The Donuts Never Tasted So Good

The First United Bank of Karma received a sizable deposit from Val Thevictorian this afternoon. Actually, it was from The Pony, but he does not have an account with The First United Bank of Karma, so Val gladly accepted his deposit in her own account. That's what moms do for their kids, right?

After school, we stopped by Casey's to fill T-Hoe's gullet with gas. Let the record show that Val does not let T-Hoe starve. He is always fed before he's half empty. Mostly. Sometimes he gets a little lean, but he never runs on empty. That's because it hurts too much when cash must be pried out of Val's fingers when T-Hoe eats a lot. Better to keep him nibbling, noshing, snacking, nom-nom-nomming than allow him to belly up to an all-you-can eat buffet.

The Pony may not drive, and The Pony may not pump gas, but The Pony is very good at trotting inside to pay. None of that pay-at-the-pump card-sliding nonsense for Val.

This being Friday, after a long two-day week of school, everybody's schedule thrown off, feeding routine turned on its head...The Pony and Val were feeling a mite peckish. Hick was picking up Chinese food for supper, but he gets off work later, had a drive equal to ours, and refuses to call in an order, but sits inside to wait. We don't get it because Hick's would be cold by the time he ate it. So...The Pony said he might need something to tide him over until supper. He forgot to buy after-school snacks last week for the file cabinet in my room.

Val finished pumping a liquid diet into T-Hoe, and handed over the money to The Pony. "It's $32.17, Pony. Here are two twenties. There's enough to get those donuts you wanted. Get me one, too."

Off he went. I waited. And waited. A couple came out carrying pizzas. A dude left with some lottery tickets. Then The Pony galloped down the concrete slope holding a plastic sack of donuts. He jumped in the back seat (as he is wont to do) and laid the change on the console.

"I'm pretty sure we were not supposed to get this much money back. But this is what she gave me. And I got four donuts."

I looked at the money. A ten, two fives, three ones, and a handful of coins.

"Okay. You went in with $40 to buy $32.17 worth of gas and four donuts. You came back out with $23 and coins. You are right. This is too much change. Do you think you should take it back and tell her? Her drawer will be short." Let the record show that Val once spent six weeks working as a cashier in a Casey's.

"Yeah. I think so." Let the record shockingly show that The Pony does not like untidy situations. Does not like personal interactions, or explaining, or straightening out snafus. Yet off he loped, back into the store. As he left, a lady in a Casey's shirt walked past T-Hoe to a parked car on the edge of the lot.

The Pony returned with three ones and a handful of coins. "The guy fixed it for her. Did you see her? She was the one that walked out. By the time she came back in, we were done. The guy pulled out the receipt to look at it, because I forgot how much they said it was. He kept the ten and the fives."

"Did they thank you?"

"Uh huh. When she came in, he explained what happened, and she said 'Thank you.'"

"You know, she would have had to pay for that when her register came up short. Twenty dollars is three hours pay for her."

"I know."

"Don't you feel good for doing that?"

"Uh huh. I knew we shouldn't keep it."

Looks like somewhere in his youth or childhood, Val must have done something right concerning The Pony's upbringing.