The harbinger of chaos
It all began as the worst tragedies begin: with a sixth sense that warned me that something was not going to go right. “The negative client,” I mentally called her from the very first moment. How did I know? Ah, these things can’t be explained. It’s like when you smell the storm before the first thunder strikes.
I turned to Mire, who was organizing some towels at the front desk, and blurted out:
-This one is going to give us trouble.
She, with that almost insulting optimism, raised an eyebrow.
-Why do you say that? She hasn’t even arrived yet.
-In time. You’ll see. And when you see it, remember me.
Just a few hours later, she arrived, accompanied by her entourage. The husband, two screaming children, and two dogs that looked like they had just had coffee and Red Bull for breakfast. She could have put a sign above them saying: “Caution! High risk of catastrophe.” But I decided to keep my composure. For now.
The WhatsApp that didn’t exist (or did, but they didn’t read it)
Six a.m. What was I doing at that hour? Sending them a message with all the details of the arrival, of course. Clear, precise, detailed instructions. Codes, wifi keys, the simplest route, the rules of the accommodation… All that was left was to send them a PowerPoint with animated slides.
Fast forward to 3 o’clock in the afternoon. My cell phone rings just as I’m taking the first bite of a sandwich.
-MoreTorrencito, tell me.
-Hi, I’m Maria. I’ve been driving around like crazy, even the GPS can’t find this.
I snorted silently, while I looked sideways at Mire, who was already raising an eyebrow like “I told you so”.
-Did you follow the directions I sent you by WhatsApp?
-I just… I didn’t read them.
There it was. First point for the negative customer, of course she hadn’t read them! Why bother reading directions when you can just call and blame it on the GPS?
Finally, they made it. But, of course, the odyssey was not over.
-I’m in front of the door, but it won’t open,” he said, in a tone of indignation.
-Did you put in the code I sent you?
-I don’t know what the code is.
Of course not. After a deep sigh (and another abandoned sandwich), I told him again.
-It’s 2580B. Come in and meet us at reception.
-And where is reception?
Really?
-You go down the path and follow the sign that says “Reception”.
I hung up and mentally prepared myself. This has only just begun, I thought.
Swimming pool, dogs and morning show
I decided to give them five minutes to get to reception. Ten passed. Fifteen. Nothing. I went outside to look for them. They were neither at the door nor on the road. Finally, I found them… where? Of course, in the pool. The children running and screaming, the dogs swimming like trained dolphins. And Maria, lying in a hammock with the tranquility of someone who believes that the world revolves around her.
-Hi, I’m Miguel,” I introduced myself with the best smile I could fake.
-Hello, Maria. We saw the pool and we stayed.
Of course you can. Why bother registering first?
-Ah, very good. Well, I was waiting for you at the reception…
-Yes, we’ll be right there.
I decided not to insist. I went back to the front desk, made sure I didn’t notice the nervous twitch in my left eye, and went about my business. But it wasn’t long before the phone rang again.
-Hello, we’re already at reception.
I sighed. I went back downstairs. When I walked in, there they were: the children bawling, the dogs soaking wet leaving puddles everywhere, and Maria, business as usual.
-Well, I’ll show you around. If you want, you can leave your bags here.
The dogs, meanwhile, decided it was the perfect time to inspect every corner of the building, leaving a trail of water and hair in their wake. PATIENCE, I mentally repeated to myself like a mantra.
The room and the sheets of discord
Finally, we arrived at the room. I politely asked them to grab the dogs before we went in, because the stairs were freshly scrubbed.
-Well, let someone else clean it up later,” Maria replied, with a nonchalance that might have been enviable if it weren’t so irritating.
As soon as I opened the door, the dogs jumped straight onto the beds. They wet the bedspreads, the sheets and probably the mattress as well.
-All right? -I asked, trying to maintain a neutral tone.
-Yes, everything is perfect,” Maria replied, as if she hadn’t seen the disaster.
I went back to the kitchen, ready to disconnect, when the door rang. And there it was again.
-Can you change the sheets? The dogs have soiled them.
I took a deep breath.
-Madam, I just gave you the room. I asked them not to bring the dogs upstairs, and they haven’t done anything to stop it.
-Well, but you don’t think we sleep on those dirty sheets, do you?
-It’s not my responsibility, but… when you leave, I’ll change them.
I thought that was the end of it. But, of course, I was wrong….
