Back when I started here at Tull, it was the days of many clerical workers and secretaries. We also had three or four people work in the corporate mailroom. Over the years attrition brought that number down to one. Brantley has worked with the company for almost 15 years, and has what every company needs in that position: efficiency, attention to detail, a great personality, and a great sense of humor.
Every day Brantley makes his rounds in the corporate building not to deliver mail, but to check in and harass everyone. Position does not matter…Brantley will converse with anyone from maintenance workers to the President of the Company. He is always up on the latest gossip, though he’ll keep the lid closed on sensitive information that has yet to be revealed. Remembers everyone’s birthday. His middle name could be ‘sexual harassment’, but he’s the only one around that can get away with it. Women love him, and guys also enjoy his routine. Because of his duties Brantley is also well known across the Southeast in our district offices. The most popular person in our company could very well be this guy in the mailroom.
Even those of us who work off-site aren’t spared of the Brantley experience. Every afternoon he hops in the company van and makes his rounds, delivering mail across the parking lot to the Processing Division, through the security gate to Maintenance, and down the road a mile to our office on North Berkeley. His entrance is similar to Kramer…everything stops in the room. Brantley will share a tidbit of news, ask for gossip, or relate something that just happened to him or a coworker. A lover of music and infotainment, the show can drift in many directions. On slow days we all know several buttons to push to get Brantley going.
Brantley grew up in Milledgeville, so we have the Middle Georgia connection. We’re about the same age. When I purchased my gray Civic, I joked at work that it was so I could be like Brantley. Divorced, he’s been in a long-time relationship. Marriage has been discussed, but years of keeping an immaculate bachelor pad has made commitment hard for him. His Civic is well-maintained and immaculate. He is so particular that he doesn’t want to celebrate holidays with his girlfriend’s family, and doesn’t want her to “suffer” through his family’s gatherings. He’s had medical difficulties for years, and perhaps in the back of his mind he never thought he’d make it to old age.
He looks just like Dr. House on the Fox Network, and I’m told he acts like him as well. But Brantley has always acted like that. He always vowed he was agnostic. In the past he’s sometimes made comment when religious matters were discussed, and other times didn’t say anything.
This past December his Dermatologist wanted to remove a small growth on his forehead, and Brantley mentioned that he’d be out the next day. During the simple procedure the cyst was found to be the size of a grapefruit. It was removed, and Brantley was out over a week. He emailed us a rough looking self-portrait. It took him several days just to get his vision back. Tests were run, and he was sent to Houston the first of February for more tests. Every report seems to bring worse news. Cancer, that continues to grow. Weeks of radiation treatments are to be followed by more surgery. Yesterday came the report that radiation will be increased to twice daily.
All this has hit his coworkers pretty hard. The news has spread like wildfire throughout the Southeast. Human Resources waved their hands, saying coworkers weren’t supposed to discuss a fellow employee’s medical condition. Their complaints fell on deaf ears. Fund raising drives are being organized, and his name has been placed on many prayer lists. Our small office has called Brantley several times, usually catching him in a waiting room. His voice is much more quiet and reserved than we are used to. Our company sent him a laptop, and unofficially spread around his email address. Fortunately his emails are more in line with his personality.
In late January I was enlisted by our Houston branch to come out for a week of training…I arrive next Monday. I told Brantley before he left that I’d visit, and he said to look him up. Along with many, I’ve swapped emails with him. We were told to pray big. Pray for my time with Brantley. Perhaps even more is the opportunity for God to work in the hearts of our entire company. Should be an interesting week.
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