The Bureau of Dreams to be Continued by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview
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The Bureau of Dreams to be Continued
Page 483
Shoes
“The Custodian of Beginnings”
On the eve of his retirement, Harold dreamed of the shoe store.
It had been his first job; age sixteen, polyester vest, name tag that read H. Wiggins. But in the dream, the store had changed. It was no longer tucked between a laundromat and a defunct tuxedo rental outlet. It had become a cathedral of soles and arches, where shoes whispered their histories and laces tied themselves in reverence.
Harold wandered the aisles, each one labeled by decade; 1970s -Disco Loafers, 1980s - Rebellious High Tops, 1990s - The Age of Velcro. He passed a pair of sandals that once walked across a protest march, boots that had survived three winters and one divorce, and a child’s sneaker still echoing with playground laughter.
At the back of the store stood the Manager of Memory, a figure dressed in receipts and smelling faintly of bubblegum and floor wax.
“You’re here for your final audit,” the Manager said, handing Harold a clipboard made of old pay stubs.