“You’re fired!”
“No, No, please, please! Give me another chance!”
“I’m sorry, you’ve had your chance. Actually, you’ve had three chances. And that’s this resort’s policy – three strikes and you’re out!”
Lina stood nervously nearby, listening with great trepidation to the tension-filled exchange. It wasn’t the first time she heard it. The hotel facilities manager had already let two other girls go for violating the rules. Worse still, she was just one incident away from the same fate. Only forty-three days into her probationary hiring period, she was late for work twice. Once, due to a tardy bus that got stuck in traffic. And, then again days ago due to a severe case of morning sickness.
Not only was Lina less than halfway through her 90-day trial period, but her next paycheck was also still two weeks away. That meant not being able to pay this month’s rent and the shortage from the month prior. But, if she could get out of work on time, she’d have just enough time to stop by the food pantry right around the corner from her apartment. If not, she’d have to wait nearly another week until it was open the next time.
Although, this was a far better situation than the one she fled. Back home it was a lot more dangerous and she was lucky to escape with her life. If only her husband could also break free, that would take a big burden off her shoulders. But, that wasn’t likely to happen for at least two to three months. All she had to do was keep it together until then.
“Lina…Lina? Lina! Are you paying attention?”
“Ah…uh…yes, sorry.”
“You go with Cierra today.”
“Okay.”
Things just went from bad to worse. Even though Cierra was the one who got Lina a job with the resort, she had a bad habit of stealing from guests’ rooms. Lina had seen her take all kinds of items. But, never said anything because she didn’t want to get Cierra in trouble. Plus, after it happened several times, her failure to report the behavior would result in severe punishment and she didn’t want trouble of any kind. After all, this was a five-star luxury resort that was very particular about who it hired – hence, the heavily scrutinized ninety-day probationary period – one that was over a month and a half from completion. If she could make it all the way through, she’d gain full benefits and a small bump in pay. But, that was a very tall order to fill, given her previous misfortune. It would be quite a feat to pull it off.
The day started off fine but took a disconcerting turn when Cierra walked out of a guest’s room with a pricey smartwatch and expensive earbuds, stuffing the electronics into her back pocket.
“Why do people always hide their stuff in the same place? Don’t they know it’s not safe? Shame. Shame. Shame.”
Lina tacitly shook her head, forcing a smile onto her face, avoiding eye contact. She knew Cierra would offer her some of the stolen merchandise but taking it would make her just as guilty and that Lina just couldn’t risk – even though every little bit would help a lot in her current predicament.
“The next one ought to be chock-full of goodies – it’s one of the biggest, most expensive suites on the grounds. Rich folks have a tendency to travel with way too much stuff and they can’t keep track of it all….poor babies,” Cierra joked.
Lina wanted to walk away, but that wasn’t an option. So, she reluctantly followed, hoping the room was totally empty. If the guests had not left anything of real value in their room, there wouldn’t be anything to steal. Better yet, this room required a lot of clean-up and turn-down work, which meant going right to lunch after. That would present Lina with an opportunity to pair up with someone else for the rest of the day.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before Cierra hit what she called “paydirt,” an envelope hidden under the mattress. And, it contained a huge amount of cash – just over ten thousand dollars. Ironically, the room safe wasn’t accessible at all. The lock was stuck in a frozen position and the locksmith had ordered a replacement safe but it hadn’t arrived in time for the next room occupant – the same person who restored to hiding the money under the mattress. Now, Cierra was holding the envelope, her mouth agape, Lina standing beside her dumbfounded and extremely nervous, dreading what her coworker would certainly do next.
“Well, well, well. I love the fact the resort is not responsible for lost or damaged property, don’t you? This is the jackpot! You can’t say no to this one. We’ll split it fifty-fifty, all right?”
Lina could only manage to shake her head, declining the proposition. This wasn’t just picking up a pair of sunglasses someone had lost or finding a ten-dollar bill on the floor in one of the many vending rooms. It was more than ten thousand dollars – a felony if they got caught. There was no way she was going to jail while pregnant with her first child.
“Cierra, you can’t take that!”
