Thursday … tea and a tribute

This week I attended the funeral of a dear work colleague. Brian and I worked together for two or three years in the same office. Him, cataloging publisher’s archive material and me, with my rare books.  There was not much time for idle chat, but we did manage to pass the time of day and discuss politics.  We were both left wing and had a distaste for the government of the time; New Labour and the recent and more abhorrent; Tories.  Often, we would talk about affairs in Brazil,  in more ways than one there were some common issues. He was a family man who loved sport, so enjoyed hearing about my daughter’s exploits in the favela, the World Cup, Olympics and the the vibrant political situation that surrounds them all.   When I moved offices down the corridor we still managed to catch up; sometimes in the bike shed; we both cycled to work and would often met as we found space; again the conversations was concerning politics and of late it was about our new and favoured Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.  We also met in the kitchen during welcomed tea breaks, he was always fascinated by my tea procedures but never tempted to partake in the green tea ceremony, but knew someone who did and I assume lived to tell the tale.

I am not sure what he drank, but talking about current affairs and putting the world to right was most important, or at least seeing it as it was … not altogether bad.

RIP Brian.