Arithmetic: A Short Story

The sound of every second sounds like a countdown to the time bomb in my head. My hands began to tremble slightly because of nervousness, sweat dripping from my forehead, and I knew I was running out of time. This was our only chance to win this math contest if we could figure out the last problem earlier than other teams. However, the final calculation of this problem was too large, and the time was too urgent. Everyone was calculating, the atmosphere filled with tension. Everyone struggled to calculate the last question. I dialed the abacus fast, beads change rapidly in my hands, I quickly wrote a series of numbers. The knuckles of the finger that hold the pen were white because of excessive force. My lips were dry and whitish, and there was a burning

“Yes, I already mastered the rule of Arithmetic and practiced the abacus for years. “I can handle this problem.” I thought to myself. Tense feeling gradually calm down, I swallowed, it moisturized my throat which to be burned. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Then I observed those numbers carefully and thought for a while. My hands were no longer trembling, I already knew how to do it. Sorted those numbers according to the law and calculated them one by one. I do not need to be panic like a rabbit. I just need to figure out those complicated numbers like my mother taught me how to use the abacus when I was a kid. With time elapsing, the sound of count beads no longer made me feel irritable, but sounds crisp and sweet. My heart was full of confidence and calm, I knew I could solve this complicated calculation problem. Then, I talked to my teammates and told them there was an invisible law between those numbers. And we could solve it by separate calculation. After listened my words, each member’s eyes brightened ------- I knew that was the light of