the curious look

Howard walked into Sofa... So Good with the box under one arm and his briefcase under the other.

"Howard!" hollered the unmistakably condescending voice of Howard’s boss. “You’re three minutes late! What in blazes is so much more important than keeping your job?”

“Sorry sir, I was just… running a little behind today.”

“Well shape up! Sofa’s don’t sell themselves. They need idiots like you to do that for them. And remember, ‘At Sofa… So Good…’”

Howard finished the slogan with the least monotone voice that he could muster, “…a good rest is only sofa away.”

“Atta boy, now get to work!”

Howard went to his small office and began finishing some paperwork from the day before. It wasn’t long, however, before his curiosity drew him towards the box at his feet. After making sure that his boss wasn’t around Howard lifted the box onto the desk in front of him.

Howard flipped back the flaps of the box and was struck in the nose by a cloud of dust. He coughed and waved away the dust. His curiosity unabated Howard peered into the open box. Inside was a scattering of different objects. Howard rummaged through… a plate and a spoon… some spools of thread and googly-eyed doll… a bottle of glue and some scented candles.

Near the bottom Howard found a blue shoebox. On the lid of the shoebox in elegant jiffy-pen calligraphy was written, “For Marie.”