When The Baggage Is A Bit Emotional

Eight years ago, I got a summer job in a seaside resort that rented out holiday apartments. I would pick guests up at the airport, check them in, supervise checkout, clean the apartments assigned to me, and serve as a contact via company-issued phone. The pay was not great, but interaction with customers was quite limited, and most days I worked properly only between check-out and -in times (10 AM to 3 PM), so I had time to surf and enjoy the area that I otherwise could not afford to stay in.

This particular family (parents and a kid, maybe five to six years old) stayed for a week and did not have any requests or complaints the entire time. The night before their departure, I got a text around 8 PM, asking for a late check-out, as they had a couple of hours to kill before their flight.

Unfortunately, there were other guests arriving at that apartment the same day, and I had a bit of a tight schedule, as I had to both prepare the apartment, drive this family to the airport, and pick up the new guests.

I apologized and offered this solution: there was a free kids’ event at the resort the following morning by the pool, so I could store their luggage and have it with me when I pick them up for the ride to the airport. They had under three hours between the check-out and the pick-up and could just chill by the pool.

They responded: “Fine, if that is the best you can do”.

The next day, I showed up at 10 AM. The apartment was empty, the door wide open. No big deal, it is a safe area. This particular unit was over two floors: the ground floor with bedrooms and bathrooms, and then the kitchen and living area upstairs. I could not see any luggage in the rooms. I checked the bathrooms and closets too, but nothing.

I then went upstairs and saw the suitcases piled up in the terrace – the furthest possible corner from the door. I marvelled at such pettiness for a bit; they must have hauled them upstairs, as I doubt they kept their things at the terrace.

It took me less than five minutes to get them down, giggling the entire time, as my inconvenience was less than theirs.

I picked them up a couple of hours later for a quiet ride to the airport, thanked them for the stay, wished them a good trip home, and hinted that I might see them next year, should they wish to return. I also worked there the year after; they did not return that season…