I was in a hurry but I needed to get one of my sandals mended – again! Maybe my mom is right – there is something wrong in the way I walk. But I like to believe that the pavor blocks - that the sidewalks are made up of all over the city - are the real culprits!

Anyways, so I barged into the first cobbler’s that I saw on the way. The guy took one look at my broken sandal and said “We don’t mend the broken thumb part of the shoe early in the morning”! I was so surprised that I didn’t even say “huh?” :-) I am positive I just gaped at him like an idiot - with my mouth open wide enough to walk an entire herd of elephants through. This custom might be universal in the cobbler world so I didn’t bother stopping at any of the other roadside ones.

It was evening when I finally handed over my sandal to another cobbler and stood up on one leg feeling (and I am sure, also looking!) like an idiot. I wondered for a brief moment if I should ask this chap about the custom that I heard about in the morning. But then, if by any chance he wasn’t aware of it, I didn’t want him giving back my sandal saying he doesn’t mend looney bins’ sandals (broken anywhere!) in the evenings ;-)