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Math Problems
Danny stared at the clock. Then he looked back at his math test. Question number three stared back, defying him to solve it. He’d been stuck for over ten minutes.
Algebra was a waste of time. As long as he could add and subtract normal numbers - you know, so he could make change at a store - what was the point of figuring out what ‘x’ meant amongst a jumble of letters and numbers and other symbols?
The figures swirled and laughed, mocking him for his incomprehension. The boy glanced towards a window, ignoring the taunts.
It was raining. Droplets raced down the smudged panes. No matter how many times the janitor squeegeed, there was always a thin layer of grime. The raindrops carved their miniscule canyons along the glass. Danny made bets with himself as to which participant would reach the bottom first.
The bell rang. Danny jumped in his seat. Problem three and its cohorts stood in mute testimony to his failure. Mom and Dad were going to be ticked. Again.
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Comment by: karjon - 2008-03-09 10:37
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But there he is, still using probability to guess which raindrop gets down there first, eh? Very, very good story Kirsten.
It reminded me of an old Billy Connolly routine - the teacher said, 'Connolly - what is A+B?' He wondered if he'd missed the day when it was announced numbers weren't good enough, now they were going to start adding f'ing letters!
Anyway - yes - really liked the descriptions and the story.
Cheers
Karen |
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| This is almost as scary as Grae's story. I'm living through Algebra Hell, with my 12 year old. I hated it thirty-something years ago, and it's still gruesome. Poor Danny. Great job conveying that sense of hopelessness and defeat. |
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| Ah, a very believable scenario, and enjoyable read. I commiserate with Danny. If you change rain drops to raindrops you’ll be at exactly 175. Nice writing, good to read. |
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The figures swirled and laughed,
//good..
Droplets raced down the smudged glass.
//very good..
Rain drops carved miniscule canyons down the glass.
//consider that..
Mom and Dad were going to be ticked. Again.
//strong voice here.. nice.
thanks Kirsten,
T |
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| Excellent description. The only thing I would change is the 4th para. You wrote: "The rain drops carved their miniscule canyons down the glass." I think glass is repeated in the same para. Maybe switch with "window" or drop the 3 words all together. Janet |
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