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The shoe showed up in the school parking lot sometime in September. Someone graciously placed it on the curb, like an offering. “Here I am. If I am yours, take me home.”
But no one claimed the shoe.
Every day I park in the same vicinity of the shoe. It became like a parking spot marker. “Oh, you. Back again. I’m still stepping in your path.”
Winter months came. Lots of rain. The shoe remained.
One day I asked the secretary when I stopped to sign the ledger, “Have you seen that shoe in the parking lot?”
“Huh?” She looked up from counting money. The secretary always seems to be counting money. “No, I don’t think so.”
I tried to ignore the shoe. Maybe I could pass in peace and not notice.
Well, the shoe heard me all right and decided to do something to show me. Here we are, almost to April with 7 weeks left of school, and that darned shoe stuck herself right in my path. I opened my car door about to step out and Yikes! There it was!
By this time, I felt the shoe was stalking me. I took no sympathy and kicked the thing underneath another car.
You didn’t think I was going to pick it up, did you? I didn’t see it today. Perhaps it’s gone to another parking lot. One can only wish.
Reflections on the Teche 