by Lisa Nicol
‘Angry?’
‘Yes. Angry. And then I just want what everyone else has. I can’t really explain it.’ Chelsea looked up at the midnight-blue ceiling. ‘It doesn’t make sense but I think it’s because I miss my mum.’
Vincent didn’t know what had happened to Chelsea’s mum, but he did understand the feeling. Sometimes he felt angry about how much time his mum spent with Thom.
‘Can you take a picture of me and Dad?’ she asked.
‘Sure.’ Chelsea ran across the lobby to get her dad who was busy buying Luz and Tracee postcards. They wrapped their arms around each other and squeezed one another tight for the photograph. Chelsea’s dad’s droopy eyes lifted and flashed with happiness.
The lobby band started playing the ‘living my best life’ song. ‘Come on, Dad, dance with me.’
Vincent lined up with Rupert and Florence, ready to dance everyone off. He watched April wiggle her hips and shuffle and laugh. He felt proud as a peacock. As they stuck out their butts and shook their shoulders, Vincent saw Rupert wipe a tear from his eye.
‘Are you okay?’ asked Vincent.
‘Oh, don’t mind me. I always cry at departures.’
Vincent realised Luz and Tracee’s dance offs were just as much for the people who worked at the hotel as those who came to stay.
Florence and Vincent stood on the balcony as the last guests trotted off on their llamas to catch the hot air balloon.
‘I don’t know about you, but I could murder a tomato sandwich. How about lunch?’ said Florence.
Eating together had become a regular thing for Vincent and Florence. Usually followed by a race or two around the rocking-horse racetrack. Rocking-horse races really were the silliest thing but ridiculously fun.
‘We could eat at the Elephant House if you like, see how Winnie’s doing?’ suggested Florence.
‘I don’t know about a tomato sandwich, but I wouldn’t mind peanut butter. I just have one pair of sandals to finish. Meet you there in ten?’
When Vincent arrived at the Elephant House, Florence was leaning against the enclosure fence watching Dr Maaboottee cut Winnie’s toenails with a machete.
‘Is she bigger or am I imagining it?’ asked Florence.
‘Do you mean is she bigger than yesterday – the last time you asked? No, I don’t think so, Florry,’ said Dr Maaboottee as he carefully shaved off a bit more toenail.
‘I swear she looks bigger!’
Dr Maaboottee gently rubbed Winnie’s huge tummy. ‘Perhaps it’s because she’s lying down. I’m afraid she has a fair way to go yet, Florry. No doubt Winnie is as keen for her baby to come as you are.’
Vincent and Florence climbed up onto the fence and unwrapped their sandwiches. As they ate, Vincent, who was usually quite chatty, stared off into the distance.
‘You’re quiet,’ said Florence.
Vincent didn’t respond.
She waved a hand in front of his eyes. ‘Hello! Is anyone home?’
‘Oh, sorry,’ he said, blinking. ‘Did you say something?’
‘I said you’re quiet.’
‘Oh. Am I?’
‘Yes. Let me guess, new ideas for shoes?’
‘No, actually. I’m thinking about the guests who just left.’ A thread of astonishment lit up Vincent’s words.
‘What about them?’
‘Well, I mean, did you see the D’Silva boys? Their mum and dad had to drag them off the balcony. They didn’t want to stop birdwatching!’
‘I know,’ replied Florence with a giggle. ‘They left their phones behind too.’
‘Does that always happen?’ asked Vincent.
‘People leaving their phones? Quite a lot actually.’
‘No. Not the phones. It’s just, everyone seemed so completely different to the people they were when they arrived.’
‘Ah, that. Yes, well, that’s what The Grand’s all about, Vincent.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Oh, a bit of grand changes everything! It’s positively transformational, as Rupert likes to say.’
Vincent found all this talk of ‘a bit of grand’ completely confusing. But at the same time, he’d just seen it with his own eyes.
‘Does it always work?’ he asked.
