THE CREAKY HOUSE, RATTLES NO MORE

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"Grandma, you have to call the carpenter. We must take some nails and a hammer down tomorrow; a shutter is loose in grandfather's house, and many other places shake. Everything rattles in his house." Somayina insisted as soon as they were inside the hut,

"Is that so? Who says we must?"

"Nobody told me, but I know," Somayina replied. "Everything is loose in the house, and poor grandfather told me he was afraid that the house might tumble down. And grandmother, he can not see the light. Can you help him and make it light for him? How terrible it must be to be afraid in the dark and nobody there to help you! Oh, please, grandmother, do something to help him! I know you can."

Somayina had been clinging to his grandmother while looking up at her with trusting eyes. At last, she said, glancing down, "But Monica, his wife, is there to help him. For crying out aloud, is she good for nothing?"

"No, Grandma, please don't wait for Monica. The old blind man needs your help."

"All right, child, we'll see that his house won't rattle anymore. I will send it to the carpenter so that we can get it done tomorrow."

Somayina was so overjoyed at these words that he danced around the room shouting, "Hurray! We will do it tomorrow! Yes! We will do it tomorrow! Yes!"

Keeping her word, Egonna invited the carpenter immediately. She took Somayina down to his grandfather's
house the following day. Once Somayina had disappeared into the house, Egonna inspected the rattling roofs and windows with the carpenter.

Clement, in his joy at hearing the child again, brushed away the snuff in his palm. "Here comes my child again! He has come again!"

Somayina, grasping his out-stretched hands, sat himself on a low stool at the old man's feet and began to chat. Suddenly, violent blows were heard outside; Clement screamed, "Oh, God, it has come at last. The hut is tumbling down!"

"Grandfather, don't be frightened," said the child. "Grandma and the carpenter are fastening the shutter and fixing everything for you."

"Is it possible? Has God not forgotten us after all? Monica, have you heard it? Surely, that is the sound of a hammer. Ask them to come in a moment, for I must thank her."

When Monica went out, she found the old woman and the carpenter busy putting a new beam along the wall. Approaching Egonna, she said, "Father and I wish you a good afternoon. We are very grateful to you for doing us such a service, and Father would like to see you. Truly, there are few people who would have done what you are doing. Mama, how can we thank you enough?"

"Eil That will do," she interrupted. "I know what you think about me. Go in, for I can find what needs mending myself." Monica obeyed, for Egonna had a way that nobody could oppose.

All afternoon, the old woman and the carpenter hammered around. The carpenter even climbed up on the roof, where much was missing. At last, he had to stop, for the last nail was gone from his pocket. Night had come, and Somayina was ready to go home with his grandma. But sunshine had indeed come again into the blind man's life and made his days less dark and dreary.

Early every morning, he listened for Somayina's footsteps, and when the door opened and the child ran in, he would exclaim more joyfully, "Thank God, he has come again!" Somayina talked about his life and made Clement smile. He was glad to see the smile on his grandfather's face give birth to an outburst of laughter. Hours flew by. "If only God will spare us this child!" the grandfather would often say. "I hope Egonna will always be kind, as she is now. Does Somayina look well looked after, Monica? You know I can only hear and feel him." Clement frequently asked and always got a reassuring answer.

Somayina also became very fond of his grandfather, and when the weather was fair, he visited him every day. Whenever the child remembered that his grandfather was blind, he would get very sad; his only comfort was that his visits brought such happiness.

It took Egonna and the carpenter three more days to finish mending the house. Clement was glad that no rattling could be heard anymore, and that, thanks to Egonna's kindness; he slept better than he had for many years.

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