Furnishing the Room

This dialogue is a conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Gates. Mrs. Gates spent her vacation at her friend’s in Canada. And Bill was alone at home. When she returns she finds everything knee-deep in clothes and rubbish. But it isn’t all that shocking when she sees the sitting - room.

– Bill, what… what have you turned the house to? Have a look at our sitting - room, of course, if it can be called so.

– Oh, Helen, you’re always making fuss of nothing. What is wrong with the sitting - room?

– I’m making fuss of nothing, Bill?! Look around yourself Bill. The windowpane is broken and the frame is rusty. The floor was covered with a beautiful thick carpet and now it is all stained. Bill, I wonder, what you have been doing?

– Oh, darling, I am awfully sorry. But I really didn’t have time to look after the house. You know the company takes up all my spare time, it needs a firm hand.

– Well, we’d better stop quarrelling and idling away the time and set to work immediately. We’ve got plenty of things to do.

– Shall I go to the shed and bring all my tools?

– Go ahead. And I’ll take these frayed cushions to the attic, later I’ll take them to the laundry and have them washed. Oh, by the way, Bill, fetch some new curtains. They’re upstairs in the wall unit.

– Oh yes. These tattered curtains spoil the view and the atmosphere of the room. I’ll come in a minute… Oh, here they are. Hang them, please. Well and what shall we do next?

– I’d like you to take all the furniture out of this room. I have to sweep the floor here! And then bring some scouring powder to clean the carpet, please!

– Right. Oh, help me with the bookcase standing against the wall. It is immensely heavy. Well and let’s take these two soft and comfortable armchairs out of the room as well.

– And the table…

– Oh, don’t bother, I’ll do it myself.

– To the left, a bit higher, to the right. I said to the right, Bill. Oh no, the vase, it’s our parents’ wedding present. It must cost a fortune, Bill.

– Well, I didn’t see it, otherwise I wouldn’t have broken it. You see, it wasn’t by design, Helen. I’m really sorry. We will have it repaired.

– Oh, never mind, Bill. Let’s go on with the cleaning. Well, the furniture is all out. Have you brought any dust clothes? Look, the fireplace, in the corner of the room, is covered with thick dust.

– Definitely. Here they are. Let’s wipe the dust. Wait, in the center of the mantelpiece there is an antique clock and above it an oval mirror. We’d better take it away as well.

– Right. And now I’ll go and bring a mop and a broom and we’ll clean the floor.

Having tidied the sitting - room, they went on.

– Oh, look, the sitting - room is a nice and neat place to live in! Now it’s a perfect place to relax and entertain guests, don’t you think so?

– You’re absolutely right. But the furniture still needs to be arranged. You know it suddenly dawned upon me, that we can change our room as well. The room appeared to be slightly boring, so now why don’t we change it round?

– Sounds good. What about putting this soft and cosy sofa in the left- hand corner of the room? And in front of it there will be this nice coffee- table.

– I like your idea, Bill. And on the right we can put the comfortable armchair. There will be a coffee- table right to the left of the sofa with a lamp on it.

– It’ll be really wonderful. To my mind this suits the cosy and peaceful atmosphere of the room, doesn’t it? And why don’t we put the bookcase opposite the sofa next to the fireplace?

– Oh, it’ll be absolutely great. Personally, I’d like to put a rocking chair next to the fireplace. It’ll remind my winter holidays at my granny’s. It was the best holiday for me.

– I see. And what about the TV - set? I reckon we need a TV- set in the sitting- room. May it stay where it was. To my mind it is a perfect place for it.

– Definitely. You know, it just occurred to me that we’d better buy a new thick carpet instead of the old one. And as to that carpet we can put it in the hall. What do you think about it?

– Well, why not. I’m all in favour of this idea.

– You see, Bill, the room is no longer messy. It is neat and cosy and may it stay so as long as possible.

– Oh darling. I’ll try to do my best. I promise.