In which a beloved belt gets its second wind

We go to our local shoe repair store to see if they can fix my husband’s leather belt. Its buckle has retired after many years of service and it’s time for a piece from the younger generation to take the helm.  

The store is often busy; this morning, it’s quiet. Zombie by the Cranberries is playing. It’s grungy and melancholy and impossible not to sing. 

We’ve erroneously assumed that belt buckles are standardised. The owner measures the width of the belt and various potential replacements before he finds a buckle with the right credentials. The plain, silver buckle is perfect. It will allow the woven pattern that runs down the belt’s centre to continue to shine.