Not a Dream

During an out-of-town getaway, I stayed in the city's downtown historic hotel. I was immediately captured by its charm and coziness and I found it relaxing to stay in after a long day of sightseeing.

While sleeping at night, I was awakened by clicking sounds. It was the door handle. Someone was trying to open my door! I was traveling solo and I was not expecting anybody AT ALL. I tried to ignore it, thinking that it was somebody who just got confused about their room location, or perhaps someone who forgot their room key and hoping to wake a roommate to let them in.

Yet, the clicking sounds continued. Fortunately, I have locked it from the inside as well. Still, it was disturbing, especially when the clicking sounds became a bit more aggressive. I listened and heard the loud knocking of doors in my hallway. I can't remember now if it knocked on mine.

I was more annoyed than anything so I got out of bed, looked at the time, and it was 2:30 a.m.! I looked through the peep hole and there was this unappealing potbellied man, wearing only black boxer briefs, pacing the hallway in bare feet.

I called the hotel's front desk about what this person was doing and was assured that they will "check it out." I don't know how quickly hotel staff was able to do it because shortly after I put the phone down, I heard this person talking with an impatient, frustrated tone through the door of the next room. I think he finally remembered where he should be as I heard him call out a woman's name to let him in because he was stuck outside. I heard the room open and FINALLY, silence. I was not sure if the woman inside eventually woke up since it took a WHILE for the matter to be resolved.

It seemed like ETERNITY from the moment when I first heard the clicking of my door handle in my half-awakened state to the person being let into his appropriate room.

I think it took me a while to fall back to sleep. Knowing that someone was persistently trying to open my locked door, UNINVITED, was unnerving. It was the only glitch to my one day stay, and I am glad that the hotel (unlike some other establishments) has a 24-hour front desk service.

I just hope that hotel staff didn't think I was making up the reason for my phone call.