IS THAT YOUR TOE? (Chapter 17)

“Isn't this a good looking shoe, George? Now let's test it for fit." shoe seller Bill Knostman said. He pushed down on the end of the shoe and asked, "Is that your toe?" George looked up and to the right and then rolled his eyes to the left. He couldn’t be sure. The stiff leather had no give. Could he feel Mr. Knostman's finger pushing on his toe, swimming in there?
"Yeah, maybe it is," George said at last and without confidence. "Well…I think so…maybe…I guess….”
"What do you mean, you guess?" his Mom asked. "You should know if it's your toe he's pushing on. What's the matter with you?" "Yeah, that's it," George said with a thin, squeaky voice, he added, “Maybe.”
"Honest to goodness, George David, you amaze me sometimes," she said, raising her voice. She had little tolerance for her son not knowing his own toe. "There," George whispered, "You touched it that time. I'm pretty sure." His mother could stand on the side-lines no longer. “Here, let me see." With that, she jammed her thumb down so hard, if it had touched George's toe, he might have lost a nail. "Why that’s not your toe! These are way too big."
So, off came that shoe, out came another, and down went her thumb again. The process went on shoe after shoe, until at last George winced. This was the right shoe his mom decided—and it was no doubt the size Bill had suggested in the first place.
“Now we need to see how they are when you walk in them George,” Bill said. "Take a little trip around the store to see if they feel okay." After a few paces, George said, "I guess," while he stopped to admire his feet in the slanty floor mirror. “Yeah, I guess.”
"George David Burgess, what do you mean you guess? You have to know. Those shoes will be on your feet all year. Maybe you’d better walk some more so you are sure.” George went on down the aisle toward the front door, and then looped back through several aisles. What did he feel? In truth, he couldn't really tell. However, he wisely used the time to think up a more convincing explanation.
"You know, I kinda like these shoes. I think I'll get a lot of good wear out of them. And Mom, don’t you like the shiny brown? Maybe Freddy can get a pair like them, too.”