The One Armed, Three Legged Chair

by Joseph Vincent

back…

  “Chair” the Omach asked getting ready to slip the three pieces together. “Were you fine with where your ear, mouth and eye were located?

  “Yes Omach,” the chair answered and sneered. “Actually I have never seen what I look like… why, if I wanted you to could you move them around?”

  “No,” the Omach answered. “I was just curious. Besides, Zair said you were beautiful.”

  “That is right chair,” Zair said from the Omach’s shoulder. “I have never seen a more beautiful chair.”

  The chair let out a loud ‘Ha, that is because I am the only chair you have ever seen!”

  The Omach laughed as he finished with the back pieces. He leaned the back of the chair against the large rock in front of the Ozure’s hut. “How is that chair,” he asked positioning him so that he could watch the final assembly.

  “Just fine Omach… will I be able to walk home after you are done?” The chair just wanted to go home where he knew nothing else bad was going to happen.

  “After about as much time as it will take for my brother and me to have a nice cup of tea,” he said and turned to watch the Ozure with the legs.

  “That sounds wonderful brother. I would love a hot cup of tea.”

  The Ozure tested the seat to make sure it was ready for him to tap in the legs. “This is ready Omach, could you put in a few drops of glue?”

  The Omach helped the Ozure fit in the legs one at time making sure they were secure enough. After the second leg was in the Omach handed his brother the third leg and noticed there was not a fourth.

  The chair overheard the two brothers talking… “What do you mean there is not a fourth?”

  The Omach looked to the chair, with sorrow in his voice explained what had happened. He told him that in all of the confusion and desperation to save him from being burned up in the fire, the brave birds lost one of his legs… and an arm.

  “An arm too?” the chair looked down and let out a heavy sigh.

  The Ozure was filled with guilt and despair. “It is my fault chair,” the Ozure confessed. “I am sure though that my brother could make you a new arm and leg… probably even nicer than the ones you had before!”

  The Omach agreed, suggesting that he get started right away.

  Zair flew down onto the chair’s back and quite openly disagreed. “I think you would look silly chair. Really, think about it. You would have three very old legs and one new one, the same with your arm.”

  “Okay Zair,” the chair said turning his eye upward. “And how good do you think I would walk, always tipping to one side? I am sure if you lost a wing and the Omach said he could make you another one, you would not turn him down… Would you?”

  Zair thought about it and realized the chair had a valid point.

  Zandoh flew onto the upside-down seat and looked over the situation. “I have an idea,” he said poking at the center between where the two front legs were supposed to go. “What if the Omach could put your third leg right here in the middle. You would not tip and you would have less to think about when you did walk.”

  “That is not a bad idea,” the Omach said. “Let me have a look at that.”

  Zandoh flew back onto the Ozure’s shoulder. The Omach turned the seat over and rested it on the two legs. He held the third leg in the proposed position with his left hand. He rubbed the seat in a circular motion with his other hand and the seat started walking slowly forward and backward.

  Zair marveled at the sight and asked the chair what he thought.

  “I think that would be fine,” the chair said smiling. “It actually looks rather easy… one less leg to think about.”

  “Alright then,” the Omach said and turned the seat over. “All I need to do is make a new hole right about here… Put in a few drops of glue and with my brother’s help, tap the leg in tightly… and you will be ready to go!” He poked the tip of the Ozure’s knife right in the middle of where the two front legs used to be.

  The Omach carved and dug out the hole delicately and with precision. He tested the fit and added a few drops of glue. The Ozure tapped the end of the leg while the Omach held it in position. After it was in place, the Omach turned it upright and after standing up he rubbed the seat again and walked it over to the back of the chair.

  “What do you think chair?” Zandoh asked with anticipation.

  “I think it is great! When will you put the rest of me together? I cannot wait to try my new legs myself.”

  “Right now my friend,” the Omach lifted the back of the chair from its resting-place.

  After a few drops of glue, he slipped him into the groove into the back of the seat. “Give the glue a moment to set up and then give your new legs a try.”

  “Do not forget his arm,” Zair reminded. “He has to have an arm.”

  The Ozure was busy with the arm. Nobody knew what he was doing with it… he had his back to them. He was carving and wiping and rubbing and blowing frantically.

  “I will be finished in a … Just about finished… there.” He turned around and held out the chair’s arm. He had carefully carved the chair a wonderfully useful thumb and three fingers.

  “I am impressed my brother,” the Omach said clapping his hands together.

  Zair and Zandoh chirped and cheeped loudly with excitement.

  The chair walked slowly to the Ozure, looked up at him and with a tear in his eye said thank you.

  “I cannot believe it,” the chair said gratefully. “I am actually going to have a hand, with fingers…”

  Zair swooped down into the chair’s seat and added… “And a thumb!”

  “Ozure,” the chair said softly and sincerely, “what you have done for me is so nice and thoughtful. I will never again think of the horrible way you treated me and will only be forever thankful for your thoughtfulness.”

  “I too am impressed my brother.” The Omach said hugging the Ozure tightly. “This day could not have turned out better!

  “Yes,” The chair said, “it would be better if you two would actually attach my arm. I want to see what it feels like to hold something in my hand!”

  They all laughed at the chair. The Omach and his brother attached the arm to the back of the chair. Zair and Zandoh watched closely from a nearby stump. When they were finished the Omach and the Ozure stepped back and waited to see if the chair could make his new hand worked.

  “Well,” the Ozure asked, “can you move your fingers?”

