وقعتْ عينُ (أبو قفل) على كمره الذي نخرت العثّة حوافه، فطلب من زوجته (أم مفتاح) خيطاً وإبرة يخيط بها فتوق كمره؛ علّقتْ بصوت مسموع؛ كمرك من عهد نوح هويه ما تشتري لك كمر كما الناس؛ وتتصدق بالباقي على الضعوف، ردّ عليها؛ الله يِضعِفك على مابك، وأضاف؛ يحقر القرش الذي ما يفيده، كاد يزهق لسانه بشتيمة قاسية؛ فإذا أخوها (مدّسم الجُدران) واقف سدة الباب؛ وما منحهم فرصة يرحبون باللافي، عزم نفسه واستقعد جنب رحيمه، أدرج نظره ويليه، فطزته الإبرة، فوضع إبهامه في فمه؛ وقال؛ شكينا من المُكحلة وزاد جا لها مِرْوِد.

اشتهر (مدسّم الجدران) بعشقه للفنّ، والكيف، وصنع له سمسميّة يعزف عليها ليل الله ونهاره، والقريّة في وجهه يتباشرون به، وإذا صدوا عنه، ما يسمونه إلا السربوت ويصفونه بـ(أبو خوش منكوس). طلب من أخته تتكن البراد، اعتذر منه (أبو قفل) وقال؛ منحن بسامهين بنسرح نقصع عذوق الخريف، وأختك بتسرح تحتشّ للبقرة خُليان، وأضاف؛ الله يلقيك خير، فقام وقال؛ آجل هب لي تعميرة من التنباك اللي جاك البارحة من صاحبك التهامي، ولكي لا يكسرها في نحره تحامل على نفسه، وفك الخريطة، وطلب منه يفرد طرف عمامته، عقدها وكثّر بالخير، وتسلّق جداراً يوصله لساحة المسيد، واعتنز تحت حماطة الظلة وأشعل السجارة، وعينه على زوجة العطوي؛ كلما خرجت وإلا درجت عرفت وش في خاطره، فقالت (يا مدسّم)؛ حمارتنا تباقم تبغي لها فحل يلقحها، تهرجه وهي تمطق باللبانة في فمها وتضحك، أوجعه كلامها، فقال؛ عزّ الله إني أدري من هي اللي تباقم وتبغي الفحل، أخذها عند حبّة قلبه، واعطاها غبار أرجوله.

قبل ما يسرح (أبو قفل) تأكد أنه صمّك باب العُليّة؛ خوفاً تعقبه زوجته (أم مفتاح) وإلا أخوها طويل الذراع، وينثرون غلّته كما يقول؛ وعادتها كلما لاحظته يتحرّز، ناغشته بالكلام؛ وشت العُليّة لا يُكنّها (خزنة بن سليمان) ما غير تلقّط في القراشيع وتداخش يا دُخشان، طردك وسعيك رزق للفيران؟ نظر إليها وزفر من قلبه وقال لها؛ كل شيء لنا به حاجة يا عرقوبة، بعد يجي زمان يدوّر الواحد محش ما يلقاه؛ والله لا يعفي عن القحم اللي ابتلاني بك يا زلقوم الفقر، وما أمداه لسعها بكلمتين إلا وكعّشت راسها، وقامت تصيح وتنوح؛ أنا وش شفت منك يا فقران؛ حتى طمرة راس السنة استر بها ما خلق الله لي ما وجدتنيها، لو ما هيب أمي وجدتي يردون عليّه؛ كان معك كلني القمل، فضحك واقترب خريطة التنباك، وقعد على حافة المتكى وعمّر له من العثري ما يفكك خرمة الراس، ثم خبط بباطن كفه على ركبته، وقال؛ والله ما خليتِ ولا بقيت انتي وامك وجدتك عن العنز اللي رضعت كل حلال القريّة حتى الكلاب ما سلمت منها، وعوّدت ترضع نفسها.

