Tuning the wooden peg

I climbed down from the windowsill and made my way across the rug to the low wooden coffee table. Resting flat beside a stack of coasters was a small wooden kalimba, its polished steel tines gleaming in the midday light. I walked up to the edge of the soundboard and placed both hands against the side of a brass bridge rod. Resting my weight forward, I used both thumbs to press gently against the tip of the center steel key. It gave a slight springy bend under my hands and hummed with a clear, low chime that resonated right through the hollow box and tickled my palms. I paused to watch the tiny metal bar settle back into quiet.