Jenny could just barely remember visiting Great Uncle Jasper’s old country house when she was very small. She recalled thinking that the shabby old pile of rotting wood that was badly in need of a coat of paint was going to collapse with her inside. The pipes leaked and the floors creaked when walked upon even though she was only 6 then and not very heavy.
On overnight visits she actually would dream that ghosts flew around her bedroom, at least she was pretty sure that they were dreams.
If fact, there was really only one thing about those dreary visits that Jenny found pleasant, and that was when she would sit upon Uncle Jasper’s lap in his tatty wing chair by the fireplace and he would tell wonderful stories that were sometimes exciting, sometimes funny and sometimes were just so much fun that she just found herself smiling all story long.
Uncle Jasper was living at “Mission Valley Rest Home” now and Jenny’s parents were handling the sale of his old house. Jenny was not sad about visiting the old dilapidated house for the last time but did want to sit in the wing chair once more since it was the only place on the whole property where she had fond memories.
There it was. The chair hadn’t been moved an inch from the spot where it had always been.
Jenny decided to sit in the chair one final time to at least add one moment of pleasantness to the entire visit.
She slapped the seat and a cloud of dust rose up into the sun streaked room and Jenny held her nose and her breath until the dust storm moved away with the draft that was flowing in through the broken window.
Jenny sat in the seat being careful not to lean back or put her hands and arms onto the upholstery. She was a big girl now and her head was high enough to be at the level of the side wings of the chair.
“Go ahead…sit back…relax and I’ll tell you a story just like I used to tell your Great Uncle Jasper.”
WHAT????
Jenny was frightened at first as she realized that it was actually the old chair “talking” to her. She looked around to make sure that it wasn’t some electronic joke that her Mom and Dad were playing on her…but there were no speakers, no electricity and no wifi…nothing! AND, the chair knew things that no one else but her and Uncle Jasper knew.
She sat back and finally relaxed and listened to a story about a little girl that became the most famous writer of children’s stories in the world.
“Jenny…..Jenny…..JENNY!…we’re ready to go Dear.” It was Jenny’s Dad’s voice breaking through her story concentration.
“Ah….well….OK Dad….but I want to keep this chair please….there were so many happy memories of Uncle Jasper when I used to sit in it with him.”
“I don’t think so Jenny….it’s so….”
“We ….I….could clean it up and put it in my room and…”
Jenny’s Mom and Dad just looked at each other. Then Jenny’s Mom said….”Well….I…”
“THANK YOU….Thank You both SOOOOOOO much.”
The ride back home to Jenny’s house had one added passenger strapped onto the pickup truck bed and when Jenny finally got the chair situated in her bedroom corner, she sat down and the chair told her a story about a very scared Story Chair that was taken on a wild ride in a Ford 150.