A Disappointing Holiday 1

A Disappointing Holiday

Have you ever experienced a holiday trip that you yearned for long, which turned out to be a disappointment? Well, I did. I am an employee who had been working continuously like a ticking clock for five years in the hectic world of Singapore.

It was then, I decided to pamper myself for a holiday trip and break away from the air-conditioned office. While I was pondering over which destination I am heading for, I came upon an advertisement on the television, promoting on a holiday trip at Desaru of Malaysia. That advertisement caught my attention and hence, I decided to go ahead for it.

It was the first day of my breakout from those remarkable high-rise buildings. I arrived at my destination at around noon after having a long taxi ride and I headed for the lobby to check in. “Hey Eric! Can’t you see this lady standing right in front of you? Help her get to her room now!” the receptionist flared.

The man came over to reach out for my luggage with his gnarled and knobbly hands unwillingly. He had an unkempt ratty brown hair and a dull, weather-beaten face. He showed me to my room, landing my luggage with a loud thud and stomped off, every footstep echoing like a public announcement. “What an impolite young man!” I thought.

Not willing to dampen my holiday spirit, I urged myself to take a look in my hotel room instead. I opened the door as the hinges squeaked. To my horror, the room was humid and warm, pungent with the smell of urine. The mosaic floor was covered with blackish puddles and shoe-prints. The dark corners underneath tables and behind cabinets were infested with armies of bugs and abominable roaches.

I went to switch on the fan to let in some fresh air but strands of cobwebs threatened to fly off the rusty wall fan which was whirring away furiously. Instead, I reached out to push open the window and was appalled by the sight of my blackened fingers.

I wanted to wash my hands but the sink was choked with vomit and the tap was not working. Hair, bits of wet tissue and some translucent greenish slime blocked the drainage hole. The toilet mirror was chipped in a corner and clouded all over by dried stains of water. Brown water two inches deep flowed from the toilets. I retched convulsively at the disgusting sight.

“Did the room servicer cleaned up the room before I came in?” I asked myself and went to call for a room cleaning service. The lady on the phone said that she would send someone up to clean my room fifteen minutes later. Hence, I decided to grab a lunch at the nearby restaurant while they are cleaning up the room.

I walked slowly towards the restaurant while I enjoyed the fresh air with the fragrant scent of the vibrant flowers. When I reached the restaurant, I found a seat and I decided against placing my elbows in the table when I caught sight of the food stains and patched of grease. The top layer of the table surface had peeled off. The number tag on the table was still intact but the number was no longer existent. As I looked down, I noticed that the wet floor was grey and greasy.

I headed for the lavatory to wash my hands while I passed by the kitchen and peeped into it. To my astonishment, the bowls and chopsticks were dipped into a basin of foamy soap-water and then rinsed briefly under a trickling tap before the dishwasher stacked them out to be used again. Beside the basin, there were a pile of empty cans. A line of ants were soldiering towards the content which had dribbled out. And there was a foul-smelling swill piled high in the lined bins. Remnants of cobwebs dangled precariously from the corners. I even witnessed a rat scuttling past.

I felt disgusted and made a mad scramble out of the restaurant. Thinking that my hotel room had been finish cleaning, I decided to go back to the room to have a nap instead. When I entered the room, I was shocked to see that the room is still in a mess. I fumed with rage while I made a second call. “Can’t you just bear with it? Do you really think that we are so free to come over and clean up your room? Do it yourself!” the lady shouted at the phone before slamming it down.

“I had enough of this! I could not stand it anymore!” I screamed. After all these scariest moments of my life, I began to pack my luggage and stormed my way home. This was the first time in my five years that I ever had a holiday trip but I did not even got to enjoy it. What a disappointing holiday!

(820 words)