Swindled

Today, 9th grade was telling me the story of their third grade teacher - a foreigner like me.

He is remembered for taking up collections (food or money), telling the students that a class potluck meal or the purchase of a new fan for the burning hot classroom would be forthcoming...
And then -- you guessed it:
the kiddos never once saw any part of a potluck or a fan.

They laughed when they told me that that gentleman obviously pocketed their money and ate their food together with his wife, who also worked at the school.