I tossed on my old Billabong sandals to go to Batman's last night. It's a long walk but a pretty one and frankly it's the time of year when my feet are black perpetually and everyone starts complaining. A good scrub helps nothing and so I wear shoes now while I wait for the dirt to fade.
And the scars but wearing shoes honestly isn't going to help my heart look better. It's ruined and painted over, a pretty pink shade with a glossy finish. Good enough, they said, and pushed me back out into the world.
I made it through the evening, dinner, the movie (did not stay awake but it seemed pretty good) and then the walk home with Lochlan, who came for the end of the film and to collect me. Couldn't feel the ground the whole way home and then woke up with my foot throbbing painfully at four in the morning. Which, oh well, because my glasses are on Lochlan's night table, my phone is on Ben's, the actual medical magnifying glass we have is downstairs in the kit and the whole house is paused on silent.
I swallowed two Advil (I hope they were Advil) and went back to bed, looked at my foot in the morning and there was a bunch of little deep cuts in one spot where my heel begins. Fucking HURTS. I figured I dried them out on the sand, salt, water, lack of attention, whatever and then I threw on those flip flops again to go do some gardening and there's the pain again. I sat down and there was a sharp rock wedged in the sole of the shoe, poking right up into my foot. Black tusk after the mist clears.
It took me a pair of pliers and a half hour to get it out, only to have Lochlan throw the shoes away.
We'll get you decent shoes on the weekend.
Hell, no.
You're right. We should wait for it to get infected and then after they remove your whole leg we'll get you a scooter.
Can I ride a unicycle with one leg?
I highly doubt it.
No way to test that, I suppose.
Peanut!
What?
Better sandals. Not foam. Not a dozen years old. Take a little care.
Yes, Dad.
So how did last night actually go?
You should have been at dinner.
That good?
I don't know, man, the food was great but the scallops were the size of like...peas!
Huh. Must be a West coast thing.
Yeah. Must be.
Let me put something on that cut.
It's fine.
Peanut-
Okay, okay.
If we can get this dirt off. Your soles are brown.
Cut it with iodine.
You are feral. I think sometimes they're right.