No sandals, no entry

It was early in the morning.
I and mom were going to a market very far away from where we stayed so we had to leave very early to be able to meet up with the sellers and also return early. We had to walk out to the bus stop, where we were going to board a bus that would take us to where we were going to. Since it was early, and a weekday, school students were still heading to school. It wasn't a busy street so it was quite easy to take notice of those that walked by us.

The kids were all dressed neatly, in their white socks and shoes. The boys that passed by us, had their shirts tucked neatly into their trousers and for the girls, as the uniforms demanded, their tops were either tucked in their skirts or straightened in their pinafores. Every student that passed by us were so alike, that when he passed, he was different.

He was dressed in a purple and lilac uniform with a bag that drooped heavily along his back and made him tilt his neck a certain way to accommodate the weight. His hair was shaved so neatly, I could literally imagine light bouncing back when it hits. But there was something off about his appearance. Only one foot wore a sock and a sandal. The other was bare.

He walked past us, with his lunch bag in one hand and I couldn't help but wonder why his second leg was bare. He didn't seem injured, so why? Coincidentally, the same thing seemed to be running through mom's mind as almost immediately, I heard her say 'Hey, little boy'.

The boy turned back and mama signaled for him to wait and we both walked up to him. She asked him why he was putting on a sandal on one foot and not the other. He said that he was with his other sandal but because one of the straps had cut, it was going to slow him down when walking. So, he was going to wear it back when he got to the school gate.

From what he said, I realized that the sandal had actually cut before he set out from home but because he didn't have a spare one at home and his school had a strict rule of 'No Sandal, No Entry' he decided to make do with the spoilt sandal.

I stood, waiting for mom to take the next step because there wasn't much we could do in that situation. There weren't any cobblers around and we couldn't take him away from school. So, when my mom asked him for his mom's number and he spelt it out for her, I felt hope. She gave him a 200naira note, asked for his shoe size and sent him on his way.

We reached the market and mom added a pair of sandals to what we intended to buy. We got the sandals for him and when we got back, mom called his mom and introduced herself. She told her about the sandals she had gotten for him and if they didn't mind, she wanted to bring it for them. She agreed and they both agreed to meet at a specific place.

We got there and waited for a while till they reached. I watched as mom conversed with his mom, in Yoruba. A language I was still getting a grasp of. They both talked for a while and she handed the sandals to her. The woman, happily handed it over to her son, who's joy at that moment, knew no bounds.

The boy's excitement at getting a new sandals was so infectious that I caught myself smiling. Both mothers talked for a while but the boy's happiness which he continued to exude, made the wait worth it. I was happy. Mom was happy. His mom was happy and he, was the happiest.

The above was an experience I had sometime last year. The world is full of so much negativity and it has gotten to a point that people now see acts of selflessness as attention seeking. Making an impact in people's lives, is now seen as an duty, only the wealthy should partake in. It was never supposed to be that way.

I was so happy with seeing my mom and the other two people involved happy, that day. And that, I tell you, is one of the best way to experience ful happiness - being surrounded by it.

This is my entry to inleo prompt day 3

Image is Mine.

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