The
room was filled with laughter. Television off, a small cd player barely heard over the hilarity. Laughter
interrupted conversation time and time again, quieting only when sounds of people walking by were heard.
"Shhh" whispered one voice at a sound "We're not all supposed to be in here."
But the footsteps receded, along with a jolly whistle, and hilarity ensued in the
room.
"Is that them?" came the comment as that whistler
stepped out of the elevator on the main floor.
"Just like the
desk said" returned the other voice, slightly amused, smile almost a smirk, though not as much of one as the
smirk that crossed the first speaker's face. The whistler grinned again at that smirk, scratching at a sideburn
nonchalantly to hide his own amusement.
"Nice of them to
tell us" chimed in another, softer, voice. "I thought the most we'd be able to learn would be if they checked
in or not." His eyes kept drifting to the elevator with an all- too-knowing look, but he still smiled lightly as
well, and shook his head.
Deep laughter rang out from the
second man as he slung an arm over their shoulders, glasses slightly askew. "It's the power of connections"
he responded.
A day passed, night falling again. The laughter and hilarity progressed from the room, down the hall and down an elevator. Engrossed in the joy as the second group trailed behind.
"Took them long enough" came
one dry comment, voice not familiar from the night before even if the subjects of his gaze were.
"Are they always this slow?" responded a new one, excited, and a
jangling sound from the small package he shook in one hand. Raising it to his hand, he gently blew into it,
and the other man jumped at the sound from the package he held.
Still, he crossed his arms against his long frame and continued to walk nonchalantly "Well, they're
supposed to usually get out long before, so I guess they're just slow" came the response from the first voice.
"You've got the stuff?" he continued.
"Yeah, advantage of
being me. They think it's for my own protection" replied the second with a chuckle.
"Well, it's for our amusement, which keeps us from bugging you, so it is." came the
final reply as the elevator doors closed behind them. Closing out the laughter at the pun he'd just
spoken.
It was about 15 minutes later that the elevator
opened on the same two people. Both smiling, but the shorter one looking worridly at his watch. "We're
going to be late!"
"There's enough time, don't worry" came
the contented voice from the other, taller man.
"Maybe for
you but I gotta start first" came the response as they began to move through the hotel. Grinning at everyone
who recognized them.
The hilarity returned, up the elevator,
down the hall, into the hotel room. Voices raised in laughter, comments like "And when they did ..."
peppering their conversation. Then yawns came, leading to tired bodies still speaking of the appearances
and happiness, and after leading to conversations about what to do the next day. "So we all okay with
walking and then the cafe?" were the
last words heard in that
room for awhile.
And across a distance, in another room, a
group of smiling faces huddled over a speaker that reverbrated with those very words. "I'll take the cafe"
came one melodic response. "This is going to be fun. The looks on their faces ..." A large grin crossed that
face as dark eyes sparkled with delight.
And laughter and
hilarity filled yet another room.