Quarters for Quinella

When Mommy wanted help with something, 4 year old Quinella Torres was the only one who volunteered. Her older brother, Marco and her older sister, Marisol would always claim they had homework or else they would make sure they were not around.

At the end of  a week of Quinella's help, Mommy told Quinella. "I'm proud of you. You've been a big help to me this week." She handed Quinella four shiny quarters. 

Quinella's eyes opened as wide as saucers. To her, that was a huge amount of money. "Thank you, Mommy!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Can I buy something with my money?" she asked.

"Tomorrow I will take you to the dollar store." Mommy promised. "For now, go and put the money in the change purse Grandma gave you so don't lose it." Quinella quickly scurried off upstairs clutching the money tightly in her palm..

When she got to the room, she shared with her sister, Marisol who was allegedly studying but was actually watching YouTube videos, Marisol quickly put her phone down and picked up her school book, but she didn't actually open it. "What are you doing?" she rudely asked Quinella as if Quinella didn't have a right to be there. She liked to act as if Quinella were an annoying guest, and the room was was only her own.

"I'm putting my money away." Quinella told her sister proudly. 

"You have money?" Marisol asked in surprise. "How much do you have Where did you get it?"

"I have four quarters. " Quinella told her opening her hand and showing her sister. "Mommy gave it to me for helping her."

Marisol laughed. "That's nothing." she said. "I have six dimes." 

"Six?" said Quinella a little bit jealously. She knew that 6 was more than 4. "You're lucky."

"Would you like to trade?" Marisol asked her little sister sweetly acting as if  she would be doing her sister a big favor.

"Okay!" Quinella happily responded. She gave Marisol her four quarters, Marisol gave her the six dimes.  Then, Quinella quickly found her little red flowered purse and slid the money in it, and then, she cheerfully ran off holding  it tightly and singing. to herself. "I'm rich! I'm rich! I'm rich!"

Marco poked his head out of his room. He hadn't been studying either. He'd been looking up sports scores. "Hey! What's going on?" he demanded to know.

"I have six whole dimes." Quinella excitedly told him. She proudly held up her little coin purse  and shook it around so he could hear the coins jingle. "I used to have four quarters, but Marisol and I traded and now I have six dimes." she whispered. She didn't want Marisol to overhear and take the dimes back because 6 was better than 4.

"Oh, yeah?" replied Marco thoughfully. "Well, I have 8 nickels."

"Oh." replied Quinella enviously.  8 was even better than 6.

"Do you want to trade?" asked Marco.

"Sure!" replied Quinella. She quickly emptied the contents of her purse into her brother's hand. He gave her 8 nickels and she put them in her little change purse.  Then, she went off to show her mother that she had put her money in her little change purse like Mommy had told her too. 

When she found her mother, she opened her little purse and  let Mommy look inside to show her that the money was there. Mommy looked confused.  She didn't see any quarters in the purse all she saw was nickels. She spilled the money out onto the table just to confirm that the quarters weren't there."Where did all these nickels come from?" she asked curiously. "What happened to the quarters I gave you?" 

"I traded!" Quinella exclaimed with pride grinning from ear to ear. "Marisol gave me 6 dimes for my quarters. Then, Marco gave me 8 nickels for the 6 dimes. They must not know how to count very well, right Mommy? Everyone knows that 6 comes after 4 and 8 comes after 6. " She laughed, but Mommy did not laugh with her. In fact, Mommy's face turned bright red, and she looked quite angry. "Are you mad at me mommy?" Quinella asked worriedly.

"Of course, I'm not at mad at you, sweetie. Don't worry." Mommy assured her gently touching Quinella's cheek. "It's your brother and sister who need to worry." She added sharply calling out for Marisol and Marco to come downstairs.  

Mommy had to call them both two more times before they finally came. When they finally arrived and  saw the pile of nickels on the table next to Quinella's open change purse, they exchanged worried looks. 

Mommy smiled mysteriously and Marisol and Marco didn't know what to think. Neither did Quinella. "So you all like to trade money, huh?"  Mommy said. "So we are going to trade. Quinella give me your nickels." Quinella quickly did as she was told. Mommy handed her a crisp dollar bill. Quinella didn't know that was the same amount of money she had to start with but she knew that dollar bills were better than change so she was content, and she smiled happily.

Next Mommy made Marisol give her the 4 quarters and she gave Marisol  6 copper pennies. "Because six is more than 4 isn't it Marisol?" Mommy said giving Marisol a huge fake smile.  Then she gave Marco 8 pennies for his 6 dimes.  Afterwards, she asked "Now who wants to go to the dollar store?" 

"Me! Me!" exclaimed Quinella exitedly. Marisol didn't say anything. Marco didn't say anything. 

"I guess it's just you and me." Mommy told Quinella and this time she smiled a genuinely happy smile.