her name is Nell and she's the wife of a businessman who stays here off and on on a regular basis. he's an older gentleman, with kind eyes and white hair. she's tiny and off beat -- still stuck in the 60's, i think.

she's been here since may, and he comes and goes. they do not share a room, except when the really bad thunderstorms hit. then, she grabs her guitar and a boatload of snacks from the sundries store, and holes up with him in his room.

she's very strange. she'll make inappropriate remarks that have no relevance to the situation. it's impossible to have a lucid conversation with her.

****

tonight, the room next to hers called down and complained of yelling, screaming, and pounding on the connected door. debris was shoved underneath the door, and the guests were (naturally) concerned

i called the room (Nell's) and she screamed "Fuck you!" into the phone. i said, "Nell, this is Netta from the front desk, are you okay? You can't be pounding and yelling, it's disturbing the other guests."

"Those motherfuckers opened the door and shoved their toothbrush at me, for the love of god!"

"Okay, I'll have them stop that. Lock the door and just stay away from it, okay?"

no, i guess that wasn't okay.

i went up to the adjoining room, and sure enough, pounding, screaming, moaning....i went to Nell's door and knocked. she flung it open, doused me with water, screaming about motherfuckers and the horses they ride, telling me the people next door raped her and gave her herpes. she shoved me with both hands, then slammed the door.

all righty, then.

i called the ops manager, no answer. i called the front desk manager, no answer. i called the GM, no answer. nice.

the ops manager finally called me back, and told me to call the police.

before i did that, i called the husband from the number on the reservation. he said when she gets like this, even he can't calm her down, and calling the police is the best option. he apologized.

i called the police.

in the meantime, Nell is wreaking havoc, spraying perfume everywhere, throwing barbeque sauce and chasing people away from the floor on which she's housed. she came down to the lobby and told me she just wants to go back to the woods where she grew up and be an artist, but she can't because they took her passport and driver's license. do i see? DO I SEE???

she took off running down the hallway, and i followed her. she burst out of the back door, ran across the parking lot, ran into the grill and fell. she picked herself up and took off across the field.

the paramedics arrived and i filled them in. they went off in search after i provided them with a description.

the phone is ringing off the fucking wall, people are arriving to check in, and did i mention the phone is ringing off the wall?

a very nice policeman arrived, and picked what little there is in my brain. he asked me if i wanted to press charges for assault, as is my right. i decline.

we checked out the room (trashed) and found an empty bottle of some kind of alcohol in the hallway. there's some unknown substance on the floor in front of her room, and smeared on the door of the other room. (i still have to go clean that up.)

she's found, and she's screaming like a banshee as they secure her to a gurney. the very nice policeman tells me she will be gone at least ten days for evaluation.

i think that's best.

****

i'm posting this from work, from the work computer, meaning i could get written up for it. i can't get into how i feel right now, but i wanted to get the rest down before i forgot.

not that i will forget this night for a long time.

all this for a dollar over minimum wage. i can say that right now, i feel like...well, never mind. my kid reads this.

:"(


Stuck for words? Visit WordWebbing, spinning words for any occasion.

Check out TSB for the most legal fun you can have with your clothes on.