Half A Door

In the tall house Tocko lived Pim

— and Pim caught the front door flat, with one hand, just before the click.

Out on the step was a long box. Pim's mum had put it down there.

The box was as long as Pim, and heavy at one end.

Then Pim's mum came in, and Pim let go of the door.

One. Two. Three. Four. Click.

The box was still out on the step.

Pim's mum wanted the long box off the step, and up the stairs.

The front door of Tocko never just opened.

It wanted a push, down low. It wanted a lift, up high.

And the door would not wait. It went shut on its own, in four, and clicked.

Then Pim's mum said, "Mm. That's — one hand short. The box wants a hand too."

So Pim said, "Listen. I have a hand."

Hall.

Which one is it — a job for one, or a job for two?

Ah. Two. One on the push, and one on the lift.

Pim's mum got the long box up, on her shoulder.

That left one hand for the door.

Up high, the one hand took the top edge, and gave a heave.

Down low, no hand at all.

Here it comes.

Pim listened. Tocko said — DUNK. That was the rule.

The door sat there.

Then Pim said, "Your hand is full."

So Pim's mum put the box down.

The lift went in one hand, the push in the other.

Over went the door, half a door wide.

It came back hard, and Pim's mum went HUFF.

But Pim's mum got in. The long box could not.

Then Pim's mum went out for the box.

Pim stood on the tile, hand off the door.

One, two, three, four. Click.

The door shut. Pim was on the warm side, and Pim's mum was not.

Then Pim's mum said, through the door, "Four counts, and I am slow. It is cold out here."

Then Pim said, "It shut on you. Give me a half."

The hall went quiet. Down in the Under, the boiler breathed once.

You take the push, I take the lift.

So Pim's mum put the box down again, and came in through half a door.

This time Pim was there first, with a hand flat on the door, down low.

Then Pim's mum said, "That is your half. Push it now."

Pim's mum gave the top edge a heave, and up came the door.

Pim's hand came off the push, and went up for the top edge.

Two on the lift. Nobody on the push.

Here it comes.

Pim listened. Tocko said — SHHK. That was the rule.

The door came up a hand wide, and came back down.

Behind the door on Two, something came on.

It was a big red— well. Nobody could see it. It went GRIND, and GRIND again.

Then Pim said, "The top edge is the good half. Give me that one."

Pim's mum went HUFF, and did not answer.

On Two, the grind went on.

Hall. Green door.

You take the push, I take the lift.

Then Pim's mum said, "One more go."

Pim's mum took the top edge.

Pim put a hand flat, down low.

The long box waited on the step, in the cold.

You take the push, I take the lift.

Pim's mum gave it a heave. Pim gave it a push.

But the push came early, and the heave came late.

The door did not go over.

So Pim's mum gave it one more heave, up and up.

Here it comes.

Pim listened. Tocko said — tik. That was the rule.

It was a small thing, in the top corner.

It came at the top of the heave, once.

Nobody in the hall heard it but Pim.

Then Pim said, "Listen. It says tik. Push on the tik."

Then Pim's mum said, "A tik. I never heard it."

The hall held still.

You take the lift, I take the tik.

Pim's mum gave it a heave. Up went the door.

Tik.

Pim gave it a push, low.

And over the door went, in one CLACK.

Then Pim's mum said, "Mm. That's — your ear, and my hand."

The door came back, and clicked.

> A heave up high, and a push down low.
> The door says tik, and over we go.

Hall. Green door. Roof.

Which one is it — the push first, or the heave first?

Ah. The heave first. And then the tik.

Last of all, one CLACK, and over. The push came on the tik. The tik came on the heave.

Shhk, and the door came down. Two hands up high, and nobody down low.

Dunk, and the door sat there. A box on one shoulder, and one hand left over.

Four counts. Click. And Pim's mum out on the step.

Pim, and Hod, and Pim's mum, and Tocko.

One on the push. One on the lift. Nobody with both.

Hall. Green door. Roof. Home.

Pim's mum took the top edge. Pim put a hand low.

The heave came up, and the tik came after.

Then Pim pushed, and over the door went, wide.

One, two, three.

Pim's mum had the long box in, on three.

Four. Click.

The door shut on nothing at all.

Then Pim said, "It says tik every time."

Up the long box went, step by step, and back up to Number Three.

Under the floor, the boiler went on.

Then Pim and Pim's mum came down again, to the Hall.

Off the board of hooks came a brass disc, with nothing on it yet.

Pim's mum cut a door in the face, half over.

Then Pim's mum said, "That one is Pim's. Pim heard the tik, and I never did."

Up on a hook it went.

> A heave up high, and a push down low.
> The door says tik, and over we go.

Pim, and Hod, and Pim's mum, and Tocko.

Roof, green door, hall — and home.

Which one did the push — Pim, or Pim's mum?

Ah. Pim, and the door went CLACK.

Two taps, and Tocko tapped back. Tock, tock.