The Regency 

 

“Hello, Mr. Walter, I’m Elise with the front desk,” said Elise, standing outside Room 217 at the Regency Motel.  

The door flung open and out came an elderly man in a peach and white suit. Foul odor flew past Elise as the door widened. The elderly man dumped an ashtray full of cigarette butts over the railing to the parking lot below. Elise had to dodge the nicotine projectiles by sidestepping away from the doorway.  

“Good morning, Missus. What you need from me?” asked the man, giving a slight chuckle.  

Elise managed a smile. The man took one big step forward, towering over Elise. “Mr. Walter, can we please speak inside?” asked Elise.  

Walter scratched his beard and looked down at the unassuming woman. He shrugged his shoulders, then nonchalantly invited her in.  

Elise made her way into the tiny motel room where two full size beds pushed together gave the appearance of a queen-size bed.  

“You are aware we offer queen-size bedrooms?” said Elise.  

Walter shook his head and pointed to the overpass outside the window. Cars packed together with bumper-to-bumper traffic and an old smokestack industrial building pumping black smoke was the only sight to be gleamed. 

“I ain’t no queen and I don’t require sleeping like one.”  

Elise smiled uncomfortably, understanding the double entendre. She looked at the state of the room, which was scattered with bottles and cans, ashes from cigarette butts, and the ancient air conditioning unit blowing rancid warm air into the room. On the wall, as plain as day, hung a sign stating: “No Smoking Guest Policy.”  

“You know why I’m here?” asked Elise.  

“Don’t tell me it’s about the smoking? I have been honest with you on this ever since I checked in the place,” said Walter. Elise entered further into the room, carefully taking each step over the mess on the floor. Walter swayed by the doorway with a box of matches in hand.  

“I’m getting complaints about the smell. The front desk has complaints about the noise and not to mention house-keeping didn’t go to the school of witchcraft and wizardry,” said Elise, placing her hand over her mouth.  

Walter took a giant snort of the fumes of his dirty clothes, soiled sheets, vomit filled trashcan in the corner, and a strange odor emanating from the bathroom. Elise did her best to hold her breath in. She couldn’t hide her disgust very well as Walter cracked the door slightly. 

“I apologize about the condition. I’m just used to living in my own filth, I guess,” said Walter.  

Walter sat down in a chair by the A/C unit. The warm air from the leaking A/C unit blew at the whiskers of Walter’s grey unkempt beard, making it appear wilder than it already was. Elise stared around the old man’s living conditions and couldn’t help but spot the sadness in his eyes.  

“The Regency wasn’t always like this, did you know?” said Walter, lighting a match.  

“We all have to adapt to change,” replied Elise, pointing to the sign. Walter’s hand hesitated, with the match burning down to his fingertips. Elise gave another stern point to the sign. 

“How long have you been a part of this establishment?” asked Walter, flinging the match.  

“Four months now, Mr. Walter,” said Elise.  

“Really? I appreciate the rules, but this place isn’t a part of you yet. This place is the closest thing to a home that some of us have left. When you’ve been here as long as I have, you’ll understand that.”  

“I can understand your feelings but my concerns about the room’s condition and less about the history.”  

Walter rubbed his chin, gave Elise a quick look over. Elise pulled a piece of paper from her back pocket.  

“What is that?” asked Walter, struggling to hide his contempt.  

“This is a guest agreement, a contract you signed. The terms and conditions state there would be no parking at the check in office. My office. That the linens need to be replaced if lost, stolen, or damaged. Last of all, there is to be no smoking inside these rooms.” 

“I’m an old man. I don’t recall those types of things, but I remember a time before contracts, as you said, were unnecessary,” said Walter, fidgeting.  

“Well, you ought to go back that to those times.”  

Walter removed his suit jacket, revealing a large box shaped indention underneath his dress shirt. The man’s chest was pumping, and a hissing sound matched the tempo of the dysfunctional conditioner behind him.  

Elise studied Walter as he pulled out a soft pack of cigarettes. He inserted his fingers in the pack as Elise got off the bed.  

“I’m trying here, Mr. Walter. This place might have been a boarding house a few months ago or years before that, but now we honor our agreements,” said Elise, outstretching the paperwork marked with Walter’s signature.  

“You don’t really care, do you?” asked Walter, pulling out two cigarettes. “You really care about this old motel, do you?”    “Mr. Walter, it’s in the past. We live in the present,” said Elise.  

This struck Walter, and his head visibly fell at the thought. His hands settled over his chest. Walter’s hand revealed a patient wristband, and Elise moved closer to view it.  

“Do you think that’s going to make any of this better?” 

Walter jammed the cigarette into his mouth. 

“You can’t be here anymore; don’t you understand that?” His head hung lower. Walter’s face hovered over the carpet’s stains and the trapped fumes from smoking sessions past. He hacked up a good dose of phlegm and spat it to the rug, a mixture of mucus and blood.    

“Mr. Walter, it is time to check out. We can’t keep doing this. You understand that?”  

Walter wiped the spittle from his beard. He gave a melancholy look to the floor. Elise walked over to him, putting her hand on his shoulder. She felt Walter struggling for breaths.  

“This is my room. This is my place. Please don’t make me leave this place,” Walter pleaded.  

Elise removed her hand carefully from his back and really looked around the room. The motel room was just cluttered with filth. It held pictures, decorations, and a suitcase stuffed with personal items in the corner. Elise cracked a subtle smile and moved towards the door. 

“Walter, give me those.”  

Walter raised his head. Elise eyed the cigarettes. Walter weakly raised them. Elise checked her pockets and came out with a lighter. Walter’s face contorted in confusion.  

“We’ll keep going for one more day,” said Elise, lighting the cigarette.