What were these  elegant and the high-quality made black model shoes? They were made on  special-order from the soul and with a feeling of appreciation  presented to me by the masters of one of the factories of sewing the personal clothing,  in the city Zheshov of the Polish People's Republic. There we were invited for a visit after successful operations of the heaviest craniocerebral injuries, produced to two local plodders, who built the vegetable storages in Donbass and, who, having slightly overimbibed, by chance, fell from the construction scaffolding. After visiting Poland at the invitation of the administration of this construction company, we were given affection and gifted by them from the soul and living conditions, with organization of nourishment (only in  restaurants!), and by entertainments and by excursions through entire Poland. By including made urgently to order were taken here measure outstanding model shoes for me and the manager of the neurosurgical department, invitations together with me to visit. 

 I carried at first these shoes to the discharge of new, put on them on special occasions. Then they transferred  into the discharge of working foot-wear, and, after being gathered into the journey around different cities, it put on, as the reliable and strong foot-wear, will not deceive. It, it seemed, to removal it will not be. But mistake left, and I counted, after forgetting, that  everything sooner or later comes to an end. True, these shoes proved to be special. Usually growing old foot-wear like anything else, shows some warning signs. The signs of the obsolescence appear at it: worn-out condition, rents, thinning, bend, wrinkle on the leather foot-wear. Holes can appear. Wears down at the heels and the sole is rubbed, It can lag and "request porridge", as they speak. But this did entirely not exist. And I left in these shoes. And not somewhere intu a small neglected town [Khatsapetovku] or even into Odessa, not into Haifa or Tel Aviv, but into London, into the capital of the Misty Albion!

 And here  is the boundary into an  excellent solar day, rare for these rainy days, after being detached away from the group for the purpose of desired shopping, I proved to be almost in the center of Oxford- Street. This commercial Mecca of London where are  located  its most famous stores. By such as Selfridges with its famous hours of “Queen time” on the facade - by the residency card of entire Oxford- Street, “the dear family department store of Great Britain”, as is called Debenhams and others. True, the most known to tourists department store of Harrods, owners of which is the sadly known family Mohammed al -[Fayed], forever connected with princess Diana's name, is located not far off to Knightsbridge, but by the motto of the department store it would be possible to consider the motto of all stores of this street “by all, to each and absolutely all”. In any case, for me there was all, which was urgently necessary by me. And immediately, since my sudden misfortune was in its own way tragicomic, and the position seemed hopeless.

 I felt at some moment that the toes of my foot, I do no longer recall which - right or  left, but this is not so important, they proved to be free from the foot-wear, and they became cool. After casting a look downward, I saw, that the foot is located at angle to the shoe that they were seemingly radiated by the letter “V”. Nose edge, glory to the God, were entire, but I was discouraged by that happening and for the first time in so many years I muttered something bad at the address of my dear foot-wear. Although to be scolded by mat on Oxford- Street it would not be worthwhile, I hope that no one caught or simply understood clearly Russian language. Visualize, as appears an elderly gentleman on the pavement of the populous street of London city, that stands in the torn shoes and scolding  bad words. First of all it prevents progressive advance on the populous pavement. By the way, for slow pedestrian traffic on Oxford- Street authorities in 2001 made a sensational statement about the penalty of 10 pounds from the guilty. I do not know if  this warning has been carried out, but they went around me silently and they did not call policemen . But which was made to me, did I think , costing, as basketball player with the ball in the hand or it is more accurate almost without the shoe on the foot? What Passage!

After moving to some metallic enclosure before the store by back forward, without tearing off shoes from the asphalt or tile, also I do not remember, until it is rested, after leaning about, or after being forced against it, I attempted to fill the forward section of the foot back in shoes, which succeeded and it viewed. And it thought: to take cab and to rush into the hotel did  not make sense, since there were besides slippers  no other  foot-wear  waiting, but facing still half of the days of a stay and heap of the outlined excursions. It means, it is necessary to find a shoe store and  urgently buy foot-wear. But for the accomplishment of this objective it proved to be sufficient to cast a look to the building behind itself. Mystical agreement! Before me there was enormous store with the enormous eloquent signboard on the facade and with the foot-wear in his shop windows of every kind. There I, happily, was dragged through on the pavement. If not this agreement, then I must, probably tie up the sole, as peasants of my native land in the old - old years tied up bast sandals. Interestingly, no matter by what I could make then?There would be a big task. But it was not required. 

 In the store to me rushed using and everything immediately, together  in the clean English, " very  intelligible " to me language, they asked: - " How can we help you ? " - “What you will deign to purchase?” To what I easily transferred mentally these phrases, understanding them authentically and immediately. As the answer I also, “on the custom of Englishmen”, silently showed on, the protruding from the yawning mouth of the former shoe, part of the foot and in the “refined” and, it goes without saying, “irreproachable” English itself (approximately, by such, as  I talk with Hans, when I please ask Valerie to the telephone) said (with a certain labor, truth) that are necessary not expensive, but convenient foot-wear in order to be packed in the chosen for the purchases available. The latter I did not say, but he thought about itself.

 Already for several years I burden in summer the present English  chamois shoes with the belt, convenient and beautiful. Elegant and not expensive - 25 pounds , then approximately 150 shekels. But my Polish shoes, which me thus brought in the very center of the capital of Great Britain, on Oxford- Street, accurately (they nevertheless served properly sufficiently time) packed in the box from my new shoes and negligently it lowered into the basket for the garbage. The salesmen, who attended me, mysteriously smiled. It is white-toothed and it is affable…