John is thirteen and has been in middle school for two years. He lives in a small village nearly five kilometers from school. Every morning, after a quick breakfast, he runs to school to be on time. His father wanted to borrow money to buy him a bike, but John knew his mother was often ill and his father spent much on her medicine. He disagreed and kept running. Now, he is strong, never late, and often praised by his teachers.
Last week, at the school sports meeting, John won the boys' 800-meter, 1500-meter, and 3000-meter races, breaking two school records. He earned three gold medals, became known throughout the school, and received congratulations from classmates and teachers. He was thrilled and shared the news with his grandmother as soon as he got home.
"I broke two school records today, Granny!" he exclaimed.
To his surprise, his grandmother was not happy. After a moment's thought, she said, "I'm sorry to hear that. We have no money to pay for them, you know!"