Florence shrugged and nodded. ‘Almost always. Some of the rooms in this hotel are extremely powerful. That’s why we have to be careful. Knowing who can handle them and who can’t takes years of training. Put someone in the wrong room and you could end up doing more harm than good. My grandmother always said some changes in life are better left up to the gods, whoever they may be. And some things we can’t change. All we’re trying to do is give everyone a bit of grand. I know it doesn’t always look like it, but we take what we do here very seriously. Life can be terribly tough sometimes.’
Florence took a bite of her tomato sandwich while Vincent chewed over her words.
‘Is that why people come here?’
‘Hmm. That’s a tricky question,’ replied Florence. ‘You see, most people don’t choose to stay at The Grand, The Grand chooses them.’
Vincent slumped, crossing his arms. ‘Huh?’ Whatever understanding he thought he had about ‘a bit of grand’ disappeared like a white dove under a magician’s handkerchief. ‘How does it do that?’
‘Well, to explain that properly I’d need more time than it takes to eat a tomato sandwich, which is all I’ve got spare today. But I can tell you it’s not anything to do with being rich or poor, and all about who’s in need. I’d better run.’ Florence jumped down off the fence. ‘Fin thinks baby Barbara has a gas problem. A sloth with nice breath is a bad sign. I’ve got a mammalogist arriving now. Bye, Dr Maaboottee. Bye, Winnie. See you later, Vincent.’
It was a lot to take in. As Vincent packed up for the day, his mind roamed over the guests who had arrived and the guests who had left and the incredible differences between the two. He mulled over the idea of a hotel choosing its guests instead of its guests choosing it. He had wanted to ask Florence about the Mirrors of the Future Room but something stopped him. What though, he had no idea. No wonder stories swirled around the place!
‘Oh, tell me I’m not too late!’ said a voice sounding like a cat caught in a drain.
Vincent looked up to see an elderly lady wearing a winged jumpsuit and a helmet getting out of the elevator. In her hands was a pair of small orange tap shoes. ‘You wouldn’t have time to give my granddaughter’s tap shoes a quick polish, would you, dear? She refuses to wear anything else, and she needs them for dinner.’
‘Of course,’ said Vincent.
‘Oh, you are a lovely boy!’ The old lady winked and handed Vincent the shoes. ‘She’s in the Synchronicity Room, level sixteen. Can you leave them outside the door when you’re done? I’m off to the platform.’ Vincent did his best not to look shocked. He didn’t want to offend her but she looked ancient. Far too old to be jumping off the side of a mountain.
Vincent got to work on the tap shoes. First he checked the screws holding the metal taps in place. Next he mixed a number of colours together till he had the exact orange and then he brushed and polished them till they shined like the sun.
‘Vincent!’ said Zelda as he stepped into the elevator. ‘How was your first week at The Grand?’
‘Amazing,’ said Vincent. ‘It’s hard to take it all in.’
‘I’m sure it is. Now where to?’
‘The sixteenth floor. I have to deliver these shoes for that old lady.’
Zelda stopped playing. Her huge hoop earrings seemed to swing by themselves. ‘What old lady?’
‘You must have seen her. She was wearing a winged jumpsuit and a helmet. She got out of the elevator about ten minutes ago.’
‘Did you say level sixteen?’
Vincent nodded.
Zelda looked confused. ‘I don’t think we have any guests on sixteen at the moment.’
‘Well, that’s what she said. The Sin-chronee-city Room? Something like that. It ended in “c
ity” anyway.’
Zelda pursed her lips into a concerned pout. ‘If you say so.’
Vincent pushed the button for the sixteenth floor and Zelda resumed playing.
Without so much as a wobble, the elevator rose up and up and then stopped. DING!
‘Just make sure you leave the shoes outside the room, Vincent,’ said Zelda as the elevator doors opened. ‘You should never wander into rooms willy-nilly. No point looking for trouble.’
‘I won’t.’
‘Remember. We can undo things, but we can never unsee them.’ A deep note of unease swung from her words.
Vincent nodded again and Zelda’s hands returned to the piano, gambolling across the keys like children in a playground.
