Hotel Candelabra: Chapter 23
Today's chapter brings Day Three to an end!
Thank you to all who are reading Hotel Candelabra! I have turned on comments on this post if you would like to comment! If any are interested in a virtual book club at the end of the story, let me know!
End of Chapter Twenty-Two:
60, who I once again thought should have been the one called brave, held the key above her head, stepped up to the ominous dark cloud and shouted, “I LOVE YOU!”
The cloud instantly dissolved leaving a very small, bewildered child in the middle of the circle. 60 stepped forward. “Hello Three. We are so sorry we left you in that basement for so long. You did nothing wrong. The shame belonged to those who hurt you. We are all here to take care of you now.”
Three put her middle two fingers in her mouth, crawled into 60’s arms, took the blanket from 62, the caregiver, and said, “I’m kind of hungry.”
“Oh, my yes, it is time for dinner!” Alden exclaimed in relief, scurried behind the bookcase—which seemed no worse for wear—and vanished.
Day Three: Chapter Twenty-Three
Space was made at the table for the small three-year-old child who was delighted to have so much attention. Everyone enjoyed their meal and then 60 gathered a few things from her room and said she would take Three to the lower floor and stay with her.
Taking the #3 Jack-in-the-box off the shelf, she let Three turn the handle for Jack to pop up—with the key. As she got into the elevator, she said, “70, can you follow me and bring the other Jack-in-the-Boxes down?I am going to open all the doors tomorrow after Alden brings us breakfast.”
The elevator door shut behind 60 and Three just as Alden appeared from behind the bookcase with a cart and loaded all the Jack-in-the-Boxes onto it. “No worries I will take them down on my way to the lobby.”
Was he listening behind the bookcase? How did he know to bring the cart?
“Great, thank you,” I said, relieved not to go back in the elevator. “The rest of us will make a plan for the next morning and head to bed. This has been a busy day!”
Settling into comfortable chairs with our evening wine, 68 had her trusty notepad and was ready to begin organizing.
“There are 59 rooms. 60 said she would do the lower floor, but she will need help. There are eleven of us and three floors. I think the lower floor needs four of us since all the children are there. Then three each on each of the upper floors and 70 can go between the floors to keep everyone informed. How does that sound?”
Everyone murmured exhausted-sounding agreements.
Undisturbed by their lack of enthusiasm, 68 continued. “How about if we choose a floor? Here, write down your name on a card and I will divide the coffee table into three spaces. We can put our cards in a space—maybe it will just work out.”
Each one wrote their name on a card and 68 placed her card in the first section.
“I think I will be most useful on the lower floor since there are so many age groups.”
69 went next by also placing her card in the first section. “I also think I should go there because I know the stories and they will remember me.”
Everyone agreed that made sense.
62 spoke up and said, “I think my caregiving skills would be useful on the floor also. And with 60, that makes 4 of us.”
“Alright,” 68 said. “On to the second floor—who wants to volunteer for that floor?”
I was thankful the organizer was taking this in stride so we could head off to bed!
61 put her card in the second section and said, “I will go on this floor. There are some difficult stories on this floor. I can be brave for them.”
“That room is full of objects, and they may be looking for things. Maybe my clue-finding ability and the problem solver’s skill would be useful.”
Both placed their cards in the middle section.
“All right,” 68 pronounced. “The middle floor will be 61, 64, and 66.”
63, 65, and 67 set their cards in the third section. “That makes sense,” the organizer said. “The explorer, writer, and decorator fit well with that floor. We now have a plan.”
And with one collective yawn, everyone headed to bed. We all wondered what the next day would bring.
This is a masterpiece! I love what you have done, Janyne, and I'm curious about your process. Did you start writing with the whole story in mind? Or did you create the story as you wrote? For those who have read Brave, this is full of meaning!