Contest alert- All in one contest W45 : The Shoes That Never Came.
At precisely six-thirty every day, Ethan, who was ten years old, would be sitting on the broken concrete step outside his parents' little apartment waiting for his father to get back home.
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He could recognize the sound of the motorbike of his father way before it approached their road. The engine of the motorbike would sputter, rattle, and whine just like the tired man that rode it. Ethan always ran to the fence eagerly every time, wishing that his father would come out of the bike smiling.
At times he did.
More often than not, he didn’t.
His father took on two jobs, construction during the day and working security at a warehouse three nights a week. His mother sewed clothes at home until her hands were sore, sometimes until after midnight to complete the orders for customers.
But there always wasn’t enough.
That particular Saturday, Ethan noticed the shoes that his father wore to work. The sole of the shoes had been almost completely separated from the leather.
"Father, why don’t you purchase new boots?" Ethan said.
His father looked down and chuckled softly.
"They can still walk."
This was a response that stuck with Ethan.
A few days later, Ethan came back home from school with some news.
"Dad! We need new sports shoes for our athletics tournament. Everyone is supposed to have their white running shoes."
“How much are they?”
Ethan talked about the cost.
His dad nodded.
“We’ll see.”
That phrase was so reassuring.
But that same evening, Ethan woke up thirsty.
He was walking to the kitchen when he heard his parents whispering.
“If we buy those shoes,” his mom whispered, “we won’t have enough for the electric bill.”
"No, no! We can't allow him to miss this competition," answered his father.
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"I know... but you have been wearing worn out boots for months."
"They can wait."
"They've been waiting already."
Silence fell into the room.
Then, Ethan heard something that he had never heard before.
His father sighed.
"No matter how many years I may walk in torn boots, if our child gets the chance that we never had, then all blisters are justified."
Silently, Ethan went back to bed before they even realized he was awake.
He finally understood for the very first time that all of those "we'll figure it out" statements actually came at a price that he never realized before.
In the next week, his father returned from work with a little shopping bag.
Inside the bag were white sneakers.
"They’re perfect," Ethan cried.
His father smiled.
"Go and try them on."
They fitted just perfectly.
Ethan gave him a big hug.
But his father only smiled more.
The old boots were still on his father’s feet.
They were further apart from each other.
The day of competition came.
Parents filled the stands of the track and cheered their children on.
At the sound of the whistle, Ethan sprinted like never before.
Not for the medals.
Not for the applause.
Just to show that at every step he remembered the boots his father was still wearing.
Ethan was the winner.
The children congratulated him.
The teacher congratulated him too.
But Ethan went straight to his parents.
The medal was presented to his father.
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"It is for you."
His father laughed.
"No son, you deserve it."
Ethan shook his head.
"Only wore the shoes."
His father seemed puzzled.
"You walked more miles than me."
Ethan's mom used to quietly wipe away her tears.
Life went on.
Many years later.
Without birthday gifts.
Without vacations.
Even without school excursions as his parents saved money on books.
She kept saying, "Someday you will know."
And he used to say, "I already do."
But he did not.
Not yet.
It was only after he finished university that he fully realized it.
On his graduation day, he scanned the crowd until he saw his parents.
His mother's hands were coarse due to many years of sewing.
His father's back was bent due to many years of lifting bricks and cement.
Their hair was grey before their time.
Instantly, Ethan remembered all the little things that made his childhood what it was.
His father pretending that he was not hungry so Ethan could have the last piece of chicken.
His mother stitching old school uniforms so carefully that no one would know that they had been stitched.
The many nights spent pretending that everything was alright but really worrying about paying for rent and food for the next day.
As his name was called out, Ethan got his degree.
Applause rang out.
His teachers smiled.
Camera flashes illuminated the scene.
Yet Ethan knew that the diploma bore three names, not one.
His.
His mother’s.
His father’s.
On that night, he gave the framed diploma to both of them.
His father smiled proudly.
“You deserved this.”
Ethan shook his head slightly.
“No.”
He looked at his father’s worn hands and his mother’s weary eyes.
“I just attended the class.”
“Both of you have paid for this.”
His mother started crying.
His father looked away, pretending to gaze at the beautiful evening sky.
Many years down the line, Ethan was successful enough to afford a comfortable house for his parents.
He repaired the leaky roof, settled all the bills that were pending, and finally convinced his father to throw away those boots which he had been using for nearly two decades.
Holding them one last time, Ethan came to realize that they were no ordinary boots.
They were years of early mornings.
Numerous missed meals.
Silent fears.
Crushed dreams that were traded in exchange for better times.
Ethan’s father had to struggle in order to allow his son to struggle forward towards success.
It is then that Ethan learned the biggest secret of parenting.
The parents do not usually tell their kids to see how much they have sacrificed. All they do is give without expecting anything in return, hoping that someday they grow taller than themselves. The struggles of the parents may be hidden behind their usual daily life, unpaid bills, torn clothes, and smiling faces. There is no better way for the child to show appreciation for what his parents have done for him but by becoming a grateful, responsible and compassionate human being. For the parents, there is nothing more satisfying than seeing their kids grow into good human beings.
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