"Hey!" The cold water drenched on him as he flinched, waking up from his deep slumber.
"Why did…" He hadn't finished his statement when the young trader dropped her bucket, stopping him.
"Can't you see that you are blocking my business area? I need to open my store!" She reminded him in annoyance.
"You would have just woken me up! It's early and the water is cold!" He said sarcastically.
"Yes, because I brought it from the fridge that I cleaned." She paused, clicking her tongue.
"I don't know why poor beggars keep sleeping at the entrance of my shop. I guess I will have to seal it." She scoffed, brushing him aside.
His stale dirty clothes dripped water and started smelling bad because he hadn't had his bath, it would be almost a day and half now.
This was his day three of waiting for his agent and also wandering in the cold streets of NY.
"What?" Did he just unintentionally call him a beggar?
"Get out!" She chased him away.
Half way on the road, his stomach grumbled. He ate once a day and sometimes he starved himself just so that he wouldn't beg on the street.
He was so ashamed of himself and walked far away from his old neighborhood so he wouldn't cross paths with his ex-wife and family.
It would be a big disgrace if they saw his current state, he hadn't been able to afford common food - talk less of clothes.
Sitting on the edge of a street block, he scanned his android phone over and over again.
"I'm so hungry and might not be able to last long, I also need to get some clothes and freshen up." He paused, rubbing his chin.
"Should I just sell off this phone? I guess I can get back $200 to $300…" He kept pondering with his eyes fixed on the phone.
"Then, how will I communicate with my helper? Oh gosh!" He sighed in confusion, burying his head in between his thighs when his phone beeped.
"Let it not be some network server." He groaned lifelessly as he unlocked his phone to see the message.
[NEW MESSAGE: "Come to this address, Coast Dew Hotel]
The message was short and straight to the point, he tried to find the caller but there was no caller ID and it was also difficult to track the sender.
"What is this? Who could this be?" He didn't know what was happening as he read the message over and over again.
"But… I have nothing to lose, do I?" He asked himself aloud, staring back at the mysterious message.
Blowing air on his palms, he brushed his hands against his hair — trying to smoothen it before adjusting his semi-wet clothes.
His shoes were now completely torn and when he walked, the sole could be seen following him from behind.
His jeans were ripped and now looking dirty and his shirt was no longer the white color that it used to be, it was now off-white, rumbled — and his scent was nothing to write home about.
He felt inferior because of his outlook after seeing other people in the hotel. The hotel was very massive and extravagant, he stood in the center and it looked as if he was standing under a giant pavilion. The building was tall and there were chandeliers hanging at every corner.
The guests and customers loitering in and out of the elevator, and also sitting in the wait area looked luxurious. They were in tuxedo suits and latest edition gowns which were worth millions of dollars, he looked too small and wondered who could have called him here.
Suddenly, someone brushed him and he quickly turned to apologize but stopped halfway before he could bow.
"Hah! Look what we have here. Isn't it your daring useless husband?" It was Richard, he pretentiously gasped — letting out a loud laugh.
John was speechless, he didn't know what to say and he had instantly planted in his heart that they had sent him that message to fool him.
"I can't believe I will see you here. How did you get in? Did you bribe the guards or hide under someone's wings?" Diane mocked him, covering her mouth.
"Why did you send me that message?" He asked calmly.
"Why would I message my dung? I will never do that." She shrugged.
"I can't believe you are still wearing the clothes we lent you during our divorce! You are a total loser." She screamed, finding humor in him and Richard laughed too.
"You should know your place, man. Get out before someone thinks we are belittling our servant." Richard teased, tapping John's shoulder.
"Well, maybe the message wasn't from you but I have to be here." He tried to remain courageous.
"Take a look at this brat!" Richard scoffed.
"Guy, look around you. Did you see your fellow rabbits?" Richard asked curtly, raising a brow.
"This place isn't meant for losers like you and I doubt you even have a dine on you to pay for access." Richard shook his head as he brought out his wallet, pulling out a $10 dollar bill.
"Just pay your t-fare back home. That's if you have a home." Richard slipped the money into John's pocket but he pulled it out.
"What's going on here?" A feminine voice evaded the atmosphere and they faced her direction.
"And you must be…" Diane asked after giving her a complete look from her head to her toe.
"I'm the manager here." She quickly introduced herself.
"Well, do us a favor and throw this trash out." Diane instructed disgustingly.
"Believe me, the more you keep him here, he will ruin business for you." By this time, all eyes were on them and the manager nodded in agreement.
"He is really trash, why would a human smell this bad?" The manager asked, closing her nose.
"What? Seriously? I was called here. Is this how you treat customers?" As much as he was ashamed, he was displeased by the action of the manager. She didn't act like the semi-leader of the hotel.
"Customer? If you are one then the servants here are the VIP clients," she teased and the others laughed.
"I'm also a guest here. You should at least ask a question or something. I wouldn't have been here if it wasn't important and also an emergency." He kept rambling with words but it seemed as if he was talking to himself as they all looked uninterested.
"Don't waste your saliva. I'm calling the guards." The manager punched the telephone on the counter of the receptionist desk and just then, a masculine figure walked in.
"Stacy! What's going on?" The man asked with a cold voice, broad shoulders and muscular physique. John was facing him with his back.
"CEO!" The manager gasped and Diane nodded in relief that the real master was here.
"I asked a question." The man who seemed to be the CEO made a comeback.
"As a VIP client of Coast Dew Hotel, we asked her to take out the trash for us." Diane said, curling her lips and the man looked around in confusion.
"And where or who is this trash?" The man asked, somewhat confused.
"He is…" Richard hadn't finished his words when John turned, looking annoyed.
"Thank goodness, you are here. I will leave just as you want but is this how you…" John was still bickering with words when the man who was the CEO fell on his knees with a deep bow.
"GENERAL!" He greeted him with a thunderous voice and everyone watched him in confusion and anxiety.
The staff were also amazed as they had never seen their CEO so humble, especially to the useless looking customer.