Abena was almost through the market when the strap on her left sandal snapped.
She stopped beside a low wall. Around her, traders arranged tomatoes, folded bright cloth, and called good morning to people hurrying past.
The school bell would ring soon.
Abena looked at the broken sandal in her hand. Her right sandal was still firmly on her foot. Her left foot wore only its white school sock.
“I only need a few minutes,” she said.
A fabric seller nearby heard her. She reached beneath her table and brought out a strong needle and a short piece of thread.
“Try this,” the woman said.
Abena thanked her and sat carefully on the wall. She pushed the needle through the loose strap, pulled the thread tight, and made another stitch. The first stitch looked uneven, but the second was better.
She tugged the strap once. Then twice.
It held.
Abena slipped the repaired sandal back onto her left foot. She returned the needle, thanked the woman again, and adjusted her backpack.
The bell began to ring in the distance.
“Just in time,” Abena said, and hurried toward school in both sandals.