The Golden Shoe

Dusts are flowing through the air. The sun is shining so brightly. Everybody seems busy with their own work. It is the port city, Tangier, the capital of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region of Morocco.

But in this busyness of everyone, a fair-faced boy, named Philips, can be noticed very easily because he is different from all. No, he isn't any extraordinary person. He is just a simple person who lives on his own. His livelihood comes from mending shoes. Yes, he is a cobbler in that area. Every local knows him there as the boy of good luck.

Good luck? Does this word go with a cobbler? From when he has entered into the city, everyone's business around his shop (doesn't worth saying shop because it is just a tin-shaded stall) is running unexpectedly better than any time before. The merchants around him marked him as their luck from then.

However, the boy's dream was never to be a shoe mender. Like every common people, he had a dream, dream to be a scientist one day. But the irony of fate got him here today.

It was his father, who insisted him to be a businessman and carried him from countries to countries in order to teach him how to do business. He had visited America, Europe, and many other places popular for business. According to their plan, they were on a ship going through the Atlantic ocean and it had a stopover at Tangier. Philips lost his father on the ship and didn't know anything about the stopover. When the ship stopped at Tangier, he went down crying and finding his father. Everyone saw this boy crying, but no one came forward to help him. That day, he neither found that ship nor his father.

He was just 14 then. But now, 6 years have passed. He is 20 now. He has become an adult. However, he had to behave like an adult and make his own decisions from 14. He is now a cobbler who can live his own life without any hesitation. But sometimes pasts make him sad. The world has never experienced this sadness. He doesn't know where is his father and whether he is alive or not.

These merchants are his family now. They treat very friendly with the boy. But he still remembers those days when he was helpless. He was wandering around Tangier being lost. He had no money, no mobile phone, and even didn't remember his family's contact number. He knocked on the doors of the people living there asking for help and food, but everyone refused to help him. He told them that he had been lost and his father was finding him who was a millionaire, and if they would help him, his father would surely give them rewards. Still, they didn't feel any sympathy for a lost boy and they made fun of his talks.

3-4 months later of that, his father didn't come here finding him. Those people then started saying "Where is your millionaire father? Is he also lost?", whenever they had seen him, and laughed at his plight addressing the boy as a liar. These words made him cry. "How strange humans are! They laugh at others' plight", the boy thought.

But now, since they feel him lucky for them, they call him good luck and maintain a friendly relationship with him. How fast humans change! They only think about their own advantage and self-interest. "Can't we be helpful to all?", thinks the boy with a sigh of disappointment.

A man, wearing a white linen dress, calls him, "Philo, have lunch with us tonight". The boy puts the shoe down that he was polishing for a few minutes and answers with a smile indicating yes. The man's name is Saleh. He is a Muslim. In fact, most of the people here are Muslims. "Really an honest and humanitarian man", the boy thinks. Why wouldn't he think so? Saleh is truly a man of a beautiful heart. He is the only person who helped the boy while no one agreed to help him. Saleh gave him shelter, food, some money, and an adorable nickname 'Philo'.

Life of Philips wouldn't be like today if there was no Saleh. He was crying and finding no reason to live that day. He was in hunger for 3 days and this made him feel that death might be better than living like this. He was walking along the side of the fort of Tangier and shouting that he should commit suicide. "This life doesn't worth living", he thought as the humans on the earth aren't really humans. They behave like inhuman. At that time, an unknown hand pulled him towards itself. A man put his hands on the boy's shoulder and said, "Why would you die like a coward, boy? Don't you have your dreams? Don't you feel your destiny?" Philips kept silent and wept in front of that man. The boy wanted to live. The man took him in his arms and promised to support the boy. This man was Saleh, because of whom he has got something to live today.

He finishes his polishing. Only 4 shoes left now. Then, he will be free for some time. But he has time to do that. So he decides to take a break. He looks at the book kept beside him. It is the book that he has been reading for 3 days and now he needs only a few hours to finish it. Reading books is the best leisure for Philips. "Book is the only friend who was with me all the time", he thinks.

That day when he got down from the ship, he had a book in his hand. It has been his partner for a long time. He talked with books as no one was eager to hear his meaningless speech. He thought the books also wanted to say him something but they can't speak. The only thing they can do is to make someone read and know, know about the world, about humanity, about thoughts and conscience.

However, it isn't the same book that he had come with to Tangier. He has exchanged books several times from the bookshop just beside his present position. He will exchange this book too a few hours later. "A cobbler also reads books?", comes an unfamiliar voice from the side.

An Arab is standing there in front of the shop. Philips has never seen him in Tangier before. Maybe he hasn't seen Philips too. The man looks rich. However, Philips replies looking at his book, "Is it weird to see a cobbler reading?"

"No. Why would it be? Every person has the right to read."

His words fascinated the boy as he is a man with positivity. Positivity is very rare in humans nowadays. Everyone is obsessed with negativities. There is always positivity in all negativities. Humans should find it out. Philips remains silent thinking about all these.

"So, you love books?", continues the man.

