Lies, lies, lies

Chapter 1: two cups of tea Today is my last day. After today, I’ll pick up my pens, my ruler, my metal name pin that rests on my desk and the clippings of news from my wall and clamp them together in my little cardboard box and ship back home. At that point, it’ll be like I've never really heard, with only a few scratches upon my desk to really prove that I really worked. But then a new guy will come in, younger, more ambitious and has a degree from a better school. But I do not intend to dwell on such thoughts, while this city will likely forget all of my achievements and everything I’ve done for it, I shall always take pride in what I have done. As the day closes, and finish some of my more menial tasks, the sun squeezes between the buildings, creating a calm golden glow, signifying my final day here. I’ll look at the clock and I see that there are only 6,5 minutes before closing time. Time always flew here when I got really wrapped up in my work. My heart stompeds everytime I look back at the clock and it’s already a minute closer to the end of the day. I rush to finish this report, haven’t missed a deadline in 6 years, I don't intend to miss one now. After my fingers make a sporadic dashacross almost every key, I slam down the enter key and gently soak in the pleasure of finishing a detailed, professional report on the city. My last Hooray! Then it has all stopped, it was five and according to my pink slip I no longer worked here, I am retired. I stripped down my frames containing newspaper clippings of all I have down. Once I passed across the time I successfully made into office for the first time and the instance that I had the health centre completley refurbished. That health center took a lot of time and money, but it paid off and for a few brif moments, this city gathered around to commemorate this great achievement, to recognise my competence. I shall no longer have such moments of recognition. Though I shall try to be much more optimistic now, as a retired man in his forties, I have had a considerable amount of free time which I shall use to full effect and I will soon recall what it’ll be like to sleep in again. Making up at 7:00am to the sound of my screeching alarm wasn’t the most pleasant to wake up. I’ve always wanted to know what it would be like to wake up just when the sun gently scans across my eyes through the window. I shall look forward to the early strolls across the lake I had cleaned up and feel my belly slowly belch out with wine and take. Not to mention, I could do so much with my time now, perhaps I could join a painting class, or a chess club or even write a book! Endless possibilities now that I was no longer chained to a desk for 10 hours. Though I had years of my fulfilment of here, and shall never walk through that door feeling that I could really make a difference, a brave new chapter in my life was just beginning.