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Shoe Man-gel
By admin | November 15, 2007
He had repaired my shoes for years. He worked so hard, and made even the shoes that should have been fed to the dumpster look magnificent. Favorites I couldn’t part with, he restored. Looking forward to the familiar smell of leather, polish, his accent and welcoming mannerisms made my day. Nothing ever seemed to rattle him as he lovingly made the whole neighborhood’s shoes new again. Several months ago, the person who does alterations wasn’t in. Needing a dress fixed immediately, of course, he got the straight pins out and did his best to mark out the seams correctly. His fingers gingerly pushed the pins through the fabric, focused, but slightly uncertain. Can you hear a rolling “r”? That is how I remember him asking if it was “allrrright?” He had no problem switching “hats” to help me out, what ever it took. That’s more than service. That’s man-gel bred service.
Shamefully, I only learned his name at our last visit. Turns out, it is Avak.
Never would have guessed that one! How perfect that he has such a distinctive lable. Avak is part of the tapestry of my life. A beautiful thread that brings me a larger sense of family, of community. Each time I drive by his location, I smile because I know he’s there with hundreds of shoes that will once again protect innumerable feet on this walk of life because him. Because of Avak, our shoe man-gel.
Topics: Uncategorized, family of community |