سرح الوادي، والمرجمة بيده؛ ما تهنى طير ولا شبار خير بعذق من ذرته ولا حبّة؛ ولأنّه صاحب قصص، يسحر النسوان بحكاياته الغرامية، فيقبلن عليه فزعة، ولسانه لهن يقطر عسل، وكلما فتر حيلهن قصّد (غن شا الله إنا نسوقك يا الركيب المعفّى، ون ضاقت العثّري زدنا على المدّ جلده) فترتفع المعنويات، ويتعمدن استثارته بالغُنج واللفتات؛ وقلبه أخضر لكن ما يصخى الدراهم، ولكي ينجزنا العمل حكى لهم ليلة تروّح أبوه أُمه وكيف بغى يخج بطنها بالشفرة، سألنه؛ هويه؛ قال؛ مربطة سروالها خط البلدة بقرنب وابى ينفك ما غير فزعت جدتي ودهنته بشحمة من القِرى، فكساها آبي ريال عربي؛ تضاحكن وقلن؛ ما تمزى جدتك؟ فقال؛ وين تمزى، عذق جنب صفحة بنتي كنه في صفحتي.

أفتقد ولده (ساهي) من ليل البارح؟ نشد أمه فين ولدك سبع الفيّه؟ أجابت؛ سرح مع خاله الشرق يحتطبون. علّق؛ الولد ياجي حِراكه من حراك اهله... وأضاف؛ عزّ الله إلا بيضريه على التنباك والشمّة والقربعة، وزاد؛ ولدك تمبل وارشاده في عمره مفلّه، واذا اعتزته ما يجيني إلا متّلي تربيتك يا سمنة القطران؛ وهم في أخذها وعطاها، إلا وهذي دخلته عليهم، فسكت (أبو قفل) خشية أن يكون معمّر الطاسة مع خاله، ويتويه عمره، وبات ليلته الأخيرة في عُليته وبين قراشيعه وطمره، ومع شرقة الشمس والجماعة متقاطرة على المقبرة؛ يا رحام يا الله ما يدوم إلا الله.

ورث (ساهي) المال والحلال، والتف حوله الداشر والفاجر والحظ العاثر، وخلاها هو وخاله أبو سمسمية ألم نشرح، وأمه ثالثتهم ما صدقت تنتسم وتتنسم هوى الحياة، وصارت ترحب بالهامل والعامل والخامل هذا خارج وهذا داخل؛ ونفضوا مرزق الفاني نفضا، وفي صبيحة غبراء، أقبلت عليهم جدّة خضراء القومانية؛ وقلبت عليهم البيت، وفضحتهم من الله وخلقه. سمعت القرية وتسامعت بشتائمها من لسانها السليط؛ وجرّت ساهي مع أذانيه إلى فوق الجناح، وهي تصب فوقه من جحيم القول؛ وتدعي عليه؛ الله يخذلك يا مضحكة إن كان تسبّل حلال آبوك لأولاد الحرام؛ وتخلّي أمك تطبّخ وتنفّخ للسّلَق اللي ما رافقوك إلا طمعة فيك يا هبيلة، وأضافت؛ يا ليت لابوك بدية يشوف ضيعتك وسواد وجهك في حلاله، ردّ عليه؛ منين يبدي والشجاع الأقرع متحبطه بين الصِّلي، ما غير ادعي له بالفكة وبعدها يحلّها الحلال.

(Abu Qafl) spotted his mat, which the moth had gnawed at the edges, so he asked his wife (Umm Muftah) for a thread and needle to sew the mat; she replied audibly, "Your mat is from the time of Noah, it won't buy you a mat like the others; and you should give the rest to the needy." He retorted, "May God weaken you for what you have," and added, "The penny that doesn’t benefit him is worthless." He almost lost his tongue to a harsh insult; then her brother (Maddasim Al-Judran) stood at the door; and he didn’t give them a chance to welcome the guest. He steeled himself and sat next to Rahimah, directing his gaze at her, and the needle pricked him, so he put his thumb in his mouth; and said, "We complained about the kohl and it increased with a rod."

(Maddasim Al-Judran) was famous for his love of art and enjoyment, and he made himself a musical instrument to play day and night, while the villagers rejoiced at his presence. If they turned away from him, they called him nothing but "Sarbout" and described him as (Abu Khush Mankous). He asked his sister to prepare the kettle, but (Abu Qafl) apologized, saying, "We are busy gathering the fallen dates of autumn, and your sister is busy tending to the cow." He added, "May God bring you good," then he stood up and said, "Then give me a portion of the tobacco that came to you yesterday from your friend Al-Tahami." To avoid breaking it in his throat, he forced himself, unfolded the map, and asked him to spread the end of his turban, tied it, and increased the good. He climbed a wall that led him to the courtyard of the mosque, nestled under the shade of the awning, lit a cigarette, and kept his eye on the wife of Al-‘Atwi; whenever she came out or walked by, he knew what was on her mind. She said, "(Oh Maddasim); our donkey is in heat and needs a male to breed her," teasing him while chewing gum in her mouth and laughing. Her words pained him, so he said, "By God, I know who is in heat and needs the male," taking her by the heart and giving her the dust of his feet.

