I was watching from my desk...She was packing her stuff - books, pictures, stationary, snacks...piling them all in a box..."You can have this plant" she said and quickly looked away...There was a short uncomfortable pause..."Thanks", I muttered.
My dear friend and colleague had been laid off and today was her last day at work. She was a "competent engineer", and "one of our best employees" mentioned our boss. She was being "let go" because of pure financial reasons. At the moment, I was less occupied by the reasons and more with the effects that awaited. For one thing, I would be without a lunch partner. Having lunch together was something we both used to look forward to - a short breeze of respite in a day full of deliverables, demos, reports, and meetings. More than anything, I had found a true friend in her - in less than a year we had developed a close friendship. I knew there was email, and phone, and that we could still meet for lunch but it would not be the same.
Tomorrow, I would look over from my desk and find an empty table. A lonely looking plant next to it - the one that she had taken care of last three years and had now passed on to me. I silently wished her luck and tried in vain to get back to work...