“Sorry, but the hotel’s official policy is that it isn’t liable for lost or damaged property. And, this money just got lost. Too bad the guest misplaced it.”
“The guest didn’t ‘misplace’ it, they hid it under the mattress because the safe was broken!”
Lina could clearly see that her coworker was determined to hang onto the money and arguing would only draw unwanted attention. So, she came up with a plan – one that could get the cash back to the rightful owner. Although, it would necessarily require perfect timing and a whole lot of luck.
“Okay, okay. Let’s put it on the cart. This way, if anyone asks any questions we can say we just found it moments ago in a common area and were taking it to the front desk. Because if you or I carry it on us, we’ll get blamed for taking it.”
“Hmm…that’s a pretty good plan. I like it. You got a good head on your shoulders.”
Lina faked a smile, hoping it was enough to fool Cierra. Then, motioned for them to get back to work but slowed her own pace substantially, stalling for more time. With any luck, the guest would soon return and she could give the money back right in front of her coworker, who wouldn’t be able to say a thing about it. Sure, her colleague would resent her, but that was okay because Lina wouldn’t have to work with her again. However, no matter how much she procrastinated, their work in the suite was done and they had to move on to the next one.
But, before they opened the door to the adjacent room, the facilities manager suddenly approached, accompanied by resort security and local law enforcement.
“We need to talk. Would you come with us, please?” The facilities manager asked, in a serious, somber voice, leading the two women back to the hotel’s security center. “These officers here have been coordinating with house security. There’s been a rash of missing property from guests’ rooms over the many past weeks and it seems to coincide with your schedule, Cierra. In fact, the only reports the resort has received about missing property are from guests who’ve stayed in rooms you took care of during their visits.”
Lina was petrified of what might come next. She didn’t report Cierra’s theft and was certain she’d be in a world of trouble. But, when the facilities manager asked her if she’d ever taken anything from any of the guest rooms or accepted anything that Cierra had stolen, she could confidently, truthfully say no.
It was a big relief. However, the envelope of cash was still on the cart. It was only a matter of time before someone noticed it. And, when they found it, that could easily lead to her getting fired or worse. Somehow, she needed to get to it first and put it back without anyone else noticing – that wasn’t going to be easy, to say the least. Regardless, she had no choice but to try.
Lina asked if she was allowed to get back to work and the facilities manager agreed, although, not without warning her that if she ever witnessed the same behavior from any other employee, it was her duty to report it to the resort. “Now, you understand, just because you didn’t take anything doesn’t mean you don’t have a responsibility to say something about anyone else who does? Now, go ahead and get back to what you were doing and I’ll send along another girl to help you.”
Lina hastily made her way back to the cart, checking it to ensure the envelope of cash was still there. She picked it up, opened it to see if the cash was still inside, and then hurriedly opened the suite and quickly stuffed it under the mattress.
“Excuse me, excuse me. Just what are you doing?”
Lina froze. The guest had returned and caught her putting the envelope back under the mattress.
“I was putting this back,” Lina timidly explained.
“Yes, I can see that!”
“I’m really, really sorry, but a girl I work with – that is worked with – took it. I should have said something to the manager, but she’s already in a lot of trouble and I didn’t want to make it worse for her! Please don’t tell anybody!”
“Don’t worry, I won’t say a word. I’m very appreciative of you for doing the right thing. I know if I found this much money I’d be tempted to take it. It’s not even really mine, you know? I mean, well, I mean, I won it. I can’t afford this place – I just won this trip and the money. It was an all-expenses-paid vacation with a big cash prize…I’ve already spent most of it…this is just what’s left.”
“Wow, that is something, congratulations!”
“Well, I’m very happy you brought it back. Not too many people would do that. Say, when are you due?”
“Oh, in about two months.”
“Your first?”
“Yes.”
“Then, I’d like to give you a gift.”
The guest took the cash out of the envelope and counted it, dividing the money into two. “Here! If you hadn’t told me the truth, I would have never seen any of it again. It’s the least I can do to repay your honesty. I hope it’s as much a blessing to you as it was to me!”
