Cobbler's apprentice

I gave away a pair of Maiyuu's shoes over the New Year break. I hope he doesn't miss them.

Maiyuu keeps most of his shoes in large packing boxes outside our place. He has collected many dozens of pairs since we first met, though he assures me that most are second-hand.

One night a young firefighter I know, who works here in the market, asked for my help. Gor had fallen asleep in an internet games shop, when someone helped himself to his shoes and cellphone. Only the night before, I had given him B200 to help get his phone fixed.

Now he possessed neither the phone nor his shoes. I should not have asked him why he was chatting to me in the market barefooted, but I did. 'Someone stole them, and they were the only pair of shoes I own in the world,' he said.

I declined an invitation to buy him a new cellphone. However, I suspected I could help him with the shoes. I picked up one of his feet, and checked it for size. Then I returned home, and rifled through Maiyuu's shoe boxes, until I found a couple of pairs of sandals which looked like a good match.

Maiyuu was away that night, as he was for most of the New Year festivities. I don't think he will notice. If he does, I'll blame Santa's elves.

I put the sandals in a shopping bag, then went back to the market. Gor, who was sitting with his firefighter friends, tried them on. The first pair was too small, and he rejected them. The next pair fitted him better, so he accepted them.

'You want to be his Dad?' one of the boy's friends asked helpfully.

Santa's pockets are not that large. But he can be relied upon to find the odd pair of second-hand shoes occasionally.