A Cup of Tea (Hobby, Mug, Reticent, Knife, Intrigue)

The duct overhead rattled as the furnace forced air through the vent. Jim's head popped up from behind the short wall that separated our cubicles. He lacks the restraint for asking me questions, not reticent in his queries. It seems he has the hobby of diverting my focus away from my own work. I took a sip of my tea. Looking at the inside of the mug, I thought about finally washing that thing. However, the boiling water I poured over the tea bag most likely cleaned it. I wondered if repeated layers of dried tea left behind anything detrimental to my health. Probably not, maybe the tannins that I am already drinking. It seems interesting that so many plants developed tannins following different evolutionary branches. I had to force myself to focus back on Jim, make eye contact, listen to what he was saying, show some level of manners. As Jim droned on regarding the intrigue surrounding the regulations he worked on that only a select group of people actually obey, I wondered if I was really paying attention to him. I guess if I was thinking about that, the answer is no. A dagger to my heart, a knife in my belly, stiletto to my temple; all would have relieved me from Jim.

~N. Franklin June is the pseudonym of a researcher at a university. He resides in Michigan with his wife. www.franklinjune.com