Benji packs his things up, tossing them into the trunk one by one, heaving and sweating; he’s moving out and hadn’t anticipated just how many pairs of clothes and household appliances had been hiding in that old place — or how many memories he was beginning to come across.

A baby blue bottle he’d long forgotten about hangs in his hands and he smiles fondly, remembering his younger days where he’d stress over losing things so small, his daughters old Binkie still filling his nose up with the strong Oder of baby powder. Only now a much older flavour of it. He repeats this action many, many times. Picking up a memory and tucking it away with the others until eventually he comes across something, in the sea of his colorful room and his long life.

He peeks over at the box, red and blue stripes decorating it, wearing a rusty old padlock. It was still locked, he doesn’t remember opening it, what awaited was a mystery… Quirking an eyebrow, Benji fiddles with the padlock and the old thing easily falls off with no effort, good thing, he’d probably have never found the key.

Excitedly, he opens through it like a child tearing through their gifts on Christmas morning, inside resting a big red nose, a squeaky horny and a handful of unused balloons. The reminder brings tears to the man’s eyes, he’d believed himself to have lost this memories years and years ago, when he’d striked lucky on the lottery and retired at the young age of 32 - for 10 years this box had been sitting somewhere within his home, collecting dust.

One by one, he lifts the items out of their box and inspects them like they’re made of gold, after getting rich, things as valueless as costumes and dollar store balloons never crossed his mind, not even once but now his overwhelming riches had grown tiring, boring: he’d gone on every trip he’d wanted to, brought a nice big house and spent his time doing whatever he damn well pleased. He couldn’t be more happy to catch another glimpse of reality, it was releasing.

He decides he’ll keep the things, and stuffs them in with his other items, returning to look down at the box one final time, thinking to find himself staring down at a pool of dust, instead, lays a card, unopened and decorated with stickers of clowns and glitter. Opening the final thing within, he finds himself faced with a card that reads in big letters

HAPPY RETIREMENT

A list of names, of signatures written in old pen filling the page, each and everyone he remembers fondly as not just a coworker, but a friend during trying times. Benji felt like he owed his life to them, they were family… Tears suddenly glossing his eyelids, he hugs the card like it is the friends who marked it. Despite his love for the family he’s built and gratefulness for the wealth he’s amassed, missing his old home and old life dearly.