No Inn At The Inn, part 2

Dear Sillies, 

See last post before you read this one. Here we go:

Katie zips back towards me, as Hugh strolls behind. "There's one overflow room, so not the best," she reports, "but it's available at the Tar---. Come on, we'll take you there in my car." 

I'm at their mercy, still in shock. Silent prayer ensues. May the room have a toilet. And a bed. 

Hugh grabs my suitcase. "I'll take this for you." 

I follow them out to a dark blue, oldish Honda, packed with clothes and miscellany. Hugh sits in the back, leaving the front passenger's seat for me. A true gentleman. 

"Forgive the mess," Katie says. "I just moved here from Edmonton. It's a new job. Hugh actually works at the Tarmigan." I'd learn that this hotel, named after a bird, begins with a silent "p." Who knew there's such thing as the silent 'p'? Ptarmigan. 

Within minutes, we're at an upscale hotel on the main strip. Wow. 

"She's taking the overflow room for three nights," Katie tells Tony at the front desk. Hugh and I stand on either side of her.  

"Yes," I chime in. "I'll take it!" Desperate. So long as there's a toilet. And a bed.

Tony does calculations. Very stoically, he says, "That will be one thousand..." I don't hear the rest. Despite my jaw having dropped to the floor, and my heart remaining in a different time zone, I manage to retrieve my wallet.  

"Put that away," Katie insists, gently touching my hand. She turns to Hugh. Maybe they'll pull more strings for me. But no, Hugh pays the bill before I can do anything to stop him. The.whole.bill!

Katie hunches over to tell me, softly, "He said this is your Birthday weekend and he feels bad. He wants to pay for your stay."

"What? NO. That's far too much." More tears. "Now you're making me cry again!"

Hugh simply says, "No more tears." 

"Just enjoy the New Zealand kindness," Katie emphasizes, "and all the fun stuff there is to do. He's a handsome bartender." She strokes his cheek lovingly. "He'll be fine."

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My Sillies, you wonder about this "overflow" room? Two comfortable beds! Full bathroom with toilet plus a bathtub! I'm a bather. Perfect, except the coffee maker doesn't work. Thankfully, I'm no coffee drinker. No complaints whatsoever. I didn't have to sleep under a tree. 

I'm forever transformed by the knowing that magnanimously loving, protective forces pervade this great Earth. They're with me (and you too). What better outcome could've ensued from finding out there's no inn at the inn?

Endnotes:

• What used to be the inn now serves as seasonal housing for Banff staffers. The former owner was negligent about tying loose ends. Don't worry, I've made a fuss to assure that it won't happen again. 
• Another seemingly coincidental nuance is that the building manager had not fixed the front door lock. I wouldn't have been able to wander in were that the case. 
• I repaid Hugh in full over the next two days. At that time, the US dollar was approximately 70% of the CAD. I'd forgotten this. Price was more reasonable than I thought.
• When this happens in the US, no problem. You find a nearby hotel. Canada follows strict laws to prohibit urban sprawl, though. People sometimes book years in advance for Banff. There's thus not enough lodging generally, especially not the second summer weekend. Yet I got a great room in one of the best hotels for three nights in peak season.  
• The rest of my trip went fabulously well, including a heavenly spa treatment and a divine Birthday dinner.