08/30/2026
The Telling Chair~
Aunt Malita had many beautiful antiques and treasures in and around her home. Growing up next door to her I always wondered why she had these two chairs, obviously built in the wrong way sitting in her yard? It didn’t match any of the other beautiful items she owned. Every day or two I would find myself drawn to that misfit of a chair. I asked Aunt Malita in a round about way why she had it but all she would tell me is that one day I would have the chance to understand. Until then it remained a mystery. Since I couldn’t get anywhere with my Aunt I went to my grandparents. Grandma Cleo said that it was from Grandpa Bills side of the family so I should ask him about it. Summer was turning into fall so for the time being my curiosity was curbed with the colors and of the leaves and the crisp air. This coming week my cousins were coming out to visit the Aunts across the street. I always was excited about the fun my cousins would bring. I shared the news that the Aunts invited them over and we would have a grand time! The days flew by, the weather was crisp and it was finally Saturday. I was up early and found my place in the big red overstuffed chair that sat right in the front window with my dog Tinkerbell. About an hour into looking out the window Tinker began to snort and shake which meant there was a car coming down the dirt road. ”It was them” I yelled out loud. I bolted out the door and greeted my 6 cousins and Aunt and Uncle with all the warmth I could muster. They all piled into the Aunts house and the fun began. We played on the floor, looked at picture albums and when it was time for lunch I waited in line patiently for my turn for some of the delicious food my Aunt Dula had prepared. All of a sudden I was being pulled away and turned around. My Aunt Sylvia was bent down as to whisper in my ear. She said “this is for them, our guests. You can go home across the street and eat there.” I immediately felt the red color rushing to my cheeks. I held back tears and simply turned and left. But instead of going home I went Aunt Malitas strange chair and sat down and had a real good cry. After what seemed like an eternity I stopped crying. I wondered why I was not included with the rest. All of a sudden my grandpa Bill was there and he took the chair facing me. He pretty much knew what happened cuz Aunt Lily (who was furious with Aunt Sylvia) walked up to let them know what happened. Grandpa lit a cigarette and then said “I guess it’s time we had a talk about this old chair.” I had no words so he just began~ “ this chair was made many years ago by Aunt Malita’s grandpa. They believed that it was important to take time with someone you cared about and to talk things out face to face, heart to heart in total truth. So when you sit here facing me you can talk about anything that you need to, regardless of what it is. I will answer as best I can and then once it’s settled we leave it here in the telling chair.” So grandpa and I sat there for about an hour and when we were done I no longer felt hurt or confused by this experience. I looked at life (even at my young age of 9) with more understanding eyes. I didn’t go back to the Aunts house for a while and my Grandma Cleo wouldn’t talk to Aunt Sylvia until one day she came up and asked me to go sit in the telling chair with her. I did and it seemed to bring a new energy to knowing who she was and her own experiences with rejection. That telling chair was the best thing for me as it continued to give me the answers that I needed in life. Time took its toll on that chair and eventually it was too old to sit on and chopped up for a fire. I watched it burn and thought to myself that all misconceptions that humans have about one another can be handled this way even without having a telling chair. You are, when you sit face to face with someone like this, you can’t escape their eyes, and their eyes always tell the truth of what their soul feels.
Thank you Dawn Cillo for sharing this picture with me. It brought back this very beautiful and heartfelt memory that I needed right now to help me through some difficult times.
