DEPARTURE

27th October marks one of the saddest day in my life. My best pal cum colleague, Claudia, has left the company for a greener pasture. I was informed by her only two weeks prior to her last day.

Man, I was shell-shocked.

For more than four years both of us stuck together like twins, have lunches like school girls(sometimes with marwan), teabreaks, went to colleague's weddings side by side... I was with her when she was still single and dating, to her ground-breaking news of getting pregnant and marriage, her initial struggles to take care her newborn child and handling her impossible mother-in-law, her second pregnancy, her worries, frustrations, sadness, laughters, tears and office politics.. to all sorts. Likewise, she is the witness of my four years' life: rollercoaster-relationship, my depression after breaking up, my personality and physical changes, my countless job interviews with half-hearted zeal etc. Throughout the years both of us had been talking about quitting, down to details in how to showdown in front of those imbecile managers and how cocked up the system is... and both of us knew that it's so difficult to leave because we couldn't bear to part with each other. I even had an offer from a MNC company last year and parting my best pal inevitably became a main concern.

Well now she's gone. I always thought among three of us (including marwan), I would be the first to quit. I have taken it for granted till she broke the news to me on that Friday. I tried to cope with it by arranging farewell lunches, snapping pictures and helping her to pack. Making myself busy so I won't have time to think how I will survive once she's gone.
Now her desk's empty, my lunch becomes solo and my days at work seems to stretch into endless pit.

With her family committments and her new job, it will be a difficult task to arrange a meetup next time. I really hope this is not happening right now.. I seem to have lost a precious stone in my heart. Really miss her.. She's the greatest friend I have found and the strong pillar of support I have in my life. Though I hate my workplace, my colleagues, I thank my company for giving me a treasure, which is Claudia.

I know parting is part and parcel in everyone's life... But I still have not come to terms with it.

Sob.