End of an Era-The Story of Brown Couch

It was the early 80’s in Kansas and a young couple had bought a new couch for their home.  The couch was a modern brown sectional with over sized cushions and a foot rest big enough for four sets of legs. It was beyond comfortable and as soon as you sank down into it’s soft plush fabric you found yourself ready for a nap.

Soon the young family moved from Topeka Kansas to Portage Michigan and the couch came with them.  The new home accepted the couch and it was loved just as much; with the children building forts from it’s cushions and watching Saturday morning cartoons upon it.

Then one day the mother decided to redecorate.

But not to worry, this isn’t the end of the couch’s life. You see, the mother had a sister who lived 2 hours north and she wanted the Brown Couch.  A trade was made for a dozen jars of canned tomatoes and a lot of strawberry jam and it was loaded up and moved north to it’s new home in Pentwater Michigan. 

At it’s new home it was placed in the young family's new sunroom.  This room was a lot different from it’s previous home. Since it was mostly glass it got very chilly in there and the Couch worried that it wouldn’t be loved as much.  But not to worry; this family put their TV in that room with a small space heater and bundled up on the couch under blankets and enjoyed many movies and happy evening together.

The couch continued to be loved and jumped on and used for forts by the new family’s two young boys. Cereal bowls where spilled, juice was splashed, but the Brown Couch could take it.  The Couch was very happy as it moved into it’s teen years. 

Then the oldest daughter graduated from High School and the mother wanted to get new furniture for her party.  The Couch began to get nervous…but the family decided to move the couch and TV to a new location on the second floor. 

Ah!!! No more cold nights! 

The Couch enjoyed it’s new space and found that the parents would fall asleep upon it more often as they watched the evening news.  Ah too be loved.  The Brown Couch was very happy.

Now over the years the Brown Couch had had some incidents. The 1st owner smoked a pipe, so there were burn marks in it’s fabric.  The second family hung Christmas lights a bit to close to the back and melted the fabric to the lining. And the young boys who liked to throw and toss the large cushions caused some tears in the seams…but it was all because the Couch was loved. 

After a few years on the second floor the Couch was moved again.  The daughter had decided she wanted to take the Couch to collage and move it into her new apartment.  The Couch was loaded into a trailer and moved two hours south to Kalamazoo.

That year the Couch saw lots of pizza and beer, naps and notebook paper, coffee and tea, and dancing on it’s cushions. Many people slept on it’s soft fabric and curled up in it’s deep cushions.  The Couch made many new friends that year-friends that would continue to talk about the Brown Couch long after it was gone. 

It’s time in Kalamazoo was short. The daughter was a senior and had graduated and was now moving back home…but there was no longer any room for the Couch in the house. 

At that time the Couch was moved to the damp basement of the grandmother in Muskegon MI.  This was the lowest point of the Couches life. They didn’t even use the Couch in this house.  It just sat on it’s side pieces all apart collecting dust.  The Couch was very sad…but it was old (20 years) and knew that the end was probably near.

Then one hot and humid August day the Couch was finally taken from the basement.  As it was loaded into a horse trailer smelling of hay, it thought…this is it, my time has come, I’m going to the dump.  After a few hours in the trailer the Couch began to wonder how much further it would have to travel. 

After 24 hours driving and a night spent in a parking lot, the trailer was opened and the Couch was hit with a wave of heat and humidity so thick you could cut it with a knife. 

The couch was in Tampa Florida. 

As it was carefully removed from the trailer it was carried up a flight of stairs and into a condo with cool air conditioning and a familiar face.

The Daughter!!
She was here! She wanted the couch back!

As they positioned the it into it’s new home the Couch breathed a sigh of relief as the four members of the family collapsed into it’s cushions.

The Couch enjoyed it’s time in Florida.  For the next 3 years it saw tired students crash upon it at all hours.  Relishing in its soft worn cushions.  Friends would come and watch movies, eat pop corn and enjoy cold beers while they cheered on the Green Team.  And every year on December 10th loud music would play and the daughter would jump on its cushions causing the Couch to shift and slide and then the daughter would fall down laughing and smile. 

During this time the people living in the house changed, but the Couch did not. It would get shifted around and such, but it stayed there in the blue room with the tall ceilings for many years.

Soon the house quieted down and then there was just the daughter and a man and two dogs.  Every once in a while the dogs would try to get on the Couch, but the daughter was good and always shooed them off.  The Couch like the man because he would give it good cleaning with a special machine – something that had never been done before.  The Couch was happy. 

That is until the daughter started complaining.

“Uggg I’m sick of this couch”, she would say.  “I want a new couch. It’s just so sloppy”. 

The Brown Couch cringed at these words…it knew it’s time was short now for sure.  So trying as it  might to continue to provide the comfort it always had it knew the days were numbered. They said they were going to pick up a new couch…from the original owners of the Brown Couch. 

It was late in the evening on a Sunday night when they brought it in-big and white and all one piece.  The Brown Couch had been shoved aside to make room.  Pillows stacked and Ottoman turned on it’s side.  Soon Brown Couch was being carried out to a truck-not even a trailer! It was strapped down tight ready for it’s finally journey.

The truck drove for 40 minutes then stopped in front of a white house.  Quickly it was unloaded and brought inside. 

A New Home! 

The Couch breathed a sigh of relief as all it’s pieces were moved inside; some in one room and some in another. It was that lady’s house, the one who used to sleep and nap on it so long ago. She was the new owner! The Brown Couch knew her well and was relieved it was her. 

When all the pieces were finally in place the daughter flung herself onto the Couch and said “I’m going to miss you so much” But the lady told her that she could come back to visit when ever she wants. That made the Brown Couches cushions swell. With a final stroke down the back of the Couch the daughter and the man said good bye and walked out the door.

The new couple plopped down and their little dog jumped up and the lady sighed and said “ahhh I love the Brown Couch”.  The Brown Couch smiled and squeezed them a little tighter as it settled into it’s new home, new family, and 30th year.