School volunteers don't get paid, but sometimes we get special gifts.
One morning, I was selling tickets to our school's evening performance. “I think it's 1that I have to pay to see my own child perform,” a parent said unhappily.
“The school needs a voluntary donation (捐赠) to help 2 the scenery and costumes (服装),” I explained. "But 3 has to pay for the tickets. Of course you can have them for free."
"Oh, I 4 pay," she grumbled (嘟囔), "Two adults and a child." She handed me a ten-dollar bill, and then I gave her the change and her tickets. That's the boy waiting behind 5emptied a pocketful of coins onto the table. "6?" I asked.
"I don't need tickets," the boy said. "I've 7 seen the show. I arrived late last night and couldn't find anyone to buy tickets from, 8 I just walked in. I'm paying now, for last night."
I pushed the coins back and said, "If the ticket table was 9, you didn't need to pay. Nobody knows the difference." However, the boy 10 to take back the coins. "I know the 11," he said before leaving.
"Excuse me…" I looked up, 12to see the woman who had bought her tickets moments earlier. She was still there, with change and tickets in hand. "Why don't you 13 the change?" she said. "The scenery must be beautiful, and those costumes couldn't have been 14." She handed me a few dollars and left.
Little did the boy know that he had given us both a special 15 that has more meaning than money.
