Note-able

 by Kate

The window stood open and a breeze drifted in, fluttering the delicate curtains. Mechanically, Andrea Carter brushed her brown hair silky smooth. As she gazed out at the world, her blue eyes were dark with thought. Turning to the mirror, she stared back at her reflection. Her face’s outward beauty aggravated her, because she knew that her inside just then was not beautiful. 'I hate school. You just make me go because I hate it! It’s not fair!' 

 “I shouldn’t have said that. It’s untrue,” she whispered as the horrible words echoed in her mind. “Let not the sun go down upon thine anger.” “Forgive as you have been forgiven.” Verses convicted her. 

She went down upon her knees, confessing her sin, asking for forgiveness, and requesting courage to apologize. She knew her words had hurt her mother, and older brother Justin. Methodically, she prepared for school. As an accessory, Andi pinned a navy blue ribbon-bow at her throat, creating a pretty contrast with the heron grey dress. 

 In the dining room, she timidly greeted her family. Everyone smiled at her, and she tried to smile back. It felt awkward after what she had said last night. Still, she must make it through the breakfast prayer.

 “Mother, Justin,” Andi gulped. “I wanted to tell you something.” 

 “Yes Andrea?” Mother smiled. 

 “I want to tell you how sorry I am for what I said last night about school. I know it was wrong of me to say it. I have asked God to forgive me for my words and anger. Will you forgive me, too?” 

 “Of course dear!” 

 “Sure thing Andi!” 

 I still hate school. Andi thought. 

 “Take your seats children,” the teacher instructed. “Welcome back to a new year.” 

 Andi sighed. Behind her, her friend, Cory, suppressed a snicker. He knew how Andi hated school. Already tired of being in class, Andi looked down at her desk, waiting for an assignment. Then she noticed a note paper. Picking up the paper and hoping the teacher would not notice, Andi read: 20P/1:7, and 21E/9:10. Numbers, dots, and slashes; that was it? 

Sorely confused, Andi stared at the paper. She jumped when the teacher called on her. “Page ten of your history book, Andrea. Cory, turn in your arithmetic, to the section about polynomials. Nora…”

 'Polynomials! How is Cory ahead of me? He’s not good at math. Oh yes- I had scarlet fever last year and got behind… but only by two lessons. Just wait till I show him the note!' 

 “That is a puzzler Andi. Why’d a person give you a note with numbers? It ain’t a math problem. There’s no Math symbol.” Cory drawled. “Right… But the slashes and colons could be meant to disrupt our thinking. Let’s see- twenty plus one’s twenty-one plus seven’s twenty-eight.” 

 “How’d you know it’s adding?” 

 “You’re right. Guess I don’t.” Andi was frustrated.  

“Sorry Andi; I have a lot of work to do. I need to complete two pages of Math. It’s polynomials. I need to learn ‘em by tomorrow.” 

 At home, Andi dumped her school books on her bed. She decided she would deal with them later. Off flew the pretty school dress, and on snapped the smudgy overalls. She would ride Taffy, and then she would do her work. A cookie sounded appealing too, but she thought she would save that to make the schoolwork easier. 

 In the barn, Andi saddled her prized palomino mare, Taffy. The horse whickered, glad to see her mistress was home, once more. Taffy hated Andi going to school, as much as Andi hated Andi going to school. Ready for a relaxing ride, horse and girl left the barn yard. 

 When Andi was returning to the house, she met her brother Mitch. The two rode in silence for a time then Andi spoke. “What’s a polynomial?” 

 “Need help with your work?” Mitch offered. 

 “No. Cory is doing them.” 

 “I’ll show you on paper.” Inside, Mitch enlightened Andi. “See- a polynomial is an expression that shows different unknown values. Look.” He pointed to the equation on the paper. It read: X2+ X+1. “It divides the unknowns into separate place values, but you can’t combine ‘em till you’ve fig’r’d what X is. X2 could stand for ten squared- equaling an hundred. And X could be just 10. Have you heard that the base of algebra’s X, while the base of arithmetic’s 10?” 

 “Yes.” 

 “Well, 100 can’t go in the tens place ‘cause it’s got a different value- X2 can’t go into X, ‘cause it’s got different value. Make sense?” 

 “Sure.” 

 Mitch laughed. “You’ll get there.” 

 Then Andi had a thought. “Variables can mean anything, right?”

 “Yeah; they-“ 

 “Thanks.” Andi had realized that the note could be a polynomial. What could P and E stand for? Musing hard, Andi suddenly recalled. Numbers and colons showed up often in her life. Together they marked places- like place value. They were used in Bible verses. The note could be two Bible verses! The first number must be the book of the Bible: Proverbs, book 20, and Ecclesiastes book, 21. 

 “I solved a mystery!” Andi announced at the dinner table, when asked how her at school had gone.

 “Really?” her sister Melinda questioned. 

 “I found a note, and it had numbers! It was on my desk,” Andi jumbled words. “I wondered what it meant. I showed it to Cory. We couldn’t get it. Then, he left to study polynomials. After I rode Taffy, Mitch told me about polynomials. The paper was Bible verses. Ecclesiastes 9:10, and Proverbs 1:7.” 

 “I put it on your desk- before you went into school.” Justin confessed. “I wanted to show you how school can be useful, but in a fun way.” 

 “It worked. I read the verses, too! I understand that I need to take better notice of schoolwork and learning. It’s the work God has given me to do for now.” Andi beamed. 

 “What did the verses say?” Chad asked. 

 “You should look them up,” Andi suggested.