Knowledge For Sale

• Domenica Clowes, Grade 10, MacKillop Catholic Regional College
• Short Story
• 2014

Excellence Award in the 'The Text Generation 2014' competition

I can’t believe this. Since when was knowledge so expensive? Of the assorted types of 24 hour lasting boxes of knowledge, I need two, and I've only got enough money for one of them. Brilliant. I need this to pass my exams tomorrow! I sigh with defeat and choose the type of knowledge labelled 'Trigonometry' for the exam I am least prepared for, and walk over to the register.
The boy behind the register looks old enough to be out of high school, which confuses me. Why would someone old enough for proper work choose to work at a supermarket? After knowledge was given a price, everyone purchased as much as they could afford to get themselves a well-paid job. No-one other than students worked behind a register anymore.
I hand over the box and the boy screws up his face in disgust as he sees what it is.
“Is there a problem?” I ask.
“No.” he says tersely. I raise an eyebrow at him and he sighs.
“I just- I don’t particularly agree with the concept of buying knowledge.”
That takes me aback; I've never met anyone who resents the recently discovered loophole to intellect.
“Why? It’s not like it’s hurting anybody, plus it makes you smart.”
“There’s a difference between being smart and knowledgeable.” He says in a bitter tone and I huff in annoyance.
“Well, not all of us are natural-born geniuses. Some of us actually need this stuff.” I pay him and snatch the box out of his hands.
He rolls his eyes. “Let me guess, exam tomorrow?”
I glare at him. He ignores me.
“So if you were to take what’s in that box right now, you would still be able to sit the exam, since the knowledge will last for twenty-four hours?”
“What’s your point?”
He grins and nods towards the package in my hand. “Drink up and you’ll find out.”
Determined to prove wrong whatever point he wants to make, I open the box, take out the small vial inside and drain its contents.
He proceeds to ask me a series of questions regarding trigonometry and I answer them all right; but I'm annoyed with him for knowing all this stuff on his own.
After he’s finished questioning me, he tilts his head to the side and a smirk begins to play on his lips. “Did you understand anything of what you've just said?”
My jaw drops open. “Of course I did!”
He snorts. “You answered with facts and figures, but did you actually understand any of it?”
I open my mouth to respond but then find that I can’t. I know that everything I've said is true, but I actually don’t really get why it’s true. And now that I think about it, I don’t actually feel any smarter, my head just feels bigger.
“I have to understand knowledge to be smart, don’t I?” I say dejectedly.
The boy grins at me. “Well now; there may be hope for humanity after all.”