The story so far...Conner's girlfriend, Gwen, stops over and stays for dinner. She tells about the cashier at Toppers who was fired for stealing money. The owner was short $90 at the end of the day and accused Jasmine of taking it. Not only her reputation, but her financial contribution to her family is in jeopardy. Ben realizes the $100 bill he has hidden in his closet must be the missing money. But he doesn't say anything.
Written by Frances Milburn
Illustrated by Liv Aanrud
Two days later on Monday, we picked up the cat. Mom didn't say anything about the money when the office girl gave her the bill. She just handed over her credit card. When a vet tech came out with the cat, purring in her arms, I couldn't believe it was the same one we'd brought in. Her eyes were open, and her fur was shiny and smooth. She was wearing a big plastic ring around her little neck. Dr. Hammond followed.
"She'll need to wear this protective collar until the stitches heal," the doctor explained. "The collar keeps her from chewing the wound." She showed us the cat's underside. There was a row of neat stitches in the middle of a clean shaven area. The vet tech handed the cat over to me. The collar looked uncomfortable, and I wondered how she'd be able to sleep with it on.
While Dr. Hammond talked to Mom about the medicine, I petted the cat. She looked at me with big golden eyes and began to purr. I'd never seen a cat with eyes that color. "Goldenrod! That's your name. We'll call you Goldie for short."
Then Dr. Hammond turned to me. "This kitty will need a lot of tender loving care in the next few weeks. Keep the collar on no matter what. Feed her some high quality cat food. Start with canned food and then change over to pellets. And plenty of water. I'll need to see her back in two weeks." She smiled at me. "Good luck."
"Thanks. I'm just so glad she made it."
The cat laid across my knees on the ride home. I just kept petting her until she fell asleep and stopped purring.
"I can't believe what it cost!" Mom complained. "At least if it had been a long time beloved pet it would be easier to fork out that kind of money." Her words reminded me again of the hundred dollar bill. It was still hidden in the box in my closet. I had not yet talked to Mom about the money. I didn't have the guts. But I couldn't put it off any longer.
"Mom, I can help pay the bill."
"I don't think your small box of cash will help with this."
"Just wait. I have more than you think."
When we got home, Mom carefully lifted the cat off my lap and carried her to the den where she was settling Goldie on an old blanket. I ran and got the money out of my closet. She was putting down a bowl of food and one of water. "Here," I held out the bill. "This should help some."
She looked at me with wide eyes, still kneeling on the floor. Taking the money, she asked, "Where'd you get this?"
I told her the story about paying the lunch bill at Toppers and getting back the wrong change. She shook her head and smiled. "Thanks for wanting to help pay, but we can't keep this money. Do you remember Gwen's story about Jasmine? This explains the missing money at Toppers. Jasmine must have mixed up a ten and a hundred when she gave you your change. The difference is ninety, the exact amount of missing money."
She looked at me closely. "You knew that the hundred dollar bill was wrong, but you accepted it anyway. Were you just going to keep the money and spend it on something for yourself?" She looked at me sternly. "That's the same as stealing, Ben."
I hung my head. "I didn't know what to do. It happened so fast. Then we hit the cat and I forgot all about the money... until you worried about paying for the surgery. I thought I could help. But when Gwen told us what happened at the restaurant, I knew that keeping the money was wrong." I felt close to crying. "But I was afraid to tell you."
She got up from the floor and sat on the couch, patting a spot next to her. I sat down next to her. Goldie watched us with her beautiful eyes. "Ben, I appreciate you wanting to help pay for the surgery. But you do understand that you must never keep change that doesn't belong to you. Someone has to pay the price for every mistake, in this case Jasmine. We'll have to drive down to Toppers and explain what happened. This will save Jasmine's reputation, whether or not Mr. Krantz will give her back her job."
"I know, Mom." I started to get up, but she pulled me down and put her arm around me.
"But I'm also very proud of you. I learned an important lesson from you in this cat incident. You were right to insist we stop and take the cat to the vet after I hit her with the car. I'm ashamed that I suggested leaving her in the road. That was wrong. And then at the vet's office, you spoke up and chose surgery. I'm ashamed that I hesitated in making that decision because of the cost. It was your passion and clear vision in both situations that led us to do the humane thing." I could see tears in her eyes. "And now we have a beautiful cat laying here recovering!"
She gave me a hug. "It is very kind of you to want to help pay the vet bill. I can afford it, and I shouldn't have complained. When Goldie is better," she continued, "I'll check around the neighborhood and see if anyone is missing a cat. But frankly, I doubt it. She was too scrawny and full of worms. I think we have a new cat."
