The News From Poughkeepsie - Day 58

June 19th, 2008 • Related • Filed Under

(I know i’m sometimes late on these. Feeling sluggish lately. Sorry.)

Scenes Thursdays

Gladys saw the guest struggle into the hotel and weighed her options. The woman was small, about 115 pounds and five feet tall. She had a fine Chinese face, but a set to her jaw that implied that she was quite used to people challenging her ability to carry things and that most offers to help would be taken with offense. Gladys understood, as she was not much bigger than this woman, but the best bellhop the hotel had.

She watched the woman attempt to carry too much, and danced forward at the last moment, catching the small bag that slipped from under the woman’s arm. Gladys tried her best smile. “Let me help you with that, ma’am, it looks like you’re carrying one too many things.” Without offering to carry the larger suitcase, Gladys balanced the small bag on her shoulder and led the woman to the front desk.

“Peter, this fine lady would like to check in,” Gladys announced, then stood back. Peter shook his head just a tad, always amazed at how Gladys knew exactly how to deal with each guest. Once the woman, a Li Ming, was checked in, she allowed Gladys to help her to her room, carrying the larger bags.

Gladys expected a large tip, which she got, but she did not expect Li to have noticed as much about Gladys as Gladys had noticed about her, and she also did not expect Li to offer her a job.

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