The end of the beginning or the beginning of the end?
The end of the beginning or the beginning of the end? In which we catch up with our erstwhile EA, now recovered long Covid since she contracted it on the bus trip to The Gathering and was unable to join her new found friends.
Some dramatic announcements have really changed the landscape at St Peaches College, South Melbington. Yes, that’s the name of Krystal’s school - St Peaches.
“So that’s it then,” said the Boss.
He had packed his final gift into a plastic container and lodged a mymaintenance request for someone to come and carry it to his car. The Boss was always big on OH&S and given his bad back he didn’t want to risk a workcover claim in his final moments on campus.
Yes, you heard correct. Final moments.
The Boss had made a snap decision to retire. He had never quite been the same since his Balinese retreat, what with the namaste and herbal teas. He had decided to invest his superannuation lump sum at 60 on Ebike and follow his dream of riding it all the way to Cairns. Well, at least this had become his dream in the last two weeks.
It was a time of sadness, farewells and some degree of celebration. Krystal was torn. The Boss had been her Senior Executive for the past ten years and despite his somewhat unconventional conduct, his mood swings, lack of organisation, low emotional intelligence and penchant for passing fads (read ebike) she still held some degree of fondness for the “old dog” as he often referred to himself.
Krystal was preparing her notes and feedback for the recruiting company that had been appointed to find a suitable replacement. Although she had not been on the interview panel she had completed a thorough review of candidates after “finding” their resumes in a manilla folder left on his desk by the Boss - as she “tidied” at the end of the day. A thorough Google search, some decent Linkedin stalking with ID turned off and use of AI tools had revealed the strengths and weakness of the short list of candidates. Krystal thought her input would be helpful in the process of finding the next Boss at St Peaches College. Of course, she would not share this information with anyone but file in her own desk, to assist in onboarding the new Boss when they commenced.
The Boss hadn’t wanted a fuss, as he completed his tenure. Well depends on the definition of fuss. Five formal farewells, 3 informal farewells, an interpretative dance performed by the whole school and a bagpiper hired for the final assembly may have seemed like a fuss to some. Of course Krystal had managed all these events with her usual decorum and personal touch. The Boss even managed to say “thanks” as he asked a group of Year 10 students to carry him out of Assembly on their shoulders.
“See you later Kid” the Boss yelled from his car window. The TESLA he had bought in part of the Ebike package deal hummed as he avoided the potholes on the driveway and departed St Peaches for the final time. The trailer attached to the back with packages and gifts tied down under tarp wobbled as he turned left on to the main street, yelling at the bus to get out of his way.
Krystal returned to her desk, ready to complete the extras list for the next day. An email alert appeared “Krystal has the dishwasher been run.” The Boss was gone but daily at St Peaches continued.
A card was taped to her laptop computer screen.
Addressed to Krystal it was in the Boss’s finest shorthand scribble.
To be continued…….
