THE BABY SHOES

   It’s still too early in the morning, just few minute after 6:00 AM; the sun was still far away in the east, the light was dim, he was walking alone toward Harvard Sport Park as usual during the weekdays, he walks pretty fast with his stretched legs, the brisk walk of his life habit in despite of his physical small and short. He likes to walk early in the twilight morning, see the blinking stars high above the dark sky, imagine the world without people, when the traffic is light and the weather is cool during the summer; mild cold at this time of the year, late fall. Looking toward the few yards ahead he saw one piece of baby shoe lay on the sidewalk; he stopped by to pick it up, turned the shoe around while examining it; a boy shoe, the wear and tear is very moderate, still considers to have long life for use ahead, suddenly his mind recalls his own childhood sons years, which he is now dearly miss every time he takes a walk, when he sees kids playing in the parks, biking around the neighbor with their parents, or each moment he sees something related to the kids, his heart is softening low, he feels sad like he has lost some part of his life.

   He was so busy and distracted by the circumstances which had happened during those few years of his childhood sons; his relatives and brothers families had just arrived to the US one after another, especially his three brother families, each arrived a month apart. He does not feel regret about his actions toward their arrivals, it always becomes his duty, a must to be done! But he really felt so unfortunate, the fate. Beside the full time jobs he and his wife have spent at works, the remaining time of the day, it was so occupied not because of his own families, a couple with three young little kids, one to two years apart, but by too many unexpected problems with one of his brothers at home, which pushed down his spirit; he was so depressed, so despair to the point that he lost his temper and the most terrible long-lasting hiccup illness has occurred to him again, the fourth time in his life; the hiccups which has been pounding his chest twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and lasted for many months, once he have had enduring it for two and a half years earlier. Still he does not know how he could survive through that kind of stress and hiccough which no medication can fix it, no Doctor know how or what to do with him, he can only thanks God and Buddha had given him the strength needed for his mind to push it away every time it happens! Thank to his wife for her too rich loving heart, she never complains even a single word to anyone, she tends a bandage to his wound by showing more care, patience and understand to everyone under the too hard to bear  circumstances for most others. He looked around for another piece, there was none! He put a shoe next to the sign pole along the sidewalk in hope for someone just passed by with kid whose this shoe belong to return and pick it, then he continued his morning walk …

   After more than an hour walk around the park and along the storm drain canal, on the way back he passed by the pole the baby shoe was still there, he thought they could have been lost both, then this will be useless, but when he was approaching the intersection, he saw another piece rested next to the road curb, he pick it up and set it next to the other piece; Yeah! it makes a complete pair, so cute looks similar to a pair of his own children, which he knew he still keep at least one somewhere at home, he felt little warm in his heart; However he does not feel comfortable with it; he was afraid that it may mistakenly be blowing by the gardener when they come to mowing the grass lawn at this business complex or anyone, any bikers might accidently side-hit it off on the road again. He thought it better be hung up to the sign pole, he looked around for something to tie it up but there wasn’t anything that he can use. He came home and looking for a steel wire old clothes hanger, he cut a piece and made a hook, he walk to the place again about half of a mile away, the pair of shoes was still there, he hooked the pairs and hang it on the pole in hope the owner will have a chance to retrieve.

   The next morning he passes by a pole, the pair of shoes has disappeared, he looks at the lone pole, somehow his feeling is mixed, he wonders is it went back to its owner or in the hand of someone else. What about the parents who lost that infant shoes; Do they have deep care about the memory like himself, or they are more considered about realistic way of life, why care about a pair of used shoes when with just $19.99 they can have another new pairs! However just a few day ago he, himself was so happy that he had found his own Keys-bunch, which he lost during a walk in Peter Canyon and someone had picked, put up at the information bulletin board, despair the keys can be remade for less than ten-bucks! By the way he know many people in our society out there do care and keep their memories float!!

Nctd

One morning in the late Fall 2017

To: English readers and friends,

Please feel free to correct me if you found mistakes and errors! I'm sure there are plenty! I still need to learn myself and am appreciated very much!

To: Bạn đọc Việt Nam,

Xin lỗi thỉnh thoảng tôi viết tiếng Anh, không phải khoe khoang, nhưng để một số người không hiểu Việt ngữ kể cả các con cháu tôi tiện theo dõi và không cảm thấy lạc lõng khi vào Blog “Giáng Thu” của tôi, cũng là một cách tôi tự trau dồi thêm sinh ngữ. Thành thật cáo lỗi qúy bà con, bạn bè trẻ cũng như không còn trẻ, hì hì!!!!!

NguyễnChu Trương Dực