"Late September From my Computer"

I want to go to sleep. It’s late, late September, I’m at my computer and all I can think about is going to bed. But as they say, writer’s write . . . and sleepers sleep. I used to sleep so well when I was a kid. I always preferred sleeping on the couch as opposed to my bed. I think the best part about the couch was that it was multi-functional. With the couch I could sleep on it, sit on it, and if inspiration struck, take off the cushions and build a little fort.

            Thinking about the little fort brings back so many memories. I’m putting each of the cushions through a rigorous screening process; only the best for my fort I would say. I’m making sure that the zippers face outward so as to provide the most comfortable arrangement within. I’m making a secret doorway and password so that no uninvited guests could come in; unlike my room where everyone and their Grandmother would come in and comment, “Oh, your room is so messy.” No one would tell me that my fort was messy, I wouldn’t let them. Besides, there are more important things than a clean room. I’m exercising my creativity.

            I would make it a point to interact with the outside world occasionally. If I wanted to get a message out I would send one of my parachute soldiers. My allowance could not provide me with a homing pigeon. I tried sending messages with the use of my hamster but they would always wind up at the bottom of his water dish. I would generally send my soldiers on missions to get peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Of those who came back, they had a pretty good success rate. My living room was a harsh and unforgiving terrain full of vacuum cleaners, dogs and pesky sisters. To compensate I bought the deluxe packs.

            Those were good days, I remember just lying on my beanbag reading a book, eating my PB&J sandwiches, drinking a cold glass of chocolate milk and thinking life is good. Life is still good of course, it’s just nice to remember when protection and privacy were as close as couch cushions. I remember when I didn’t have enough couch cushions to make a fort. I improvised and made a fort out of my mother’s throw pillows. Not as sturdy, I’ll grant that, but very light and airy. There was always the problem of reassembling my fort after it fell but I saw it as a chance to build an even better, sturdier fort. That would be the first and only time I would use duct tape on the couch cushions.

            My time in the fort was pretty solitary. I never played with the neighborhood kids. To be honest, I didn’t know there were any. I might have let them in my fort, if they were cool enough. Hmm, I’m remembering the last time I got to build my fort. The time before homework, maturity and height came into play. I had a peanut butter sandwich, a book and all my Ninja Turtles and Gi Joes by my side. I gave a final speech to everyone present concerning the changes that were to come, both the challenges and the opportunities that we would encounter. It was nice to have a fort, yes, but there was a whole living room, a whole world even, just waiting to be explored.

            It was with feelings of gratitude and remembrance that I put the cushions back on the couch. I put my parachute troopers back in their box, my book back on the bookshelf and my cup of chocolate milk in the sink. I waved goodbye to my action figures and thought one day we might meet again. At first I thought I’d sleep on my bed. I think tonight I’ll go sleep on the couch.