Dark clouds rolled over the sea. THWACK! The nipa roof flapped in the wind. Janhar grabbed a coil of rope and ran toward the hut.
Janhar climbed the wooden ladder. The wind yanked the roof up — it flapped like a big brown wing. Nissan stood below, clutching her doll and storybooks.
Janhar tied one end to the beam. He pulled — the rope slipped through his fingers. THWACK! The roof flapped again. His hands stung.
Janhar spotted a nail driven into the ground. He looked down. "Hold the rope, Nissan!" She wrapped the cord around her small arms.
Janhar pulled. Nissan held on. The roof stopped flapping. It lay flat and quiet against the hut.
The storm passed. Rain slowed to a drip. Janhar and Nissan sat on the floor of the hut, dry and safe.
Nissan pressed her doll against Janhar's shoulder. He rested his head against the warm wooden wall. He thought: we did it.
Outside, a single coconut fell from the tree. PLIP — it landed in a puddle.