CHAPTER 11
THE SIXTEENTH FLOOR
Vincent stood for a moment staring at the elevator. Zelda had been so serious. She was usually warm and friendly. Vincent was beginning to realise there was a lot more to The Grand than he first thought. It wasn’t just some wildly luxurious hotel. There were other things going on. Things he didn’t understand. He remembered what Florence had said at lunch, about powerful rooms and transformations. He thought about the D’Silva boys and Max and Chelsea. The more he thought about everything, the more confused he felt.
Vincent headed down the hall and quickly found the Syn-chronee-city Room.
He stood outside the door.
Inside his mind questions flew like arrows across a battlefield.
I wonder why they’re in the Synchronicity Room? What’s in there? What does synchronicity mean? Could it be an exact replica of a city called Syn-chronee, which they had to flee?
Vincent touched the gold letter ‘S’ with his finger.
He desperately wanted to knock and hand the tap shoes over in person. That way he could catch a glimpse of the room and the guests as well.
He clenched his hand into a fist and went to knock on the door.
But then he stopped himself.
He remembered the look on Zelda’s face and what she had said about looking for trouble.
Vincent put the tap shoes down outside the door. He turned and walked back up the hall towards the elevator.
But when he got there, he didn’t stop. Instead, he kept right on walking. I wonder what rooms are up this end?
Vincent passed the Infinity Room, the Alchemy Room, the Last Bets Room … the Fancy Seeing You Here Room. The fact he had seen these rooms before didn’t register until he saw it – the Mirrors of the Future Room. Vincent cursed himself. Of all the rooms to be standing in front of after Zelda’s words of warning. That was the downside to being treated like family. Your best behaviour is more prone to slip when you feel right at home.
Vincent looked up and down the corridor. There was no one around. He shut his eyes, hoping his huge dilemma might disappear. But when he opened them, everything was exactly the same as it was before.
Vincent told himself to turn and go back to the elevator.
Am I seriously going to mess up my first week at The Grandest Hotel on Earth, the most incredible thing that’s ever happened to me?
It was true. Vincent hadn’t been this happy in a long time.
So he mustered all his strength and managed to take one step away from the room. Yes! Now do it again!
Vincent took another step. Yes!
Slowly, step by step he walked backwards until he reached the elevator and, before giving himself a chance to double think, he slammed his hand onto the down button.
The ring around it lit up.
He was safe.
Zelda would be here any minute.
Vincent stood there, his heart pounding as the strains of Beethoven’s all-knowing ninth symphony rose up the elevator shaft.
CHAPTER 12
THE MIRRORS OF THE FUTURE ROOM
It was only a day or so later when Vincent found himself on the extremely strange sixteenth floor for the third time.
And to be fair, what happened wasn’t entirely Vincent’s fault.
Vincent was packing up for the day – just like last time – when the old woman wearing a winged jumpsuit and helmet – just like last time – asked Vincent if he could clean her granddaughter’s tap shoes – just like last time. And if Vincent would be good enough to deliver the shoes to their room on – you guessed it – the sixteenth floor.
Just.
Like.
Last.
Time.
Only this time the room was different. Instead of the Synchronicity Room they were now staying in the Room of Beautiful Coincidences.
Standing next to Zelda’s grand piano, Vincent told himself he was going to go straight to the room, leave the shoes outside the door and get off the sixteenth floor as fast as he could. But when he found the Room of Beautiful Coincidences, Vincent’s heart beat so fast his rib cage rattled. I’m sure every modern reader has already guessed why. The Room of Beautiful Coincidences was right next to which room?
That’s right.
The Room of Beautiful Coincidences was right next to the Mirrors of the Future Room.
Vincent put the shoes down outside the door.
But being so close to the Mirrors of the Future Room, in no time at all Vincent’s desire to know Thom and his family were going to be okay had thrown a great big sheet over his best intentions so Vincent couldn’t find them. Then it threw a great big sheet over Zelda’s and Florence’s words of warning so he momentarily forgot them. Then his desire to know Thom and his family were going to be okay threw a great big sheet over itself and disguised itself as reason. A bit like that wolf who dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood.
A peek can’t hurt, reasoned Vincent – or, more accurately, fooled himself. It’s not like I’m going to go in. I’ll just open the door a tiny bit.
