Grandmother, parts 2376 - 2379

 2376. He removed yet another screw, and then a strange shaped flat piece of very thin metal fell away and a spring popped out and fell on the floor. This spring looked like a strand of golden hair from a child’s head, a child that has ringlets. He realized that the spring, when it was in the watch under the thin metal plate, was wound so tight it looked like a perfect little circle, so he tried to wind it back up again and put it back in place under the flat piece.

 2377. The trick was the wind up the spring very tight, carefully slide it under the tiny flat metal plate, and then hold it all down by screwing in one of the small golden screws. He was able to wind the spring, and he was able to get the spring under the plate. Then using one hand to hold down the spring and the plate, he tried to insert the screw in the minuscule hole in the center of the plate.

 2378. Try as he might he could not get the screw to go into the hole. He could get it started but it wouldn’t go all the way in. He tried several times, but at one point the spring flew open throwing the screw and the plate onto the floor and the screw fell between two of the kitchen floor boards.

2379. Coromo got down on his hands and knees and peered down between the cracks of the floor boards. He was able to see a gleam of light reflecting from the head of the screw. He tried to fish it out using a pin and the tip of a pencil, but he only managed to moves it slightly and then it fell away and disappeared forever. Coromo went back to the kitchen table and picked up the remains of the pocket-watch.