Emilio's Shoe Challenge

As soon as we got home, I took the shoe box out of the bag. My heart thumped a bit louder than usual as I lifted the cover and took out my new Complex shoes.

“Emilio, are you sure you’ll like these plain, black shoes?” my mother asked with a slight frown. “We can always return them if you change your mind.”

“Mom, they are the coolest shoes I ever had! Everybody at school has Complex shoes.” I looked at the sole of each shoe, and verified once more they were the right size.

“But they have laces,” Mom said.

A shadow passed over me. For the first time in ten years, I owned shoes with laces. I would have to learn to tie them – fast!

“Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll practice all weekend. It’s not that hard… is it?”

I shivered at the thought of going to school on Monday morning without having learned to tie my shoes. Once people found out, they were sure to tease me for the rest of the school year! I told everyone I was getting new shoes over the weekend, just to stop them from making fun of the stinky old shoes I was wearing.

I sat in a comfy chair, pushed my glasses up my nose, and got to work. First, make a loop… I tried hard to remember what I learned in kindergarten, years ago. … Then you go around… The shoe laces seemed too short to go all around the loop.

Attracted by my grunting and heavy sighs, my mother came to my rescue.

“Let me show you once or twice, Mil. You’ll get the hang of it.”

I looked very closely as my mother did and undid perfect loops several times, explaining each step as she demonstrated them.

“Okay, I think I got it,” I said, grabbing the laces from her and hurrying through the steps as to not forget them.

I got to the part when you push the second loop through, and got confused. Where does the second loop go – in here? The whole thing fell apart, and I immediately tried again. And again. And yet again.

I felt my face turn slightly red as I tried for the seventeenth time. Even a five-year-old kid can do that, I thought. What’s with me?

I wiped an imaginary dust from my right eye and slumped in my chair. I didn’t find the courage to try again until the next evening. Meanwhile, I wore my stinky old shoes with tattered laces and one of the inside doublings missing.

After dinner, I took off my old shoes and slipped into my Complex shoes. I didn’t try tying them right away; I started daydreaming. Maybe my luck will change now that I have decent shoes. Maybe I won’t be the last one picked when we divide into teams in gym. Maybe I can just wear my old shoes for one more week, while I learn to tie my new ones.

My thoughts were interrupted by a growling noise. I craned my neck to see what my dog was up to. To my horror, the little rascal was chewing up my old shoes! He disappeared out of view, carrying what was left of my right shoe.

“Oh, great!” I muttered, feeling my face gradually turn hot. “Now I have no choice but to learn.” A calm determination suddenly took me over. I pushed my glasses up and set to work.

After what seemed to me like a hundred tries, I finally started getting the hang of it. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t, but I was making progress! I tried again and again until I got it right almost every time.

I showed up at school on Monday morning, sleepy-eyed and grinning.

“Your shoes are untied,” I told Hans, hoping he would notice my new shoes.

Hans blushed slightly. “I know,” he said. “I like them that way.” He looked at my perfectly tied shoes, then looked away.

I smiled and punched Hans’s shoulder lightly. “If I could learn, everybody can,” I said softly. Then I walked away in my new Complex shoes, proud of having outsmarted the most popular guy in the class.