"Books are now the only love left in my life", replies he.

"Love the books. It teaches humanity. Books will show the way of light when you will need it. So, protect them, and they will protect you."

These seem very meaningful to the boy. He replies, "I will."

"Then, I have something for you."

"What?", asks the boy.

"I need you to mend my shoes and if you do so, in return, I will give you a book. Will you do it?"

Books are the things that he loves most. If he gets an offer like this, definitely, he will never deny it. He doesn't deny this time also. He accepts the agreement and wants the shoe to mend.

"Keep this book. When the work will be done, I will reward you another", the Arab says to him, giving the pair of shoes with the book, "Take care of those shoes. They are made of gold."

Hearing this, the boy becomes shocked. He asks the Arab, "Why would a person give golden shoes to a poor cobbler just for mending? If I steal them?"

The man answers with a smile, "I believe in you. A book lover can never be a thief. I will come back later."

The man departs. Philips has a book and a pair of golden shoes in his hand right now. But he isn't thinking about the gold. He is thinking about the words "A book lover can never be a thief". "Such a valuable word. In fact, the man has told the most valuable word", thinks the boy.

He keeps the shoe aside and decides to start working again. He has taken enough rest. It is time for work now. Again he takes the shoes one by one, mends them, polishes them, and waits for their owners to come. The work of the golden shoes is also done.

He doesn't have anything to do right now. So he again starts reading that book. The story seems so interesting as it teaches him a new rule of living 'The rule of enjoying every little happiness in life'. Though the boy has learned it many years before, it seemed new to him. The boy devotes himself to the story.

A few hours have passed. The boy is going to finish the story. "One more line and I can start a new story then", the boy mutters. At this time, some kids come there and call him "Philo, tell us a new story. We have been waiting since the morning". Philips completes his book and keeps that down looking at the kids. These kids are another best friends of Philips. They come here every day in search of some wonderful stories and Philo also enjoys telling them new stories every day.

"Today, I will tell you the story of humanity", says Philips to the kids. The kids listen with great interest. Philo continues, "Once a time, the earth was full of inhumanity. No one loved each other. Everyone loved war, murders, and brutality. But there were some people who wanted peace. They prayed to God for help. God then ordered the superman to help them. The superman's name was Humanity. Humanity came and fought with inhumanity. This fight turned into a war. A war that never ends. The war is still alive now and one day, Humanity will win the war because Humanity never loses against inhumanity. No matter, how strong inhumanity is! It has to surrender in front of Humanity one day."

The story ends. The kids applaud the story and they start running with happiness that they have learned a new thing. Philo feels happy seeing the children prefer his story. He doesn't know whether they understood the real meaning of it or not. But what he meant was really deep. He looks aside and notices the book the Arab has given him. "The Last Page" is the book title. He thinks about reading it, but then he realizes that it is noon now and he has to go to Saleh's home for lunch. He takes everything in his wooden box and leaves the shop.

"Saleh's home is a very relaxing place", thinks the boy after lunch. The lunch was delicious and the more important thing was he was having lunch with his second family. It reminded him of the days when he was used to eating with his father and mother. But reminding those doesn't worth anything now. "Those days will never return", he mutters and stops thinking about it. Now he has to go to the shop again. His rest is done. He takes blessings from Saleh and departs.

The shop is still empty. No new customers have come and even the Arab hasn't come, for whom the boy has been waiting for a while. As his time isn't passing, he takes "The Last Page" in his hand and starts reading it.

The book looks interesting. Picking up the book, he thinks, "The cover of the book is so beautiful" though it is just a solid yellow-colored cover. The boy hasn't heard about this book before and the story touches the boy's heart as it is also written on a cobbler. This story seems the same as his life. But no, it isn't the same. The boy in the story also lost his father, but not in a port or ship. His father died when he was just 2 years old. Philips feels compassion for the boy. The boy's name was Abu. After Abu's father's death, life wasn't so hard for him. Life was going on. Life became harder when his mother died at his age of 15. Philips remembers his mother who died when he was 10. This memory created an emptiness in him. However, he continues his reading. After Abu's mother's death, he got nothing in his favor. To be alive, he chose the job of a cobbler. "Does everyone's life become desultory from 14-15?", thinks Philips.

However, he continues reading until evening. It is the closing time of his shop. In Tangier, no one keeps their shop open after the azan of maghrib. But the Arab still hasn't come to take back his shoes. So the boy decides to keep his shop open for a few more while waiting for the Arab.

"Where is the man? Has he forgotten about his shoes?", thinks the boy packing everything in his box. 2 hours have passed since then. The man hasn't come and there is no sign of the man to come. He thinks that the man may be so busy with his work today that he couldn't come. He may come tomorrow. The boy decides to close the shop and go home.

The next morning, everything seems busy again as before. Philips is sitting on a bench at the tea stall just beside his shop. Every morning, he takes tea in that stall. Looking at the tea, he tells the stall owner, "Business isn't going well nowadays. Just a few customers come with shoes. I don't know how long I will be able to earn enough to have some food."

