The wonderment is less when you find one in the center of the street, because then it's probably because it fell off someone's foot while they were on a bike or something. And if it's on the side and is accompanied with utensils or clothes, you figure it was probably a part of a get- the- hell- out- of- my- house tantrum. But when it's just sitting there all alone- you're flummoxed.
I won't be anymore.
Mothers ARE a whole different breed. And mine belongs to a whole other different breed. Because not only is she the whole sacrificing, peace making body in the house, great cook, dedicated employee, brilliant teacher, can shout at levels that match my sisters' and more- she happens to be the reason for my enlightenment. For de- flummoxing me. For seeing to it that I shall never be flummoxed by a lone slipper on the road side ever again.
Best part is, it was done so carefully, that I hadn't a hint about what was coming.
It all started when ma needed to get down from the car, and couldn't find anything to go onto her other foot. She tried feeling around for the chappal in the darkness- it had to be somewhere in the car after all- but didn't have much luck. Leading to an extensive search of the car, which also turned out to be in vain. The suggestion that it could have been left at the last stop was met with general laughter and we searched with lesser enthusiasm this time round. Because while inane under normal circumstances, the scenario that had been put forth looked more and more probable. How could we find something that wasn't even there?
And just to make sure that we'd left no stone unturned in our search for the lost chappal, we went back to the possible scene of action. And there it was lying just where we'd parked before, looking all lost. That was IT- when it found the first beam of the car's light- that was when the light dawned on me too. When the blinders were removed. When I realized.
So bothered about not smashing the eggs in her hands, she had been- that while getting into the car (for reasons she refuses to make public) she'd taken off her chappals (again, for reasons she refuses to make public) so that exactly one of them had landed outside the car. Carefully placed the eggs in her lap. Closed the door. *And off we'd driven into the sun set*
That's one of life's so far unanswered questions- well, answered.
May the light always be with you. All my love.
Apparently, when Gandhiji was boarding a train, one of his chappals fell off, and there was no time to get down to retrieve it. Gandhiji immediately took off his other chappal and threw it out. When someone asked him why, he replied "Now some poor man will have the good fortune of finding a pair."
I'm not sure if those were his exact words, but he said something to that effect.
Kaushik
Yeah, he did!! Gosh, I'd forgotten about that one.
And I'm sure ma would have done the same thing, had it happened while she was boarding a train, but she wasn't.
SG.
this reminds me of the tens of thousands of times when after having paid the grocer i majestically leave the shop empty-handed, only to return a couple of minutes later to get the things :P
being absent-minded is on top of my being cute list...and i'm sure nothing will ever replace it...ever!