A tale of epic proportions has occurred over the last
week.
Let me begin as of one week ago
when I joined the Ambassador team for an afternoon a few streets down from the
slums.
They were nearing their departure
date and as is customary, they went to the local market to buy some goods for
people back home.
On the journey back to
our place here in Kibera, a fine fellow from the team and myself were
discussing lofty and world changing sort of concepts.
In the midst of the conversation, the gaze
happened to land upon a pair of boots hanging on the side of a tree.
These boots were perhaps the foulest and worst looking boots
one could ever imagine.
Their
approximate age could easily equal twenty hard years and they appeared to have
been dragged through the mud and dust with no reprieve.
However, something in the boots called for
us.
They were not the proper size for
the fellow who saw them but by great fortune were the perfect size for me.
Without delay I bought them at the full
asking price of 150 shillings or around two American dollars.
Just to find them was worth this weighty
amount.
The hours following were filled with awe and wonder
regarding this rare but divine find.
The
leather was completely faded and looked as if it once hung upon the carcass of
a deceased cow.
If the leather was not
bad enough, the soles made up for the matter as they were completely
useless.
One sole was about half
detached from the boot itself, while the other had a hole completely through it
at the location of the big toe.
They
looked as if they had seen their last…however, they had not yet met the shoe
repair guy.
Without delay I carried this pair of boots to the friendly
corner repair guy and asked if it was possible for them to live again.
He said he thought so and to come back the
next day to receive them.
A sleepless
night ensued in grand anticipation of these repaired masterpieces.
With great joy I marched to the locale of the
shoe guy and there glistening in the afternoon sun sat the finest pair of boots
one could have ever bought.
They looked
brand new, actually better than brand new.
Their deep brown tones radiated throughout the entire atmosphere and
they carried with them great authority.
The days following I have worn them for short intervals of
time so as not to spoil the power of their presence.
These will no doubt follow me the rest of my
life due to their impeccable condition since that glorious unveiling.
