A Boy's Unspoken Wish: Granted

The big shoe and bag sale at the Mega Trade Hall lured Garrett, my sister Jen and myself last Saturday. I'd say shopping for the Holidays has been staved off a bit. There wasn't a big crowd when we went. Well, judging from the ease by which we looked around for the items we wanted and how well we were attended by sales crew, it didn't yet quite feel like it was just a month to Christmas. It comforts me in a way surmising that Filipinos have the right reasons to cut back on their usual Christmas shopping madness. 

We went there with two pairs of shoes in mind - canvass shoes for Garrett and rubber shoes for my mother. Garrett is now in his pre-teen years, and gives more attention to shoes over clothes. He has simple tastes. I knew he had been for many months now eyeing easy slip-on canvass shoes. But like the good, simple child that he is, he doesn't really ask for stuff (save for books, that is). It's me who feels that we have been depriving him way too much. He had to wear out his previous pair of Puma shoes for more than two years until they had to be retired due to outgrown size. His dad made him wait several months before buying him a replacement at a super sale price, bought from a factory outlet. His sandals, which he needs to wear with his ethnic attire at school every Wednesday, are already small, with his toes and heels peering out at both ends. But he's not complaining. 

And so, the shoe sale over at SM Megamall last Saturday was a chance for me to make my little man happy. We arrived past 2pm. The crowd was thin. There was quite a number of participating brands including several that I have only encountered for the first time. Garrett had something in mind but he is as picky as his dad. After over an hour checking out all the brands, he went back to the first one he initially wanted, and tried three different styles, and then finally settled on a pair of faded black canvass shoes, which were exactly what I liked, too. There was Garrett, giddy with joy, and couldn't hide that he was overly happy with his purchase. He didn't bother to remove them anymore. He proudly wore them right there and then, almost skipping as he walked. His outgrown sandals went home in the box instead. Seeing him that way, crazy happy, made me really happy as well. It was worth every hard-earned peso (of his dad).  :-)