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Writer's picturesangeetaangelakumar

"Unboxing" Short Story

Updated: Nov 17, 2019


“It’s dark I can’t see anything. I don’t hear anything.”


Sometimes I hear something that sounds like a machine moving boxes here and there— I don’t know what my purpose is. I don’t even know who I am. I would like to believe I was made for a purpose but I’ve heard horror stories in the factory when they were putting me together. I heard stories of people who just buy things and keep them without even using them. That is awful!


I remember my creation — when my architect had the idea of me with the drawings. The creation of me was at the factory. My parts were brought and assembled from different parts of the world — some in China; some at Vietnam; some at South Korea; some at Bangladesh and some at India.

At the factory, I made lots of friends. They too were assembled with me. It took a little time to put us together. Once our bits and bobs; and nuts and bolts were fit, we all were shipped to different parts of the world, where we would wait to be purchased.


Now I’m sitting in the warehouse —I don’t know where. People keep saying something like Amazon or something— I can’t make out. I wait patiently in the darkness for someone to choose me.

Oh! someone just grabbed me. I can’t really see anything because they’ve sealed me really really well, but I can hear voices— voices of men saying, this parcel has to be delivered to some destination. Can’t make out which destination, but I am excited.

I want to know what kind of home I will live in. I want them to treat me well. I hope I’m not put in storage. Storage is no fun.


I’ve just been moved from a container into what sounds like a truck, which drove me for hours and hours and hours, and then I was unloaded and taken onto a big vehicle. It sounded like a plane, at least what ever I think I’ve heard of planes to sound like.


After a few hours, I was unloaded into a destination onto another truck, until we reached another warehouse where I heard a delivery man talking.

The delivery man had a list of things to deliver and I was one of them! How exciting!

He picked me up gently, I was relieved because at the factory, I had heard stories of delivery men breaking things— but this one was gentle. He put me in a big backpack and got on his bike and drove for a very, very long time. There were many stops I think he was unloading different, different parcels for different, different customers. I was excited about when my turn would come, and finally; maybe because I was so big, I was the last one in the bag.


At Our final stop, he reached and picked me up gently. I heard him make a phone call asking the person if they were home. I couldn’t hear my new family but I couldn’t wait. The security guard asked him to sign in — after that I heard him climb some steps and press a button.


Ding Dong!!


The door suddenly flung open. I heard a voice muffled voice of a lady, she said “oh thank you so much”. I heard what sounded like a signature, which she was signing, to accept me.


I was nervous to meet the new family. But just as the delivery man had gently carried me, my new owner gently put me down onto a table.


I heard squeals around me —

I suddenly I got afraid—am I broken? Am I not good enough? Will I be returned?


The fears kept playing, but then I saw the beautiful warm light as my seal opened. My new owner and her family, smiling with happiness. They were more excited to see! me! The little girl was even jumping up and down!

And then suddenly from nowhere, my owner looked at me and whispered, “welcome to our family!”


I was elated. They all held hands around me, and prayed- “Thank you God for providing such a beautiful product.”


Then I was moved to the most beautiful place in the house and plugged into my life line. The moment the electricity ran through my veins I knew I was finally alive and allowed to fulfil my purpose. I knew I was home.


I looked around me and saw many fellow devices —some from different warehouses, from all over the world. They all looked at me and welcomed me. Of course the humans couldn’t see our electronic communication.


But my owner smiled and looked at me as if she knew me— she was grateful and said “Welcome my new Oven, You have many friends here — the fridge, the TV, the microwave, the computer... Welcome to your new home, welcome to my life— we are a team and we will work together to be a blessing to everyone”.

The end.

Title: Unboxing

By Sangeeta Angela kumar

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