The best Thursday of all times!

Every time I think of this episode, my first thought is that it happened on a Friday. But it must have been a Thursday. Where else does the tradition of Thursday gatherings come from? The fact that the restaurant would have been completely full on a Friday so close to Christmas also suggests that it must have been a Thursday. The story started cheerfully. It was Tony´s last day at work for this company. This was going to be marked at the very end of the day. We were probably around forty colleges gathered for his send off. There was cake, coffee, presents, flowers and speeches. Everything was as usual when someone was to leave after many years in the company’s service.

We had a lot of fun during these years together with Tony. He was a warm, funny, musical, serious guy with family and he lived out in the suburbs. He was simply decent. Never any nonsense and never anything that indicated deviant behavior. Not even on the wildest trips we had been on together. My perception of him was going to change this Thursday.

After the pleasant sentences had been said, farewell gifts and flowers had been handed over, the boss spoke. She had something on her mind, and she thought this occasion when everyone was gathered, was as good as any to say it. I do not remember what she actually said. And I also do not remember if the mood in the room sank or rose. I did not pay much attention to what happened either there and then or after the session was over.

I was in the office when Tony came by on his way out of his last day of work. We agreed to have a beer on the way home. The vast majority had left work right after the farewell party, but there were still some lonely souls here and there. We went round to check if anyone would join a funeral beer for Tony. We gathered five or six colleges before we left. I do not remember how we got to the city. I used to drive a car at the time so it was possible me and another who drove the gang in. Tony was in a cheerful mood all the way and smiled and laughed at everything that was said. He was in a better mood than he had been earlier in the day. In fact, in a much better mood than I can ever remember him being in. And he was not a sad guy as usual.

On the way down the street to find a waterhole, Tony and I were walking side by side chatting. You’re in good spirits today, I said. He just laughed and shook his head, but I could feel that he both wanted and did not want to say anything. I had to ask what it was. He laughed again, but said; -what I’ll tell you now, you must never tell anyone. Okay, I said.
And this was his story.

He had felt offended that the boss had spoken during his farewell party. This moment was his! Not hers to use for anything else! But he was not angry when he talked about it. He smiled all the time. To put things straight on his last day of work, he had decided to go in to her office and say that he did not appreciate that she had cut off his session. But she was not in the office, so he was a little unsure whether to wait or just leave. Her office was a large corner office overlooking the highway. Of course, she had her own conference table and she always had a bouquet of fresh roses on the table. Tony was standing in her office when she came in. The roses were on the table and the vase filled with water was in Tony’s right hand. Instead of telling her that in his opinion it was wrong of her to use his farewell party to proclaim whatever she was proclaiming – he said in a calm voice; How could you; Then he emptied the rose water over her head and left. The last thing he heard as he calmly walked away was the office door slammed shut. It was truly his last day in this company.

But this was also the start of something wonderfully good. A tradition we have had for twelve years. Every last Thursday before Christmas Eve those of us that happened to be in the office that day so many years ago get together and tell tall tales from back then! This is still remembered as the best Thursday of all times!