Chinese New Year is just around the corner and the spring cleaning at home has began. The sun was scorching brightly that public holiday. An excellent day to air my shoes and rearrange the shoe cabinet. I took my faithful cleaners out and placed them at the front porch. Pair by pair of shoes came out from the rack.

There’s this particular shoe, my personal favorite. The last time it was worn was 3 years ago. It accompanied me to work every single day. I loved the shoe so much, my loyalty stuck by it, getting another pair for work would just mean betrayal. I took the pair out and it cried bitterly at me. It wasn’t worn out or gruffly looking, just tainted with dirt. It took me by surprise the condition of the shoe, so much so I felt sorry for it that it laid so many years in the cabinet untouched.

I remember the time I bought that shoe. It was when I received the job offer and with the first pay, I had extra cash to spend on myself. How sweet the moment was, as the shoe and I caught sight for months before it finally came home with me.


I started scrubbing using the detergent and the stains were still apparent. The years of dirt had sank so deep, I started to wonder, where on earth have I been to at work to have caught such silt on it. The brushing literally peeled the skin off my hands and yet the shoe still looked filthy. I could hear the others craving for my attention. As I looked behind my ears, I saw rows of shoes out in the sun. I sat there in my blue shorts and ruffled T-shirt, I got distracted. My collection amazed me. I started counting and oh my .. I have 22 pair of shoes! With the new pair I bought for Chinese New Year, my collection now stands grand at 23 pair.

Why do women have so many shoes? My friend has 120 pairs at home. So, I’m not THAT bad. *gulp*