Today, I paid $15 for bubble tea by accident, went to the New York public library for the first time, and wrote a poem. Perhaps you'd like the poem:
Stepping out of a shadow, the sun is warmer
long ponytail swaying at each step on a
sidewalk I am misremembering
churches stare up into the faces of skyscrapers
passing under scaffolding
I shiver in the dancing breeze
summer in New York is ending.
...
...
...
Okay. I guess I'll tell you how it was I ended up paying $15 for bubble tea. One bubble tea. Without bubbles. (They were out.)
I told the girl at the register to "keep the change," when I meant: "keep the coins." I don't like to carry quarters and nickels and dimes. You can see where this is going. I gave her a $20 bill. Realizing I misspoke, I immediately thought: "oh, shit." Things seemed to happen pretty fast, and for the moment I was dumbfounded at my own stupidity. I froze. The total was only $5.72. I won't be forgetting that number for a while.
I said this was a "$15 bubble tea." The price of the tea (after tax) was $5.72. So if I gave her $20 and said "keep the change," then I should have paid $20 for that bubble tea, right? Not $15. $20. Just to reiterate: I handed her a $20 bill. I said "keep the change." I did not correct myself, or say anything further. So, where's the remaining $4.28?
This is the strange part. The girl at the register gives me a nervous look, says "thanks!", and then proceeds to give me change as if I had paid with a $10 bill.
So, in a sense: I saved a little over $4 on that Boba, didn't I? ;)