24

Two kids were running around the branch this afternoon. To calm them down, I asked them how old they were and the little girl answered, “Three,” while bringing together her thumb and pointer fingers together. I asked the other kid (I guess the little girls older brother) the same question and he held up his five fingers up and said, “Five.”

“These kids are really smart,” I told myself.

“Ikaw? Ilang taon ka na?” the brother interrupted my thoughts. I felt challenged by this question. I held my ten fingers, flipped them back and forth, brought my left hand down and folded my thumb finger in my right hand and answered “Twenty-four.”