Having lunch in the canteen at work is a ritual thing. Almost everyone sits at the same table with the same people who eat the same thing every day. But sometimes your regular chair is occupied, the usual lunch crowd is gone, or you happen to eat at different time. Then you must go through a ritual act to get acceptance on a new table. This was such a day.
I knew William and one of the seven others at the table. William and I had worked together on several occasions, but that was a few years ago. I greeted those I did not know, and William broke the ice by saying “this is the guy I was telling you about!” The others looked at me expectantly. An expectation I did not know if I could fulfil. “Do you remember the story I told you about that trip to Barcelona? That time Barca beat Real in the Champions League! It was him!” Everyone smiled, nodded, and looked at me with something I perceived as recognition and admiration. “The episode with the plane; was that in Poland or St. Petersburg?!” I had my mouth full of food so I did not have time to answer until he continued; “it must have been in Poland!” I felt my status at the table increased further without me fully understanding why. “It was absolutely wild!” William continued. “Everyone cheered when he got on the plane, took off his sunglasses as if he was Horatio Caine and said; “is this the plane to Copenhagen!” Completely wild! Even the captain came out to see who had boarded! They had taken away the flight stairs when he came driving out on the runway in a taxi! Completely wild! You cannot make this stuff up”, William said and shook his head. Completely wild!
I smiled, nodded, and took a sip of my coffee so I wouldn’t have to comment. His stories about me were much better than reality – so what could I bring to the table?
Billy Bronco is telling you 