Chapter 3

Diego and Paco walked down the street. Crossed the market square and in the main street, they entered a neat shop.
"Señor de la Vega." Someone was greeting the don. "Such an honour to see you again. Is everything still to your liking?"

"Si, Ricardo." Diego, shaking hands with the man. "Thank you. I come with a question for this young man."

Paco blushed slightly and tried to hide behind the tall man.

Diego briefly explained why they had come to Santa Paula, and Ricardo observed the boy and asked him to walk up and down the store a few times.

"I think you are right, don Diego. Making a shoe with a thicker sole should make it easier for him to walk. Paco, you say his name is?" As Ricardo looked at Paco, still walking up and down the store.
Meanwhile, the man grabbed some tools and a shoe last.
"Well, Paco, first, I need to see how big your feet are. Sit down, and let us take off your shoes."
It wasn't long before Ricardo said. "Hmm, si, hmm, "
Ricardo got up from the small stool he was sitting on examining Paco his feet, walked away, and not long after, he came back with a pair of brown shoes.

"Paco, are you willing to try on this pair of shoes?" The shoes Ricardo had brought with him weren't finished, still needing soles. The upper part was ready and made out of fine brown leather.
"Hmm, hmm." The man muttered, looking troubled. "As I suspected. They fit nicely. Si, si, I thought so." Ricardo, sighing deeply. "Paco, we have a problem."

Paco looked up. "You can't make me any shoes. Don't worry, señor, I don't mind." Paco sounded very bravely and almost succeeded in hiding the disappointment in his voice and on his face.

"Oh, no, Paco. That is not the problem. I can make you a pair of shoes."

Moving his finger towards Paco to make the boy bend over a little closer to him.
"I made these shoes for our commander, his eldest son. He is an important man, our commander. But you see, when the boy came into my store to try them on, he didn't like the colour. The leather wasn't fine enough, and he didn't want them any more.
I was thinking, the shoes are just your size, maybe you will have them. And I was correct, as you can see. All I have to do is put soles under them. But you see, and here is the problem. I don't think a friend of Diego de la Vega will be satisfied with shoes that were meant for someone else." Ricardo, shaking his head.
"No, no, it was a silly idea of mine. I better forget about it and throw them away. These shoes have become worthless."

Paco seemed unsure what to say, glaring at Diego, a little scared.
"I..., I don't mind. I mean…," lifting his shoulders. "I never owned new shoes anyway, so..."

Ricardo pretended to think.
"Paco, are you sure? You will help me a great deal.
Perhaps..., it is just a suggestion. I could offer you the shoes for a lower price. For example, 10 pesos?"

"Oh yes," Paco jumped up from his chair enthusiastically. "I would really like to have them."

Over two hours later, Diego shook the shoemaker his hand. "Gracias, Ricardo."

"Da nada, don Diego. What I said about the shoes was not a total lie. That boy did turn them down. And now I can make someone happy with it who deserves it more than that spoiled brat. Will you give my regards to your father? And I wish the both of you a safe journey back home."

Diego put his hand on Paco's shoulder. The boy, now wearing shoes adapted to his disability, could walk almost normally.

"Thank you, don Diego, for taking me here. I will start paying you back this Saturday."

"I know you will. And we got a good bargain. Let us go and find Felipe and señorita Escalante. I did not expect Ricardo could make you a pair of shoes in one morning. And it took longer than I expected. They'll be wondering what is taking us so long."

There was a noise from across the street. And Diego saw a woman who had apparently been robbed of her valuables only moments before.
The thief ran in the direction where Paco and Diego were.
Diego looked to his side, and his gaze fell on a flowerpot in one of the windowsills.
Paco, watching mesmerized as the thief manoeuvred deftly through the crowd and came closer and closer.

Underhand, Diego threw the flowerpot at the feet of the thief, who stumbled and sprawled out on his face, about 15 feet from Paco and Diego. Paco pointed to the man on the ground. Two lancers had given chase and were now able to stop the thief.

"Ha, ha." Laughed the eldest of the two men who held the rank of corporal. "Stumbling over your own feet is pretty stupid. You come with us. A few nights in jail will teach you not to steal. Señora?"

Meanwhile, the woman who got robbed come running. And a crowd had gathered around the man and lancers. The corporal gave the woman back her stolen belongings.
After the thief got taken away, the sensation had disappeared. Everyone continued on their way doing their activities.
Paco and Diego also continued on their way. Only to spot Victoria and Felipe not much later already waiting on the patio of the local tavern.

Victoria greeted them. "That took you a long time. But it looks like you spent the time wisely. Paco, you are already walking a lot better. I hardly recognized you."

"Yes, we were lucky. Señor Ricardo happened to have a pair of rejected shoes that turned out to fit Paco perfectly. That is why it took so long. Señor Ricardo offered to make new soles right away. I should have searched you to tell you." Diego apologized.

"Nonsense." Victoria waved it away. "It's just good luck the shoes are ready so soon. It will save you and Paco a second trip to Santa Paula." Meanwhile, a waitress had appeared at the table.

The woman told what they were serving today. Victoria ordered a bowl of tomato soup, some cornbread and a glass of lemonade.
Diego ordered the same and a portion of pollo con arroz. Felipe gestured that he wanted the same as Diego.

When the waitress asked Paco what he would like, he said he wasn't hungry or thirsty. Diego tried to pursue the boy to order anything he likes, but Paco refused. The waitress was about to walk away when Victoria changed her mind. "I think I am more hungry than expected. Can I also have a tamale and a piece of apple pie?" She asked the waitress.

"Si, señorita."

Not much later, the food got brought, and all but Paco enjoyed their meal.
Halfway through her bowl of soup, Victoria pushed the bowl away. "Phew, it tastes delicious. But I'm afraid I ordered too much. Paco, are you sure you are not hungry? Feel free to have my tamale and perhaps some pie?"

Paco licked his lips at the food on the table. He was hungry, but he had no money to pay for anything. That was why he had not ordered anything. And now, Señorita Escalante offered him some of her lunch. Paco was hesitating, what to do?

"Paco, please. Otherwise, this food gets thrown away. I rather have you enjoy it." Victoria tried to convince the boy to share her meal.

Paco nodded and almost threw himself into the tamale. Diego nodded approvingly in the direction of Victoria and gave a wink. A slight blush appeared on her cheeks.
After everyone had eaten and drunk enough, they walked back together to the cart.
The drive to the supplier Victoria wanted to visit only took a few minutes.

.

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No, I am not abandoning this story. The truth is, I had an idea for a Christmas story that refused to make me spend time on this story and got stuck in my head. That one is finished now for like 75%. So for the following weeks, I hope I will find the time in my imagination to give this one my prior attention since Christmas is four months away.