Before I get into this story, let me explain two things that might not make much sense otherwise.

1.       People outside of the states are generally very quiet. They don’t yell or cause a scene unless something is wrong. Here in Coleraine, people stick to that rule. They walk close to their friends in order to talk with them, they are soft-spoken when talking with strangers and anything else is not normal.

2.      On Sundays, the town is basically deserted. Not much is open in town except the library (for only a few hours) and the Starbucks (the happenin’ place to be on Sunday) so most people don’t have a reason to actually be in town.

It was a beautiful fall day and I was making my merry little way into town when I noticed the shoe. Now, this wasn’t just any shoe…it was a wee pink, baby shoe that was just sitting on the sidewalk all on its lonesome. I mentally cooed over the little shoe as I passed by it and promptly moved on with my life. I continued to make my way into town, minding my own business, when I noticed a young couple pushing a stroller with a child inside. I instantly thought back to the shoe and wondered, ‘Could they have lost the shoe?’  I have spent my fair share of time around kids and I know how easily a shoe or a stuffed animal gets lost, so I naturally wanted to help them.

 I briskly made my way up the sidewalk in hot pursuit of the couple and checked out the child’s feet as I approached them. One foot was only wearing a purple sock, the other had a shoe that was identical to the discarded shoe a few meters back. I summoned up the courage, put on a friendly smile and spoke.

 “Excuse me, I think your child lost a shoe back there. I noticed a shoe that looked just like the one she is wearing on the ground over there.”

 “NO. No, no, no, no, no, no, NO.”

 “Um, wha-“

 “NONONONONO no no no no no.”

“Oh, I’m sor-“

“NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. nononononono!”

“SORRY, I guess I was wrong.” I blushed and ran into the Starbucks up the street, listening to couple continue to repeat a loud chorus of ‘no’s’ behind me. I was absolutely mortified because I was just trying to help and instead I had been the cause of the biggest scene I have ever seen in the middle of town.

I waited for another moment or two before I made my way out of the cafe. Looking around for the couple, in hopes to avoid them, I saw the wife sitting on a bench a meter or so away. She was waiting with her child for her husband to return with the discarded shoe.

I learned two things from that bizarre afternoon.

1. Sometimes, you’re going try and help people and they’re not going to want your help at all.
2. Starbucks is an excellent place to hide-out.