The Tribe

 It was my last day on the old job, when my coworker during a meeting said 

"I hope you find your Tribe Zaara!". 

Tribe? What's a tribe anyway? There are no tribes at work. We all work together and then we move on, and that's it. At least that's what I have seen all these years. You make some friends along the way, sure, but there's no tribe at work. There simply can't be.

I started working at this new place where I met with some amazing, brilliant and creative girls in my team. Rachel was head of our program, she was our "fearless leader", I was told. Leia was kind and compassionate, always taking responsibility for everything and everyone. Diane had a tough exterior but as you get to know her more, she proved to be one of the softies in the team. She did have a "whatever" attitude to anything in the begining. Deedee, my supervisor, was more like a friend, and a partner from the get go. She was encouraging and kind, and very open to ideas. Kelsey and Lindsay were both extremely hardworking on their projects but would give credit away to others like it's nothing. Claire and Autumn were one of the most creative people in the team that I have met. There was one common theme in this team, everyone was extremely witty and fun! 

Almost around my probation end, a national conference was hosted by our agency which Kelsey and Leia had been arranging and working hard on, for the last 2 years. It was such a huge lift but there was so much support between the team and partners, that you wouldn't have any reason to worry. I wasn't directly involved in the thing itself, but I witnessed the magic happen.

The conference went amazingly, in this beautiful hidden gem of a hotel resort, by the lake. People came from all over the country and I got to meet some of my colleagues from Georgia that I worked with about 6 years ago. It was surreal. We were all so proud of Kelsey and Leia for taking on such a "mammoth" task. 

On the last day of the conference, everyone in my team were grouped together in a corner of the parking from where they were seeing off everyone. I was helping the friend from Georgia, Linda, getting her stuff to her car, when I noticed a familiar face being very rude to Kelsey with all my other team mates standing stressed behind her. As I stomped towards that person immediately, Linda nervously followed me. I don't know what the fuss was about, but I went right in between the two facing that person and I went "You don't get to talk to her like that"

That person (shocked and taken aback a bit): This doesn't concern you, it is not personal.

"The hell it isn't." I said with a sarcastic tone.

"Zaara, this is Kaitlin... The Chief...."

"I don't care who she is, she cannot talk to you like that after what you did for all these visitors", I interrupted Kelsey midway, making all my teammates started to panic a little bit at this moment.

"Listen to me", said Kaitlin, "You don't want to make it difficult for you here, I am the Chief of the Program now in Georgia..."

"Then I must tell you..."I interrupted Kaitlin, with a calm voice, "...that you are way outside of your jurisdiction to make such threats anymore. I suggest you turn around and leave at this very moment. Maybe go and find someone you could suck up to for a higher post? because THIS! HERE!... is my turf" I said with a bit of crazy in my eyes this time pointing towards the land.

You could see the blood boil towards Kaitlin's temple and a nerve almost popping out, as she tried to supress her embarrassment in front of a whole team that she could do nothing about. She stormed off giving a one last look at the team and then me. 

I turned around to look at the horrified faces of my team. "You okay?" I asked Kelsey

"Mmm..hmm" she nodded with eyes still wide open and lips shut, completely horrified.

"I will see you guys later." I said as I walked away shivering a little at this time. All the heads of my teammates followed me to the lake where I was headed. 

"She was our boss you know..." Linda finally said, as I disappeared. Everyone turned to her.

"She was both of our's supervisor. But then Zaara left, and I joined the Conservation Division. She made our lives hell. It was harder on Zaara, maybe because she knew nobody else in the agency, and really needed help. Her job was also very tough mentally, at that time, and it didn't help that Kaitlin would just humiliate use in front of others for mistakes we would make or just because she felt like it."

"That's horrible!" Rachel said.

"Yeah, I think what just happened here has nothing to do with any of you, she just needed that closure."

They all looked at the the direction of the lake again.

I was by myself at the lake skipping stones with some empty lawn chairs and foldable tables behind me, when I heard footsteps coming from behind, that then spread out to the length of the lake shore.

"You know I used to do this so much, I wonder if I am still good at it as before", said Deedee picking up rocks.

"I am.." said Diane, "I just don't see the point of it".

Rachel said "I think I should have picked more rocks when I had the chance, because that's the hard part I think".

"Me too.", said Kelsey.

"Here...", said Leia placing a small bag full of stones on a foldable table in between the two.

"Woohoo!!", said Claire "Did anyone else see that? I skipped it 5 times!!! I wonder if I could do that again".

"I did see that Claire! Good job!", said Rachel.

"Gosh guys! this lake is so pretty. I think I will probably make a painting of it, what animals you think are in there?", said Autumn skipping her fourth stone in the lake.

"Guys!...", said Lindsay in a nervous tone, "...I don't think the thing I threw accidentally in the lake just now was a rock, it was in between all the rocks, was soft and now all my hands are slimy".

We all bursted out laughing, as a tear trickled down my cheek and I thought...

...I think I found my Tribe!