Cinderelly Cinderelly

You've probably noticed random things on the sidewalk: a coin, someone's underwear (how the heck does that happen?), receipts, etc. While preparing this blog, I found the blog Sad Stuff on the Street that documents the ridiculous things that end up alone on the sidewalk. An online magazine titled Found scans in random notes that the authors find on the ground or in the office. Almost like Post Secret but without the writers' permission...

Exhibit A: The lone shoe. 

Well, in Singapore, these sightings are rare because of the strict littering laws. The streets are normally immaculate and free of clutter. During my parents' walk down to the shopping mall, the noticed a shoe and an earring. The next day, the shoe and the earring were still there. And the following day too. No one had picked up the shoe or earring for the sake of keeping the street clean, so my parents took a picture of it. And in typical fashion, my mother decided to write a story about the owner of the shoe. Two stories, in fact - a love story and a wicked story, which are below.

The Love Story... 

Exhibit B: The single earring.

        Julie frowned in frustration as the traffic forced the taxi to stop again. She was already ten minutes late to her after work drink date with her boyfriend, Sam. She looked out the window as a gray rain dripped down the pane. Because of the downpour, traffic was backed up at least a mile. People on the sidewalk were buried in raincoats and umbrellas. Julie’s fingers tapped on her briefcase in despair. She was never going to get there. Finally she fished her cell phone out of her purse.

        “Look, Sam. I’m almost there,” she told him. “I’m wet, my hair is soaked, and I’m in wet sandals. I was totally surprised by this weather. The sun was shining when I got up! Now tell me again why I dragged myself out of the office and into this traffic? Okay, you say, it’ll all be worth it. Special? Well, it better be, buster. I’ll never get a taxi back in this rain.”

        She closed the phone, listening to the angry horns of the cars stuck in traffic. Looking through the window, she spotted a familiar sign-Café Orlin.
        "I’ll just get out here, how much?” Julie handed him the cash and slid out the door into the monsoon. Briefcase over her head, she weaved through the stopped cars until she finally came to the other side. But her sandal was a casualty as it slipped off as she tried to step over the curb. Julie pulled it up out the stream of water and shook it. She limped into the café carrying her dripping shoe.
        “At last,” she sighed as she sighted Sam who looked warm and dry at the table for two in the corner. His umbrella hung over his chair, the water forming a puddle at his feet. She plopped down in the seat, shoving the briefcase under the table. She put on her wet shoe.
        "What a day!” she complained. “I almost told you to forget it, Sam. I was so overwhelmed with all that office chaos and the new inventory system we have to implement. I didn’t expect to be free until late tonight. But my boss said we all needed a break. He told me to get out of here-it’s Friday night after all. I sure hope that’s for me.”
         Sam smiled and pushed the tall strawberry daiquiri toward her. She clung to the frosty glass taking a large sip on the straw. “Yum.”
        “Drink up my dear and relax. You made it. It’s the start of the weekend and this is your favorite restaurant. I am the love of your life or so you’ve told me so everything is good!”
        “Yes, it is,” Julie agreed and reached up to push her wet hair out of her face. “Oh no,” she said, “First I almost lost my sandal in this Noah’s deluge and now I discover my silver earring is gone. It must have fallen out on the sidewalk.”
        “Or in the taxi or under your desk at work. Don’t worry, I’ll get you a new pair.”
        “But Sam, they were a gift from my sister-“
        “Jul, you’re killing my mood here. Finish your drink. Then we’ll order dinner. I’ve got some news to discuss.”
        Julie took another sip of the daiquiri. She leaned back in her chair. “Good news, I hope.”
        “Depends on how you look at it. Dave came to see me to tell me I got that promotion I was up for. I am now the senior manager.”
        “That’s great, Sam. You certainly earned it. I’m so proud of you!”
        “I start in two weeks. The trouble is the job has moved to Boston.” Julie’s face registered shock. She frowned.
        “You’re moving?”
        “Got to go where the money is,” Sam said, matter-of-factly.
        “But what about us? I thought we were going to move in together!”
        “In the short term, I can take the train home every weekend to see you. In the long term-“ Sam reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small blue velvet box. He slid it over to her. Julie’s eyes grew large. Trembling, she grasped the box and opened it.
        “Oh my God!” she shouted. Heads turned. She glazed down at the diamond ring.
        Sam was suddenly on one knee at her side. ‘Julie, will you marry me?” he asked.
        “Of course I will!” People clapped as Sam slipped the ring on her finger.

        Sam opened the cab door but Julie suddenly stopped and reached down to retrieve her silver earring on the payment. “Got it!” she shouted holding her fist up truimphfully.
        “I can’t park here, lady. Get in or I’m going,” the driver yelled. Sam motioned her to get in. Happy, Julie stooped and slid across the seat. Her leg, however, did quite follow at the same speed and her sandal fell off again, this time out the door.
        “Hey, my shoe!” she protested but it was too late. Sam was in beside her and the door was shut. The taxi rolled away.

