Another brilliant piece from a GUNNAS WRITING MASTERCLASS WRITER
Where did we sit before the chair? I often ask myself that question-we have two comfortable couches, clad in chic veloury goodness yet everyone wants to sit in the chair. The couches are more strategically positioned for optimal television viewing, plentiful leg room, ease of access to the coffee table for resting hot beverages, proximity to heating and reduced sun glare interference…yet the chair is always the winner.
The chair is not stylish, it was a third hand purchase from a face book buy, swap and sell page and came in pre-loved condition. Real estate in our lounge room is quite tight so it is squished in a corner -definitely not facilitating optimal television viewing-one has to turn your head to the side. It is poo-brown leather and has now become sprinkled with tiny little scratch/claw marks from cats sharpening their claws or just sky-diving onto it from other perches and using their claws as brakes.
As I sit in the chair I wonder about its popularity! The lever on the side and foot-rest that plummets up quite awkwardly and the fact that you can lean back and it reclines (again quite awkwardly) and the puffiness of the upholstery make it pure magic.
This is the place you go when you are feeling sick, you can snuggle and be comforted by the chair. It is also a great place for beating insomnia, one does find themselves slowly drifting off to sleep in the recline position and waking to find a sticky drool patch and amazed that you did actually fall asleep. Its great for reading, relaxing, chit-chatting to friends on the phone, writing and I’m sure if I was breast-feeding it would be perfect for that too.
Apart from the emotional and physical support the chair provides it also the pet whisperer. If you sit on the chair-then it is an open lap invitation for either or both or our dogs to jump on your lap and at a minimum couple of cats and at a maximum four. The prime position for whoever is top cat of the day is on the head-rest, purring directly into your ear.
Once you are laden down with pets, you become immobile and unable to do anything for yourself as it means disturbing the pets and they all look so adorable. Cups of tea, glasses of wine, newspapers, snacks, lighting and heating preferences all need to be done by the couch sitters.
If you are a guest in our house and a non-pet lover this may change the seating arrangement. Guests often sit on the couch (as they look much more enticing) and the pets will move from the chair as they try converting the non-pet loving people to pet lovers. They do their ever so cute “puss in boots circa Shrek” eyes, rub against legs, bring toys/balls/old bones and gift them and won’t take no for answer when they continually try despite constant rejection to get onto that lap.
So the chair is the throne in our house and special privileges are bestowed upon the sitter. It is getting shabbier with age with but its glory remains.