The Shoemaker

by B.K. McDonald

The Shoemaker, a lover of animals and nature and a detester of those who exploit these resources, found long ago that human pelts make the best shoes. He harvests skins from corpses, with the aid of a long and dear friend (and business partner) who works in the City morgue. The bodies of those left behind without anyone to claim them, or those that are to be cremated, are skinned, tanned, and made into the finest shoes, handbags, and jackets. The Shoemaker discovered long ago that the skins with the most luster and beauty came from children of inter-racial relationships, but particularly from Latinos and Blacks. This mixing of the gene pool often resulted in a deeply rich hue, and the tender age of the skin provided enormous pliability (good for workability), softness and smoothness. The Shoemaker, driven both by profits and the beauty of his craft, tirelessly promoted a society of tolerance, and went to extremes to promote inter-racial marriages; especially between two races that even today are the most intolerant of one another.

6S

B.K. McDonald, a writer and urban designer, is a lover of food, wine and word. He's been published in various journals, has a book coming out this Fall, and is currently living in America's Heartland, along America's River, drowning in a sea of corn, suffocating amidst an air of mediocrity.