Someone left behind a package of minty gum. It was sitting on a desk after all the kids had gone. The box was full and wanted chewing. I figured someone might claim it if I put it on my desk in plain sight — next to the left-behind water bottles, headphones, and hoodie.
The next day, after we were finished talking about factoring quadratic expressions, Martin asked me a question.
“Mr. Hasan, did you find a package of gum after class the other day?”
“I did,” I said. “Is this yours?” I held up the abandoned minty gum package.
He nodded.
“Is it really yours?” I asked. (I’d ask the same for someone claiming the headphones, so why not for gum?)
“Yes,” he said.
I handed it to him. He took out a couple sticks of gum and passed them out to the other students sitting at his pod.
…
After class, I noticed the package of minty gum was on the desk. He had left it behind, again.
I walked over and picked it up. A scrap of paper fell from beneath it.
