by M.D. James
Chapter 6
Christmas and New Years came and went, and I still didn’t hear anything back from my Mom or sister. I waited a few more weeks, but when no letters came for me, I decided to write them again.
Mom and Sarah,
Did you get my last letters? I gave them to my new father, and he said he would get them to you. I’m not sure if you’re able to write from jail though. I’m fine, so don’t you guys worry about me. It’s been an adjustment, but I guess we’re all making those, right?! I’m still getting all A’s in school, and am even helping Zack pull his grades up. If you see or hear from Connor or Mikey, please tell them I said, “Hey.” It’s hard to believe it’s already been a few months since Christmas. I really hope you get this letter. I can’t wait to hear back from you guys.
Love,
Jimmy
The months went by, and I kept writing with no replies. Every time I’d ask my father about it, he would assure me he mailed out the letters and would check on it. No matter how many times I asked, though, he still never got back to me with any news.
With summer approaching, Grandfather thought it would be good for Zachary and me to learn about responsibility by working in the family business: his hotel.
Grandfather managed the hotel and kept a tight rein on everything that went on inside it. As we entered the hotel on our first day, I could instantly tell that the staff feared him. The guests, however, seemed charmed by the man. He greeted an older lady as she was heading out of the hotel, and actually kissed her hand. They chatted, and he introduced both me and Zack. “It’s nice to meet you two. If you’re anything like your handsome Grandfather here, you’ll do quite well,” she said with a flirtatious laugh. Grandfather just gave her a smile and wink and told her to keep him posted on how well we performed.
Who was this man? I had never seen him smile or show any kind of affection in the seven months I knew him.
We met the rest of the staff, most of whom Zack already knew. Geoffrey was the doorman. He was short, slightly plump and seemed to be balding. He was very formal, and didn’t seem interested in meeting us…or should I say, meeting me. It may have been my imagination, but I detected a bit of a sneer on his face as we walked away.
Julia worked at the front desk with my mother. She looked to be in her early twenties. She had a slight tan, and wore her hair in a ponytail. She was very pretty, and didn’t need much makeup. She smiled upon meeting me, and shook my hand. I felt like the handshake lasted a really long time, and noticed I was starting to sweat…so, I quickly retracted my hand and wiped it on the inside of my pants pocket. I think I was blushing too. Julia must have thought I was such a dweeb.
“You got a cru-ush,” Zack whispered under his breath so Grandfather couldn’t hear him as we walked away.
After meeting the rest of the staff, we were left with mother, who worked the front desk, to start our training. We were to be bell hops. This was a very expensive hotel, we were reminded, and the guests should never have to lift a finger. We were to be there the instant we were needed, and never wait until a guest asked for our help. We were given vests and nametags and warned to be very careful, yet efficient, with the guests’ belongings. “Our guests are some of the most influential people in the world,” mother explained. “They expect their bags to be in their rooms before they get there. And, always, whatever you do, respect their privacy!” She recited a list of do’s and don’ts…mainly don’ts.
Don’t ever scratch a guest’s luggage…
Don’t ever look inside of a guest’s luggage…
Don’t ever be impolite to a guest…
Don’t ever expect or accept a tip from a guest…
And, the list went on and on. I still didn’t know my mother very well. I only really saw her at meal times. So, I hoped the time at work would allow me to get to know her better. I think she must have wanted that too, because she gave me a quick hug. It was the kind of hug someone gives you when they are afraid to touch you; however, it was a step in the right direction at least.
It didn’t take too long for Zack and me to get into a rhythm. We each had another bell hop training us, so we mostly just tagged along. The job required us to be very formal, like a guard at Buckingham Palace. I could tell Zack was not feeling it. He’s a good guy, but since he was rich I guess he never figured he’d have to work...at least not at a job that was chosen for him.
My feet were killing me at the end of the first day. I said goodbye to Julia, and Zack nudged me a little to tease me for liking her.
As we ate dinner that night, Grandfather chided Zack for not taking the job seriously enough. It seemed that he had his spies everywhere. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were hidden cameras all over the hotel and this house.
I grew to like working at the hotel. After a few weeks, mother promoted me to the front desk. I was still fairly young, but I was getting taller and filling out better which kept me from looking too out of place behind the counter. I think I even saw Julia looking at me from time to time. It was probably just my imagination, as there was still a huge age gap.
Once I was promoted to the front desk, Zack quit. Grandfather, for one, was not happy with Zack’s decision to quit. “You can’t go through life quitting when things are hard, Zachary,” Grandfather chastised. “If you want to be fit to have the Muse name, you have to be the very best at all times…”
“But, my last name is Picard,” reminded Zack.
“Exactly!” Grandfather exclaimed as he beat his fist on the table, “And, is that all you want to be in life: a Picard?” This was obviously an insult to my father, but it didn’t seem to faze my father one little bit. He just continued eating as if Grandfather were discussing the weather instead. Eventually, Grandfather let up on Zack. He likely figured it was better to have Zack at home than not doing his best at the hotel and risk ruining the reputation Grandfather had helped build.
It was sad not having Zack with me at work each day, but working with mother behind the front desk allowed us to get much closer. Every day, we’d have lunch in the hotel restaurant. I learned that she always wanted to become a teacher, but that her father would never allow her to have a job that paid so little. “It didn’t matter to him that I’d be doing something noble with my life,” she explained. According to her, Grandfather felt that being able to provide for yourself and your family was nobler. I also learned that she was allergic to penicillin…just like me, and that we both shared a love for Mexican food.
I wanted to ask her about my kidnapping and my Mom, but I was afraid she would get upset. She didn’t seem to have much strength when it came to anything emotional. On a few occasions, she would softly sob when I asked my father about the letters he sent for me to my Mom and sister. I had hopes that once she and I had bonded more it wouldn’t upset her to talk about those things. For the time being, I had to be patient. In the meantime, I continued writing a letter a week to them with hopes that I’d one day hear something in return.
