Things I love about the house - Part 5

Everybody, I’d like you to meet Ted.

(He’s imaginatively named isn’t he?)

Ted was given to my sister when she was born, which means that he has just celebrated his 40th birthday.

He hasn’t aged terribly well, but shush don’t tell him.

He’s supposed to be that light orangey colour all over but he was loved so much that he got a bit threadbare and parts of him started to leak stuffing. Whenever a part of him leaked stuffing, he would be patched with some fluffy dark brown material. (Except that it’s not that fluffy anymore because it’s getting old too.)

Eventually, Ted was more patches than original.

And now some of the patches are coming away and he’s leaking again.

Once I decided that I was too old for Ted anymore and declared that I would throw him out. Mum asked me if I was sure and I wasn’t but I said “YES” because I am stubborn and don’t enjoy being wrong. And she threw him out and I secretly cried.

But it was ok. She didn’t really throw him out. Mums are wise like that.

Ted even came with me to Manchester for my first year of university. However he retired back to Hull during the 2nd year as uni living was a little too rough for him and his rate of leakage increased to such levels that I feared for his safety and took him home.

Now he looks after the spare bedroom. He’s keeping an eye on things and making sure the room is ready for when The Americans arrive.

And just sometimes, occasionally, I go in to the spare room and give him a little hug, just so he knows I still love him and I tell him that one day I will patch him up properly so he can look after more little people.He seems happy with that.