The Mystery of Lost & Found in Phnom Penh

Weren’t your shoes blue?, asks John. Black, I reply. It’s because I’m wearing black sneakers right now.
They were blue yesterday, John presses on.

You are confusing me, John. I check my shoes again. They fit me well. And comfy. And they are in dark colour. They must be mine. Only that they are not mine when I check the label. My sneakers have always been Sketchers but I’m wearing Nautica right now.

Somebody must’ve taken my shoes by mistake at the temple we went to earlier. Now it feels less comfy in Nautica than in Sketchers.

Or you took her shoes, John retorts. Oh fuck, not again. I’ve already lost two pairs of sneakers this year alone.

Last year I packed my sneakers together with my flip flops in a black plastic bag when packing before returning from Spain. I dumped the bag near the bin when I got home in KL. And I couldn’t find them when packing for India in February this year. They must’ve been incinerated by now. I loved those pair. So comfy for walking or running. So i bought another pair of Sketchers for our Indian trip. After 5 days in Mumbai we flew to Udaipur and found out that I left the week-old shoes in the hotel room in Mumbai. Double fuck. I didn’t buy a replacement pair. But when in Amritsar we passed by shoe shop. No need to guess here. I bought a pair of dark blue Sketchers.

Now they are gone, again. Third time within 6 months. The Nautica feels less and less comfy as time passes by.

But wait a minute. After two days of wearing somebody else’s less comfy shoes I wonder if the shoes mix up happened at the temple at all. It’s because I sweartogod I’m very sure I retrieved them at the exact same spot where I left them before entering the temple. May be it took place before the temple visit. The other possible place was the restaurant of the hotel that we are staying. The restaurant requires guests to take their foot wears off before entering their premises. And my hunch is right. There they are. I see the dark blue Sketchers on the rack, when we come out of the restaurant after our breakfast.

John & I wait by the shoe rack. The Black Nautica in my hands. And wait we do for whoever’s coming out of the restaurant to retrieve the shoes. People come in and out of the restaurant but nobody claims the Blue Sketchers. After about 20 minutes a lady comes out with a pair of flip flops in her hands.

Wow you carry your flip flops and not left them out here, I say. Yes, because my shoes were stolen two days ago, she replies. Wham bam!!! Are your shoes black? I ask. She says yes. Would these be yours? I ask and show her the Nautica. Yes they are, is a happy response from her. Yesssss…….., I exclaim. I can’t hide my excitement while profusely apologizing for “stealing” her shoes. Two strangers. Happy ending. The mystery of the lost (from my point) and stolen (from her point) shoes solved.