For Sale: Baby Shoes-Never Worn, Essay Example

Introduction

“For Sale Baby shoes-Never worn” was the six words that made Ernest Hemingway to write one of his best works of fiction as well as winning a bet against his friends. It was hard to believe that one could come up with a complete short story out of six words but to Hemingway, this was possible. Hemingway used short concise sentences for his story and although most of the story was not all about the shoes, it becomes clear at the end why the author decided to base his story on baby shoes.

Short Story; Take It Back. I Am Sorry.

John was now approaching the roundabout and he just couldn’t believe that he had lost the car he was supposed to be following. He knew the car had to be just around as he had only glanced back a few seconds to look at the traffic behind. He dint know which direction to take from the roundabout but knowing Clare very well, he knew she couldn’t have taken the right turn as she never liked using that route.

Without thinking much, he turned left into the road that led to the Eastern part of the city and drove for only a few miles when he saw the car. He dint let his excitement get the better of him though and he immediately reached for the phone and dialed a number. The person at the other end took some time to answer but when the voice finally came through, he spoke as fast as he could at the same time keeping his eyes on the blue car some distance ahead.

He had been following this car for about half an hour and from the way the person was driving, he/she must have suspected someone was following him. That was why he was so convinced the driver of the car must be the person he so much wanted to talk to.

When John got to the City Hall building, he saw the blue car and immediately turned into the parking lot too. He got out and walked fast to the car and to his shock, no one was inside. Instinctively, he headed for the restaurant they used to go to and Gaby was waiting to deliver the message that had been left with him. He gave him the box and when he asked about Clare, Gaby had no idea where she had gone to or what direction she had taken when she left the restaurant.

John was devastated and he still couldn’t figure out why Clare did not want to face him and just tell him that it was over. He took the box and went outside where he found a place to sit. He was silent for a long time only that he didn’t realize it, thinking of the wonderful relationship he had with Clare and still not believing that it was coming to an end. When he finally remembered the box in his hands, it was almost one and a half hours later. He opened it and when he saw what was inside, his most important question had been answered: Clare dint want him anymore and was giving back his engagement ring. He closed the box, stood up slowly and went to find his car. He found the car where he had parked it, got inside and drove back to Northville.

Conclusion

Two weeks later, John came across the box containing the engagement ring Clare had given back to him while he cleaned his house. He had still not heard from her and wondered where she had gone to. He looked at it once again and wondered what had made him keep it for all this time. He should have thrown it immediately he got it so he could forget about her. He took one last look at the beautiful ring, placed it back in the box and put the box together with other trash he intended to throw out of the house. What he didn’t know is that all the time he sat outside the Town Hall building, Clare was on the fifth floor, watching him and thinking that maybe one day she would talk to him and tell him what happened.