It was a different Wednesday, having two departments combining department lunch together at Mandarin Gallery. Weitat, Afni and Joy left the office earlier. I followed Bernard’s car and arrived at the place on time together with my department’s staffs. Their cold and repeated jokes on learning volleyball turned me off.
I had a big feast as the food was to my liking. There were at least two other cameras around and thus I did not take many shots. Towards the end of the lunch, I moved to the other end of the stretch of table to crap with my most usual gang. Then, I was teased for mispronouncing words again.
As I began to get sleepy with the heavily stuffed stomach in my irritated eyes, I was given gifts from the department as my farewell gifts. My heavy brain was too tired to react much. Josephine started with her farewell speech, followed by Kevin. I was totally lost at words after that with my brain frozen; the earlier cold jokes and teasing had already eaten up my words even though I was more than happy to present my feeling for the more than two years of stay with all the kind souls.
Immediately after the lunch, I was made to try out the three tops and a sweater outside the toilet. My great buddies had certainly put in great thoughts when choosing the items for me, trying to change my image. There was no mirror around for me to take a good view of myself but I trusted their taste.
We went on shopping for the banking staffs’ farewell gifts. I could feel that I could collapse anytime in my swinging head. I was intending to hitch bus 167 home to take a short nap during the journey but Afni changed her mind in the long queue in front of the taxi stand and I accompanied her to take train.
I finally got to meet up with Peiyun again after years. Eleven years of friendship was fate too kind to me. We got to Boonlay MRT at almost the same time. She was kind, friendly and simple like usual. We had dinner at New York New York but I finally realised I would prefer Fish&Co after the dinner.
We walked around and she repeated her concern whether I was too tired or bored. She grabbed some clothes and by the end of the night, we went to Popular where she bought me a phone pouch to repay me for the dinner. I did not really want to get it since my current tearing one was bought by my younger brother and I would never feel good to dump it.
Comparing the meal and pouch, I would prefer getting the physical gift to being treated for dinner because the gift could last longer for good memorial; the food went into the stomach and would be forgotten in no time after flushing the toilet.
I felt very uneasy for not sending her home but I supposed she would be shyer if I were to do it.
This friendship I would cherish, for nobody I could think of could be kinder than her.
