It’s a stinking hot day
and everyone is exhausted after lunch
and we’re all slouched at our desks
while Ms Arthur
fans herself with a magazine
and no one wants to do school work
so Ms Arthur says
we’ll have one super-quick
maths competition
and then we can all read
whatever we like
for the rest of the afternoon.
Ms Arthur says,
‘Tell me the total of
six plus
five plus
eight plus
two plus
four plus . . .’
and Cameron
raises his hand
and says, ‘Twenty-five!’
before Ms Arthur has asked him
and she says,
‘I haven’t finished yet, Cameron.’
A book is sitting on Cameron’s desk, waiting.
Ms Arthur says,
‘Right, nine plus
four plus
ten plus
three plus
seven plus . . .’
and Cameron
raises his hand
and says, ‘Fifty-eight!’
and everyone groans
because we all know he’s correct
but Ms Arthur hasn’t finished
so she ignores the answer
and keeps going,
‘. . . six plus
eleven plus
eight plus
two plus . . .’
Cameron says, ‘Eighty-five!’
‘. . . nine plus
twelve plus
three plus . . .’
Cameron says, ‘One hundred and nine!’
‘. . . two plus
ten plus
eleventy-seven plus . . .’
Ms Arthur smiles,
‘. . . two trillion plus
one plus . . .’
and Cameron says,
‘Two trillion, one hundred and twenty-two
and eleventy-seven, Ms!’
And, finally,
Ms Arthur says, ‘Correct’
and tells us all
to spend the rest of the afternoon
reading.