Before (Abu Qafl) went out, he made sure he had locked the attic door; fearing his wife (Umm Muftah) or her long-armed brother would follow him and scatter his harvest as he said; and it was her habit that whenever she noticed him being cautious, she would tease him with words; "The attic does not hide (Khazna Ibn Sulayman), it only catches the flies and you get lost, oh Dukhan." He looked at her and sighed from his heart and said to her, "Everything we need, oh ‘Irqoubah, will come a time when a person searches for something and cannot find it; by God, may He not spare the burden that afflicted me with you, oh Zalqoum of poverty." He had barely spoken two words when she raised her head and began to scream and wail; "What have I seen from you, oh Faqran; even the cover for the New Year's head, I found nothing for me, if it weren't for my mother and grandmother who would respond to me; I would be with you, all of them, the lice." He laughed and approached the tobacco map, sat on the edge of the mat, and prepared for himself from the moth what would loosen the knot on his head, then he slapped the palm of his hand on his knee and said, "By God, you and your mother and grandmother have left nothing for the goat that nursed on all the village's lawful until even the dogs were not spared from her, and she got used to nursing herself."

The valley was serene, and the stone was in his hand; no bird or fish was pleased with a bunch from his harvest or a seed; and because he was a storyteller, he enchanted the women with his romantic tales, so they flocked to him eagerly, and his tongue dripped honey for them. Whenever their spirits waned, he would say, "(God willing, we will drive you, oh the blessed rider, and if the moth tightens, we will increase the stretch of its skin)," raising their morale, and they would deliberately provoke him with flirtation and gestures; and his heart was green but he did not spare the money. To get the work done, he told them the night his father returned to his mother and how he wanted to cut her belly with a blade. They asked him; "What happened?" He said, "The waistband of her pants was at the town's border with a thorn, and he wanted to untie it, but only my grandmother rushed to help him and greased it with fat from the village, so he covered her with a real Arab riyal." They laughed and said, "Did your grandmother not get angry?" He replied, "Where would she get angry? A bunch next to my daughter's page was like in my page."

He missed his son (Sahi) since last night? He asked his mother, "Where is your son, the lion of the valley?" She replied, "He went with his uncle in the east to gather firewood." He commented, "The boy will come back with the movement of his family... and added, "By God, he will be good for tobacco, snuff, and the hookah, and he added, "Your son is a fool and his guidance in life is lost, and if he is honored, he only comes to me as a burden from your upbringing, oh the fat of tar." While they were in this exchange, she entered upon them, so (Abu Qafl) fell silent, fearing that the pot was being filled with his uncle, and that his life would be lost. He spent his last night in the attic among his belongings and cover, and with the dawn of the sun and the people flocking to the graveyard; "Oh Rahman, oh God, nothing lasts but God."

(Sahi) inherited the money and the lawful, and the wicked, the sinner, and the unfortunate gathered around him, leaving him and his uncle Abu Simsimah in a state of despair, and his mother was the third with them, not believing she could breathe and enjoy the air of life. She began to welcome the idle, the worker, and the lazy, this one outside and that one inside; and they shook off the fleeting sustenance. On a dusty morning, a green grandmother of the community approached them; she turned their house upside down and exposed them before God and His creation. The village heard and spread her insults from her sharp tongue; and she dragged Sahi with his ears to the top of the wing, pouring upon him from the hell of words; and she cursed him; "May God forsake you, oh clown, if you squandered your father's lawful for the illegitimate children; and let your mother cook and blow for the stew that only accompanied you out of greed for you, oh foolish one." She added, "I wish your father could see your disgrace and the blackness of your face in his lawful." He replied, "Where would he start, while the bald brave is stuck between the thorns, I only pray for him to be freed, and then the lawful will resolve it."