"Through the Eyes of a Chair ", by Maggie Zargo, age 11
I
am what my designer calls a work of art; a wooden chair. As my carpenter
carved me, I felt life flow through me. The further he progressed, the
more I felt alive.
My story begins in front of the carving studio. A tall lady, wearing expensive jewelry bought me here. After looking over the furniture, I was her final decision. She handed my master several green bills and placed me in the back of her vehicle. The ride was short. We stopped at a busy yard, where men were moving boxes into trucks.
She handed me to a man saying, "Please be careful with this one, it's brand new!"
The journey was long, and I felt cramped with other items. Once I was finally released, I was placed in a room with a table. Around the table were many chairs. I was placed in the middle of the long end of the table. I was glad to be left alone for awhile, and to be surrounded by calmness and peace after the hubbub of the day. A chair can only take so much!
After a long time in my windowless room, I was beginning to get bored. I was actually missing commotion when I heard the doorbell. My mistress came to the door and opened it. Someone stepped in, and in a half an hour or so the whole front room was full of people.
Suddenly they all entered my room. An overweight woman waddled over and sat on me. Her haunches were squishy and she had a foul odor. She completely blocked my view, and her smell was overpowering, so I hardly had an idea what was going on. I heard the clinking of silver, and then I was aware of food at my sides. The woman must have dropped it. All those people must have been eating, but with that large of a crowed, it was a feast. More and more food landed at my sides with different textures. Oh, it was disgusting!
What was more gross was when the portly woman put gum underneath my seating surface! I knew it was gum because of the sticky substance, and how it easily attached itself to me. Chairs are made with this knowledge, by the way. We don't have to go to chair school for it.
This whole experience was just an absolute horror! It could take all day trying to describe it. The fat lady's weight was increasing as she relaxed. I thought I would collapse right there and then. Thankfully the woman sat up, I creaked with relief as she did. People started leaving, although some finally came in and started to clean the tables. When tables looked good as new they began the chairs. I was clean again at last, except for the gum. Hopefully that would go away soon.
After awhile my mistress came in to my room for breakfast. She sat down on me. After the barbarian from last night, I didn't want anyone to sit on me. However, my mistress was different. She was very light, had on a soft dress, and smelt rather pleasant. After my fright faded, I felt honored that she chose me, out of all the other chairs, to sit upon. Once she finished, her hands fell to my sides, and accidentally felt the gum.
"What despicable guest I had!" she exclaimed, "Who treat my household like garbage."
Hey, she agreed with me! I really like my new Mistress! She rose and instructed the maids to check all furniture for gum. When they obeyed, the gum was immediately scrapped off of me and another place on the table. I cannot tell you how relieved I was. Some time later, a golden retriever ran in and jumped on me! Her nails scraped my wood, and drool dripped on me at a steady pace. She put more weight on me, and then it suddenly lifted as she jumped onto the table. A little girl came in holding her doll by the hair.
"Margo no! Mommy doesn't want you on the table!"
The dog jumped off of the table and exited the room. The girl did too, still dragging her dolly by her golden locks.
The next day I heard my mistress speaking sharply to someone, and another person wailing.
"Young lady! We do not do that! Now go and sit down, I will call you when you may get up!" my mistress said.
The wailing continued and grew louder as it approached my room. It was the little girl I saw yesterday, but without her doll. Her eyes and face were red. She pulled me out and sat down, still crying. I tried to make my self as comfortable as possible for this poor child. Tears came down one after another; they shared her sadness with me. After a while her sobbing stopped but tears still streamed down her face and onto me. They were wet, warm and collected into puddles in various places on my surface. Her feet dangled and gently kicked me as they swung back and forth. Unlike other guests, she only took up half of my seating surface. After a sigh or two, her tears stopped. My mistress came in.
"Have you learned your lesson? Have you thought about what you have done wrong?"
"Yes mamma." the little girl answered.
"Then you may get up."
The girl stood up and walked over to her mother where she took her by the hand.
"I'm sorry." the girl said.
"It’s alright." my mistress answered.
They walked off together, both smiling a bit. Who knows what my future days will hold, but I do know that they will be filled with excitement.
