Sempi and I are at our favorite neighborhood coffee shop, reading books and eating bagels. 

We picked up a book with a collection of funny poems. Here’s one: 

“One sister for sale,One sister for sale,One crying and spying young sister for saleI’m really not kidding so who’ll start the biddingDo I hear a dollar?A nickle?A penny?Oh isn’t there isn’t there isn’t there anyOne person who will buy this sister for saleThis crying spying old young sister for sale.”

I asked Sempi.

Me: What would you say if someone offered a nickel for Jelly Bean (nickname for his brother Vian).

Sempi: Thank you!?

Me: Haha. So you’ll give them Jelly bean for a nickel. 

Sempi: No! He’s mine.

I guess he didn’t really understand the poem or my question. But I was amused that his first response was “Thank you”.