Mens rea

Sunday, The Pandora's box

He woke up.
"not this time.. ",he muttered under his breath. Lying next to him he found the tinted bottle of trazodone.
"shit... ".
He remembered how he felt like an insomniac; how he must have taken the anti-depressant to calm his senses; how he was thinking about something; an object. One thought led to another and everything fell into place like a pack of dominoes.
The box was still lying on the table.
"yes,  you are here. ",he assured himself.
Wrapped in brown parchment paper the box felt heavy, uncanny to its appearance. He opened the packing with the finesse of an artist. The box was made from cherry wood,the edges were chiseled with delicacy and the base had an intricate interlaced intaglio of vines,leaves and some sort of a bird. The front was labeled with golden engraving, "why a Raven like a writing desk? "
He opened the box and found another envelope. This one was placed in a protective sheath of black linen.
  "Raven...  I hate ravens.. ",he whispered.
He took the envelope and placed the box on the table.
                       Mr. A G Waithe
   " Mad as a hatter,  twice as twisted"
A faint smile danced upon his lips. He placed the envelope along with the previous one, inside his pocket.
     After a not so scrumptious breakfast ,he sat on his chair and switched on the TV . He started changing channels,stopped at the local news which was broadcasting a report on the effect of using NPK in heavy dosage on the crops of long beans in Malaysia.
" reduced nitrogen fixation efficiency by poor production of nodules and nitrate reductase activity that is required to maintain soil fertility.  "he muttered .
" what the hell did i just say...!? " he shouted.
"this case is getting the hold of me!!  " he switched off the TV and slammed the remote on the couch.
The phone rang.
"Hello,  Mr. Waithe we are expecting you between 11:45 to 2:30 today. You gave an appointment to a lady named Ms. Brooke ", said Ela in a single breath.
"Send them a confirmation. I will try to reach on time, and ofcourse keep my coffee ready. "replied Mr. Waithe
"sure, sir thank you. "Said Ela before dropping the call.
He searched for a pen to jot down the memo ,his hand felt the envelope.
"i forgot to read you.. ", he said while picking up his chevrolet's keys. He opened the door and stepped into the bright sunlight that felt like warm oil.