Having To Let You Go

Ben didn’t like the way Tania gave him the news that would ruin his life – all he could think of was payback

- Paula Williams

I’M SORRY, Ben.” Tania Wilkins looked anything but sorry as she glanced down at the notes on the desk in front of her with a little puzzled frown, like she was having trouble remembering his name. “But as you may already know, your department is being restructured. We’ve looked carefully at all available options but I’m afraid in the current economic climate we’re left with only one viable course of action.”

Ben turned his head away and stared out of the window. This was it, wasn’t it? The tap on the shoulder. The chop.

Redundancy. Call it what you will. The whole place had been buzzing with the rumour for weeks, wondering who’d be the one to go.

He’d been pretty sure it would be him. He’d only been in the job for just under a year so last in, first out. That’s the way it went.

“I’m afraid we’re going to have to let you go,” Tania’s voice seemed to come from a long way off. “Of course there’s a package we’d like to discuss with you . . .”

But he’d stopped hearing anything after the words “have to let you go”. He’d been expecting it, told himself anything was better than the uncertainty they’d all lived with for the past few weeks. He was ready for it. Or so he’d thought.

But he was wrong. He wasn’t ready. In fact, he felt as if he’d been thumped in the stomach.

“We’re going to have to let you go.” What was that supposed to mean? What was the point of wrapping it up in stupid, meaningless words like that? This was getting sacked. So why couldn’t she just say, “Sorry, Ben. You’re fired”? At least that would be more honest.