Brobdingnagian (adjective): giant

In the far back rows of the high school calculus class, sat a giant.

This was no ordinary student. Tall, broad-shouldered, with an enormous mop of dirty-blonde hair, the middle-aged man showed more eagerness to learn than any other teenager in the room. His handwriting was as neat as the most diligent girl in class, and even though the kids skipped school every once in a while to have fun, his attendance record was flawless.

The rowdy teenagers began to change after a while: some were inspired, others felt shame at their own effort. The man was like a second teacher of the class, for he laughed at the students’ jokes and chatted with them about their high school romance adventures. What the calculus teacher couldn’t offer, he filled up with his wholesome wisdom.

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One day, the classroom giant didn’t show up.

That was the day that every student learned of his sick daughter, a young girl around their age whose poor father never had the money to pay her hospital bills. She had fallen unconscious the night before, and her single parent rushed to her side and hadn't taken a one step away.

When the giant returned later apologetically, he was greeted by a room full of his worried and compassionate peers. They gently shouted and softly urged him with an envelope full of their allowances, donations, snack money, and all the dollars and bills they could scavenge, to support his daughter.

The only thing they asked in return was the solution to a particularly hard calculus question in their textbook.