The family cannot even afford to buy a school pair of shoes. What he has is an old pair of rubber shoes.

He consoles himself with the fact that he was chosen as candidate for the essay contest in English. It was a grueling half-day, then the announcement of the winners came.

It did not even surprise him that he won first place. Then everybody was congratulating him. One of them asked, “Hey, you won! Why are you not smiling?”

“Because my shoes are smiling.”