The Surprise!

I was asked to organise a tea party for the monthly birthday celebration at work. Nothing extravagant, just a simple get-together. I had no heart to say no and I thought it would do me some good. But then I doubt I’ll be organising the next one, considering the amount of unnecessary stress I’ve built for myself.

And seeing that a colleague will be leaving and last day being today, I thought of bidding him farewell too so it was a birthday and farewell party. It was meant to be a surprise.

Now let me tell you why I have supernatural powers to stress myself. I was thinking about what cake to get and I had to be really careful because the budget allocated is limited, same applies to other stuff like food and presents.

I haven’t been able to sleep well for the past few nights and I’m not kidding. I’ve been waking up at 2am for the past two nights. I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me waking up in the middle of the night and the first thing I think about is the party, the gift, the cake, how I am going to do it, will it be okay?, what if it’s not a success, what if I failed to make it a good one? I tell you, those questions and those things kept spinning inside my head. Monday night, I only slept at 4am, after being awake for 2 hours just thinking about all these things which I could actually think during the day, not when it’s time to sleep.

Not to burden you with the details, I’ll just tell you how the party went today.

There were several occasions where the surprise almost leaked out. I know sometimes it’s hard to keep it a secret when you don’t really realise the person you want to surprise is just next to you. For the whole day, I was trying hard to keep it as a secret. It was a little tough because the birthday girl was sitting beside me. The guy who’s leaving is sitting quite close too.

Had to sneak in the cake and all.

The secret or so-called surprise was so well-kept until it became a reverse surprise. Instead of us surprising the guy, he surprised us instead. In fact, he almost gave me a heart attack.

Party was to start at about 4….but this guy suddenly packed his bags at 3 and I saw him saying goodbye to this fellow team mates and I was thinking. Oh shit.

I’m not sure if his team mates are aware that we are going to have a farewell party because they didn’t seem to be doing anything to at least make him stay. But they are aware lah. I mean I have practically announced it to the whole department. TWICE.

The guy then came out from the room and said bye to the girls outside, me included. I wasn’t looking at him because I was staring very seriously and in a very shocked and panic mode at my MSN chat window with another colleague.

“OH MY GOD. HE’S LEAVING”

That was what I typed.

I didn’t want to say goodbye to him yet because I didn’t want him to leave. We still have got a party. For him…and also for her. So we cannot do it without them around.

I turned around to see two colleagues looking at me with a panic look too but there isn’t much that I can say because I still dyingly wanted to keep it a secret and a surprise….since the birthday girl who is sitting next to me can listen to our every word.

I could only murmur something and gave them an assured look that I’m going to take immediate action.

The guy then went into the boss’s room. And my boss didn’t even make him stay. I was like….Oh shit man.

The guy then began walking towards the door to leave the office. Me…I walked as fast as I could and then ended up running out to catch him at the door. I talked to him outside.

“Can you please don’t leave yet?”

Suddenly, I felt like I’m a girl so much in love and begging the guy not to leave her. Ah ha ha.

Okay, back to reality…

He asked why and I had to tell him why. No more surprise. *sigh*

“Do my team mates know that there will be a party?”

“Yes, they do know.”

“Why didn’t they tell me or make me stay?”

He asked a very good question, in which I wanted to ask them so much myself. I didn’t know how to answer him. I just said I don’t know.

Anyway, I made him stay but his walk back from the door to his desk, may have been a little embarassing. Imagine you walking out the door, thinking that you are a free man, and to be called in by someone and you got to turn back again. Very potong steam!

The party went on fine. I’m glad it’s over. Because I know I finally can sleep tonight.