Dad gets perilously close to 5 count.
Eyewitness child reports bead of sweat appearing as sibling holds out to 4.
A father-of-2 almost became the first parent in history to find out what happens when you reach 5 in a count.
The confusingly named Gary Withtwoarrs had been asked by his son if he could have a chocolate digestive - thought to be milk chocolate - before tea.
When Gary Snr said he couldn’t 7-year-old Garrry continued to teasingly reach for the packet.
His daughter, Arrabella was present in the kitchen at the time, which is exactly where the exchange took place. She told us:
“Garrry does this sort of thing all the time. We both do. We ask Dad, he says no, we push it, Dad counts, and when he gets to two we stop and then probably go off and sulk or listen to paintings or something.”
12-year-old Arrabella, who goes by the name Bella which confuses people greatly when she gives it along with her surname, said this moment was unheard of in her house, much less her kitchen.
Her brother, who is in year 3 of Badger-Bodger-Badger Primary near Paisley, remained defiant.
Speaking shortly after the incident, a visibly shaken Gary said:
“I didn’t know what to do if I got to five. I don’t think anybody would. At three, I knew something wasn’t right. I gave a little extra time between three and four. But then, I got to four… and time stood still.”
Bella said it was at this precise moment, a bead of sweat appeared on her Dad’s forehead. She can’t confirm, but she’s certain there was an eye twitch too.
She said after four, her Dad drew a long breath and just as his nostrils flared and he was about to put up his little finger to indicate five, Garrry withdrew his hand and went to his room to look at some music.
“My mind was racing,” Gary told us afterwards.
“It’s bad enough that I didn’t have a clue what to do if I ever got to five, it’s also really hard to put four fingers up without putting your little finger up too.”
He went on to tell us biscuits are now banned in the house… especially chocolate fingers!
It is thought Garrry has declared this to be “unfair”.