The Feet

The challenge to write a piece of microfiction every day continues and you can read about it here with L.C. Schäfer:

Prompt number twenty-three:

National Measure Your Feet Day

Write a story that includes feet.

***

He had loved her, it was true. But he had hated her feet. Oh my god. They were just the worst. The shape, the long toes, like they had their own knuckles, the fact that she shaved her big toe for the summer. He was okay if they were encased in an attractive shoe, or unattractive shoe for that matter. Socks were great! He could handle them. Not literally. And sandals were tricky but he could deal with those as the feet were veiled, of a fashion.

It wasn't something that he had ever planned to tell her. They had settled into a pattern that felt like a comfy pair of slippers. He felt like he was in the radiant phase of love where everything is golden and there are no irritations, or distortions like bunions. But he was struggling to get past "The Feet" although they had not been capitalised until the day of "The Blunder".

It was Pasta Wednesday and they were sitting down at the table in the kitchen, eating and chatting, laughing. He can remember basking in the warmth of the evening, feeling satisfied.

"So, if you had to change something about me, what would it be?" she asked.

He didn't hesitate. Lulled into a false sense of security by the mood, the mood which muted his ability to pick up on fishing comments, the mood which along with alcohol and good food had conspired against him, he blurted out:

"Your feet!"

She laughed at first.

"My feet? Really?"

She pulled her chair back and playfully stretched out her legs to put them on his lap, teasing him, expecting a joke or a look of mock horror which would last momentarily before being absorbed by good humour.

But too late, he recoiled, his face displaying his disgust at her trotters.

That was the beginning of the end for them. Things became more curt, less relaxed. Everything sharpened, became spiky until their rancour, like a blade to a verruca, severed the frayed thread of their relationship.

When people asked why they split, he said they had grown apart.

Because how could you say "I didn't like her feet" without sounding corny or callous?

***

366 words

There seems to be a day for everything. National Measure Your Feet Day. Who knew?

Feet are funny things. People have fetishes about them and can't get enough; other people despise them. I think feet are feet and I am indifferent but I do know people who are repulsed by feet.

And so, a story was born. With plenty of foot related puns.

Here's a link to the ones that I wrote last week which contains links to the ones that I wrote in Weeks One and Two:

Thanks for stopping by. If you've read this story, please do leave a comment as I love to interact with my readers.

23/366