I was working for an advertising company and we were trying to come up with an idea for a TV commercial, I can’t remember the product was because this was about 15 years ago. There were three guys, another woman and myself, we were throwing ideas about, I then remembered a magazine article so I got up and went to my office to get it. When I came back in, I tripped as I came in through the door and my shoe flew off and landed on the other side of the room, but I didn’t see were it went, I picked myself up and said oh dam where is my shoe and just stood there, they all looked at me, then one of the guys said that’s it mishaps and Murphy’s law or sod’s law, in other words if it could happen it will, that would make a good theme.
I said that’s all good and well be where the hell did my shoe go, he just said it doesn’t matter about that now just sit down and lets get this idea going, so as I sat down, I looked around the room and then I spotted my shoe, and said ah there is my shoe and he looked round and picked it up. Instead of giving it back to me he put it on the table and made me sit down wearing just the one shoe. Then he said the heel is broken so you can’t wear it now anyway, I must have spent about an hour there wearing only one shoe, not that I really minded those. After the meeting I got my shoe back but the heel was hanging off, it was nearly time to go home so I left a bit early and picked up my coat, handbag and the broken shoe and walked on tiptoe to the lift. While I was waiting for it the other woman that was in on the meeting come over and asked me about my shoe and said that morning she had got the heel of her shoe stuck in a drain grate and she slipped one of and showed me the damaged heel.
Just then the lift doors opened and I limped in and she followed me still holding her shoe, the doors closed and we looked at each and she said I bet you we look a bit strange since we are both wearing just one shoe. We both laughed and she put her shoe back on and she asked me, if it had happened before because I didn’t seem to mind, I told her that it often happen to me and I’m getting good at balancing on one high heeled shoe and one bare foot. So I asked her if she had ever broken or lost a shoe and she said once I tripped and broke the strap of my sandal and it was un- wearable like that so she had to hobble into a heel bar and had to leave it there to be repaired. But the embarrassing part was when she went back to pick it up she didn’t have enough money and she then had to go to the cash machine, but by the time she got back the shop had closed and she could see her sandal through the window. She had to catch the train home wearing only one sandal.
The door of the lift opened and we both walked out and onto the street and she said goodbye and we parted and I carried on to the shoe repairers and had to leave it there to be repaired, then catch the train home. I got to the station and the train came in and we all moved onto the train and a guy stepped on my bare foot and I gave out a yell and he said oh I’m sorry did I stand on your foot and looked down at the same time, then he looked around the floor, then said did I knock off your shoe as he was still looking for it. No I said it is at the repairers I broke the heel, oh he said when was that, so I told him what had happened and he was very interested and kept looking down at my feet.
He got off at the next stop and the train was starting to empty and soon there were only a few people left. A lady was looking at my feet and trying to see were my other shoe was and finally she asked what happen to your other shoe did someone steal it, I told her no it was being repaired, then she said be careful around here a few women have had one shoe stolen off there foot. Ok I said I will look out for the shoe thief, it was now my stop so I got off and by now it was dark, I walked up the road home.
THE END
By Karen Dean