Rain and Wooden Clogs

 

RAIN AND WOODEN CLOGS by D . P Pa aulo D i zon (Summary)

  It was raining hard. The streets were filthy and muddy, and in our neighborhood, they were submerged almost knee  –  deep   deep in water. There was no promise of a sunny day for many days, and now it was raining hard again. Rain or shine, I had to be in school. Miss Santos, my teacher in English had warned me that there was no excusing in school or my coming in dirty clothes and in wooden clogs, like I did the previous day. I had promised Miss Santos and the class in general that I would come to school in presentable attire and wear shoes instead of wooden clogs. It made me feel very low when I made that  promise. Miss Santos had a very cruel way of making her pupils promise, especially those she did not like at all. She made you feel ashamed of yourself, whether you deserve it or not. But now, it was raining hard and because I did not have a raincoat, I was wet through and through. I hugged my pair of shoes… I mean my cousin Martin’s… against my breast ins ide y  polo shirt to prevent them the m from getting wet. My cousin Martin had lent them to me because he felt sorry for me when I told my father and my mother the previous day that I was home from wearing wooden shoes. My father had threatened to stop my school if I could not go to school in wooden clogs. When I left our house, my clothes were still fresh and clean, although patched up in some parts,  but now they were w ere wet and soiled, and I could not help feeling bitter. I had ha d intended to make a good showing in class that day. I had planned to come in class freshly dressed and with shoes on. I was very well prepared for recitation, and I was sure none could beat me that day. But, I fekt very bad about the rain, and my getting wet, and our being so poor that I could not go to class in good warm clothes and in my own shoes. I was late by five minutes. Everybody turned toward the door when I entered the door. I found it very hard to walk with my cousin Martin’s Martin’s shoes because they were a bit too long, but tight around my toes. Miss Santos mockingly called my name with her ominous frown darkening face. She ordered me to go out and get an excuse slip.