#PathsWalked

Those old red sneakers got me
staring at them again,
as they hid away sneakily in a corner of
the shoe rack.
I can't seem to wear any other pair
other than these, which they seem
to know, and quietly wait in anticipation
for me to pick them.

My dad
bought me this red Adidas pair
last Christmas as a
birthday gift, despite my mom's protests
of these being expensive.
He knew how much I wanted them without
even having to explain it to him.
It was the best Christmas
of my life, because sadly, after a few
months, the celebration was not the same
with his absence still lingering.

I remember how much I
loved showing these red shoes to my friends
in college, wearing them everywhere -
for events, for celebrations and according
to my mother, her last straw was
when I wore them at a relative's
wedding! She'd call my dad totally annoyed
and would complain on how he has
spoiled his little girl. He would chuckle
and proudly exclaim that I'm truly his
daughter! Not afraid to be different,
bold and opinionated just like he is.

Those red pairs maybe old and torn,
but they hold a lot of memories.
We weren't well-to-do, but we made it work, until my father landed a job abroad,
leaving us to afford a
few finer things in life.
I would miss him dearly, now that he
would work from so far away.
Playing games together
in the evenings along with
other kids on our neighborhood
street, his lame dad jokes and fun
personality was deeply missed.

Although, I knew this was only
temporarily, for he would be
back soon.
As soon as they were bought,
I vividly remember wearing
them to a mini hike that
my dad and I took in the nearby woods surrounded by a small but beautiful
lake.

After a few moments of talking,
he looked at the ADIDAS
acronym on one of
my shoe, looked at me and said,
"Do you know what that acronym
stands for?"
I nodded yes, but he stopped me
before I could say anything and
quickly said,
"All Day I Dream About Shania.
Why should it be sports? Put my
princess's name on there."
He said like the proud father that he is.

I looked at him shaking my
head with a smile and said,
"You do realise that sounds a bit
creepy, right?" He scrunched his brows
for a moment, finally understanding
what I meant and we both laughed at it.

Who knew this would be the last time
I would ever get to
spend time with him?
My only regret was not telling him
enough about how much of an
amazing dad he was.
Now, as I stand on the podium
all dressed up in my graduation attire
waiting to receive my final certificate,
I look at my red shoes with a sad smile
and then at the sky,
knowing that my
dad is beaming with joy,
and as the camera flashes continue,
I silently pray that he may walk
his path into eternal exuberance that has no end, and that one day, we may both meet again.
© Shania(Shazeel)