Day 350 - Teamwork

 TEAMWORK

Prompt - Teamwork : Write about working with a team towards a common goal

The pools were closed, the votes being counted.  Exit polls, hints, wishes, dictated our minds towards the likely result.  the one we wanted, needed desperately, or to be disappointed again, only more so, as we were in 2014?  We had done our bit.  Now we had to wait.  It was late, dawn wouldn't be far off, but nobody wanted to leave, not without some hint as towards the outcome.

So we hung about, tried to party, but too nervous for that.  Too tired.  This group had been together now, in the most part, for almost a year.  We had been part of the campaign strategy decisions.  We had wept blood over the wording of communications.  We had phoned, mailed, emailed, post on social media.  Persuaded, cajoled, influenced, argued.  Long days, long meetings, late nights and early mornings.  Coffee and smiles and words of encouragement.  Pitching in together when required, irrespective of role, place in the (fluid) hierarchy, age, gender, race, sexuality etc.  We were a team.  We had bonded in the pursuit of our common goal, common passion.  Independence for our country.  

There were mumbled conversations, occasional laughs.  A barking sneeze silenced the room and brought on a communal giggle.  We needed something, anything, to break the tension for a bit, and that was as good as we were likely to get.  There was a sense of satisfaction that we'd done our best.  And a sense of frustration not knowing if it was enough.  A sense of fear that we might have failed again, despite all the polls in the run up to the day.  

At this time in the small hours we all knew one thing.  Whatever the outcome we were all in this together.  So there would be group hugs, group tears, before we'd drift off to our beds.  Or, more likely, group celebrations, adrenaline fuelled, knowing we had done what was required of us by our country.  And by each other.  

There was a loud shhhh from across the room, the multiplied then died away to reveal one voice, projecting from the suddenly loud TV.  This was to be our first real indication.  We all held hands.