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"Mother and I took a trip to Glace Bay on the train to go shopping. I was thrilled when she surprised me with a brand new pair of summer sandals. The leather was smooth on the outside and rough on the inside, with a stylish T-strap and a buckle. The front of the sandals had intricate punched out patterns that made them stand out from any other pair I had ever owned. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world as I strutted around in my new shoes.
On a beautiful summer day, all of the neighborhood kids were headed to the beach. But before I could join them, Mother made sure to give me strict instructions to keep my sandals away from water. She warned me that the leather would shrink and harden if they got wet, making them unwearable. I promised to keep them safe and headed out to meet my friends.
As soon as I arrived at the beach, the temptation to join in on the fun was too strong. I left my sandals on the shore and jumped into the water with my friends. But when I returned, it was a struggle to get my sandals back on. By the time I was able to buckle them up, all of the other girls had already left. I felt disappointed, but then I noticed one person was still there - Bessie, the telephone operator who was well-known and loved in our small town. She was accompanied by a little girl named Annie, who had lost her leg at a young age and used a crutch to get around.
Annie wandered over to a nearby stream where the tide had come in, washing smooth stones onto the bank. I followed her, curious about a bird that was flapping around the edge of the water. Suddenly, Bessie's voice echoed across the stream, frantically calling for help. Annie had fallen into the water and was struggling to stand on the slippery rocks. I was in tears, but I couldn't move because my sandals were still wet from swimming. Bessie yelled for me to go help, and I cried back that I couldn't because of my sandals. But she shouted, "Forget about the sandals, go save Annie!" With those words, I ran into the rushing water, which almost swept me away. I held onto the shore and reached Annie, who grabbed onto me so tightly that we both fell under the water. But we managed to make it back to safety, and Bessie was there to comfort and thank us. I realized how lucky it was that I was still there when everyone else had gone home.
But when I got home, my luck quickly turned. Mother saw my wet sandals and immediately scolded me, reminding me of her warning not to get them wet. She sent me straight to my room to wait for my father to come home and punish me. I begged to explain, but she refused to listen. I sat in my room without dinner, watching the sun set.
The next day, Annie's uncle came by and told Mother the whole story of how I had saved Annie's life. She was shocked and felt guilty for not listening to my side of the story. When my father came home for lunch, she told him everything and they both apologized for not believing me. To make it up to me, Papa oiled my sandals and stretched them on a 'last'. I wore those sandals until they were completely worn out.
For the next few weeks, I was treated like a queen. My parents couldn't do enough for me, and I could do no wrong. Mother even admitted that her big concern about the sandals getting wet was not as important as saving a life. It was a lesson we would never forget."
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