The owner replies, "You are a bright boy. Don't worry and whatever happens, keep taking tea at my stall. I need customers too". He tells this in a funny way. Philips also takes this as fun and laughs a little bit.

Finishing the tea, he sits at his shop. Opening his box, he finds 'The Last Page' on the top. He remembers the last part he has read the last day. The boy was leading a very simple life. He was earning very little to fill his belly somehow. But Abu was hardworking. He worked hard every day and coincidently, Abu met an Arab too. Philips thinks, "Does every cobbler meet an Arab in their lifetime?" Philips doesn't know why but this story feels so weird to him. The reason may be it is reflecting his own life. Still, Philips continues with the book because he loves reading.

A few minutes later, some customers come and again the busyness of Philo starts. He puts the book aside and starts to work. His busy day starts. On this busy day, he has almost forgotten about the Arab he met yesterday.

The busy day ends in the evening. "It is time to close the shop", the boy thinks and suddenly looking at the book, he realizes the Arab hasn't come today too. "Where is the man? Won't he come?", the boy mumbles. Again he decides to spend 2 more hours at his shop waiting for the man.

He starts reading the book. At one point in the story, Abu became penniless and decided to sell his home. He sold his home but didn't get a good amount in return. But he needed money. So he sold it at a low price. That night, he had nowhere to sleep. He spent his night in a field looking at the stars and moon. Philo remembers the day when he had to live without a home, without a father, without a mother, without everything except a book. He slept beside the fort that day. That was a full-moon night and he talked with the stars all night.

He looks at the sky and sees that today is also a full-moon night. The moonlit is looking so beautiful. Though 2 hours have passed, he decides to spend this night at his shop looking at the sky, stars, and moon instead of going home. The stars remind him of his parents and closest ones. The moon reminds him of the beauty of his mother and the sky is a sign of emptiness for him. He spends this night thinking about all these.

1 week has passed since the man has given him the golden shoes. He hasn't come yet to take back his shoes. The boy still keeps those shoes very carefully so that the Arab can take them any day he comes. Philips hasn't told anybody about this shoe because Tangier is a city of thieves. Here everywhere are thieves and thieves. He can't believe anyone. So he decides to keep it a secret.

He is reading that book and now he is at the finishing part. 6 more pages to end the story. But the most interesting part is the boy in the story also got a golden shoe from the Arab in the story and the Arab didn't come back too.

Philips decides to finish the story today. He reads consistently and in a few hours, he gets to the last page. On this page, the story becomes a little bit unknown and unfamiliar. Before this, the boy could compare his own life with the boy of the story. But now, everything seems new and he can't compare anymore.

One day, Abu looked at the shoes again and found that the sole of the shoe requires mending. Abu opened the sole to mend it and found a letter in it. In the letter, there was written that these shoes were a gift for Abu, and the story ends here.

This story makes Philips think again about the shoes. "Should I cut the sole like the story boy Abu?", thinks he. But he can't make the decision whether to follow the story or not. "The shoe is like a deposit of the man to me right now. I can't do anything with it without his permission. I can't cut the sole. What if it was just a story?", the boy thinks deeply. He spends his whole day thinking of it. Even he hasn't worked for the whole day. He can't sleep at night. Only this weird thought is rounding in his head that has consumed his sleep.

The next morning, he makes the decision. "The Arab hasn't come yet. Maybe he won't come. And if he comes, it won't a problem if I cut the sole because I can mend it too. I have to take the risk since I don't have any other way than waiting for an eternity. I am going to do it", decides the boy. He takes the shoes in his hand, looks at them for a few seconds, and then takes the needle. He thinks for another time before cutting it. But the decision remains the same for the boy. He cuts it. The sole has been cut. But there is no letter in this shoe. The boy feels guilty for doing this. "I shouldn't have cut this. The man believed me", the boy regrets.

But there is another shoe left. He has cut the left shoe only. The right one is kept beside him. He looks at the shoe and takes it. He thinks for a few moments again and finally decides to do the same with this one too. He cuts the sole of this one too but feels fear to look at it. He summons up the courage and looks at it. He can't believe his eyes. "Is this true or an obsession?", the boy wonders.

There is a letter on the shoe. He takes the letter and finds his name 'Philips' in the first line. The man has written this letter. "Philips, if you are reading this, then you have passed your test of honesty. I know you are honest and patient. You have done your work and the reward I promised you is this letter. This letter will be a very valuable gift in your life. Take the shoes and you are free to use them whenever you need. It isn't a gift from me. It is from your father. He loves you a lot but fate has disunited you from your father. He spent more than 4 years finding you and met me one day. He cried so much and I hesitate to say, but you need to know the truth... Your father died in front of me. The only thing he could give me is the golden shoes. He wanted to give you those. This was his last wish... And I have fulfilled that. He told me that you loved books. Keep loving them, boy. Live your own life. My blessings are with you, Philips."

Philips can't hold his tears more. He cries out loudly shouting for his father.

Written by: Tasnim Ferdous