Broken China and Missing Utensils

It was announced around lunchtime earlier that all unwashed items in the office pantry sink will be thrown out and disposed of, to keep the cleanliness of the pantry. No one from our side of the office stood up to try to save any of the stuff in there.

We've become familiar with the routine. Every once in a while, the pantry will be rid of any unwashed stuff for the sake of cleanliness. And every once in a while (especially during the weekend) someone will use platewares and utensils in the pantry for their lunch, and leave it there without washing. It is unfortunate if, like earlier, the two events occur, and your utensils are the ones that fall to the trashbin.

I used to have a mug in the office. It was bigger than the usual coffee mug, and it was glazed black. I usually keep it on my desktop, but one time, I washed it and left it at the pantry to dry. A weekend passed, and I never saw the mug again. Someone may have picked it up for themselves, or, most likely, it fell victim to the pantry purge, after some god or goddess used it and never bothered washing after use.

I just don't understand how some people find it hard to wash the dishes after they use it. It is one of the basest chores I was taught as a child, and I think it isn't stretching it to assume that other people have been taught this as well. It is, after all, one of the minor things to do to clean up after ourselves. I mean, come on, at this day and age, can you really afford to have your yaya trailing after you and cleaning up after you 24/7?

Still, the big cajuna was suspecting one of us to be the culprit, and the plateware disposal was announced at our side of the office, to somehow punish us for not cleaning up after ourselves. I'm not much affected, for my new mug is on my desk, and my spoon (I've lost the fork, unfortunately) is in my pouch. I still believe that that punitive remark was somehow misdirected, for I doubt that office regulars would be brash enough to leave their foodstuffs unwashed, when we all have been victimized at one point, and "suffered" the loss of a utensil, or two.