The Fleapit Motel

     “Howdy, how can I help you”, Harold answered the call.

     “I need to speak with Simon immediately.” Charlotte said into the phone.

     “And who is this?” Harold politely responded, ignoring the request.

     “Oh, come on…I know you have caller ID. This is Charlotte from the Fleapit Motel.”

     “Hello Charlotte, how are you today? Are you calling from the office? Who is working the front desk? The security camera indicates we have customers…” Harold responded with a hint of sarcasm.

     Charlotte scowled; Harold was generally okay but he was a little sassy and loved any bit of power he could hold on to. She responded gruffly, “Can I speak with Simon or not?! There is a crisis.”

     Harold perked up on the other line, “Oooooh a crisis?! Do tell…” he coughed, “Simon is not here right now, so I will take a message… but please spare no detail.”

     Charlotte settled in, “The power went out in the kitchen last night and all of the Omelettes are rotten!”

     Harold sighed on the other line, clearly unimpressed. “Well Charlotte, I will pass along your message, but based on Simon’s calendar today I would not hold my breath for a timely response & he probably won’t be pleased to hear about it anyways. If I were you, I would just call up Sabre-X & tell him you need more…or…” she could hear him clicking on the computer, “…it looks like the Royal Neopian may have an extra stock in their walk-in freezer, I think you should head over to there to see what you can borrow from them. I guess I can dispatch an intern from the Corporate Office to run the front desk while you take care of this & I will let Bernard at the front desk of the Royal Neopian know you’re on your way but you have to be the one to file the loss report to Simon.”

     Charlotte smiled; Harold was actually being helpful. She knew he ran most of the company while Simon pattered away at meetings & conventions but he rarely lifted a finger to help the Fleapit Motel business, he preferred to spend his time on the nicer ones like the AstroVilla or the Presidential Palace “…but what about breakfast for the customers?” she asked.

     Harold laughed, “Who cares! Maybe one customer complains about it… but I expect you’ll have this fixed sooner rather than later…” he added seriously. “Now go, fix it. I have a call on the other line and the intern is already on his way.” The phone clicked off.

     Charlotte stood up and grabbed her satchel, she hoped the folks at the Royal Neopian would be understanding. When she closed her office door, she looked around the Fleapit Motel. The paint was faded and there was a slight Rotten Negg scent that never quite left the carpet from years ago when a family of Skeiths dropped their lunch cooler that was packed to bring to Roo Island for the day. When it spilled across the floor, they all shrieked and the family looked downtrodden. The mother had said they saved all their Neopoints and budgeted it out perfectly – those five Neggs were all they could manage – they could not afford the exorbitant prices at the Roo Island bistros. The Fleapit Motel policy does not allow customers to take food with them but Charlotte made an exception and packed them up a new lunch from the kitchen – all the Ghostkersandwich options they had in storage, Raspberry Neocolas for everyone and a box of Caramel Techo Cookies. She sent them off for a day of fun with a warm hug and a wave. The family was so grateful that they send Charlotte a Holiday Card each year and the Baby Skeiths, all grown up now, still call her Auntie Charlotte.

     The Fleapit Motel was not the worst of Neopia’s lodgings – it certainly was a step up from the Cockroach Towers, but it could use some updating. The decorations were outdated, stuck in Year 5 motifs but at least it was a nice affordable option for Neopians. They offered all-you-can-eat buffets for breakfast and dinner and there were plenty of add-on options Neopians could pay for such as the Maid Service or the Neopian Times Delivery, but not many chose to add them anymore. Most of the Fleapit Motel residents were long-timers, staying almost a full month each visit. She enjoyed seeing the regulars each morning and never wanted to let them down. Charlotte knew she had to get the Omelettes stock back and ready before Miss Muriel woke up, she would not be pleased to have her morning routine interrupted. Luckily, the Royal Neopian was not too far away, Charlotte passed it many times but had never actually been inside.

     It was raining lightly as it always did these days but she did not mind. Charlotte moved through the archway to the Marketplace and saw the Shopkeepers setting up, she waved hello to Marie and skipped over to help Gerry carry a box of Instruments out of the rain. She continued through the centre of the Marketplace towards the Royal Neopian; she crossed a gaggle of Mallards playing in the puddles and smiled at their cuteness. Finally, she arrived at the entrance, grand in shades of gold, though she did note that it was much less glamourous up close.

     Charlotte pushed open the door, the front desk Neopian was dressed in a maroon uniform with gold braiding, it looked polished yes, but stifling in this humidity. She was grateful for their lack of dress code.

     The Grarrl behind the desk smiled and called to her, “Greeting Neopian, how may I be of service?”

     Charlotte chuckled uncomfortably at the formality but moved across the glistening floors towards the desk “Hi, I am Charlotte from the Fleapit Motel… are your Bernard? Harold told me he let you know I was on my way”.

     “Ah yes, welcome Miss Charlotte,” Bernard continued, “I will call the kitchen to have them bring you the frozen Omelette supply, please take a seat it will be a few minutes” he gestured to a plush velvet settee.

     Charlotte moved over to the seat, she almost bounced when she tried to sit – it looked nice but was not comfortable, it was overstuffed and felt scratchy. She wondered if anyone ever sat here for long, to read a book or chat like they did in the lobby of the Fleapit Motel. It did not seem like it, the seats were too clean and not worn in at all. She glanced over as Bernard rang a tiny golden bell for the kitchen– very aesthetic but not the easiest way to get someone’s attention. She noticed that the Neopians had a plated meal for breakfast with assigned tables; no buffet line or reason to mix and mingle with other guests. There was no laughter or chatter, everything was too serene, too sterile, too perfect.

     She suddenly missed the sour smell of the Fleapit Motel and realised that things were not always greener on the other side… there was something special about a place that was truly lived in – full of memories and laughter. This place seemed so stale in comparison and Charlotte felt stifled just being here for a few minutes.

     Finally, Bernard rang the tiny golden bell again in Charlotte’s direction, “Miss Charlotte, Thomas here has your box of frozen Omelettes.” Thomas passed the box to Charlotte. “We also have a few cooked ones for your early guests in this bag,” Thomas passed her a small bag that smelled delicious.

     “That is so kind, thank you! Thank you so much for your help – we at Fleapit owe you one”, Charlotte said with a huge smile. The service here really was above and beyond.

     “It is my pleasure. Until next time.” Bernard smiled and waved goodbye.

     Charlotte left out of the doors of the Royal Neopian and smiled into the sun. She was suddenly so grateful to the Fleapit Motel for the joy and friendship it brought through her doors every day. She shuffled as fast as she could through the Marketplace. Charlotte could not let Miss Muriel start her day without a warm Omelette, and she could not wait to tell her about her morning – there was nothing Miss Muriel liked more than a bit of drama over coffee.

     The End.