Have a Chair! Makapee's Days #0802

This is Makapee.
I found a chair that looked good, so I tried to see if I could reuse it.

In the town where Makapee lives, the first Saturday of the month is 'Bulky Waste Collection Day'.
For Makapee, this has been a valuable day that provides opportunities to reuse things like bicycles.

So, yesterday, as I was casually looking at the collection site,

'!!!'

There were about four wooden swivel chairs used for kitchen tables.

Actually, about two weeks ago on trash day, my father-in-law fell and broke his left wrist.

So, I went to a store to check out the specifications of several types of beds, thinking it might be good to introduce one, and proposed, 'How about something like this?'

However, the reply I got was a flat refusal: 'Stop it! Don't meddle with me! I don't need a bed!'

My wife, who also struggles with putting away the futon, was exasperated by her father's stubborn attitude and snapped, 'Fine! If you're going to treat me like a villain for suggesting something that would make your daily life easier, I won't suggest anything!'

My mother-in-law confided that my father-in-law, who has his arm in a cast and in a sling, even complains about us continuing to support her, saying, 'Aren't you ashamed to be a burden to Makapee and the others?'

Why is it that elderly men tend to become 'stubborn old men' rather than 'kind old men'? Sigh.

I hope to grow old while gracefully accepting support too (laughs).

Anyway, with this discovery, I had a flash of inspiration: 'Oh, this could work!'

That's because my father-in-law cannot squat when watching TV in the living room, so he has been using a rattan chair, but it has been quite damaged and wobbly from years of use, so I had been thinking about a replacement.

I had also heard from my mother-in-law, 'Your father says he needs a chair he can sit in more comfortably!' (He never says that to us directly, though.)

My father-in-law not only does his early morning radio calisthenics while sitting in that chair but also takes naps in it, so I thought it would be good if it had a sturdy backrest and armrests.

However, even when I went around to second-hand shops like Hard Off, this type was almost always sold as a set price for a table and four chairs.

I only wanted one!

And there it was at the collection site!

It certainly shows signs of use, but when I picked it up, there were no broken parts, and it swiveled smoothly, so it seemed okay.

What concerned me was that it was heavy. It wouldn't be as easy to move around as the previous chair.

I chose one, hugged it, and carried it back home with a 'heave-ho'.

Then, I brought a bucket of water and a rag, and when I cleaned the chair at the entrance, I was convinced that it would be fine.

Now, how should I transport the chair to my parents-in-law's house?

More than that, since my wife has told me, "Don't do anything your father-in-law hasn't asked for!", even temporarily storing it in the house would be viewed with suspicion.

For now, I decided to hide it under the bicycle cover and wait for a chance.

On this day, I had an outing (shopping) with my mother-in-law, and I thought I could use the timing after we ate lunch together and I dropped her off at home.

Once I saw my wife off as she helped my mother-in-law into the car, I secretly returned home under the pretext of "going back to get something I forgot," put the swivel chair I had hidden near the entrance into the back seat of my compact car, and drove off—mission accomplished!

Five minutes later, I arrived at my parents-in-law's house, and when I delivered the groceries with my mother-in-law, my father-in-law was in the living room with the air conditioning on due to the ongoing heatwave!

Perfect! "Father-in-law, it's hot, isn't it!"

I went back to the car, grabbed the chair, and placed it in the living room.

Macapee: "Father-in-law, this is a chair with a backrest. It's stable, so please try using it. That chair over there is already falling apart, so let's swap it with this one."

Father-in-law: "What, what is this heavy chair? I didn't ask for anything!"
Macapee: "It is heavy, but it's stable and swivels, so you can easily change your body position, and you can even do exercises while watching TV!"
Father-in-law: "Stop it! Take it back! Don't do things on your own! Once my hand heals, I'll go back to my old life, so I don't need something like this!"

Mother-in-law: "Father, why don't you try using it since it's here?"
Father-in-law: "No, it's no good. Take it back! Macapee, absolutely not. If you really want to bring it, do it after I'm gone from this house!" he said, leaning in close and shouting at me.

I also acted immaturely and shouted back, "Is that so! I'll take it back then! I'm very sorry!" to which he replied, "You, your voice is too loud! Is that the attitude you take toward your father?" and I was taken aback.

Macapee: "...My father is already dead! That's why I brought this chair here! Sorry to have bothered you! I'm going home now!"

When I put the chair back in the car, my mother-in-law was standing in the parking lot.

Mother-in-law: "I'm sorry. As always, he can't gratefully accept other people's kindness."
Macapee: "Even though my wife told me to stop, I was persistent. I'm sorry for making you feel uncomfortable. Also, please keep today a secret from my wife."

This was Macapee.
Thank you for reading until the end. This was Macapee, lacking in spiritual discipline!

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