Raising the Roof: Idioms and Adages on the Job

A New Roof for Maple Street

1This summer, Dev's aunt Rosalind had a big job right in his neighborhood. Her roofing crew was putting a new roof on the Maple Street Community Center. The old shingles were curled and cracked, and a brown water stain had spread across the ceiling of the art room. The center planned a party for Saturday to show off its new roof. Dev was too young to climb onto the roof, but Aunt Ros said he could help on the ground all week.

2On Monday morning, Aunt Ros checked the forecast on her phone. "Sunshine today, tomorrow, and Wednesday, then heavy rain on Thursday," she told the crew. "Let's make hay while the sun shines." For three days, the crew worked from early morning until suppertime, racing to finish before the storm.

3The newest roofer was a young man named Benny. It was only his second week on the crew, so he was learning the ropes. Mrs. Tran, who had been a roofer for twenty years, showed him how to clip his safety harness to an anchor and set his feet safely on the steep slope, how to line up each row of shingles, and how many nails each shingle needed. Benny asked questions all day long.

4Dev's job was to keep the ground safe. He pushed a long magnet on wheels across the parking lot to pick up nails that had fallen off the roof. "Mr. Yazzie would hit the roof if we left nails out here," Aunt Ros said. "He runs this center, and he does not want anyone driving home on a flat tire." Dev pictured the director stomping and shouting, so he rolled the magnet over every inch of the lot.

5On Tuesday, Dev spotted a gap in the metal strip around the chimney. "Is that where the water got in?" he called up. Mrs. Tran leaned over to look, and then she grinned. "You hit the nail on the head," she said. "Rain has been slipping through that gap for years."

6Wednesday was the hardest day. The truck with the new shingles arrived two hours late. Then the crew's best nail gun jammed. Benny called to say he was under the weather and could not come in. He had a fever and a sore throat. "When it rains, it pours," Aunt Ros sighed, even though the sky was clear and blue. The crew worked faster than ever and nailed down the last shingle just as the sun set.

7On Thursday, rain poured down all day, so no one could work. Aunt Ros drove Dev to the center to check for leaks. The art room ceiling was dry at last, but a tiny drip was falling near the back door. "Every cloud has a silver lining," Aunt Ros said. "Without this storm, we might not have found that drip before the party." On Friday, the crew sealed the spot.

8On Saturday, neighbors crowded into the community center to celebrate. The children's choir sang so loudly and joyfully that people walking past outside stopped to listen. Mr. Yazzie clapped and laughed. "That choir really raised the roof!" he said. Then he glanced up at the dry ceiling. "Good thing this new one is strong enough to stay put."