A Hero In My Sky

So, JFC is finally transferred, he'll be at the new department for a few months before he finally retired. The new department, is apparently, more like a Cold Storage, the kind of department where people create to place people whom are no longer needed.

We knew that he won't be given a proper retirement party. We then decided to throw him a hi-tea, which was last Friday.

It was indeed, a good one.

Firstly, me and The Man had been working on two weekends on getting the pictures converted into video file, zooming out or in, then The Man cracked his head in getting the whole video files into one movie. We added Evanescene's My Immortal and My Chemical Romance's Cancer. I cried many times, even when choosing the song.

So the video started with his name and titled, A Hero in Our Skies. What was his achievement, his passion (mountain climbing and all the other outdoor activities), the team building activities (Jeram Besu, Sungai Perak). What he is known to us, a person who inspired a balanced life i.e. he is the first MD who introduced Personal Goals in KPI, you declared what you’ll achieve personally in that year and rated yourself at the end of Fiscal Year. Then I had each of our photos, including the one that had moved out, with what their think of him, some of us didn’t need the opinion statement to be printed out next to their pixture, I put Baie as the person who holds the fort when JFC was in trouble.

Then, he gave his speech. First he thanked us for the video, he said as usual I never fail to made him cry. Then he talked about what was his journey in the organization (told you, he knew there’ll be no retirement party for him, thus he took this opportunity), he even thank the organization for letting him grow. Then he mentioned a few names that has made this subsidiary, the first MD, the Lady Manager who was efficient and somehow set the working culture here, Baie and Nooras for being knowledgable, and surprisingly, my name. He mentioned that I am the soul of the company. I laughed.

The he talked about the long, painful Domestic Inquiry. He mentioned the names that worked for him, days and nights and again, my name being mentioned again. He paused, many times, before the reservoir broke. Many of us broke, too. Even the guys. He cried, and said, “Clipperseep, I don’t intend to embarrass you but your tears are actually your strength”.

We cried.

Then we ate, the Singgahsana’s laksa was divine. We took picture, which then The Man came to become the photographer. Towads the end, each one of us lined up and shook the departing MD’s hands. We hugged and laughed, and it actually felt good to end it with laugh.

As we end our journey in any organization, we will want to end it with high note. Don’t think this is the case for JFC. But, personally, I think he had been a good friend, an inspiring leader and a strong soul. He has taught me many things that life offered.

Good bye JFC. You are a hero in my sky.