A child and his mother walk down the street

The boy in front

Each step slapping the ground

His miniature blue flip flops

Flapping away dirt and ants from under foot

The mother watches, the round of her belly

Foreshadowing another flip-flopped one coming soon

Suddenly

The boy limps

His shoe, it seems, has escaped the grasp of his tiny toes

He stops, his stringy black hair flopping into his eyes

The mother watches, the patience and curiosity

Letting him fix it by himself

A slip of the foot

A little jiggle of the big toe

The flip flop is on again

The boy walks

Limping a bit, then fixing to a walk

The mother watches, a step behind him

Her son finding his way