Chapter 47 - New Shoes

           With our trip to Poas, we stopped first at a “Zapata” store by the Banco National.  That is a shoe store for Gringos.  The display showed a great variety of shoes from the States.  Melaney needed a new pair of sport’s shoes.  The pair she left behind was ready for the trash.  The only mishap was, she trashed them with her orthotic inserts still inside.  I heard her talking on Skype to her sister last evening, and I was sure that was what she said.  It was correct….Not right, but correct.  I thought she was without a shoe insert, but she has another one here with her as well as two for dress shoes.  That’s a good thing, otherwise she says she would be walking on the sides of her ankles. (My ankles are my one weakness. I get that from Grandma --Mel)

            I saw a sandal that would replace the ones that I wear every day.  I buy mine in the men’s department.

            It was hilarious trying to explain to the girl, who had absolutely no English, that Melaney wanted them to measure her foot.  I don’t think they had the gear for foot measurement. We couldn’t get the message across in our limited Spanish. The girl had to bring out three pair in the style that Melaney picked.  She had worn that brand before, and knew it had a long lasting sole.

            In the meantime, I was speaking with the other girl in the store, and had her bring out the next size to the shoe on the display rack.  She brought that out, and I tried it on.  It was a very good fit.

            Now we had two pair of new shoes.  We had the girls take them out of the boxes. We don’t need the boxes.  I was a great collector of boxes in Canada, but here I don’t really collect anything.  The girl asked for something, I am not sure of the word, but I told Melaney it must be the credit card.  When Melaney took that out of her money belt, the girl smiled, so I know that was what she was wanting. (At the same time I produced my new Costa Rican driver's license to prove that I am not a Gringa to be taken advantage of --Mel)

            It was just a fraction under a hundred dollars.  After the bank in Canada takes it’s pound of flesh for monetary transfer, we can pay it out of the Canadian account by way of the internet.  Internet banking is terrific.

            As we were leaving the store, the girls were chuckling to each other.  They think they did a fine sales job, I think, but we really just saw what we wanted and managed to get the word to them to go and fetch.  I was teasing the younger girl.  I know the words for torn pants and she had on a pair of jeans that was shredded up the front of the legs.  I told her she should get a needle and thread.  She just grinned. The words for torn pants are “rompe pantalones”.  I think she got most of her grin from my use of a Spanish expression.  I am getting a little more familiar with the written words, but I will probably not learn to hear the words when they are spoken.  We will communicate somehow.  By the time I am here a year or two, I will be able to speak enough so they can understand my wishes.  At least, we left two girls with smiles on their faces.