        Two months later the engaged couple entered the Café Orlin once again. The staff, recognizing the couple, came over to catch up on the wedding plans and wish them well.
        “By the way,” Julie asked them, “Did anyone find a black sandal after I left. I lost one getting into the cab that night.”
        “Yes, we did,” a waitress exclaimed as he dashed away to the kitchen. He returned with Julie’s shoe. “We have been looking for Cinderella ever since you left.”
        “Allow me.” Sam reached down, slipped off her current shoe, and replaced it with the black sandal. “You’re my Cinderella,” he declared.
        “And you’re my handsome prince.” They kissed. The staff cheered.

The Wicked Story
         Jim stood at the doorway of Café Orlin on the corner of 6th Street in the pouring rain.  He decided to go because first, he had to get out of the rain and wind. November storms in New York City were brutal. Second, he was hoping to run into his sister Suzy who often came here for her favorite pasta.  Jim stood inside the door, shaking the rain out of his hair and coat. The hostess started in his direction but he pointed to the back. Sure enough, his sister was sitting at the table in corner with her laptop and compact open.  The remains of a meal sat stacked up on the table. She was just finishing her makeup when Jim plopped down in the empty seat across of her. He startled her.
        “Jim, what are you doing here?” She snapped her compact shut and closed her laptop. “I’m working.”
        “I know. That’s why I’m here. We never finished our discussion about this work of yours. You keep walking out. I’m here to talk some sense into you.”
        “Jim, give it a rest.” She slipped her laptop into her bag. “We’ve been over this a hundred times. I’m laid off. No one is hiring, and the rent is due. Gayle is doing me a favor by letting me learn the escort business. I told you, it isn’t permanent. Just till I get back on my feet.”
       “I know what you said and I don’t trust this Gayle person. Once you start down the road of prostitution-“
       “Oh come on, Jim. I’m an escort, not a prostitute. I don’t stand on the corner. I have a web site. It’s all perfectly legal. There’s no pimp. I’m an independent person in all this. Now run along, Jim. I’m meeting someone in five minutes.”
       Jim took her hand. “For God’s sake, sis. I’ve got a bad feeling about all this. Come on home with me and I’ll support you until the right job comes along. You don’t have to do this.”
       A car honked outside and Suzy got up. “Crap,” she said ignoring Jim. “I lost my earring. Oh well. Look, I’ll call you later. That’s my client. Go home, Jim”
       Suzy disappeared out the door before Jim could speak again. She spied the Blue Honda at the curb and dashed toward the open door. As she stooped down, she glanced at the driver.
       “You? What are doing here?” she uttered before the driver yanked her violently into the car. She started to scream and fight, but her cries were covered by the rain and howling wind. A right hook to the jaw ended her struggle against the attacker and he reached across her limp body to shut the door. Her foot still hung over the edge of lip of the door and as he pulled it into the car, her black sandal slipped off and disappeared under the car.
       “Oh well,” her date said and drove off into the storm.  A few minutes later Jim appeared. He raced through the rain to the subway entrance and never saw the shoe. He was going home to wait for her phone call.

       The next morning, Sid Goldstein, was outside the Café Orlin sweeping the sidewalk. Branches, leaves, twigs, and mud littered the walk. Sid was the day shift dishwasher but he always swept before they opened for breakfast. Ben, the morning waiter walked by, and waved.
       “Hell of a storm last night, wasn’t it?” Ben remarked. “Good thing you were off. You missed all that commotion. Traffic was backed up for miles.”
       Sid nodded. He didn’t speak much. A professional dishwasher of sorts, Sid had moved to New York City from Atlantic City. Before that, he had enjoyed Phoenix and Albuquerque. Large crowds were easy to hide in. Dish washing was just a way to pay for the gas for the Honda. Driving out to Long Island every weekend was expensive. But that was where his real job was.
       Then he saw the shoe standing right on the curb where she must have dropped it last night. What a prize. He glanced around to make sure he was alone and then hugged it to his chest. Later he found her silver loop earring by the door. He couldn’t wait to go home to place these trophies beside his others, next to the clips of hair, rings, and scarves.  He would treasure them always.
       Detective Smith was supervising the removal of four bodies found in the bush right off Gilgo Beach on Long Island. He watched as the ETs carried the last body, covered with a blanket, toward the ambulance parked some distance away.
       “Serial killer, huh?” Office Smith stood beside him, filling out information on a report.
       “Probably. Similarities to the Albuquerque and Atlantic City killings. Assaulted, strangled, and then dumped in a remote location. He continues until finally someone stumbles across the bodies or gets away. Then he moves on.”
       One of ETs suddenly went down on one knee in the soft sand. The body slide half way off the gurney and a black sandal fell at the detective’s feet. He gingerly picked it up using his pen and placed it back on the gurney as the ETs struggled to secure the body. He noticed that the victim’s other foot was missing the corresponding shoe. Perplexed, he looked at the ETs.
       “There was only one shoe, honest,” one answered. “One earring too.”
       The detective nodded. “Somewhere out there is a black sandal that belongs to this poor woman, and some bastard knows exactly where it is and he’s no Prince Charming. We already have Cinderella.”