Martoons

Cast of characters

Dame

Mr E

Fred

Mr Go

Miss No

*

Lights Out @ Motel    

A tense unnerving tentativeness gripped the hallway as they waited for Miss No’s room.

Fred was discretely surveying the vicinity for fire extinguishers, back exits and other safety stuff.

He’d heard enough horror stories of motel guests being trapped and burned alive inside unsafe structures.

* Might something bad happen tonight?… *

He didn’t see an extinguisher but the back exit looked accessible, although somewhat cluttered. His inquiry was interrupted by a mild commotion.

Out of No’s room came a sleepy-headed mom, dad and two kids – groggy and stupefied. They shuffled past with their few belongings.

The motel owner was now directing them into a door behind his office.

* They’re being moved to sleep in the owner’s office?… *

“Very convenient, very comfortable,” he assured them but didn’t elicit a response.

The family had to pass Miss No to get to that door.

She had her arms crossed defensively and looked impatient, saying nothing to the dislodged lodgers.

Fred had never seen her screw up like this and was taking satisfaction in witnessing her invincibility challenged.

The displaced family, meanwhile, disappeared behind the owner’s office and closed the door. Fred was impressed that they didn’t slam it.

“Finally we have our room back,” No announced. “Enter and relax!”

Her troops took their shoes off at the door then took over the basic but very warm space. Last in was a deflated Damion returning from reception.

* Why deflated? *

The cabby hadn’t answered his call. Maybe still sleeping or his phone went dead.

Dame scouted out a sleeping spot near the door so he could go out for a middle-of-the-night smoke when needed.

Nobody took showers but they did wash their face and hands in the washroom sink.

Fred followed suit and then laid down on the heated floor, rolled up his jacket into a pillow and was asleep instantly.

Go tucked himself away in a corner. He set his mental alarm clock for 3 a.m.

He would get up and leave the motel before anyone else did and without them knowing about it – especially No.

Go’s wristwatch’s beep would most certainly wake her up so he couldn’t use it.

He’d depended on his mental alarm many times in the army and found it highly reliable. I will wake up at 3 a.m. I will wake up at 3 a.m. Three a.m. Three a.m.

As the buzz from the last shots of Chinese soju wore off, he yawned profusely, then instantly dropped into unconsciousness.

A minute later he was snoring like a chainsaw.

* Will Go’s mental alarm wake him up on time? *

With lights now out, No was on her back wide awake, looking up at the ceiling.

She was annoyed by the scene with the family moments ago, but deeply disturbed by having spotted Grandpa Kang earlier in the evening.

And he thinks he’s going to steal Fred from me! 

She shuddered as she vividly visualized the senior’s Santa beard as he’d slinked past her near the men’s washroom.

The pressure was off for now and perhaps he’d lost his best advantage to poach Fred – the cover of darkness.

Yet No could readily imagine the sly, wily senior hiding out somewhere and getting ready to pounce in the morning.

She wondered if Go – perhaps through Damion – had tipped off Grandpa Kang about this very Beach Boys Motel.

Why had Dame just gone to the front desk?

Perturbed and paranoid again, No lashed out at whoever was closest to her – Mr. E. He was falling asleep beside her.

“How could you leave your new gloves in that washroom,” she whispered furiously, “with all the thieves around here tonight?”

“You heard the radio report in the car – about all the pickpockets and pilferers in this stinky city!”

E had no idea of the drama surrounding his gloves. Last he’d seen they dropped with a dull, quiet smack onto the cake pile in that unseemly stall.

At that point he’d abandoned them.

How did Miss No find out I lost those gloves? He dared not ask though, to preserve the fragile peace he’d reached with her. He rolled over and faced away.

The last thing he heard her say was something about her plan for Fred in the morning.

She’d watch Fred, Dame and Go like a hawk until the sunrise was over and then she’d herd them into E’s car back to Chinju.

* Will her plan work?… or be foiled? *

*

Tomorrow: Donna and Dame have a revealing middle of the night chat.