I smiled up at her. "You're the best mom ever!"
Written by Frances Milburn
Illustrated by Liv Aanrud
Two days later on Monday, we picked up the cat. Mom didn't say anything about the money when the office girl gave her the bill. She just handed over her credit card. When a vet tech came out with the cat, purring in her arms, I couldn't believe it was the same one we'd brought in. Her eyes were open, and her fur was shiny and smooth. She was wearing a big plastic ring around her little neck. Dr. Hammond followed.
"She'll need to wear this protective collar until the stitches heal," the doctor explained. "The collar keeps her from chewing the wound." She showed us the cat's underside. There was a row of neat stitches in the middle of a clean shaven area. The vet tech handed the cat over to me. The collar looked uncomfortable, and I wondered how she'd be able to sleep with it on.
While Dr. Hammond talked to Mom about the medicine, I petted the cat. She looked at me with big golden eyes and began to purr. I'd never seen a cat with eyes that color. "Goldenrod! That's your name. We'll call you Goldie for short."
Then Dr. Hammond turned to me. "This kitty will need a lot of tender loving care in the next few weeks. Keep the collar on no matter what. Feed her some high quality cat food. Start with canned food and then change over to pellets. And plenty of water. I'll need to see her back in two weeks." She smiled at me. "Good luck."
"Thanks. I'm just so glad she made it."
The cat laid across my knees on the ride home. I just kept petting her until she fell asleep and stopped purring.
"I can't believe what it cost!" Mom complained. "At least if it had been a long time beloved pet it would be easier to fork out that kind of money." Her words reminded me again of the hundred dollar bill. It was still hidden in the box in my closet. I had not yet talked to Mom about the money. I didn't have the guts. But I couldn't put it off any longer.
"Mom, I can help pay the bill."
"I don't think your small box of cash will help with this."
"Just wait. I have more than you think."
When we got home, Mom carefully lifted the cat off my lap and carried her to the den where she was settling Goldie on an old blanket. I ran and got the money out of my closet. She was putting down a bowl of food and one of water. "Here," I held out the bill. "This should help some."
She looked at me with wide eyes, still kneeling on the floor. Taking the money, she asked, "Where'd you get this?"
I told her the story about paying the lunch bill at Toppers and getting back the wrong change. She shook her head and smiled. "Thanks for wanting to help pay, but we can't keep this money. Do you remember Gwen's story about Jasmine? This explains the missing money at Toppers. Jasmine must have mixed up a ten and a hundred when she gave you your change. The difference is ninety, the exact amount of missing money."
She looked at me closely. "You knew that the hundred dollar bill was wrong, but you accepted it anyway. Were you just going to keep the money and spend it on something for yourself?" She looked at me sternly. "That's the same as stealing, Ben."
I hung my head. "I didn't know what to do. It happened so fast. Then we hit the cat and I forgot all about the money... until you worried about paying for the surgery. I thought I could help. But when Gwen told us what happened at the restaurant, I knew that keeping the money was wrong." I felt close to crying. "But I was afraid to tell you."
She got up from the floor and sat on the couch, patting a spot next to her. I sat down next to her. Goldie watched us with her beautiful eyes. "Ben, I appreciate you wanting to help pay for the surgery. But you do understand that you must never keep change that doesn't belong to you. Someone has to pay the price for every mistake, in this case Jasmine. We'll have to drive down to Toppers and explain what happened. This will save Jasmine's reputation, whether or not Mr. Krantz will give her back her job."
"I know, Mom." I started to get up, but she pulled me down and put her arm around me.
"But I'm also very proud of you. I learned an important lesson from you in this cat incident. You were right to insist we stop and take the cat to the vet after I hit her with the car. I'm ashamed that I suggested leaving her in the road. That was wrong. And then at the vet's office, you spoke up and chose surgery. I'm ashamed that I hesitated in making that decision because of the cost. It was your passion and clear vision in both situations that led us to do the humane thing." I could see tears in her eyes. "And now we have a beautiful cat laying here recovering!"
She gave me a hug. "It is very kind of you to want to help pay the vet bill. I can afford it, and I shouldn't have complained. When Goldie is better," she continued, "I'll check around the neighborhood and see if anyone is missing a cat. But frankly, I doubt it. She was too scrawny and full of worms. I think we have a new cat."
I smiled up at her. "You're the best mom ever!"