We moved to a new (rented) house in June this year. The setting up of the house this time around took longer than it normally does in our case. Usually, the L & M and I are quick in settling down at any new place. After all we are veterans of many moves, and not being the sort to sit back while helpers do the work, we have the required experience as well. In this matter of moving house, I even have a slight edge over the L & M since I have been hopping from place to place since the day I was born whereas he got onto the act much later, only after joining the army.

In spite of being these experienced personnel, we took longer to settle down in the new house. It was evident to us that age was catching up. We got tired faster and would wind up work for the day not having accomplished half as much as we wished. So it was that the L & M happened to notice The Chair only later on when we finally got around to setting the room upstairs that I had chosen as my room (or rather our bedroom, both are the same anyways).

I had come upon The Chair the very first time I had given the house a once over. The owners of the house, friends of ours, had left quite a few things in excellent condition too, for our use. I am sure though that they meant to discard The Chair, which looked quite an old and much used one, but had forgotten or hadn’t got the opportunity to do so. I am so glad of that. As soon as I saw The Chair, I decided it was going to be mine. It would make a perfect reading chair.  I could just see myself ensconced in it with a book of my choice. Ahh bliss.

Did I tell you about how I chose the bedroom itself? Through the window panes I saw the trees outside. That was it. I love trees. The one thing the previous house did not have was trees of any description outside my bedroom window. I often cribbed to the L & M about the gray wall of house next door that I was stuck with which was such a creativity-killer. Entranced by the sight of the greenery I could see through the window panes in the new house, I walked over and opened the windows. Immediately my nostrils were assailed by a sweet and soothing fragrance. It was the creeper (Japanese Clematis) in bloom just below the window. Wow

In this idyllic situation the only extra prop I needed was something comfortable to sit and I had already found it in The Chair. By the time the L & M had a chance to lay eyes on The Chair, my decision had already been made. When I found him eyeing The Chair I could read his mind, so I jumped in to stake my claim. ‘This chair is mine, my reading chair!’ I said with as bright a smile as I could muster. The poor man did not stand a chance. So from that day on-wards The Chair has belonged to me.

Or so I mistakenly thought.

Unbeknownst to me, there was someone else eyeing The Chair and the way I relaxed in it with my feet propped on the cot, a book in hand. That someone thought it was the perfect perch for her to chew on her smelly bone. No smiles, bright or otherwise, would work with her. Oh well, I will just use The Chair when the someone is kind enough to let me. *sob sob*