Consider Yourselves Warned

This summer we replaced the hide-a-bed in our guest room with a click-clack. The former was a very nice piece of furniture. A leather sofa with a sturdy, heavy, pull-out bed. However, the downside was that when you opened out the bed, it took up the WHOLE room. I thought something smaller would be more appropriate. The opportunity presented itself when the new piece of furniture became available from Sylvain's godmother's house. I thought it was perfect. Still big enough for two people, but small enough to leave space in the room for moving around. The first guests to sleep on it were our friends Audrey and Julien who were here for one night the first weekend in September. Everything went well. I had the bed wedged up into a corner of the room. The next guests were Dad and Pam. I decided to place the bed with the head against a wall and the other three sides extending out into the room. Shortly after we retired for the first night of their visit, I heard a loud bang and a clatter followed immediately by a squeal from Pam and an astonished, high-pitched "Is it supposed to do that?!" The next morning I learned that this reaction had been the result of a bed-tipping incident. The click-clack, it turns out, is not very stable and prone to tipping if weight is not properly distributed! Oops! This weekend, my friend Gérald was down from Paris for the 9/11 conference accompanied by his girlfriend, Robin. Unfortunately, I forgot to warn them about the bed and there was another incident, very similar to the first. Except this time, Gérald rolled off the bed onto the floor and didn't seem at all bothered by his new sleeping conditions (he had had several vodka-apple drinks during the course of the evening!). Consequently, in addition to the shriek of surprise, I was treated to a whispered chorus of "Gérald, get up!" I suppose I'll have to post a warning sign in the guest room. But in the meantime, consider yourselves warned!!