your day?”
“It was awesome! I got a new job as a cleaner at a big company. The owner is a nice man. He still wants to hire me despite my condition. And you know what…the best thing is, he gave me my salary on my first day! So, I buy something for you…come closer sweetheart”
“Dad…you don’t have to do that…We can use the money to buy food and new clothes for you. When is the last time you wear a new shirt dad?”
“You are just like your mom…ha…I miss her…” As he finished the sentence, he showed her a white box, wrapped with ribbon. Giving the box to her, he asked her to open it
“Daddy…it’s a…shoe….”
“Yes sweetheart, it’s a shoe…no matter how hard you hide it from me, I’ll always know. Remember, I’m both your dad and mom...you could never lie to me. Every night when you fell asleep, I’ll go to your room and put medicine under your feet whenever the stones hurt you. I whisper in your ears prayers so that you’ll hang on while I think of something to make our lives better…Sweetheart, I promise you, our lives are going to be better from now on as I now have a permanent job.”
We hugged and cried together.
“Thanks dad…thank you so much…”
Ana learnt a lot about love, sacrifice, patience, hope and a lot more through the pair of shoes. She’ll treasure her memories of growing up although it’s not as luxury and sweet as others, it’s something that helps a lot to shape her into a better person.
