Pandora

…..he was visited one night in his dreams by a stern math teacher from nearly a lifetime earlier.  How eerie is that, might I ask??  And why did this incident occur at all?  He had never really liked the guy personally—he was too pompous and arrogant and full of himself to be a creditable exemplar— although Fred had to grudgingly admit the teacher in question was an astute pedagogue and a worthy practitioner of his chosen profession.  But still…..this episode made no sense, no sense whatsoever!  What of value could possibly be taken from it?  And if the answer to that question is no, what constructive purpose do dreams actually serve?  After all, that chapter in his life happened over two score ago, and to have it dredged up and involuntarily thrust upon him now in asymmetrical, nonsensical fashion when his conscious defenses were temporarily relaxing and on furlough……   The whole thing seemed utterly bizarre, and I imagine that is one of the foremost reasons why those rogue, extraneous thoughts from the night preceding last passed Board Exams with flying colors before being officially certified as gloriously cryptic nighttime dreams…..