The Silent Devil – II (El Diablo Tranquilo)
Posted on | December 25, 2009 | No Comments
I came back from work. My massage-sign is removed from the wall. I asked at the reception.
Reception: “Ow, I don’t know what happened to it, maybe it fell down and the maid put it away afterwards.”
Me: “… ok. But it’s allowed to hang it there, isn’t it? If not, just let me know and I won’t do it.”
Reception: “It’s allowed, I guess…”
I hang a new sign on the wall, put some additional tape on it so that it couldn’t fall down again, and went to have my dinner.
When I came back from work, the sign was gone again… Something is weired here.
I talked to the staff, keeping my voice as friendly as possible: “Guys, you just let me know, if you want me to leave, right?”
Staff: “Of course!”
“So, what about the sign? Isn’t it allowed to have it there? Just talk with me. I just need to earn money to eat… to work for you.” In this moment I realized how strange my situation was… I needed to have an additional work, to pay my food, to be able to do the other work. I needed money, to pay the people I work for. If I managed to earn enough with the massages, at least to have enough food and sometimes a beer, then I wouldn’t mind. But the mysterious phantom, who was always removing my signs, made my life a bit difficult. If I just could talk to this phantom. But I couldn’t. Because the phantom appeared only, when I was not looking. I asked several times, who this phantom was. But nobody knew. It seemed that the signs removed themselves and threw themselves away… But only when I turned my back to them.
It happened once, twice, three times… I felt stupid asking a million times about the signs, about the sandwich (which I never got), about everything else. “Just don’t put the signs there anymore”, was the final answer of the staff.
The only sign, which was not removed from the phantom, was a little peece of paper, hanging at the corner of the reception, pretty well hidden, if you ask me.
Anyway, talking to the travelers, I managed to make 3 massages, it ment, 2 days food.
One day we had a very nice poker-evening which I organized in the hostel, great talks, great moments with curious guests who asked me about my journey and I went back to my room to sleep. When I came back from work the next day, my stomach was complaining. And I started worrying as well. I got thinner. I felt weak… I went to my room and opened my project-folder, to remember who I actually am. What is that? I saw something there which wasn’t there before… a message: “Andrej, have an amazing adventure…”. And 50,- US$… Signed by two travelers from Australia. It’s difficult to describe, how I felt. Happiness about the fact that I will have enough food for the next days and at the same time sadness about the feeling, that I am giving all my energy to the hostel, while recieving all the kindness from the travelers. The first thing I bought, was a beer. The second: Stuff, to make a huge chocolate-cake. For the staff and for the guests at this evening. Everyone liked it. Was a good feeling.
For some days my stomach didn’t complain. But sadness was still there, when I sometimes heard the staff talking extreme shit (excuse me for the expression) about me behind my back.
The constructors I was working with already called me a masochist. I came to work. I had a bad mood. I messed up with my clothes on work. And… with my walking shoes…
“What?! You ask us for money for to replace the shoes??? Andrej, you definetly can’t ask for that. You are getting much more, than all the other workers here” (Yes, this is what she really said. She was talking about the other workers, standing at the reception, listening to music, having a good breakfest, lunch and dinner, every day, leaving frequently for 2 days vacations to other places in Uruguay and in addition to that, getting a sallary of about 200 Dollars a month).
“Do you know how much you cost us? You are occupating a bed, you are using the internet, you are getting a dinner, you use the shower,… Just think about it… It costs us all money. Even when you switch on the light… It costs money… We are helping you sooo much already. Be aware of that.”
My tries to feed my stomach with internet and light, failed.
Another cuple of days passed. I came to work. I lifted a chair, carried it from A to B. I stopped to make a break. I was exhausted.
Pepe smoked a cigarett with me. He looked at me silent for a while…
“Andrej…”, another silence for a cuple of seconds.
“Get out of here… I’m serious… Get off.”
(To be continued)
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