A crocs and the memory of a pair of plastic shoe

Some years ago I had a pair of white plastic school shoe. It was cheap. Then I think it cost only less than two ringgit. It was practical. I can not wash it on weekends as I do to my canvass Bata. I only need to just to wipe it with ‘sabun toko’ then rinse it and wipe it dry just before going to school. Never a need to spend time to ‘kapur’ it. I can also walk in the puddle with it.

But the plastic shoe came at the time our family was at the most difficult time. Ayah was working far away in Padang Kubu. I tried to recall that difficult time but I guess some memory had been blacked out. In bits and pieces I recall going to school in selipar jepun and get a scolding from a teacher. Which che’gu? Slipped my mind too.

Maybe our mind had a way of erasing those hard time from the memory bank and keep only the better time for recollection.

Imagine my reaction to ‘Crocs’ - the ugly plastic shoe that everyone seems to long for if not already have. Never mind if they were Maidin’s China made look-alikes – Crocs wannabe I call them.

It’s ugly. And it’s plastic. Period.

But it’s comfortable. Bloody comfortable. Still its ugly. And it’s still plastic.

First Adlan had one. Then Alia, then Atin. And Amir too wants one. Then Yati had one. And two and three. Or is it now four?

Then I made the mistake. I walked into a Crocs Store. Worst still I tried on a pair. D**n it. It’s so light like I wasn’t wearing a shoe at all. It was so @#&&+ comfortable. Ahhh! Now I need some justification for splashing 200 plus ringgit for a pair of plastic shoe.

But it’s plastic? Nope! This one came with a canvass upper.

But it’s ugly? Hmmmm… this isn’t exactly the ugly one.

And so once again I wear a pair of plastic shoe. And I am walking happily….. ever after.