SHOES AND SLIPPERS , WHAT A PAIR - 404

SHOES AND SLIPPERS ,  WHAT A PAIR 

 The ubiquitous SLIPPERS somehow come a very distant second to its more hallowed cousin the SHOES  . 

For some unfathomable but fashionable reason , the Black Polished Shoes were a must as part of  my  School Uniform . As you grew up , you slowly  began to get the hang of putting the Shoe Laces  the right way    and the more intricate Rocket Science of putting the knot on the Shoe Lace . The Navy  Blue socks that went with it were a breed which required very  special care . Washing them  regularly was  a must , the foul smell of a shoe removed midway in a classroom full of often Sweaty students is not a very pleasant Odour . The elasticity of the socks on your feet does give way over a period of time  . This is  is where the Multi Task  Fixer ,  the RUBBER BAND comes to use . Keeping a few  Rubber Bands in your Geometry Box was  always a wise decision .

Your shoes often found space in some corner of the shoe rack  as soon as you returned from School only to be searched for in all frenzy  the next morning  while getting ready for school again. 

This is where the Slippers scored  over it's more hallowed Cousin . They could be slipped on in a jiffy and being pretty light in weight , it  was way more comfortable than the Shoes . The Hawai Slippers ( Some lesser Mortals prefer to call it the BATHROOM  SLIPPERS ) came rather cheap if you bought the same from the roadside vendor. The BATA HAWAI SLIPPERS were way  beyond the reach of many because of its prohibiting Cost . The problem with the cheaper variety was that the studs at the end of the Strap holding the Sole often gave away very soon after the  purchase  and almost always at the  most inconvenient and embarrassing of times with many of the species from the other sex in close company .

I did my schooling from classes 5 to 9 at Bhilai where my Sister was my Guardian. We were staying in Street 33 of sector 10 , whereas most of my classmates used to assemble at Street 16 for a game of  Cricket or Football or even ICE PICE ( I SPY YOU ) game each evening . I did not own a cycle so I had to walk or jog the distance . It was almost a perfect Right Angled Triangle ,  with neatly paved road  on the two sides and a slushy pedestrian pathway on the Hypotenuse which was a shortcut to the sector10 market for pedestrians . As can only be imagined , I used the slushy Large Crab Infested Path where the stud on the Hawai Slipper would often give away .

Finding the resources to buy a new Strap which could cost all of Rs 2/-   especially when you had the Mithaiwala displaying his wares during the school break was a big deal . This is where the JUGAAD with which we all Indians are so famous for comes to our rescue  . The SAFETY PIN did  the job of the studs . Oftentimes , 2 pins were in service till it became totally beyond repair .

" Slippers " appears to be a very apt name . The combination of  flat rubber slippers on a wet floor with a Banana Peel thrown in  absent mindedly can have devastating Consequences . 

Dogs somehow relish the idea of separating these life partners which always come in pairs and love to keep them apart when left unguarded . As one marriage counsellor remarked   

" PERFECT COUPLES ARE FOUND ONLY IN   SHOES , SLIPPERS AND GLOVES "