Alpina's blog post - Duty Dinner

Some weeks before Christmas, people suddenly seem to feel an urge to come together, have dinner and look back on the past year, which has made them one year older. I was invited to such a function yesterday, although I don't particularly like these get-togethers. But as I'd love to get some support from the local Cultural Society for my school play next season, I could not afford staying home and be considered a snob. I lowered the average age of the party by a good decade and was one of the only people appearing without a spouse.

At the beginning, it's usually the men who are more pleasant company while the women eye each other suspiciously - what are the others wearing, about who are they gossiping behind their backs? With time they grow more at ease - talking about children and comparing grand-children, while their husbands, under the influence of free booze, become nastier, particularly with a single woman, telling lewd jokes and asking questions they think funny (we have this bet going whether you are wearing a bra or not ...). I was pawed at least twice, it looked accidental but I felt the probing fingers well.

After dinner, there was the usual speech of the chairman, all the necessary thanks for all who expected to be thanked, and then it was over - thanks god, till next year, same time.