Main Menu

Dancing Shoes

Started by Taronyu Ayunilyä Alahe, January 15, 2010, 09:24:47 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Taronyu Ayunilyä Alahe

My mom's sitting on the flower patterned sofa, which is already pale, in a living room of a nursing home while watching the door like a guard. She's going shopping. That's what she heard from a nurse. Her silvery hair was neatly combed, matching her Lavender clothes and her a-bit-tattered athlete shoes.

I smiled and kissed her cheek. "Come on, mom, we're going to May Company to buy some shoes. Then we'll eat the Chinese food you like. Okay?"

She stood up and tidy her clothes. I'm amazed at how her posture was still straight for a woman at the age of almost 90. "New Shoes. How nice.." Then she looked at me in the eyes, with a confused look that's mirrored in the gentle light of her green eyes. "By the way, you're a pretty girl, do I know you?"

She held her leather purse that has a book me and my sister made, to help her remember certain people and why she's in where she was.

"I would never forget my bag, you know that? It have various important information." She took the book and study it. She read with a clear voice, "My name is Rosetta Lachman, and I moved here after I got several stroke attacks. Am I right?" She asked, "That's what I meant. Important information. And you sweet girl, do I know you?" That question pops out, reminding me that I'm now the adult, and she's the child.

I took her arm, and when we're walking to the car, I said, "You're really my mom. You have two daughters, and the other one lives in Alaska."

"How fortunate, two beautiful daughters. What else do you know?" She sat calmly in the car, and we drove for a short distance to the shopping centre. Her attention span is getting shorter lately, so I know our trip wouldn't be for long. We cannot waste all day to find the right price and try on clothes and shoes for hours anymore. I feel like there's something in my throat.

As I helped her sit on a chair in the shoes' section, she was soon in a conversation with an employee. The employee didn't know my mother, and she didn't know how a light stroke have taken a part of this amazing woman's memory. She did it with uch grace when slipping the shoes to my mom's fragile foot. My mom stood up, walked around for a moment and then tried another pair. She said thank you to the employee for helping her.

"She's a lovely mother." The employee said. "How old is she?"
"She'll be ninety next month." I said, while holding mom's hand and rubbing it gently.
"Wow. I thought she's just in her seventies. Ninety years old. Wow." She packed my mom's choice of shoes to the counter to put in the price.

"I like that shoes, but can I dance with it? If they played some rock and roll music, I have to dance." the employee spread wide a smile and took out the shoes from it's box. She then put it on my mom's feet and then take her on a dancing position.

"Shall we try it then?" So my mom and the employee dances along with silent music dancing light steps . My mom smiled looking at the employee. "Thank you. I think these shoes are comfortable."

I felt the tears cover my eyes when i said, "Are you ready to enjoy some Chinese food?"

"I'm ready. You're a sweet girl. Do I know you?"

That's the last time I got the chance to take my mom out for shopping, and that memory will last with me forever.
She is now 96, and she's using a wheelchair. But she still have her dancing shoes...

By: Morgan St. James

just thought it's worth to share. pretty long, I know. it's copied pretty much exactly from my language's version of Chicken Soup for the Shopper's soul.

sorry if this acts as a lullaby...



oh and thank you Jaysc for proof reading it >< (see I told you I'll give credit) :P
ke plltxe ngeyä kawng tìrey lu

Jaysc

#1
Nice one Taronyu. It's a good story. I accidently read to fast and missed some parts out so i didn't understand it the first time, but now that i read it again, it makes sense. Good job translating it too.

<3 it!

Taronyu Ayunilyä Alahe

thankiies. and thank the person who actually wrote it--> Morgan St. James, and Chicken Soup for providing us with stories to cry on (and for you, stories for excuses on not doing your revision, and to cover your boredom XD )
ke plltxe ngeyä kawng tìrey lu