Word of the Day: Abacus

Abacus

1: an instrument for performing calculations by sliding counters along rods or in grooves

2: a slab that forms the uppermost member or division of the capital of a column

(Definition from Merriam Webster)

When I was in middle school, like most children of that age, I hated to do math homework.

“I’m terrible at math!” I wailed, throwing my hands (and my pencil) into the air with frustration while trying to complete my work for the day.

My words pierced the unsympathetic ears of my father, who sat nearby. “No,” he said, “you’re actually quite good at math. Would you like to know how I know.” He adjusted his body into storytelling mode, uncrossing his legs and sitting forward in his chair, elbows on his knees. “When you were little, way before you started school, I tested you. I brought home an abacus and let you play with it. I didn’t tell you how it worked; I just let you play with it. And pretty soon, you had figured out how to use it. And so I knew that I didn’t need to work with you on math.”

He sat back, focusing on his solitaire game once more, one arm thrown leisurely above his head to rest atop it while his other hand clicked absentmindedly on the computer mouse. He didn’t need to concentrate very much to win, I knew. I can’t tell you how many hundreds of games he’d won in a row. And I went back to working on my math, knowing that he was right. Even though I did not recall the event with the abacus, I did have vague memories of there being an abacus, once upon a time, and I trusted that he was correct, as usual. That didn’t make the math homework any easier, and it didn’t mean that I wouldn’t be asking for his help a few minutes later, but it did mean that my excuses were invalid. So, back to work!

Abacus

Red, yellow, and blue

Colored circles of pine

On strings of steel

Slide back and forth,

Counting time.

**********

Numbers, shapes, and signs

Wait to be discovered

By such young minds.

Felt, then absorbed,

Grasped with time.

**********

They click and clack,

Sticky now and worn;

Tiny fingers touched,

Moved, slipped, and slid,

Joined with time.

**********

Author's Note: I wrote this story as a contest entry for the Part A: The A-Z of Unusual Words contest. I hope you enjoyed the read. I'd love to hear what you think, so please feel free to leave a comment, click the heart, and subscribe!