Prologue: Great Grand Uncles in the Sky

Little Henry: I like my grandpa Asiong. He's the only person who ever helps me with anything.

Grand Uncle: Maybe it's because he's the only person you ever ask to help you with anything.

Little Henry: That's not true. I ask everyone ... But nobody wants to do anything with me ... All the kids in the village, they don't want to play my games. All they want to do is play their noisy games. I don't like their noisy games.

Grand Uncle: You want them to climb trees with you, that's why. Climbing trees is dangerous. You could get hurt. Their mothers would scold them if they do that. Doesn't your mother scold you all the time?

Little Henry: Uh-huh ... But Baba's mother doesn't scold him. He's the one who taught me how to climb trees. And to catch fish. And to make toy cars out of empty cans. His mother doesn't scold him ... He can do whatever he wants.

Grand Uncle: No, he cannot. He cannot go to school. His father needs him to work in the fields. He cannot play as much as most of you kids in the village do.

Little Henry: Baba's the only one who would climb trees with me ... I can climb higher than him now. He's afraid of heights. I'm not afraid of heights.

Grand Uncle: Sometimes, it's good to be afraid.

Little Henry: I'm not afraid of heights. Are you afraid of heights?

Grand Uncle: No. I'm not afraid of heights ... I'm afraid that one day, you'll climb so high and hurt yourself.

Little Henry: Well, don't be afraid because I'm not going to fall. I'm good with my hands. Look! ... But it's not fun anymore ... I always climb alone.

Grand Uncle: You always have me to talk to.

Little Henry: ... but all you do is answer questions!

Grand Uncle: Yes, you're right. All I do is answer questions. And all I answer are questions you cannot figure out for yourself.

Little Henry: I want to figure out everything. I'm good at figuring things out. Can I figure out everything? Huh? Can I do that?

Grand Uncle: Maybe ... Maybe one day when you're all grown up.

...

Little Henry: Can I still ask you questions even when I'm all grown up?

Grand Uncle: Of course. Just look up at the sky like you always do. I will always answer.

Little Henry: Okay ... It's so nice up here. I can see more than everyone else ... Can you hear me better when I'm up here? I bet you can here me better when I'm up here.

Grand Uncle: I can hear you just fine my little boy. I can hear you just fine.