The IndUS Network e-magazine

A day of positives ...
short story


Image credit:theory.stanford.edu:LTL Fonts

Munch! Munch! John was eating quickly to get to his school. He tied his shoes and slung his backpack over his shoulder. He sprinted to the stop and was just in time for the school bus.

When he was boarding the bus, the bus driver asked,"Bus pass, please".

Just then, John realized that he didn't have it. He pleaded to the bus driver that he was on the list.

Angrily, the bus driver muttered, “ Are you positive that you are on the list ?”

John panted and said, “Yes.”

The bus driver said, “Okay, I will allow you to ride the bus today. But, you must show me your bus pass tomorrow.”

Relieved, John took a seat on the bus. In 30 minutes he got to his school.

He walked in and climbed up the steps to his math class. When he walked into the classroom, he was welcomed by a world of positive signs. His teacher then announced, “ Today we will be learning about positive numbers." For the next 45 minutes, the teacher bombarded the class with whole numbers including natural numbers. When he walked out, John's mind was drilled with '+ve' numbers.

He slowly straddled into his English class next. His English teacher began discussing about appositives-the noun or pronoun that immediately follows another noun or pronoun. John was so packed with positive numbers that he was confused about appositives.

Now it was time for the science class. In the Science class, the teacher began, “Who can explain the positive polarities of electricity?”

Just then the word positive struck him like a bullet. Is it a positive day? Everything seems to be positive today!

Suddenly, his teacher's voice seemed fading away. Instead a voice rang near his ears, “Wake up John, Wake up.”

He opened his droopy eyes and found his Mom standing in front of him. For a moment, he did not understand where he was.

He asked his mom, “ What happened?”

His mom said, “ What are you talking about, John? It's time for school, so get up from the bed.”

John muttered in a low voice, "Oh mom, I really thought I was having a day of positive at school! Hope my dream comes true!"

[The End]


I got the sun in the morning and the moon at night. How about you?

"Got no checkbooks, got no banks,
Still I'd like to express my thanks -
I got the sun in the morning
and the moon at night."
-Irving Berlin, "I Got the Sun in the Morning," 1946


* The characters, settings and happenings are fiction only.