An Unusual Event

Richard follows the same routine day in, day out, until today...

Life. It's a funny old thing really. You're born, you receive extreme disappointment in the form of parent evenings, you find a companion who eventually lets you down and then you settle down to a lifetime of Cash in the Attic before an unexplained psychological decision on whether you accept heaven or not for your own selfish happiness. They say life has it's ups and downs but sometimes it's hard to ignore the stagnating lack of pulse resonating from this so called theory of life.

That's what Richard told himself, what he reminded himself of. Every day he felt the tinge of excitement evaporate bit by bit with every extra cornflake he furiously digested in his mornings preparing for another day of beige wallpaper and monotone meetings on the importance of electricity. This was a man whose biggest purchase in the last year was a new kettle to replace the old one that wasn't broken but merely no longer matched his tea-based needs. Yes, this specimen was someone who truly felt revolted by the inanity of life and everything moment of nothingness it provides. Little did he know what today had in plan for him.

It began as every other would - a longing desire to see a companion upon waking, crippling loneliness and an unexplained yet understandable desire to slap the BBC Breakfast presenting crew. A short drive to work led him to his office, that led him to his prepared lunch of dry bread with accompanying bad food, followed by a dull afternoon to prepare him for an evening muttering at how television had really degraded since the 90's. That was a normal day; a good day, perhaps, in this man's rich tapestry of life.

Yet today offered something new, for when Richard sat at the comfortable familiarity of his desk he saw something new.

It was a box.

Why would a box be on his desk? What an odd peculiarity. This wasn't in the plan, it wasn't in the day to day ritual that he calls living. Richard was shocked, flustered, and would even go as far as to say he was downright panicked by this sudden change of pace in his life. The box sat there wrapped in a sturdy brown envelope, perhaps not the most inviting wrapping but still remarkably unusual. It allowed Richard to think and to ponder over it's existence, with freedom that he often felt slightly naughty doing in the workplace.

It's just a box.

Or is it just a box? Richard pondered the paradigm of Schroedinger's Cat; now he truly understood the predicament that his famous musing has now on his life. Was it just a box, or is a box just something? Of course, it was all total garbage when you think about it but this allowed a glimpse into the serious nature that Richard truly considered this shocking turn of events. His head moved closer towards it as if he were interrogating this faceless object, staring it down like a cat ready to pounce.

I mean, it's just a box.

But a box can offer so much, for until it's opened we can never know the contents, thought Richard. He chuckled at himself for the momentary thought of telling himself to think outside the box, immediately looking around in alert as if laughter was a crime in these surrounding walls of tedium. Life suddenly grew in colour and variety at the appearance of this exciting new event, this source of unpredictability and sheer terror at the infinite possibilities it could lead to! It was finally time. It was time for Richard to open the box.

He took another look around only to find his co-workers familiarly slumped in their usual role of silence and typing, taking a few glances to truly ensure that the opening of this box wouldn't lead to his impending imprisonment. Slowly but surely, the wrapping paper was thrown aside like a freshly washed duvet being thrown onto a bed.

It was another box.

'Turn around.'

He stared at the message thinking... turn around? But I've just been there.

Richard looked back up with a cross-eyed look, confused and aghast, yet carried on with these deliberate instructions and slide his chair around. Suddenly a crowd stared back. Jane, Mary, Trevor, the moustache chap from HR, even Richard's boss - and they were all smiling! Actually smiling! Richard had forgotten what such a concept had even looked like until his boss stepped forward. He spoke softly.

Happy Birthday, Richard.

Richard was handed a fantastic looking cake and an applause broke out, yet the real present was the unexpected embrace of a welcome gesture that felt like a visual hug. A brief thank you for being him; for being Richard - for recognising his service for being born all those years ago on this very day. Something he never expected anyone but himself to remember.

Suddenly life seemed a little less lonely.