Found Money

If the mother had gotten her out of bed earlier
and shown her the grandmother's note.
If she had gotten right to the task
after she answered the phone and
talked to the grandmother, and
listened to what her mother told her
in the background.
If she had begun vacuuming before
the grandmother got home.
If, if, if.
Then she would have found a tightly 
folded twenty-dollar-bill
on the floor of the grandmother's room where
it had fallen by mistake, unseen,
and perhaps been tempted
to stick it in her pocket without a word
to anyone. No one would have known.
As it was,
she was not tempted to do anything but
sleep a little longer and
do what she wanted to do
before she did her chores, which she most
definitely did not.
And maybe talk back, but only a little.
She still had to vacuum but now
the grandmother was there to make sure
it was done properly, and to tell her
she was doing well, and offer suggestions
on how to accomplish more in less time,
and to teach the little brother how to
mop the floor behind her work.
She could have taken the twenty-dollar-bill,
but she did a good job, and so did her little
brother (surprising everyone by
volunteering for the job).  Now, the 
grandmother is thinking that tonight
the family should all go out to eat.
She found a twenty-dollar-bill on her floor
and has no idea from whence it came.


(c) Ellen Gillette, 2012

My mother calls money like this "found money."  Historically, in her opinion, it should always be used for something extra or special, not responsibly tucked away to pay for bills.