The class erupted in amusement as a girl gave her teacher an odd package. However, everyone became silent as she opened it.
“Just another of those helpless children…” With a standard gesture, the teacher accepted the box, placed it on her desk, and was prepared to thank the pupil. 
However, the boy’s anxious yet optimistic expression caused her to reconsider. She made the quick decision to open it.
The classroom went hushed as she opened the lid and unfurled the paper. As they watched in startled stillness, all of the students froze. The teacher then gave the boy a startled expression.
At the end of the school year, the seventh-grade students had planned a small ceremony to commemorate their teacher. Greeting cards, flowers, and vibrant gifts filled the room.
Among them was a reserved child who was ignored every day by the majority of his peers. He approached her with timidity. Even though he is intelligent, his grades have suddenly declined dramatically because his mother passed away from a serious illness last year.
With a hesitant smile, he held out a small, clumsily wrapped present. “Yet another gift straight out of poverty,” chuckled some of the students.
The teacher made the decision to store the gift without opening it after observing the boy’s half-worried, half-hopeful expression.
She tore off the wrapping after opening the box. Then there was quiet. It contained an old diamond-encrusted bracelet and a little, nearly empty bottle of perfume.
“It was my mother’s,” the youngster said. “I thought you might be interested in having it.”
Some of the students laughed softly.
But the teacher put the bracelet on her wrist and sprinkled her garments with a little perfume.
“You smell just like mommy,” the boy said, his eyes welling with tears.
“Isn’t it a subtle aroma, kids?” The teacher responded.
After that day, everything was different. Gradually, when the teacher began to assist the youngster more after class, his grades improved. Most importantly, he became more self-assured.
