My friend Melissa told me of a day she did not want to have again, it all began one Monday morning she got to work as usual and started to sort out the pile of papers on her desk. She found a presentation folder that she had done for her boss and he going to do that morning, she picked it up and went into his office to give it to him but he had already left, she asked his secretary if he had left and she said yes about ten minutes ago, Melissa showed her the folder he should have taken with him and she said I’ll phone him and tell him now, which she did but there was no answer and the voice mail cut in so she left him a message saying that he had forgotten the presentation fold and Melissa is coming over to the meeting with it.
So Melissa picked up her coat and bag and put the folder under her arm and she went out to get a cab, but there were no cabs about and she thought to herself this is always the way when you want one there are none. So she started walking and then she saw a cab stopped at the end of the street so she ran along the path but some of the paving slabs were a bit uneven and she tripped landing spread eagled and not very lady like on the path, the folder and her bag went flying and as she picked herself up and grabbed her folder and her handbag her left foot felt cold. She looked down to see her bare nylon foot and no shoe, oh great she thought looking around for the sling-back, but it had disappeared completely. She looked and looked everywhere but it had gone, and by now so had the cab, at the time she didn’t know that when she tripped over her shoe was kicked off with such force it landed on a roof of a house and was just out of sight.
Remembering she had to get the folder to her boss she started walking wearing just one shoe but she felt very embarrassed about limping down the high street like Cinderella and she felt everyone was looking at her but no none really was taking any notice of her at all. So she slipped off the single shoe and carried it, just then it started to rain and her feet were starting to get wet and cold, she decided it would be better to put her single shoe back on and walk on her bare tip toes, then she remembered she had a plastic bag in her handbag, so she got it out and slipped it over her bare and now cold foot. Ah that feels better and she carried on half limping and half hoping down the street.
It was then she spotted a bus and noticed it was going her way so she managed to get to the bus stop before it started moving. She got on and the driver said shoe trouble love, Melissa just smiled and paid for the ticket and sat down, she felt that everyone was looking and talking about her and she could fell herself face starting to turn red with embarrassment. The bus stopped at every stop and the journey seemed to take forever but at last her stop had arrived and she got off the bus, it was still a good walk to the meeting so she started walking, then she spotted a shoe shop oh yes she thought at least I can get myself a pair of shoes now.
She went in and found a pair of sling-backs similar to the one she had on, she tried them on and yes they fitted very nicely so she got out her purse and realised she only had a loose change and no pound notes at all, but to add to her disappointment and the thought of going out with only one shoe, all of her credit cards were in her other bag at work. So she told the sales assistant about her predicament but was told sorry but we can’t let you have them unless you pay for them, so at that poor Melissa had to put her single shoe back on, but the sales assistant did find her a new plastic bag for her bare foot. She went out of the shop and carried on up the street and at last she got to the place her boss was going to do his presentation.
She went into the main entrance and asked at the reception where the meeting was being held, the receptionist told her that the meeting had been called off and was now taking place next week. Are you sure Melissa said, oh yes the receptionist said, so Melissa told her about the trouble she had been through to get here and at that the receptionist said you poor thing you can’t go out like that wearing only one shoe, I’ll call a cab for you, thanks said Melissa. About 10 minutes later a cab pulled up and Melissa got in and the cab dropped her off at her office, she got out of the cab and limped into the main entrance and got the receptionist to pay for the taxi. She then limped up to her office and meet the boss coming out and said Melissa there you are and why have you got only one shoe on. At that her face turned red with embarrassment, so she told him what had happened and the boss said here’s £50 go and buy yourself a new pair. Thank you she said can I go now and he said no can you do these reports first ok said Melissa and she went into her office and sat there at her desk with one shoe on and her shoeless foot resting on her single shoe. Soon she had done the reports and got up and walked to his office but he was not there, so she put them on his desk and then noticed the time. She went out and down the street to the nearest shoe shop but they had just closed, Oh dam it she muttered to herself, it looks like I'll be going home in just this one now.
She got to the station and waited on the platform for the next train, just then it came into the station and stopped, she looked at her watch and the train was on time for a change. She got on and sat down, after a few mins it started to move and slowly moved off down the track and then stopped. ten minutes went past and still the train just stayed there, after an hour it still hadn't moved but finally after 90 minutes it finally moved off only to stop again, this went on for more than two hours but finally got to her station, she got off and limped out of the station and up the road home, finally getting in around 9.30. What a day she thought looking down at her feet I don't want to do that again.
THE END