“What goes around- really goes around...”
from the film Fallen.
I'm walking home, it's early afternoon on Saturday, and it's oven hot...the road is beginning to melt, and my sunscreen and sweat are conspiring to blind me, dripping away, offering little protection to my reddening skin...
There's a man who looks to be resting, standing in the shade of a tree on the footpath. His basket of coconuts is on the ground. I walk past and smile, but it's another 10 meters before I register his bare feet. You could fry bacon on the concrete footpath.
I'm wearing sneakers- they're hot, but keep the ever-present flies off a scratch on my foot, and save me rolling an ankle on the hill home. So, I take my worn black rubber thongs from my bag- hand them to the guy, we smile, and he pops them on, shoulders his coconuts and continues his walk. It's time I bought some new ones.
An hour later I reach the waterfall and reservoir at the bottom of Mt Vaea- still a further half hour walk from home. The heat hasn't relented and I seek refuge in the deserted, icy, semi-shaded pool. After a minute or two, I reach for a rubbery piece of rubbish floating near the bank. It's a black thong- my size. A quick investigation finds its partner. They're slightly less worn than my last pair. I slip them on, bagging my shoes and walk home.
Same day, mid afternoon, and three, six-week old puppies who have appropriated my deck welcome me home all tails, teeth and tongues. I play for a bit, until they tire- I feed them and head inside for something cold.
An hour later I walk out, to find the puppies asleep, and my newly acquired black rubber footwear... in more than the customary two pieces...
Some days karma works overtime.
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