#SOL21 – Day 4 – The Bet

“You can use a calculator on today’s math, you know,” I reminded as I walked past D.

Without even looking up from the work on his whiteboard, he answered, “I don’t have a calculator.”

Given that I just passed calculators out to each student last week, I knew this was highly unlikely. The papers spilling out of his desk gave me yet another clue as to what was really going on. “Maybe you should look inside your desk again,” I urged.

After setting down his whiteboard, D got on eye-level with the desk, pulled out the papers closest to the front, and declared, “Nope! There’s no calculator in here!”

“Oh, I bet I can find it!” I replied.

Little did I know, those were magic words to D. He snapped up straight, looked me straight in the eye, and said, “Ok! I bet you five bucks you can’t it!”

Starting on my mission, I passed a handful of pencils, three books, a pencil case, two folders, and several loose papers to D. With no calculator yet, I was about to ask if he took it to use at home one day. I pulled out one last piece of paper, and that’s when I spotted my quest in the dark, back corner. With a triumphant, “Ah-ha!” I presented D with his calculator.

He looked at me sheepishly and said, “I’ll see about getting you that five dollars tomorrow.”

First thing the next morning, D. walked up to me and presented me with a crisp five-dollar bill. “My prize!” I announced, and I proudly held the money above my head with both hands. Then, I tucked it into my desk drawer and D. turned around to get settled at his desk.

The noise caught the attention of other students, and they asked what was going on. We filled in them on what they missed, and D. added, “I didn’t think she was really going to keep it!”

I chuckled and said, “I’m going to give it back, but I’m going to enjoy looking all day at this reminder of me winning the bet!”

Later, I emailed D.’s parents about the story so they could enjoy this little exchange that made my day. The best part? D’s mom’s reply: “Lol!  You should’ve kept it. I’ve made lots of money off of D. this way over the years. Thanks for sharing!”