I can't remember if I had mentioned that I did eventually end up at the office yesterday. It was a rather interesting day in its own peculiar way.
First of all I arrive about two hours late and as I'm walking through to my office I hear no wisecracks about the boss being late again.
Then I arrive at my office and Tish simply looks up at me and smiles, then returns to her task at hand.
Once I actually arrive at my desk I notice that there are no piles of urgent messages, no I gotta have it yesterdays, nothing. Only a cup of hot coffee, two sugars, heavy on the cream and a croissant.
Puzzled I call for Tish and ask for an explanation.
"David stopped by earlier and informed us that henceforth and until further notice anything coming through for you gets transferred to him. If it is something he can't handle he'll bounce it back. So far nothing is bouncing." That without so much as taking a breath.
As she was turning to go back to her desk she said, "Oh, there is one thing. Just as you were coming through Daniel called. He wants to have lunch today. 12:30. He said you'll know where."
Well of course I'll know where. There's only a dozen or so places locally where I take lunch on occasion. I'll just wander around town until I find the right place.
Not one to admit that I can't remember something as important as where Daniel might want to have lunch I had to run through all the places we have lunched together in the past and decide which one is that special place I should remember off the top of my head. By noon I had sorted it all out and headed across town to the small cafe where he first told me he was going to marry Janet all those years ago. I was not pleased then and I certainly wasn't pleased yesterday. Why that old dump of all places. But I was confident I had chosen correctly.
I walked in and there they were, all four of my brats sitting and gabbing away as though they hadn't seen each other since Monday or something. It is not common for the gang to take lunch together during the week as their schedules tend to conflict. My first thought was, "What now?"
When I took my seat David pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to me without a word. Inside was a notice of intent to terminate, complete with all the usual review options. Shit, I was being fired by my own damn family! As I read it they all started to giggle. I think the other patrons around us must have considered us all a bit daft.
Daniel then informed me that as of September first my services will no longer be required, he's coming back. In the interim I was to go into the office when I chose and do whatever I desired with my time there. David will handle the day to day and call on me only when there is an issue he's not equipped to handle.
It seems the old clan has conspired against me once again. This time they have handed me my hearts desire. To retire once and for all. They had a restructuring plan all worked out and laid it all out for me as I sat there in total disbelief.
David is leaving the accounting department and moving into the office next to mine. (Daniel's actually) Beth is leaving the field to assume responsibilities as head of the design department and Cynthia is taking over the retail division. Alan is moving up to the accounting office to replace David and Steven is taking over all field operations. Quite a coup and I was powerless to object. Not that I would have anyway, this is exactly what I have wanted for years. The next generation takes control. Now I have all the time I want to spend with the grand ones or whatever the hell else I want to do.
So here I sit with little to do. David hasn't called with any urgent issues outside his purview and my phone simply doesn't ring. What a beautiful day in the neighborhood! I'm not too sure what I will do with my time for the next two months but it will be a supreme pleasure to find out. I may even go out into the field from time to time to check up on some of the ongoing projects. I haven't done that in years, I've been chained to this damnable desk.
I think I may frame the document handed to me at yesterday's lunch and hang it in my office at home.
soaring
