Monday, March 24, 2008

This day that year - I

March 24, 2006

The Big Blue Sofa

I am yelling at my husband. Again.

"You and your #$@% veto! I don't want to hear that word any more, unless I'm the one saying it! I swear if we can't agree on at least one boy name and one girl name soon, I'm going to go with my own choice. You can veto till you're blue in the face, I don't care!"

He is sprawled on our enormous blue sofa, cushions precisely arranged to ensure that his angle of recline allows him a straight line of vision to the TV. Assorted remotes and a late-night snack are laid out on the broad arm of the sofa.

He flashes his crooked, boyish grin at me. "Relax, will you? Look, I've set everything up. Star Trek: The Next Generation. Come on!" He plumps up the cushions he's arranged for me.

I mutter evilly about lazy fat asses as I heave my bulk in next to him, but I'm not really upset. The big blue sofa seems to magically expand to accomodate us - the husband, who no one can accuse of being a small man, me, fully nine months pregnant, and four outsize cushions, so big that we sometimes use them as floor cushions.

The sofa was the first piece of furniture we acquired after we got married, custom-made for us in Bangalore by a friend in the furniture business. We had no idea what he was sending us, having told him only that we wanted an L-shaped sofa, and that it should be blue. I was quite nervous until it arrived, 2 pieces that fitted in an L shape, each the size of a twin bed. It was deeply blue and absolutely perfect.

When we are at home, our life plays out on the sofa. Talking, eating, reading, watching TV, playing Scrabble, fighting, making up (and out ;-), and falling asleep cuddled up against one other with the lights still on. We have spent the better part of 3 years on this sofa, so much so that its grooves appear to have moulded to fit our bodies.

Tonight, I stretch out in my groove and adjust my husband's arm around me as the familiar opening track of Star Trek: TNG plays. I know this baby is coming soon, and that life as I know it will change for ever.

What I don't know yet is that in just a few days, when we come home from hospital with our firstborn, the beloved blue sofa will be the first place she will rest her head.

Edit:
Just found this picture of Moppet on the sofa, napping by the window after her bath. It's not her first day at home, but she's certainly not more than a week old in this one. She would spend most of the day on the sofa, and move to her crib only at night.

Sadly however, this is not a tradition that Munch will have the pleasure of following. When we moved to Bangkok, we thought long and hard and eventually gave away / sold all our furniture and appliances, including the sofa.

My only consolation is that the sofa went to another young couple like us who were furnishing their first home. I hope it is part of as many fond memories for them as it was for us.

20 comments:

Mona said...

aww beautiful :)
you just made me feel strongly for my own couch!
will the blue sofa also be the first place the second rests herself?

Unknown said...

Awww. Lovely story. Munch will follow the precedent set by Moppet I hope.

Just Like That said...

Sigh! that was a nice bit of nostalgia. Do you still have it? will Munch get to lay his head on it as well?

Sunita Venkatachalam said...

Her burday's coming up, yay!!!! You're quite the story teller aren't you?

Cantaloupes.Amma (CA) said...

Similar memories with our bed ... first item we bought after marriage:)

dipali said...

Lovely, Candyfloss (have to get used to this new name of yours)!

Anonymous said...

Lovely story :) Moppet looks really cute and fragile in the pretty sofa.

Anonymous said...

Awww, beautiful Moppet so content on the sofa... Lovely.

Anonymous said...

thats such a sweet story! you need to take up writing full time, madam!
mandira

Sukhaloka said...

That just made me feel... weird, nostalgic, touched, all of that.

Reminds me of the few short months when we had a sofa set in Delhi. Mom and I used to have great times on it once in a while. And then she died, and it was sold to a relative.
I don't know what to think, that I don't really have many material things to attach memories to. They're all mixed memories, and most of those things are either sold or valued for their use rather than memories.

Maybe I'm a bit too young, with too strange a life behind me, to be talking about memories.

Gentle Whispers said...

Hi, Just came across your blog and I loved it. So thought id comment. Your description of the sofa makes me feel like I want to curl up on it too.

By the way, I'm going to link you if you dont mind.

Also, how do you do the ' twists in the tale' thing, i've been trying to do it for my blog too bt havent been able to.

Savani said...

awww...lovely story. couches seem to evoke such mushy feelings, no? hope munch and his big happy family will have more happy sofa moments :)Be they of any color and shape :)

Daisy said...

aww.. that is soo sweet.. we had a brown sofa in my parents home when we were growing up.. and then they were given away to my uncle..i dotn know where is it now.so mnay memories though

Anonymous said...

So what came first? Photo->leading to flood of memories -> th epost or the other way around?

Even if the sofa was around, Munch would be better off by himself in teh crib, where the big sister can't jump on him. Don't ya think?

BTW, we are big Star Trek TNG fans too! I think Piccard is absolutely the best captain!

IBH said...

Just beautiful.. delurking...coy this post deserves delurking :)

and all the best with munch

dipali said...

Lovely seeing the tiny Moppet!

Aryan-Arjun said...

Ahh..moppet is looking so cute..New template??
AM

Unknown said...

Aww, I missed the end, where you mentioned you sold it, thats why the hope for Munch. Anyway, maybe someother baby somewhere will make it his or her first resting place.

Maggie said...

New visitors, delurkers: Welcome, welcome!

Gentle Whispers: Feel free to link up.

Utbtkids: You're right, I was thinking that even if the sofa had been around, it wouldn't have been safe for Munch with Moppet on the loose...

And we're watching Star Trek Voyager now - Janeway's not a patch on Picard :-)

Swati said...

Where did my comment go ?