Cameroon Recap: Part 2 - Hotel Hilaria
As we were falling asleep the second to last night we heard some loud yelling and banging in the hallway. Figuring it was just some of the younger, rowdier volunteers who had stayed at the bar after dinner for some beer, we rolled over. The banging got louder, the voice yelling sounded like one of the other, older, volunteers. We got up, opened the door and found our neighbor, we’ll call her “Judy” standing in front of her door with one of the other volunteers trying to get into her room. We only got one key per room, and most of the volunteers didn’t know each other prior to coming, so someone had to be responsible for the key. Now Judy had stayed downstairs that night, while her roomie, we’ll call her “Heidi”, had said she was going to bed early. So when Judy came upstairs to go to bed, she thought Heidi would be there to let her in, or would have left the door unlocked for her. Alas, the door was locked, it was about 11pm, and we only had to wonder what might have happened.
Did Heidi take the filaria pills and fall ill, hitting her head and passing out with the door locked?
Did she sneak off to a boy’s room, with whom we had all wondered if there was a potential
romance ensuing…?
What to do?
Chris climbed out our window, which had an adjoining balcony to their room. Now I say, “balcony” but basically it was a catwalk. About 2 feet wide with a 2-foot high wall, and a good three floor drop. He looked in the window, couldn’t see anything, but Heidi’s bed was kind of around the corner from the window… The music and the light were on though. Couldn’t tell if the key was in the door. He banged on the window – “HEIDI” he yelled. Nothing. Judy went downstairs and asked if there was a spare key. To which she was told no, the housekeeper had the only other key, and she had gone home for the night. Sorry. Meantime, the two current volunteers, read “babysitters,” had come up to help. The girl whaled on the door like nothing I’ve ever seen, and yelled for Heidi, to no avail. The cynical guy volunteer rolled his eyes, and moaned at the thought of having to make a late night visit to the guy Heidi might be hooking up with. Now, this might be awkward for some, and probably if nothing else, ruin the chances for any kind of future potential connection – as the insinuation would just be too embarrassing. But to make it worse, we were all pretty sure this guy was carrying around a pocket Bible with him. Not exactly the one you want to ask in the middle of the night if there is a girl hiding in his room, and could we please get the key.
Back downstairs, I pulled out my pocket knife, and we were about to try disassembling the doorknob, when we first decided it would be better to try opening the window again. Out the window climbed Judy, no luck. Out climbed the girl volunteer, Bang BANG, no luck. While we went in for the door knob, Chris climbed back out the window, and managed to lift it over the lock latch and pop it open. He climbed in the window, and what did he find?
Why Heidi sound asleep on her bed, glasses on, lights on, music on. Being half-dressed and the middle of the night – not to mention earlier in the day, an uplifting PC video screening about sexual assault – Chris decided it was best to open the door first. In we came, Judy, the volunteer, me, all standing there wondering HOW she could have not woken up. Then I said, well shouldn’t someone check if she’s breathing? Judy walks up to the bed, touches Heidi’s leg:
“Heidi?” she whispers softly.
Heidi: “ Huh, what? What’s going on?” She says, WIDE AWAKE.
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah” she grumbles.
Touch her and she’s wide awake, but break down the frickin’ door and she’d never know! Amazing. Alas, Heidi felt quite bad about the whole ordeal, and we were able to stop Mr. Cynicism before he forever ruined the relationship that never happened with the guy with the “planner” in his pocket.
Did Heidi take the filaria pills and fall ill, hitting her head and passing out with the door locked?
Did she sneak off to a boy’s room, with whom we had all wondered if there was a potential
romance ensuing…?
What to do?
Chris climbed out our window, which had an adjoining balcony to their room. Now I say, “balcony” but basically it was a catwalk. About 2 feet wide with a 2-foot high wall, and a good three floor drop. He looked in the window, couldn’t see anything, but Heidi’s bed was kind of around the corner from the window… The music and the light were on though. Couldn’t tell if the key was in the door. He banged on the window – “HEIDI” he yelled. Nothing. Judy went downstairs and asked if there was a spare key. To which she was told no, the housekeeper had the only other key, and she had gone home for the night. Sorry. Meantime, the two current volunteers, read “babysitters,” had come up to help. The girl whaled on the door like nothing I’ve ever seen, and yelled for Heidi, to no avail. The cynical guy volunteer rolled his eyes, and moaned at the thought of having to make a late night visit to the guy Heidi might be hooking up with. Now, this might be awkward for some, and probably if nothing else, ruin the chances for any kind of future potential connection – as the insinuation would just be too embarrassing. But to make it worse, we were all pretty sure this guy was carrying around a pocket Bible with him. Not exactly the one you want to ask in the middle of the night if there is a girl hiding in his room, and could we please get the key.
Back downstairs, I pulled out my pocket knife, and we were about to try disassembling the doorknob, when we first decided it would be better to try opening the window again. Out the window climbed Judy, no luck. Out climbed the girl volunteer, Bang BANG, no luck. While we went in for the door knob, Chris climbed back out the window, and managed to lift it over the lock latch and pop it open. He climbed in the window, and what did he find?
Why Heidi sound asleep on her bed, glasses on, lights on, music on. Being half-dressed and the middle of the night – not to mention earlier in the day, an uplifting PC video screening about sexual assault – Chris decided it was best to open the door first. In we came, Judy, the volunteer, me, all standing there wondering HOW she could have not woken up. Then I said, well shouldn’t someone check if she’s breathing? Judy walks up to the bed, touches Heidi’s leg:
“Heidi?” she whispers softly.
Heidi: “ Huh, what? What’s going on?” She says, WIDE AWAKE.
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah” she grumbles.
Touch her and she’s wide awake, but break down the frickin’ door and she’d never know! Amazing. Alas, Heidi felt quite bad about the whole ordeal, and we were able to stop Mr. Cynicism before he forever ruined the relationship that never happened with the guy with the “planner” in his pocket.
posted by alohaafrica at
21:06
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