  The chair lifted his arm and looked intently at his new hand. “I think maybe I need something to grab for.” He walked towards the Ozure and lifted his hand… “I think the first thing I would like to do Ozure, is shake your hand with my new hand.”

  The Ozure quickly dropped to his knees and reached for the chair’s hand. The chair grasped the Ozure’s hand in his brand new wooden fingers and thumb; gripping it ever so tightly.

  It was a sight to see… the Ozure in tears, the Omach in tears and the chair smiling as wide as his wooden mouth would allow.

  “That is the most wonderful thing I have ever seen,” the Omach said.

  The chair and the Ozure let go of each other’s hand and wiped the tears from their eyes.

  “Hey,” Zair said loudly jumping up into the seat of the chair. “Now you are not just a talking chair that can see and hear, you are a one-armed, three-legged chair that can do all that! Oh my chair, you are the most different of all creatures I have ever seen.”

  “I am proud!” The chair walked around and around saying over and over… “I am a one armed chair… a three legged chair with a thumb and three fingers too! I can see and hear… I can grab and feel… I can shake your hand and say how do you do?”

  The Omach and his brother watched and smiled as the chair, Zandoh and Zair circled the fire pit. It was not long before all three were making a tune of it and singing to the beat of the chair’s footsteps. The brothers had seen the day start with disaster and end with delight. They had started as enemies and ended as best of friends
.

  “So,” the Omach said, “Can you make tea as well as you make wooden hands?”

  “I sure can brother.’ The Ozure smiled and started for his hut. “Which do you prefer, light or dark?”

  “Something light would be nice,” the Omach answered following closely. “Do you have any biscuits? I am quite hungry.”

  “I do have biscuits,” the Ozure said happily. “ Along with, some very sweet gel to dip.”

  As the two brothers stepped into the Ozure’s hut, they could still hear the birds singing a happy song with the one-armed, three-legged chair. The Omach lit a small fire under the Ozure’s cooking stone while his brother filled a small pitcher with tea and water. Neither of them could remember the last time they took a meal together.

  “I am happy you are here,” the Ozure said to the Omach putting the pot and a few biscuits on the stone to warm. “Unlike you who have had many friends and many days filled with joy, I have been here alone… my only companion being darkness”

  The Omach stirred the tea and turned the biscuits. “Remember my brother,” he said in a heartfelt response, “nothing I have had in the past could have ever replaced the presence of my brother in my life. The moments we have shared today and will share tomorrow will fill me beyond all of my hopes.”

  The Ozure turned away for a moment and spoke softly… “Do you really think the bond the bleeding heart had on me is gone? It had been my life for so long that I fear this is only a dream. It has been like a never-ending nightmare and no matter what I did, I could not wake from it.”

  “Trust me Ozure,” the Omach shook his head back and forth, “there is nothing left of that evil inside of you. That beautiful hand you carved from you new heart is all of the proof I need… and all of the proof that you should need.”

  The Ozure turned and smiled, the Omach took the pot and biscuits from the cooking stone, blew out the fire and reached for cups. The Ozure put the biscuits in a small basket and headed for the door. The Omach followed his brother outside.“There are a couple of stumps under the shade tree we can sit on.” The Ozure said leading the way.

  The two sat under the only tree in the deadwood grove with leaves, sipped their tea and slowly chewed the biscuits. The chair and his bird friends had stopped singing. Zair and Zandoh were sitting one on his arm and the other on his back. The chair just walked around as if practicing and taking in the sights.

  The Omach smiled at their ease of being amused and the apparent bond they had formed. He was happy that his brother was going to have Zandoh as a friend knowing the joy himself that Zair had brought him.

  “Omach, Ozure,” Zair said atop the now stopped chair. “Look up… in the tree!”

  The Omach and the Ozure leaned back and looked up into the tree, which hung out over their heads.

  Zandoh flew over and landed on a branch directly over them. “Do you see the leaves? Do you see all of the leaves?

  The one-armed, three-legged chair walked up with Zair on his back and shouted with excitement; “The leaves are growing right before our eye!”“And look down there,” the chair pointed with his new finger. “There are flowers coming right out of the ground all around the stumps you are sitting on.”

  The Omach and the Ozure looked down and were amazed at the sight. Flowers were springing up and blooming, not only around the stumps but all around the deadwood grove. Everywhere they looked there were flowers growing and blooming. The trees were all growing leaves and some were even popping out fruit.

  “It is incredible.” The Ozure said standing and turned to look in every direction.

  The chair started walking through the tall grass that was growing right under it’s feet. Zair and Zandoh flew from tree to tree marveling at all of the leaves and fruit that seemed to appear from nowhere. The Omach put his hand on his brother’s shoulder pulling him close.

  “Now do you believe that evil has left?”

  The Ozure smiled and let the tears fall. “Yes, brother I do believe.”

  The one-armed, three-legged chair walked up to the Ozure.

  “Here Ozure,” he said, “I picked these for you.”

  The Ozure looked down to see the chair holding the most beautiful bouquet of flowers in his little wooden hand.

  “Thank you again Ozure.” The grateful chair said reaching up and when the Ozure took the flowers from him he added… “From my hand to your hand, your meadow is beautiful.”

  The Omach and the Ozure sat in the thick grass with plants and flowers and trees and all kinds of things growing and blooming all around them. The air smelled of flowers and the breeze caused the leaves to chime. The one-armed, three-legged chair, Zandoh and Zair were once again singing the happiest tune in the meadow…

  “I am a one armed chair… a three legged chair with a thumb and three fingers too! I can see and hear… I can grab and feel… I can shake your hand and say how do you do?”

  It was a good day!