A Drop of Oil

The low hallway door hinge gave a sharp, dry squeak when I nudged it this morning. Resting my walking stick against the doorframe, I brought over the little amber dropper bottle of linseed oil from the side table. Kneeling close to the metal plate, I took my short cedar carpenter's pencil and dipped its blunt wooden tip into a tiny bead of oil, letting it coat the edge just enough. With careful, slow hands, I guided that oiled tip right into the narrow seam of the iron hinge pin. I swung the door an inch back and forth, and the grating sound softened into a completely silent, smooth swing.