intermission (4)

<intermission>

Sitting in a motel lobby in front of the desk with a variety of brightly colored pamphlets from the Department of Tourism, he finds himself half-awake on the sectional couch. An atomic family from the suburbs of Minnesota stare at the horror of a seemingly limp body inhabiting the same room as them. It's only a groan from that body that prevents them from calling the city morgue. 

The clean cut father begins a conversation with the motel's receptionist.

"What's wrong with that fella?"

The receptionist looks over his desk, looking at the unkempt man at the seating area.

"Oh, him? He wasn't able to pay for another night in an actual room, so I let him rest on that couch while my manager is not working. The man is quite nice when you strike a conversation with him, and he does not really cause any trouble. Anyways, did you have a reservation?"

"Yeah, it's under the name "Walters." But seriously, are you gonna let that guy sleep there forever? He is creeping my kids out and I might have to take my business elsewhere."

The receptionist, realizing the type of guest he is dealing with, changes his demeanor in order to minimize the impact of the inevitable barrage of passive agressive comments and slight microaggressions on the rest of his day.

"I'll deal with it accordingly."

He hands the father a set of keys to a room. They exit through the entrance of the motel's front office. The receptionist stands up, a rare act for him, and moves towards the seating area. 

He kicks the boot of the man, who is now completely asleep. 

"You are gonna have to leave for the day. I think you should be able to come back tomorrow afternoon."

The now conscious man gets up rubbing his temples and picks up his bag. He stumbles out the sliding doors, hoping to find refuge through a lively experience.