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La despedida: how a Spanish office says goodbye
Rocío's farewell follows a script that would be recognized in offices across Spain. There is almost always a despedida, and it is usually modest: a cake, something to drink, a few words, often on the last working day around lunchtime. Someone close to the person leaving gives the speech, and the tone is teasing rather than solemn. Jokes at the expense of the person leaving, and of the speaker, are a sign of affection, and a speech that is all praise sounds stiff. Íñigo's claim that Rocío never got an invoice wrong, instantly corrected, is the standard move. There is often a gift, paid for by a collection. Colleagues hacen un bote, put money into a common pot, and someone buys a present, frequently with a card everyone signs. The amounts are small and nobody is pressed to contribute. Then come the toasts. Spanish toasts begin with por: ¡por Rocío!, ¡por nosotros!, ¡por las facturas bien cuadradas!, and glasses touch. A toast with juice or water because it is two in the afternoon is perfectly acceptable, though older Spaniards may tell you it is bad luck. The reasons people give for leaving are also typical. Moving to be closer to an aging parent is common in a country where family ties are strong and care for the elderly still falls largely on children, especially daughters, and colleagues understand it immediately. It is also normal for the leaver to stay part of the group: invited back for lunch, kept on the WhatsApp group, and asked about for years. Rocío's last request, look after Marta, is the other half of the custom. The person who leaves tells the ones who stay what they have been doing that nobody noticed.