Short Stories: Sindy’s Perfect Shoes
They’re perfect!” said Sindy. True Look was Sindy’s favourite shop. In the window were the loveliest shoes that Sindy had every seen. They were a gorgeous shade of blue—the colour of the ocean—with a kitten heel and butterfly shaped buckles.
“They’ll look stunning with your pink party dress,” said Sindy’s friend Holly.
“Ooh, yes, they’ll look fab!” agreed Issy.
“You always manage to find that special item to complete your look,” added Jasmine. “I wish I had your sense of style!” Sindy had just bought a fabulous new dress for her birthday party. Sindy was organising some tasty food and drinks, and brilliant music and games. Most importantly, all Sindy’s friends were invited to share her special day. Everyone was buzzing with excitement, as Sindy’s parties were always great fun.
Sindy tried on the dainty pumps, which sparkled as she spun around. “They’re so comfy,” said Sindy, “I’ll be able to dance all night.”
But when she looked at the price, Sindy realised that she could not afford them. “I spent almost everything on this dress,” she said sadly.
“You could save up,” suggested Holly.
Sindy worked out how much pocket money she could save before the party. It was not enough.
“Maybe I could earn some money,” said Sindy, “but how?”
There was a man playing guitar and singing outside True Look. People were clapping and giving him change.
“Why don’t you sing outside the shops, like him?” suggested Jasmine.
“Ooh, yes Sindy, you’ve got a lovely voice,” added Issy.
“I don’t know,” said Sindy, doubtfully. “I would feel a bit silly bursting into song in the street!”
But Sindy decided that a little embarrassment was worth it. The following day she stood nervously outside True Look, as the shoppers hurried by. Sindy gulped, closed her eyes and started to sing her favourite song.
When she opened her eyes again, Sindy was amazed to find that a small crowd had gathered around her. When she finished the song people clapped and some dropped change into Sindy’s hat. Sindy breathed a sigh of relief and carried on singing.
Sindy’s busking was a success, but she still did not have quite enough money for the shoes. Over the next few days she worked hard, washing cars, babysitting and shopping for her elderly neighbours to earn a little more.
The day before her birthday, Sindy sat down and carefully counted up how much money she had. She was just one pound away from being able to buy the shoes of her dreams. Then she remembered that she always kept a pound at the bottom of her handbag, for emergencies. “I suppose this is kind of an emergency,” said Sindy, as she pulled out the shiny coin, “—a shopping emergency.”
Sindy put all the money into her purse and headed back to True Look.
She was really excited that she could finally purchase her perfect shoes. But she could not see them anywhere. “Can I help you, Miss?” asked the shop assistant, a smiling woman with colourful glasses. Sindy described the shoes.
“They’re very popular,” said the woman. “In fact, we sold the last pair yesterday.”
Sindy could not believe it.
“How about this sparkly hair-clip instead?” suggested the assistant.
The green clip would look great against Holly’s red hair, thought Sindy before deciding to buy it for her.
She decided to try Pop Shop for shoes. Maybe it would have a pair that would work with her dress. Pop Shop did have lots of shoes, but none were quite right. Sindy was about to leave when a daisy necklace caught her eye. “That would look fabulous on you,” said the assistant, a young man in a patterned shirt.
“It would suit my friend Jasmine better,” Sindy replied. She paid for the gift but left without any party shoes.
There was one more place to try. Sindy looked along the shelves in Cher’s Accessories. Sweet sandals, posh pumps, high heels, fluffy boots and sporty trainers were all lined up ready to try. “Ooh, so many gorgeous shoes,” squealed Sindy. “But, none are quite right…”
Then she spotted a rainbow bangle. Oh my, thought Sindy, this would look incredible on Issy. She paid for the bracelet, but, just as she was leaving, something caught her eye.
It was a pair of shoes. They were the right shade of blue with a small heel. They did not have butterfly buckles, and they were not as sparkly as the others, but they might just work…
“They’re cute, aren’t they?” said the young girl who worked there.
The shoes cost less than Sindy’s dream pair and were a perfect fit. But when she looked in her purse, Sindy discovered that she did not have enough money. She had spent most of her savings on gifts for her girlfriends.
“I’ll have to make do with an old pair after all,” said Sindy sadly.
She had arranged to meet her best pals at their favourite juice bar.
“You’ve had a successful shopping trip!” said Holly, eyeing up Sindy’s bags.
“Actually I just bought some pressies for my favourite friends,” said Sindy. They were so happy with their gifts that Sindy soon forgot all about the shoes.
On her birthday, Sindy put on her party dress, styled her hair and added some jewellery. Then she slipped her feet into an old pair of pumps, which she had customised with sequins and glitter. “They’re almost as good as my dream shoes, I suppose,” said Sindy.
Sindy greeted her guests and was thrilled with all her wonderful birthday presents. The last parcel was from Holly, Jasmine and Issy.
“We clubbed together to get something we think you’ll really like,” said Holly.
Sindy carefully undid the pink ribbon and peeled off the silver wrapping paper. Inside was a box. Sindy opened the lid. There, nestled inside some tissue paper, were Sindy’s dream shoes.
“Surprise!” said Holly, Issy and Jasmine. The friends had noticed that the shoes were selling fast, so they had secretly bought the last pair. “We didn’t want you to be disappointed,” said Issy.
Sindy hugged her friends and put on the beautiful new shoes. She looked stunning as she twirled around, and her shoes sparkled like diamonds.
“Thank you,” said Sindy, “I have the best friends ever!”
The girls held hands and headed for the dance floor.
“Come on,” said Sindy, “let’s party!”
THE END
By Alison Viña
