Rancho's house – thelone house in t

Rancho's house – the
lone house in the entire valley – was on
the crown of a low hill. From the
pinnacle of the hill one could see the
rapid flowing stream and next to it vast
fields of ripe corn in between the red
kidney bean flowers. Looking at it one
could predict that it was going to be
good harvest but it needed a rainfall,
however brief.
All through the morning Rancho kept scanning the sky for signs of rainfall and he
was quite confident that it would rain. “You know, woman, now we are finally
going to get some rain.” His wife, who was busy preparing food, replied: “Yes, God
willing.”
As soon as Rancho's family, his wife and sons, sat for dinner, just as he had
predicted big drops of rain started falling. In the Northeast huge clouds were
covering the sky like a blanket. The air had the smell of rain combined with the
smell of fresh earth. The atmosphere at that time was absolutely heavenly. The
boys left their food on pretext of getting one thing and another. All they wanted
was to get wet and play in the rain.
Rancho was very happy as he looked at his field, “Ah! now my harvest is
going to be wonderful.” He started dreaming about all the things he will be doing
once he sells the crops. Suddenly heavy winds began to blow accompanied by big
drops of rain, which looked like huge pearls of ice. “Oh my God! This can't be
happening,” he thought. “NO!! NO!! I will be destroyed. This is no rain, it is a
hailstorm. I hope it will pass soon.” But in front of his family he kept a strong front
and said, “I am sure it will pass soon, don't worry.”
Unfortunately it didn't. The hailstorm lasted the whole night. It destroyed
entire field of his precious crops. Everything looked so white as if someone had
thrown sacks and sacks of pearls all over the place.

92 Kelas XI SMA/MA/SMK/MAK Semester 1
Rancho and his wife were worried to death. Everything they had was destroyed
and they had no inkling as to what they will do.
The boys asked them, “What are we going to do? Everything is destroyed.
We don't even have few pieces of corn or beans. Does this mean we are going to die
of hunger?”
Rancho said, “ My sons, nobody dies of hunger. Always remember we have
God. I am sure he will help us.”
All through the night Rancho kept on thinking how to ask for help from
God. “God knows everything but I think I should write to Him and ask directly what I
want.”
Rancho was thankful for the day his parents had sent him to school. Even
though he wasn't interested in studies but he had grudgingly learned to read and
write. So he took out paper and pen and started writing.