Homeless Hobo Karma

[SamIam]

It was about 20 minutes till closing time at 10:00 pm in the Motel from Hell. 3M was in his apartment, slugging down a 12 pack and a pizza with his curtains drawn after a long day of unclogging the toilets in 3 adjoining rooms. I had no idea that a bunch of plastic bags flushed down one toilet could clog up the ones in three seperate rooms, PLUS the bathroom sinks! I wonder what idiot pulled that stunt?

Anyway, all was quiet and I was counting up the day's ill gotten gains when a police car pulled up to the door. We get the cops here all the time - it's part of the over-all ambiance of the place - so I didn't pay much attention. I figured the cop was just scoping out which room the latest malfeasant was hiding in.

Then the door opened and in streamed several small and noisey children, followed by a woman and a man - all Native Americans. The copper drove off without even having come in to say anything to me. Great! Let the $5.00/hr desk clerk who is just getting off a 14 hour shift deal with it.

On my own, I would have just given them all a room and to hell with it. Tonight was very cold with lots of wind and snowflakes in the air. Not a great night for 3 little kids to spend out doors. But I've just spent the last few days being reprimanded for trivia, and I could just imagine the owner blowing up when he discovered that the Chippewa Nation was staying for free.

So, I asked the adults if they had any money. They consulted with one another and told me all they had was $20.00. The lowest price room for two adults (kids stay free) is $41.40. (sigh) I figured that for the sake of the kids, I'd give them the room half price and worry about the fall out tomorrow.

Then Officer returned with one more child and 3 young adult males - all Chippewa, too. I would have wondered about this sudden invasion of Navajo land by a mid-western tribe, but I was too busy losing my temper. "This is NOT the homeless shelter," I said to all of them including officer. "Why didn't you take them to the shelter?"

"We went there and it was full, so they told us to go over there," one of the youths replied, waving a vague hand in the direction of the Ute Reservation. "I don't know what they meant," he lied, trying to appear confused and charming at the same time.

"So why are you here?" I asked him. He tried a Charlie Sheen look this time. "We figured he'd just drop us off", (glances out of the corner of his eyes at the cop) "and then we could walk back to the highway."

"We're going to Grand Junction," the young woman added, as if this explained everything (Grand Junction is at least 200 miles away). I wished they'd made it, instead of ending up here in the motel office. I stared at my 8 new friends and imagined them all up by the side of I-70 with their thumbs stuck out. Were they hoping a Coyote with a big truck would come along and mistake Chippewas for Mexicans?

The cop was giving me mean, "do what I say" glances. I responded by asking him to please call the Bill, the owner, so I could get authorization to hand out free rooms. I knew Bill wanted to stay on the right side with law enforcement, since they are called to the motel so often. Officer handed me the phone with Bill on the line. "Give 'em a couple of rooms," Mr. Skinflint told me, sounding as if he were offering up his life's blood.

I wonder if any of them will flush plastic bags down toilets?