Business, as Usual

Not every day is a normal day.  And during school breaks, really none of them are.

This past break, a couple of my 9th graders ran a car washing business in hopes of getting a bit of cash for the this and thats of high school life.  It was a noble endeavor, I think, since paid work here is hard to come by.  Girls have plenty of baby sitting opportunities, and the Teen Center pays for Hamburger Night employees about 20 nights a year – but beyond that, money only comes with creativity (or theft, I suppose… which is frowned upon).

So, as I was saying, two of my fine 9th grade guys decided to set up a car washing outfit.  I ran into them one day and – “How’s business going?” I asked.

They:  Slow, as usual.
Me:  Hm.  Well, I’d hire you if I had a car.
They:  Yeah?
Me:  But I don’t.
They:  Oh, right…  Hm.
Me: What would you charge me if I had you wash my head?
They:  If we – What?

And that was that.  The next day, they showed up at my house, I dunked my head in a muddy ditch in my neighbor’s yard, and gave them a bottle of shampoo.

“This is the strangest thing I think I’ve ever done,” said one, spraying the foam off my shirt.

“But I bet,” my neighbor added from his porch, “it’s not the strangest thing Mr. Halbrooks has ever done.”