I was excited to go back to school, to meet all my classmates after 2 long months of school holidays. I brushed my teeth using Binaca toothpaste. It was refreshing to use toothpaste after a long time.
Monday morning breakfast was again Chapati and I was glad to be back in my old routine. I quickly rolled my chapathi and placed it in my school bag without anyone seeing me. I wore my yellow shirt and green skirt.
Akkachi had already cleaned and polished my shoes. I imagined myself to be Cinderella, going for the ball. I tried to dance thinking that I am a dancing queen. As I walked, my legs were hurting a bit and I went to Amma and told her
“Amma, the shoes is hurting me”
“Nina, all shoes are tight when you wear it for the first time, walk around a little while and you will be fine”.
I said goodbye to my parents and walked to the Collectorate bus stand. By the time I reached the junction, my feet was sore. Skin was peeling and raw. I wanted to take my shoes off. But I didn’t want to be the only one in school without black shoes. I figured if I drag my feet slowly on the road, it wouldn’t hurt as much.
When the school bus came, I saw all my friends waiting to see me. everyone had new uniform and new bags. I sat next to Alice in the bus. Alice’s father died 2 years ago in a bus accident. I looked at her feet. She wore brand new leather shoes.
“where did you buy your shoes from?” I asked Alice
“From Corona”. She told me.
“They had so many different types of black shoes. some had flowers on them. But my mother told me, the flowers will come off after sometime, so I bought these shoes. This is 2 size bigger, so I can wear it next year also.”
She unbuckled the shoes and showed me the shoes. Inside her shoes, she has stuffed with strips of cloth to make them a size smaller.
“Where did you get your shoes from?” She asked me
“Don’t know, my mother got it for me”.
When we reached the school, everyone was waiting for us. I was glad to see my friends, but my feet was killing me.
After the morning assembly, Mrs. Mathew saw me dragging my feet on the ground. She called me to approach her.
“Nina, your shoes are small for you, tell your mother to buy you a bigger shoes”
I nodded my head.
During lunch break, I didn’t want to go and wash my hands. Because I couldn’t walk.
“What did you bring for lunch? Alice asked me
“Rice and meat curry” I told her
“I brought Biriyani”. Alice told me.
I nodded my head. I know she didn’t bring biriyani. It is rice cooked with turmeric to make it yellow and appear like biriyani. There is no meat in her biriyani. Just yellow rice.
“Do you want to share some of my curry?” I asked her
“No, I will eat my biriyani”. She told me
“Your biriyani will taste better with a bit of the meat curry and I took some of my curry and placed in her lunch box”
After finishing the meat curry, she looked at my lunch box and I asked her
“Do you want some more?”
“No”, she shook her head
“I don’t feel like eating anymore, Alice will you help me to finish this?”
“Are you sure you don’t want anymore?” She asked me
I nodded my head. I didn’t eat my breakfast and I was hungry. At that moment, when my friend looked at my lunch box, I felt she could have my lunch. I filled my stomach with water.
“Nina. come let’s play hop scotch”. Alice asked me
“Not today, I have a head ache”. I replied
While all my classmates showed their new pencils and shoes to each other, I pretended to sleep.
That evening on the way home I couldn’t wear my shoes anymore. As I got off from the school bus, I removed my shoes. Only those who had to endure 8 hours of wearing a shoes that is 2 size smaller would know, how relieved the feet would be when you take the offending shoes off your feet.