Walang Nagkakasundo Kung Ilan

Sa mas ibaba, may iba pang nasa hagdanan. Isang sorong nakasuot ng dilaw na helmet ang umaakyat mula sa ibaba, may dalang natitiklop na metro at kuwaderno. Humihinto siya sa bawat baitang, sinusukat kung gaano ito kataas, at isinusulat ang numero. Tumabi si Polly at pinadaan siya. Napakatagal nito.

Further down there is somebody else on the staircase. A fox in a yellow hard hat is coming up from below with a folding ruler and a notebook. She stops at every step, measures how high it is, and writes the number down. Polly moves aside and lets her pass. It takes a very long time.

May dahilan ang ginagawa ng soro. Inukit ng kamay ang mga baitang na ito, at walang dalawang baitang na magkapareho. Ang ilan ay kasintaas ng makapal na libro. Ang ilan ay napakababa. Makitid ang uka sa bato sa ilang lugar at malapad sa iba. Sinundan ng mga gumawa nito ang hugis ng bato.

The fox is not being silly. People cut these steps by hand, and no two steps are the same. Some are as high as a thick book. Some are very low. The cut in the rock is narrow in some places and wide in others. The people who made it followed the shape of the rock.

Ito ang bahaging pinakagusto ni Polly. Walang nakaaalam kung ilan talaga ang baitang. Sabi ng pambansang tanggapan ng pamana, isang daan at walumpu't pito. Sabi ng tanggapan ng turismo ng bayan, isang daan at walumpu't siyam. Parehong opisyal. Parehong nakalimbag. Ilang taon na silang hindi nagkakasundo.

Here is the part Polly likes best. Nobody knows exactly how many steps there are. The national heritage office says one hundred and eighty seven. The town tourist office says one hundred and eighty nine. Both of them are official. Both of them are printed. They have disagreed for years.

Pinanood ni Polly ang soro na makarating sa tuktok at magsimulang magsulat. Tumingin siya pababa sa mahabang hanay ng gasgas na bato. Nagpasya siyang paniwalaan ang mas malaking bilang, dahil mas marami ang pakiramdam kapag inaakyat mo ito.

Polly watches the fox get to the top and start writing. She looks down the long line of worn stone. She decides to believe the bigger number, because it feels like more when you climb it.