Parity

every day without fail he stopped at the small stall whatever the weather and however hurried he was his shoes did not need glow for his path was muddy and the sweaty feet managed to moisten the leather from inside so much that he seemed walked on water but the shoe shine was his regular daily luxury and he wished to portray that his slippers eased their way through striding about his life with decency and pride ‘never judge anyone unless you tasted their journey’ and thus he always parted with a coin for a sparkle the labourer was dressed in rags and in need of repair in himself weary eyed with sad smile cast from his lips but the young artisan knew his craft with the cloth willing to serve as he creamed lathered and polished until the footwear were mirrors reflecting his work never once was he careless or sloppy in his service worked with whatever dignity that had remained his the vendor unlike others never addressed him as boy always gave him a heartfelt ‘thank you kindly Sir’ and knew truly he head the better side of the bargain as the years went by the shoes became so threadbare that they resembled foot rags but not one to worry the wearer enjoyed his small part of the transaction that he rather invested in shoe shine than a new pair until it eventually came down to rubbing wax on his feet 13th April 2021 Writing prompt Shine Sponsor Constance La France