A Mystery

A Man's Curiosity

No animals were harmed in the writing of this story.

'Curiosity killed the cat' they say; sometimes this is true, at other times the 'cat' might get hurt in some way and find something else to be curios about. (Seeing as they have 9 lives)

The 'cat' of course, alludes to us human beings.

Sometimes it takes a long time for the 'cat' to learn to not be curious about certain things; he might just get hurt over and over by the same thing, and even perhaps disappear from this life due to his curiosity unless of course he's one of those cats that has 9 lives - lucky fish, I mean, cat.

It was a warm spring day, Jim was driving his motor vehicle out in the country; delivering a parcel to a couple who lived on a farm in the area. He was doing a favour for a friend who had promised to deliver the parcel to the couple. Jim rather enjoyed being out in the fresh country air travelling along at a leasurely pace. He had a lot of time on his hands so he stopped at a store and bought something to eat and drink.

There was a table with benches nearby where he sat and enjoyed his sandwiches and cold drink; the sun warmed his body, he felt at peace in this environment. Life had been good to him lately, his work in a department store selling musical equipment was going well, his social life was satisfactory and he lived in a house at the seafront from which he could view the sea.

He was single but had dated a few women in the past few months and was currently spending quite a lot of time with one of them that he fancied. She also worked, so there would be no financial problem if their relationship became serious and they married.He rather liked the idea of having a few children and watching them develop and eventually grow up to be adults.

However he was daydreaming now and things might turn out completely differently.

After resting a while at the table near the store he remembered he had a job to do and proceeded to venture on further to look for the farm where the couple lived. Jim knew the area quite well but he still had to refer to a map his friend had drawn to locate the farm. This he did just before setting off again on his journey.

At one point around a bend in the road, where there were lots of trees at the sides of the road, he came upon something he could see a fairly short distance in front of him. Immediately Jim slowed his vehicle down; he tensed up and a trickle of fear entered his mind as he approached the object cautiously to see what it was, obviously not wanting to run into it with his vehicle.

It was a cardboard box, quite large but just sitting there in the middle of the side of the road on which he was travelling. Other vehicles had obviously driven past the box, but something piqued his curiosity; he decided to pull over to the side of the road to investigate.

He approached the box cautiously, what could be inside it he wondered? A computer, a bicycle, medical equipment, a body, a venomous snake, or what? Jim wondered how it had got there, but he decided it had probably fallen off a truck or out of the back of a transport lorry that had travelled along this road recently; the box still looked in a fairly good condition.

Then again, he thought somebody with malicious intent might have placed the box there on purpose: as he walked cautiously towards it, he kept a watchful eye on the sides of the road and behind and in front of him in case there was somebody lurking about, waiting to pounce on him, rob him of his money and drive off in his motor vehicle.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity he reached the box and very carefully opened it, all the time looking around him to see if anyone would appear, also being aware of any approaching vehicles that might not see him in time and knock him over.

He finally opened the box, and, to be sure, you all know the story don't you; what was in the box? Why nothing of course, but he couldn't have helped but be curious and needed to check to see what it might be!

So he removed the box and went on his way, having solved the mystery of 'the box in the road'.

Note. We must have all had 'curiosity boxes' in our lives as we've progressed along the path of life; growing up, learning, making mistakes and being curious about trying different things and activities. Sometimes our 'curiosity boxes' are filled with good things, sometimes bad things, and now and then with: nothing at all!