Startled Snuggles
This is an older pic of Zoro and Sanji snuggled up in my comfy pants. Sanji perked up and peeked an eye open when I went to take the picture.
…Time for this week’s story…
Life of a Bed
Like most beds, I was born in a factory and shipped to a nursery not far away. The nursery was full of other newly born beds, each wrapped in plastic and awaiting adoption. There were many types, some with extra padding, others made of memory foam, but all of us were excited to be the place where humans lay their heads at night. Each and every one of us was built for comfort, and we were ready to fulfill our duties.
Humans strolled the nursery and tested the various beds, sitting, lying, and pushing down with their hands. I would watch them with such eager fascination until, before long, my day came. Two men pulled me out and loaded me onto a truck. There was only one other bed there with me. We shared in our excitement until the humans dropped it off at it’s new home. Then, I was left alone in the dark, excited as could be. After what felt like an eternity, the truck’s roll-up door opened and light shined on me once more. That was the day I met Carlos.
Carlos was so happy to see me. He set me up on a metal frame in his bedroom. Even before throwing on sheets, he threw his body on top of me, wrapping his arms around my sides to give me a hug. He rolled over and laid on his back for a while, breathing slowly, taking in the moment. When he finally sat up, he bounced a little before he stood up.
“You’re so comfy,” he said. “Hell yeah. I got my first new bed. That’s like… a life accomplishment or something. Where’s my achievement?” Carlos talked to himself as he wrapped me in a soft bedsheet, then tossed blankets and pillows on me. With all these things, I was complete.
For years, I fulfilled my duties as a bed. Carlos slept like a rock. Sometimes he was sick, or stress would keep him up, but when his mind and body finally gave out, I helped him sleep soundly. The stressful job that sometimes kept him up eventually let him go, and Carlos had trouble finding work. He would sit on top of me and talk on the phone, calling friends, prospective jobs, prospective girlfriends.
Carlos found another job, but the economy wasn’t what it was before. He told me that he was glad he bought me when he did, because he wouldn’t have been able to afford me after that. It was nice to know how much he cherished me. I cherished him, too. He was a sweet person, full of love for all his friends and family. He was never bitter, and picked himself back up with gusto whenever life got him down. Always ready for the next round, Carlos had grown up boxing, and refused to stay down.
Despite his resilience, what tended to get to him were his relationships. I was there for a lot of the fights, and a few of the make-ups and break-ups. Once, he broke my metal frame having sex. He and his then-girlfriend laughed and kept going. The next day he came home with a thicker, stronger steel frame for me to rest on. Some relationships were painful until they ended, others were painful because they ended. He got over them and grew from them all, but when he was sad, I was the one who was there for him.
Finally, he met Hannah. I knew Hannah was perfect for Carlos almost immediately, and I think he knew it too. He acted different with her. I don’t think he realized it, but the rest of us could see the hearts in his eyes, and in hers. They were alike in all the important ways, prioritizing love, compassion, and fun. They sometimes disagreed on their favorite characters or foods, but these were trivial details. They enjoyed some separate hobbies, but spent as much time together as they could, as soon as they could. They could not find enough excuses to be together. Within a year, they moved in together. And, they had that conversation snuggled up on top of me.
“Let’s keep your bed. It’s way comfier than mine. I’ve had mine for… way too long,” Hannah said.
“Oh, for sure. Mine is like five years old. but I got all the memory foam padding layer and stuff, so this baby is going to last a while,” Carlos said proudly.
They lived together for a year and a half before Carlos proposed. The early years were absolutely blissful. After moving to several apartments, we finally moved to a house. They had children. Carlos and Hannah laid on top of me with the tiny human baby in between them. As it grew it would play on top of me, jumping and rolling. So too, did the other two children they had. They grew to be almost teenagers before Carlos and Hannah realized the reason they were having trouble sleeping was because of me.
I knew it was because of me that they couldn’t sleep, but I couldn’t tell them. I was old and my springs were worn out. Parts of me had broken. I was actually relieved when they realized, even though it meant my doom. They said goodbye, and told me what a great bed I had been. I was sad to go, but I couldn’t serve my purpose anymore. I wanted them to sleep comfortably. To know that I was a good bed to them made me truly happy. I ended up in the dump, and died some time after that.
“It sounds like you lived a good life. Welcome, friend,” said a bed with big, fluffy white wings, standing before tall, slowly-opening pearly gates.