Their Last Wish

“Sir, can you please check these files” Emma said. “Again!” I remarked. Emma said “sorry sir, but I think they are not correct.” sheepishly. “fine.”I said

Do I have a choice? Office or is purgatory the right word. Working more than eight hours a day,trying to sit on the same old chair and pushing my back off limits. The tedium was not something I grew used to; everyday seemed more impossibly long than the last. Though working in disguise has turned out to be a useful thing. I now no what all else is required in my office including changing its interior especially starting from the old chairs. But…

Anyways,I checked the files which again needed corrections and passed it to James. “Give these files to Emma and tell her they have been corrected.”

“Woah! Why not who would not like to have a minute with that bomb oops! I said it out loud—lady.” James dazzling by getting this golden chance went near Emma’s table. He gave the file properly to Emma and went on chattering. From the day since Emma came James has been distracted and is also passing his own work to his junior colleagues. Since I finished my assignment and was resting for a while, I moved my chair near James’s table to try and get something from their never-ending conversation.

“So Emma, I hope nobody here’s bothering you or passing any random comment. If so please tell me I’m going to see that such a psychopath is not even seen near the parking lots.” James said practically showing off, I mean the guy’s not even the manager. “Oh no sir! Thank you very much. But everybody here is very welcoming.” Emma replied smiling all the way giving goose bumps to my poor old friend. She is a fine woman if judged by her looks probably in her early twenties and almost every boy or man’s fantasy. Sometimes it is really hard to understand, even those who have beautiful wives still look at her and imagine themselves already in love with her just because she is something new to look at and is comparatively young. “That’s great. It is good to see you doing a lot of hard work for our company…”Our??I sighed, James went on babbling and I ignored them already tired of their conversation.

I was sitting and seeing the pattern of the cracked walls near my table where termites were making their home. Outside window was the perfect twilight telling me not much time is left before I go home. My home, the place I love the most in this world. I would sit on my favorite   couch  and my beautiful wife would sit by my side and talk with me smiling all the way and then we will eat delicious food. Ah! I was already smiling thinking of this. James came to his table looking very

happy. The room light was shining on him making him look older than he was. A short (very healthy)  man bearing two sweet daughters and a good wife still  is in doubts about his being old. “Enjoying old man?” I teased. As expected it worked, he turned around and grimaced “don’t call me an old man, I don’t even have any white hair, see.” and bent down to show me his dirty hair. “O-Okay” I replied for my benefit and set my chair straight. He started working half of which was already completed by his junior upon the deal of taking him to dinner tonight.

I turned around so that I could study his face properly, better start by giving him a warning. “hey old man” he gave me a hard look but I continued anyway pretending I haven’t seen it “What are you doing? Half is already done by your servant why don’t you go and play house with Emma and give the rest to some other of your servants. You don’t really have to work so hard.” I said sarcastically, then he stopped his work and turned to look at me guiltily “look I am sorry but I am not deliberately delaying my work or burdening my colleagues , you know some of them really like helping plus I need some break time, after few years i’ll be turning fifty though i really feel strong as sixteen but spare me please demon boss.’’-

I gave him a hard look “Hey! You are not supposed to call me boss here. Old man.”

James ignored the first part and said a little too loud “I am not an old man!” as a result everybody started staring at him and i too stared at him for being the cause of disturbance. James lowered his voice and looked down and everybody ignored him. I laughed slightly but immediately hide it by coughing. Unfortunately the laughter didn’t went unnoticed. James was glaring at me.