MADELEINE HOTEL, Part IV
"The new history of the MADELEINE HOTEL is born between success, the deep desire for overcoming, doubt and the desire to leave everything... A feeling is nested in the mind of the new hotel secretary which could represent the line that separates the bliss of misfortune"
I had to work at night, I was facing a new job challenge. It was my responsibility the permanent supervision of the staff: waitresses, hosts, security personnel, maintenance, parking, gardeners, all were in my charge.
I dedicated myself to distribute the activities properly, categorizing them based on the profile of each one. Except for: Customer service, telephone exchange management and reservation list, which were functions conferred on me, by direct order of the administration.
There was a problem with the luminaire of the main hallway which turned off and on every time, leaving everything in darkness for a few seconds...
I thought it was a problem with the ballast, so I made the request through a purchase order so that the electrician would then take care of the repair. In the meantime, the incessant flickering of the bulb followed.
I went down to the surveillance booth, I wanted to speak with "Santos", the sentry, to ask him to be attentive when the guests arrived. Today there was a reservation of the presidential suite by an important government speaker who was on tour in the city and had chosen MADELEINE for his stay for one night.
-:-
I found the guard lying on his chair, looking at the security cameras and manipulating the radio transmitter. I greeted him as usual. While he was sweating inside the cockpit, his soaked shirt made him look fatter than usual, he said:
_ Listen, boss! Why don't you have the fan repaired? Soon you will not find here more than Santos Palmer's skin.
I laughed with him, by his characteristic grace.
_ Quiet Santi !, I do not think there is something that can end those kilograms... _ I replied smiled and wrote down the request.
I was surprised to see that Santos had a lit cigarette in his hand, I didn't know he was a smoker. He made smoke rings with his mouth pointing them into the room.
-:-
Step followed, I went to the hotel parking lot to see the conditions at the moment. The safety cones, the demarcation of lines, the signaling in the places for the disabled. The two parkmen were in their positions, attentive, from a distance they waved my hand, thumbs up.
_ Everything in order !, I said... _ my main intention was to see the parking place corresponding to the presidential post; a 6 X 2 area for limousines and two adjacent posts intended for escorts.
The parking lot was in the middle of the light, the photocells had been turned on indicating that it was 6:30 pm, so I walked hurriedly to the entrance door, because I had planned to go to the park's soda fountain for some magazines and a coffee thermos .
That coffee was the best I had ever tasted. It sat very well for my night guard, which would begin at 7:00 pm and then I would have no option to move from the facility until 7:00 am the next day...
When I retired, I looked up, as if trying to admire the creature: MADELEINE HOTEL, I looked imposing in the middle of the ecological park and my job as a manager paid off.
Although when I looked closely, on the fifth floor the blinking of the light continued.
_ "I'll take care of that detail! I'll fix that lamp, personally, when I return..."
-:-
The boot shiner picked up the wooden box and left the square, ending his day. I didn't have time to greet you for my busy day and my double work shift. Listening to their stories of self-improvement, was already something usual for me, a kind of therapy at the time of opting for my shoeshine service.
As usual, he never finished telling the last part of his misfortune...
The park pond had been closed after the event with Miss Madeleine, instead they built a children's park. The statements said it was an accident, but I had my doubts.
Kept away, he still kept the note written by her that day. It was something I would have to deal with forever, I was not willing to deliberate opinions, especially when I was the one who took up his position...
I did know the real reason for his death, "suicide"... and that was something that could not be changed...
-:-
I placed my order in the cafeteria and returned to the hotel. Walking along the cobblestone sidewalks of the park only brought memories to my memory.
When I was hopeless and without money, when I got a job interview through a press ad. The tragedy of the secretary, which left me in a dark way...
That strange feeling suddenly took hold of me on my return to the building. The clay pavers now turned gray, some black...
A cold traveled my body from top to bottom as I passed through the playground, as a warning, as a feeling.
Undoubtedly the ecological park gave me a warning...
I heard the squawking of ducks, they seemed to have lost their way. With their arrow-shaped arrangement they passed over me, from north to south, in the opposite direction to my trajectory...
-:-
_ What could go wrong! _ I put all my effort during today.
My superstition reappeared, _ What happened to me? Because now I felt doubts, I felt fear... For a moment I wanted to give up the idea of returning to MADELEINE, I don't know why weird reason I approached an uncertain destination.
I heard someone called me by my name, _ "Harry", "Harry Volte"_, Stop!...
I thought it was the boot that was still there. It was then that I saw the silhouette of a man, who was coming towards me.
But this one, was lying on the ground, crawling on the floor was approaching me...
_ "Harry Volte, don't come back to the building!_ Pay attention to me, you'll soon end up like everyone else..."
He was the beggar, the beggar of the fountain. He looked worse than ever. With a terrifying gesture on his face, he begged me not to return to the hotel...
-:-
To tell the truth, I was not joking. I remember that this beggar was a pity for everyone in the place, I only knew how to ask for money, food and endure humiliations.
I wonder how my name and last name had been learned.
In fact, I also remember that this character was the only one who could not really internalize in my austerity times... I never wanted to look closely at his misery.
Then, I approached him, offered him half of the donut he had bought to give it to Santos and told him to go home.
He accepted it, then staring at me from the floor, insisted:
_ "Don't come back, don't come back there Harry...!"
To be continue...
Author:
[Original Content]
