TWENTY-FIFTH

(FLASH BACK...)

"IF SOMEONE ASKED YOU HOW OLD ARE YOU?"

"I can't... tell them po?"

Tumango ito. "Yep. So what are you gonna tell them?"

"I am... five." Sumimangot sya nang bahagya. "But mom... why do I need to lie about my age and my birth date?"

"You... need to."

"I need to? Lying is bad and you also taught that to me."

Yumuko ang kanyang ina saka masuyong hinaplos ang kanyang pisngi. "Yes, lying is bad. But... telling everything about you is also bad. There are so many bad guys and you can't just trust everyone you'll meet."

Marami pang bilin ang kanyang ina at sumang-ayon na lamang siya. He knows that he can't just trust strangers, he can't give personal details to anyone.

But he doesn't know what's with his birth date and age. Dapat daw niyang tandaan ang mga iyon bago sila magpunta sa Pilipinas.

Hindi siya nagsawang magtanong ng kung anu-ano at lalo na sa edad nya pero para daw sa ikabubuti at kaligtasan nya ang lahat.

Walang ginawa ito kung hindi ang siguraduhin ang kaligatasan