"It Takes A Village To Find THE Shirt"

I have a lucky t-shirt...THE lucky t-shirt with holes, wrinkles, threadbare in some spots...but so comfortable and easy that I won't give it up. I bought it on our last trip to Curaçao around ten years ago. This blue, three button Henley with short sleeves turned into THE go-to shirt in my closet.

Yesterday we came back to Curacao and I wore my lucky shirt, hoping upon hope, I would find another one exactly like it. We shopped down little alleys, along the fish market, all along the main boulevard. After hours, we were giving up hope. Then it happened. Walking into this shop called "Casa Marco" we asked for what seemed like the thirtieth time "do you have a shirt just like this" pointing to my shirt. Answer: "no"...."but, I think I know who will. Follow me." She took us to the very back of this tiny store and we stood in front of a wall with a keypad on it. She began to enter a secret code. Quiet. Then the wall turns into a door and we walked through. We were now in the back of a shoe shop. But wait. She lead us through the small shoe shop to the front then we walked outside into the street. We crossed the street then walked into the front of another store. Following to the rear of this clothing store, our guide took us again to the back of another shop. There was a curtain of beads and we walked through the beads. Back through this shop to the front and into the street again, she pointed "there, at Janina's" across the street. So we crossed the street and entered "Janina's" clothing store. Our guide spoke to Janina in Portuguese, points to my shirt and smiled. Janina smiled and said "here we are" and pointed to a stack of my lucky shirts! Yureka!!! It took a village to find THE lucky shirt. I bought six in mixed colors and it only cost me $20.00 (US). WOW! I was so excited that I hugged Janina, who looked shocked by an American so crazy happy over a shirt. Our guide explained they weren't just any ole t-shirt but THE t-shirt...my lucky shirt.