Thursday, April 2, 2009

I served as a house maid in the hotel for the first three weeks I was there. It was a tour hotel which means coach tours came in once a week on the Friday night 5:00 ferry. This meant that the previous tours left on Friday morning and all of the rooms had to be stripped and cleaned. It was some of the hardest work I've ever done. The hotel was long and narrow and on several levels separated by five or six steps, no lift. One of the hardest things was getting around with your supplies on a cart. The beds had heavy woolen blankets to stave off the damp sea air. By the end of a day of stripping those blankets my fingers looked like they had been shredded. But I loved it. I took pride in my work. And met some very interesting people. Each morning we would report and get our room list with kind of action each room needed. We would get our supplies organized and then come back to the staff room for our tea. One morning I was at a table with a woman named Mary. She took a drag on her cigarette, squinted at me through the smoke and said to me, "You know things, don't you?". I smiled and said, "Yes and so do you." From that moment on we had a psychic bond and a special connection.

After three weeks there was an opening to work in reception. I asked Mrs. Milne if I could be switched to reception. She agreed and I work behind the front desk and helped out in the bar for the rest of the summer. I got to meet a lot of people and hear some amazing music from the acts who entertained in the lounge at night. We all worked six days and a week with alternating shift times with my day off being Thursday. It was ideal. I would finish a shift on Wednesday at 3:00 and didn't have to report again until Friday at 3:00. So in effect, I had nearly two days off.

On my day off I would sometimes catch a ride with a coach tour and visit Iona or catch the ferry to Oban and shop for more books and have a nice meal out. A few times I took the coach to Tobermory and explored that charming town. When weather permitted, I would take a walk to Torosay Castle and explore the gardens and have tea on the veranda.

One day a young waitress from Australia asked me if I wanted to take a walk up to Java Point north of the hotel. I went with her and was amazed at what I saw when we arrived at the top of the bluff on Java Point. I looked north first at the fishing boats and the hills of Morvern across the Sound of Mull. Then I looked south and saw the lighthouse on Lismore, shining bright white against the dark water. It was the same as in my vision. I was home. Mary was right. I know things.

2 comments:

Amy said...

I wanted to let you know that I am out here and reading this and I love it. Thank you! I wish I had thought to have an adventure like this when I was young.

xo Amy

gypsygsoul said...

Esmerelda,

It's not too late. I was 49 when I had my adventure.

xo

Rebekah