Wael Listens to the Quiet Sounds of the Sleeping House

It was the first night in the new house, and Wael could not sleep.

His bed was the same bed. His blanket was the same blue blanket with little white boats on it. His stuffed rabbit, Mr. Hop, was tucked under his arm just like always. But the room was different. The window was in a different place. The ceiling was higher. And the house was full of sounds Wael had never heard before.

Mama had kissed his forehead and turned on the small night-light shaped like a moon. "Sleep well, my love," she had said. "We are right across the hall."

Then the door had closed softly, click, and the house had grown quiet.

But it was not really quiet at all.

Hmmmmmmm. A low, humming sound came up through the floor.

Wael pulled his blanket up to his nose. "Mr. Hop," he whispered, "what is that?"

Mr. Hop did not know. Mr. Hop was only a rabbit made of soft grey cloth.

Wael listened harder. Hmmmmmmm. The sound went on and on, steady and slow. Then it stopped. Then, after a while, it started again.

Wael slipped out of bed. The wooden floor felt cool under his bare feet. He tiptoed to the door and opened it a tiny crack. A warm line of light was glowing at the bottom of the stairs. He could hear someone moving in the kitchen.

He crept down, one step, two steps, three steps, holding Mr. Hop tight.

In the kitchen, Baba was standing by the counter in his striped pajamas, pouring a glass of water. He turned around and smiled in surprise.

"Wael! Why are you awake, little star?"

"There is a sound," said Wael. "A humming sound. It comes up through my floor."

Baba tilted his head and listened. Hmmmmmmm.

"Ah," said Baba. He walked across the kitchen and put his hand on the big white refrigerator. "Is it this sound?"

Wael came closer and put his own hand next to Baba's. The refrigerator was buzzing gently under his palm, like a sleepy bee. Hmmmmmmm.

"The fridge hums when it is keeping our food cold," said Baba. "It hums for the milk and the cheese and the grapes you like. It is working all night, so breakfast is ready in the morning."

Wael giggled. "It is singing to the grapes."

"Exactly," said Baba. "Shall we go back up?"

Baba carried Wael up the stairs and tucked him in again. He pulled the blue blanket smooth and set Mr. Hop on the pillow. "Goodnight, little star."

The door closed. Click.

Wael lay very still. Hmmmmmmm, went the fridge, far away. That sound was a friend now. He closed his eyes.

Tap. Tap. Tap-tap.

His eyes popped open again.

Tap. Tap-tap. Tap.

It was coming from the window. Wael sat up and looked. The curtains were moving a little. Something outside was tapping on the glass.

This time, he did not go downstairs. He took a deep breath and climbed onto the soft chair by the window. Slowly, carefully, he pulled the curtain aside.

There, right outside, was the branch of a big old tree. It had small round leaves, and a gentle breeze was rocking it back and forth. Every time it swayed, its tip touched the window. Tap. Tap-tap.

Behind the branch, the moon was shining, big and round and silver. Wael could see the garden below, and the little gate, and a white cat sitting on the wall, washing its paws.

"Hello, tree," Wael whispered. "Are you saying goodnight?"

The branch tapped again, as if to say yes.

Wael smiled. He left the curtain open just a little, so he could see a slice of moon, and climbed back into bed.

Hmmmmmmm, sang the fridge. Tap-tap, said the tree.

Wael yawned. His eyes grew heavy.

Then, from the hallway, came a new sound. Shhhff. Shhhff. Shhhff.

It was a soft, slow, shuffling sound, coming closer and closer to his door.

Wael held his breath. The sound stopped right outside. The door opened a crack, and a sleepy face peeked in.

It was Grandma Hayat. She lived with them now, in the room at the end of the hall. She was wearing her long green robe and her fuzzy slippers, the ones with little pompoms on the toes.

"Shhhff, shhhff," went the slippers as she crossed the room.

"I heard you were awake," whispered Grandma Hayat. She sat on the edge of his bed. The bed dipped a little under her, warm and safe. "New houses have new sounds, don't they?"

Wael nodded. "The fridge hums. The tree taps. And your slippers go shhhff."

Grandma laughed very quietly. "Do you know what I do when I cannot sleep in a new place?"

"What?"

"I make a list of all the sounds," she said. "And for each one, I say what it means. Shall we try?"

Wael snuggled down. Grandma counted on her fingers.

"The fridge hums," she said, "and that means we will have breakfast."

"The tree taps," said Wael, "and that means it is saying goodnight."

"The slippers shuffle," said Grandma, "and that means someone who loves you is close by."

Wael listened. Far away, a car passed slowly on the street. Whoosh.

"That means someone is going home," he said.

A clock somewhere downstairs went tick, tock, tick, tock.

"That means the night is moving along, nice and slow," said Grandma.

From across the hall came a deep, rumbling sound. Rrrrr. Rrrrr. Wael's eyes went wide. Then he and Grandma looked at each other and pressed their hands over their mouths to keep from laughing.

"That," whispered Grandma, "means Baba has fallen asleep."

Wael laughed into his pillow until his tummy ached. Then he took a long, slow breath, and let it out.

Hmmmmmmm. Tap-tap. Tick, tock. Rrrrr.

All the sounds of the new house were wrapped around him now, like a second blanket. None of them were strange anymore. They were the sounds of his family, and his tree, and his moon, and his home.

Grandma Hayat stroked his hair until his eyes closed. Then she stood up and walked softly to the door. Shhhff. Shhhff.

Wael did not hear the door click. He was already fast asleep, with Mr. Hop on his pillow and a slice of silver moon shining through the window.