H: Hotel

 

Richard tried hard to pacify the man in Room 605. It had happened again.

“Calm down, sir. He is just a mad fellow. He’s harmless,” Richard said.

“But he said he wants to see my wife?”

“He does speak nonsense.”

“He said that I had his wife in here. He pushed into the room and wouldn’t go till he had seen my wife.”

“I’m sorry for the inconvenience, sir.”

“When he saw it was only my wife and kids here, he apologised to us. He behaved like a gentleman. I cannot believe he is mad.”

“I’m sorry, sir, once again.”

“Who is he? Why is he doing this?”

“His wife eloped with the chauffeur. He went mad after that. He keeps searching all hotel rooms, hoping to find them both.”

“When did this happen?”

“A year back,” Richard said. The room attendant, George, standing next to Richard, looked at him in wonder. “To pacify your inconvenience, all your meals tomorrow will be on the hotel.”

Richard and George went down to the reception area. “I have been in this town for two years now. How come I never heard this story?” George asked. “I’ve never seen this guy too. He troubles every new guest who stays in 605, but I’ve never seen him enter or exit the hotel.”

“You can’t see him too,” Richard said.

“What do you mean? Does he stay here, in the hotel?”

“Don’t repeat what I’m telling you. It’ll ruin the hotel reputation. That man is dead forty years ago. His wife had eloped with the chauffeur. They both had stayed here, in 605, for a night, before escaping somewhere abroad. He came here in search of them. When he had found out that they had fled, he shot himself in the sixth floor lobby.”

George’s mouth fell open. He was shocked into silence. Richard continued, “That poor fellow is still searching for his run-away wife.”

©ArchanaSarat2015