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A Saigon Story

We lived in Saigon many, many moons ago Of which I have a tale to share About a pair of my husband boots His favourites…. the ones he loved to wear A shoe shiner came to the work office A teenage boy who looked very poor Walked into the office quickly And stole shoes from at the door He ran with several pairs in hand While being pursued he dropped a few But alas my husbands boots Had vanished without a clue I had this overwhelming gut feeling That I would find this treasured pair Though extremely unlikely and unrealistic Due to abundant shoes stalls in Saigon “everywhere”! This feeling never wavered So each day on the school run while in the taxi I intently scoured every shoe stall As far as my eye could see Months later coming back from school I thought I spotted them in a stall Unsure but excited I gave my extremely sceptical husband a call My husband and his Vietnamese friend Drove passed the stall on his motor bike To first see if it was the said boots And YES…..I was right! My husband stayed out of sight While his friend went to the stall He bought back the boots at the Vietnamese price As the foreigner price would have been triple or more!! So,due to an overwhelming gut feeling His beloved boots were home Bought twice by the same man Decades of moons later…. said boots he still does own!

Copyright © | Year Posted 2024




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Date: 6/18/2024 7:34:00 AM
Great story, Deb!
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Deb M
Date: 6/18/2024 4:22:00 PM
Thanks Kim….appreciate your comment! Debx
Date: 6/17/2024 4:09:00 PM
Dear debx your story is so poetically told and flows seamlessly. This reminds me of something that I recently went through. Someone that works for me in my house stole something that was close to my heart, a present from my late uncle and lied too saying she got it from another shop, but it was speciallh designed in specific way for me so i figured its a lie etc so i made a deal, told her i love what she has and reminds me of someone so sell it to me. Haha and bought it back. Insane. Smh. You always write about things that are relatable. Pleasure reading your work
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Ink Empress
Date: 6/19/2024 1:38:00 PM
Yes unfortunately haha gosh
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Deb M
Date: 6/18/2024 4:23:00 PM
Thanks Ink….does she still work for you?? Ha….Debx
Date: 6/17/2024 1:03:00 PM
Great story Deb, not only gut feeling, but constant looking. Sounds like a true story?
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Deb M
Date: 6/18/2024 4:22:00 PM
Hey David….Yes a true story! Thanks…Debx
Date: 6/17/2024 12:10:00 PM
What a wonderful write/story. Glad you got the boots back. It is hard to give up something one really loves... Have a blessed day writing away......................
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Deb M
Date: 6/18/2024 4:27:00 PM
Thanks sweet paula! Debx
Date: 6/17/2024 11:24:00 AM
Nice story. Favorite things are hard to give up. This foreigner"s triple price uis everywhere, even in my expat country.
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Deb M
Date: 6/18/2024 4:26:00 PM
Spot on comment Jay….when we lived in Saigon many years ago they had a local price then a foreigner price And it was much more expensive ha! Where is your expat country Jay? Thanks…Debx
Date: 6/17/2024 8:09:00 AM
A great story and poem. I didn't know about the common stealing there. I hope the thief's life has improved so he can live a good life. Thanks for this insight.
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Deb M
Date: 6/18/2024 4:30:00 PM
It was a poor country Hilda! So pleased you liked my poem…Debx
Date: 6/17/2024 6:28:00 AM
Your gut feeling paid off, Very nicely told Deb
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Deb M
Date: 6/18/2024 4:29:00 PM
Thanks Joe….nice to see you! Debx
Date: 6/17/2024 3:50:00 AM
A fascinating and just a delightful story...cleverly put together and reads so well. Gifted my dear Deb....love it. Take care
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Deb M
Date: 6/18/2024 4:26:00 PM
Thankyou my lovely kind friend! Debx
Date: 6/16/2024 7:20:00 PM
What an amazing story, Deb. Nothing like a women's intuition, it seems! Bravo, gw
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Deb M
Date: 6/18/2024 4:28:00 PM
Aww thanks BB! Yes l felt so strongly l would find them even though it seemed impossible! Debx
Date: 6/16/2024 1:09:00 PM
what a great story, deb! you've told it very well, too. so glad it had a happy ending!
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Deb M
Date: 6/18/2024 4:33:00 PM
Thanks Ilene….got a few stories to tell of our time in Saigon….very interesting place and the Vietnamese people were so lovely! Debx
Date: 6/16/2024 1:03:00 PM
Lol, an enjoyable read Deb, what were the chance of that happening, you should have bought a lottery ticket. Tom
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Deb M
Date: 6/18/2024 4:32:00 PM
No lottery tickets in Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City l should say back in those days Tom!! Ha….thanks my friend….Debx
Date: 6/16/2024 12:18:00 PM
What a thing that was Deb, for your husband’s boots to be stolen, then finding them for sale on a stall and buying them back. The little devil … Beryl
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Deb M
Date: 6/18/2024 4:31:00 PM
Hehe….yes quite the story….treasured boots still! Thanks….Debx

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