The dogfight and the battle of excuses
All was quiet, or at least as quiet as it could be after a day of dealing with “the negative customer”. The patio was an oasis of serenity: some customers were chatting animatedly, others were enjoying their beers as the sun began to set. But of course, peace is a short-lived thing when you have two hyperactive dogs, two tireless children and a woman who seemed to think the rules were for others, not for herself.
It all started with the ball. That damn ball. Mary, in her infinite wisdom, decided it would be fun to throw a ball to her dogs right in the common yard. Once, twice, three times. At first, her dogs ran around happily. But then other dogs from other clients became interested in the game. A small puppy belonging to a German couple, who was quietly lying under the table, perked up. Then another, larger dog came over. And then, the inevitable happened.
First, a growl. Then, a louder bark. In the blink of an eye, the ball went from an innocent toy to the trigger for a dog fight that looked like something out of an action movie. All the dogs were in chaos: barking, growling, and paws everywhere. The owners were trying to separate them while Maria, attention, kept throwing the ball as if absolutely nothing was happening.
I ran up to them, almost slipping on a flowerpot that one of the dogs had previously thrown, and shouted:
-Stop it! Stop it!
I took the ball and hid it behind my back. Instantly, the dogs calmed down. The customers relaxed, and I thought: Okay, that’s it. Crisis solved. But of course, that was underestimating Maria.
Barely a minute later, Maria’s husband, with a look of circumstance on his face, approached me.
-Sorry, we didn’t mean to make a big deal out of this.
-It’s okay, but please don’t play with balls here. This is a common space, there are more dogs and these things happen. Go to the pool or the beach.
He nodded and agreed with me. But what did he do next? He did nothing. Absolutely nothing. Because at that moment, Mary made her grand entrance.
He came in like a hurricane, with a scowl on his face and an attitude that would have frightened anyone else. I, on the other hand, had to laugh.
-Your dogs attacked my dogs! -he snapped, pointing his finger at me as if I were the ringleader of a dog mafia.
-Ma’am, it’s not like that. There are several people here who have seen what happened. Your dog started playing with the ball, others joined in, and we know how dogs are when toys are involved.
-That’s not true! Your dogs attacked first!
-Ma’am, I was here. And, besides, we have security cameras. If you want, we can check them together.
Maria blinked. She hadn’t expected that one. For a moment, I thought it would end there, but it didn’t. Never underestimate the power of denial.
-That’s a lie! My children told me so.
-Your children? -I asked, with a raised eyebrow.
-Yes, my children saw everything from the jumper.
Now, pause to make something clear: the jumpers (also known as swings) were about 50 meters away from the playground, separated by a hedge. From there, it was literally impossible for the children to see anything. But Maria wasn’t about to give in.
-Ma’am, with all due respect, your children were playing on the swings and couldn’t see what happened here. But, if you want, we can check the cameras.
-My children don’t lie! -he shouted, as if that settled the argument.
Meanwhile, other customers, who had witnessed everything, began to murmur. An elderly lady, who was sitting with her husband, decided to intervene:
-Excuse me, ma’am, but I saw what happened. It was your dog that started it. Nothing serious happened, but you can’t blame the others.
Maria looked at her as if she had just insulted her whole family.
-Oh, right, now everyone is against me! This is a disgrace! This is not normal!
That was when I could no longer contain myself. I crossed my arms, looked her in the eyes and, with a wry smile, replied:
-You’re right, ma’am. This is not normal. Nothing that has happened since you arrived is normal.
That sentence seemed to disconcert her. For a second, she was silent, processing what she had just said. But, as always, she decided to double down.
-I demand that something be done!
-Of course, ma’am. Right now I’m going to hide the ball and make sure this doesn’t happen again. But please cooperate. This is a shared space. Not everything revolves around you.
I turned and walked away before he could respond. I knew the conversation was going nowhere, and I didn’t plan to waste any more time. I headed to the bar, poured myself a beer and sat down with other patrons who were clearly enjoying the show.
-Is it always like this? -asked one of them, laughing.
-No. This is a special case. A “hurricane Maria”.
The customers laughed, and for a moment, the tension disappeared. But of course, with Maria, nothing disappears completely.
Cliffhanger: The inopportune telephone
At 10:00 p.m., as I was on my way up to my kitchen to get some dinner and call it a day, the phone rang. I looked at the machine as if it were a sworn enemy. I picked it up, with a mixture of resignation and curiosity. What will it be this time? But that, my friends, we’ll leave for another chapter….
TO BE CONTINUED…..
From MasTorrencito we wish you a good day and that your dogs accompany you !!!!
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