(My co-author just ran out of the room. Says he can’t stand the tension.)
Vincent knocked lightly on the door.
Silence.
He knocked again, slightly louder this time. Again. Nothing.
He put his hand around the doorknob.
And left it there.
His heart pounded.
His hand began to sweat, making the metal doorknob feel ice cold. He double-checked no one was around and then slowly turned it to the right. Unexpectedly, the bolt popped out of the lock and the door moved into the room. He quickly wrenched it back towards him.
What the heck! It’s like it wants me to open it.
Or so he told himself.
Knowing the door could pop open easily, Vincent wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and gripped the doorknob more firmly. Then, as carefully as he could, he turned it to the right again. He heard the click as the bolt popped out of the lock. Now the only thing holding the door shut was Vincent’s hand. He was holding the doorknob so tightly his hand started to shake. Trying to keep it steady, he inched the door into the room until a slender crack of light appeared.
Vincent closed his left eye and put his right eye up to the crack.
It took a moment for his vision to bend the light and pull focus.
A sliver of room came into view.
It looked like an ordinary – albeit grand – hotel room. The bed was exactly the same as the Puppy Room. The bedside lamp too. Above the bed hung a painting of the Mabombo Ranges. Vincent strained to see more but it was impossible. To do so he would need to open the door a fraction wider. Without any further contemplation Vincent inched the door into the room until the crack was twice as big as it was before. He saw an armchair and an arched window that looked out onto the mountains. On the other side of the room he saw a half-open door leading into the bathroom. Vincent could see the sink and before he could stop himself he looked up and straight into the bathroom mirror.
Vincent felt a bolt of energy race up his spine and neck and into his head.
His brain blew a fuse.
His scalp and hair tightened and burned as if they were on fire.
Blue-white lightning flashed before his eyes.
Then, suspended in space, Vincent saw an image. It was a crouching elephant and a bald man with huge sunglasses playing piano.
Vincent yanked the door towards him and slammed it shut.
He felt freaked out and full of regret all at the same time.
Why did I do that? What have I done?
Vincent flew out of the elevator, ran into the bathroom next to his shoeshine chair and locked the door.
How could I have been so stupid? What will Florence and Zelda and Rupert think if they find out what I’ve done? They trusted me. Florence could have chosen anyone to be the shoeshine boy at The Grandest Hotel on Earth but she chose me. Me! Not anyone else. ME! And it’s the best thing that has ever happened. Ever!
Vincent felt so ashamed. And what made everything worse was it had all been for nothing. He’d risked everything for nothing. The vision had zero to do with Thom. Or his family. A crouching elephant and a bald man with big glasses playing piano? It was like a bad joke! Perhaps it was? Or maybe the room was out of order? Maybe that’s why Zelda had warned him? In which case what did that mean?
Vincent felt sick with guilt and nervous unknowing. He felt like throwing up. Now he would give anything to go back in time not forwards.
Knock, knock!
There was someone at the door!
‘You in there, Vincent?’
It was Florence.
‘Yes. I’m just getting changed.’
‘Any chance you have time to squeeze in a lap of the rocking-horse racetrack before you head off?’
‘Okay. I’ll be out in a second.’
Vincent looked at himself in the mirror. ‘I swear on my mum’s and dad’s graves, I’ll NEVER open that door again! NEVER!’
CHAPTER 13
THE MAABOOTTEES’ FIFTIETH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
After the incident in the Mirrors of the Future Room, Vincent threw himself into his work. He worked harder and more diligently than ever before. It was almost like he believed if he brushed hard enough, he could scrub out what he had done. At the start of every day he reminded himself his job was to shine shoes. And he had no business doing anything else at The Grand other than that. As Vincent worked harder, his passion for shoes grew stronger. He invented special woven inserts using the llamas’ wool that made the most uncomfortable high heels feel like walking barefoot on the softest carpet. He experimented with polishes, mixing them together till he could match the colour of any shoe exactly. And he came up with a way to make the creases in a worn-out pair of shoes disappear completely.
