New Shoes at 10.00 AM

No, I don't suffer from Selective Amnesia like the politicians nor from Short-term memory loss like Sanjay Ramaswamy. I can say this for sure, coz, I remember the trivia, birthdays and telephone numbers. But what skips my memory is that I have to call or wish people on their birthdays!! So, am noted very much for the absent mindedness.

My friends very well understand if I miss their birthdays. I usually call them the previous day, ask 'what plans for birthday?' - forget to call them ON the D-day - Sincerely call up the next day to convey my belated wishes!! And, this carelessness does not stop with forgetting birthdays..

I am very popular for misplacing things as well. I do spend on an average atleast 2 hours per week searching. Searching for Spectacles, car keys, wallet, employee-id, what not?! Though I misplace them, I never lose them. If anything lies around, people who know me would probably pick it up, with an assurance that it is going to be mine.

'Arai Kaasu Amman'*, at my house, by now, would have contracted diabetes!

Now, Why did I have to do this self-revelation? Why confess my weakness in public? All to answer krishis's question and to let you know, as promised, how did I get a new pair of shoes at 10.00 AM on a Monday morning.

Monday morning, got ready to work, started my car, waded thru heavy traffic, got into Tidel and parked my car. All was fine till then. Since, I have the habit of driving without my footwear, All i have to do is, wear it on, switch-off the radio, get off, lock the car and walk to work...

Now, where is my footwear? First, my feet did the search, I just moved it on the carpet expecting to hit on my shoes. As that attempt was futile, bent down, put my hand underneath and tried. Failed again. Got off at Tidel, bare-foot, bent down to see under the seat… No Shoes.. 'Yeah', told my brain, 'how can it be there? You took it out last night to go to the restaurant!!'

When such is the situation, what can I do? what are the possibilities?

1. Go to work bare-feet and set a trend.
It definitely would be exciting, but guess my company's dresscode policy does not allow that!

2. Ping some friends guys/girls and check if they have an extra pair of my size at work.
They would really think I am insane to expect them to have/bring a footwear at work. But, I still did it. Nobody did!

3. Check if one of them who lived nearby had an extra pair, that almost fit me.. and if that person was jobless on monday morning to come with me for shoe-sake.

4. Buy it from a nearby shop - But are shoe shops in Adyar open by 9.45 AM?

5. Go back home 13 kms, for Shoes! - What a way to start Monday morning!

However, I do know #4. is feasible. Coz, this is not the first time am in this situation. I have been through the same, sometime back and have bought from the nearby Bata Seconds showroom.

The shop had just opened, the shutters half up. I parked the car in front of the shop and bought a pair of slippers for Rs.170. The shopkeeper didn't bother to take a box out for me. He just billed and dropped the slipper down for me to wear!

* 'Arai Kaasu Amman' is the Deity to whom it is customary to pray when you lose something. There is a belief that She finds it for you and you just have treat her with some 'jaggery'. It has been true in most of my cases.