Hotel Melody

”Hi, my name is Ethan Vend, Im seventeen and I live in Houston in the state of Texas. And today is my eighteenth birthday and what a beautiful morning it is. And I was enjoying the smell of roasted coffee beans early in the morning at the nearby coffee shop ten meters away. In my hand is the sandwich I saved last night for breakfast this morning. ”

Ethan was sitting on a park bench, next to a tree branch hung his dry pants and this was probably where he slept last night.

”Ah, what a wonderful Wednesday morning, maybe I have to go to work. ”

Ethan stood up and was about to get his pants to put away but suddenly a homeless guy ran over and snatched them away. Ethan whispered in tears:

”Thats the third pair of pants this month. ”

Then Ethan packed his stuffs and went to work, he walked comfortably and happily in the streets, surrounded by business people looking busy and busy with their work. Ethan whistled with excitement for something new today. Everyone thought he was just a positive young man with a great future and career, he might be studying at some prestigious university. But no, he stopped in front of a McDonalds restaurant and he said:

”A new day at the workplace, great! ”

Ethan entered the staff room at the back door, he quickly changed into a staff uniform and went to the cashier to serve customers. He smiled brightly and said:

”Welcome to McDonalds, what can I do for you? ”

His shift started at eight oclock in the morning until twelve oclock. His main job was helping customers order food, clean the table and take out the trash. Everything would be fine until a kid ate a burger and got dirty all over the table and their parents whistled as if ordering Ethan to clean up the trash. But he still didn complain and worked diligently to clean up the mess. After a boys birthday, Ethan dressed up as a clown to have fun with the kids. But his parents ordered a game to beat the clown, so the kids picked up plastic baseball bats and beat Ethan a lot. When Ethan took off the mask he had a headache and a nosebleed, but he still smiled lightly.

”Yes, thats my job. I dropped out when I was in 9th grade, the knowledge I learned through was useless. Then I worked part-time to pay for medicine for my grandmother, my only family. She had Alzheimers and heart disease when I was in eighth grade, and when she went to the hospital, I knew I had to do something to make money right away, so I dropped out. ”

Ethan put back on staff clothes and took the trash bag outside to take out the trash.

”Ive been doing everything I can for the past three years, but her illness hasn gone away. So I have to work harder to get more money for her medicine. ”

Ethan approached the large trash bins near the restaurant, there was a drunk guy dozing, he didn seem surprised. Suddenly Ethan walked past him like he was walking through the air, he opened the trash bin and inside was another drunk. He dropped the trash bag and it fell through him like he wasn there.

”And a very strange thing about me, I can see ghosts. I don know why but I could see ghosts when I was a kid, sometimes I was bullied because of it at school. But Im used to it, just pretending not to know their existence and they don have shadows, it also helps me distinguish ghosts from humans. ”

Ethan looked up at the sky and around there were many ghosts flying around, they all didn know they were dead and continued their activities like when they were alive.

”Its sad because they still can get out of the loop of being busy with work. But sometimes I see people flying in the same direction into the woods, for some reason. ”

Ethan went back into the restaurant, it was noon and his stomach was rumbling, he said:

”Manager! My shift is done. ”

The manager replied:

”Yeah, thanks for today Ethan, remember to put ice on the wound. ”

Ethan said cheerfully:

”I will, sir. ”

Ethan changed clothes and took his backpack to the hospital to visit his grandmother, but before that he went to the familiar Mexican bakery.

”This is my favorite place for lunch, Mexican bakery Dulce Y Amor. I don know the pronunciation but it means Sweet And Love. ”

Ethan walked in and said joyfully:

”Hola Mr. Robert. ”

Robert, the owner of the bakery, also replied cheerfully:

”Ethan, my amigo. Very punctual, what do you want for today. ”

Ethan checked his wallet, only about three hundred dollars left, he said:

”A Hurrito, please. I want to eat special today. ”

Robert quickly wrapped a burrito and replied:

”Hoho boy, today is your birthday, what a wonderful day! ”

Robert handed Ethan the Burrito and continued:

”Free today, after all, its your birthday. ”

Ethan took the food and replied:

”Thank you Mr. Robert, thank you very much for the food. Ill be leaving soon so bye. ”

Robert said joyfully:

”Adios Ethan, hahaha! ”

Ethan continued on his way to the hospital, he ate while watching the blue sky and the ghosts flying around him. Ethan walked as the only one walking on both worlds of life and death.

”I was lucky to have Robert to help me. After selling the apartment I shared with my grandmother for money, I became homeless and just slept on a park bench.

And Robert was the one who helped me with the meals, he didn have any excuses, it was just that he helped a lot of people. ”

Ethan arrived at Texas Medical Center, where his grandmother was being treated. A very happy old woman was sitting looking at flowers and being infused with water, nearby was a nurse checking her health, she was Ethans grandmother, Lara Vend. Ethan came in and said:

”Grandma, Im here. ”

The nurse stood up and replied:

”Ethan, are you here to visit grandma? Ill let you two talk. ”

Ethan bowed to the nurse then he sat next to his grandmother and said:

”Grandmother, how are you today? ”

Lara looked at Ethan and smiled brightly, although she had almost forgotten everything about Ethan, she could still understand that he was a very nice person for always visiting her. Lara said gently:

”Ohhh, my little boy. Who are you? ”

Ethan replied cheerfully:

”Its me, Ethan, your grandson here. ”

Lara clapped her hands and said:

”Ahhh, John, my son. ”

Ethan only laughed lightly because he was used to it. Lara said:

”Oh John, wheres your little sister? She ran away for a long time and suddenly brought me a lovely grandson, whats his name anyways? Oh right, Ethan Vend, wheres he now? Maybe he was just playing around. ”

Ethan just laughed softly and listened to her tell everything, hed heard all of them for three years but he never got bored or tired because it was his grandmothers story. Lara told a lot, from when she was a child, when she got married and her life, she told about the past as if she tried to remember all those things because of h