Arthur was the owner of a small motel that he hoped to take to greater heights in the future. The place was his pride.
He considered it one of the best and most prestigious motels in the region. His hope was to one day transform it into a hotel, and he believed the upcoming motel hospitality competition was his chance to make it happen.
The Motel Hospitality Competition was a prestigious annual competition that allowed those in the local hospitality industry the opportunity to expand their business.
Arthur had applied and was hoping for a commission. Winning a prize in this competition would give him good publicity, and he could imagine turning it into a small hotel very soon.
One night, Arthur noticed that the motel manager, Danny, was talking to a woman named Jessica. She desperately wanted a place to spend the night.
The woman was soaked from head to toe from the rain, and the temperatures were incredibly cold that day.
«Is there a problem, Danny?» asked Arthur. Before the manager could respond, Jessica interjected, pleading earnestly.
«Please help me, sir. I desperately need a place to spend the night. I’ll take anything you have; I don’t have any money with me, but…,» Jessica said before being rudely interrupted.
«You don’t have any money?» the motel owner asked gruffly.
«No, sir. I just need a place to rest for the night,» Jessica pleaded.
«This isn’t a charity or a homeless shelter, ma’am. It’s a business. If you can’t pay, you can’t stay,» Arthur spat.
«Please, sir! It’s just for one night. I’ll leave first thing in the morning,» Jessica pleaded.
«Danny, call security and ask them to escort the lady out,» he said coldly, as the young manager motioned to the security guards.
«Sir, please, I beg you, I beg you! Just one night,» Jessica pleaded as the security guards approached her and led her toward the door.
«Goodbye, ma’am. Come back when you can afford a room,» Arthur said coolly.
Then he turned to Danny, who was looking sympathetically at the woman.
«Make sure everything is perfect for tomorrow. The competition judges will be here. Winning a prize in this competition would turn this place into a hotel very soon!» said Arthur to Danny.
«I will, sir,» Danny replied, hesitantly.
The next morning, Arthur accompanied the competition committee to the final round of inspections. He felt very confident that he had done very well. The judges seemed to be pleased with his motel’s facilities.
On the day of the awards ceremony, Arthur was quite anxious. He wished the whole process could be expedited so he could claim his award. His biggest competitor was also in the competition, and that worried him.
Arthur nervously pulled one of the jurors aside to ask the reason for the delay. The awarding should have started a long time ago, and that was making him uneasy.
«I’m sorry, but do you know when the ceremony will start? It’s almost an hour late,» Arthur asked the juror.
«Oh, Arthur! Don’t be distressed. You did quite well. Anyway, it should start soon. We’re just waiting for the president to show up. She’s been delayed by traffic,» the juror said.
«Oh, that’s all right. I understand,» Arthur said.
«She’s coming. I think we’re ready to begin,» said the juror, pointing toward the entrance.
Arthur turned to see who it was, and immediately felt his stomach cringe.
Arthur moved closer to make sure his eyes weren’t deceiving him. The closer he got, the more concrete his fear became. The president was none other than Jessica.
When she finally stepped up to the podium, the woman exchanged a meaningful glance with Arthur. He was incredulous and very embarrassed; she looked nothing like the young beggar girl from the night before.
Jessica explained to the crowd that she had conducted an experiment and had only received help from one of the motel owners. She then awarded the prize to Arthur’s competitor, who had shown compassion and allowed her to use a small room for the night.
After this, Arthur learned a valuable lesson and began to treat his customers and people in general with more empathy. And although his business suffered for a while, he was eventually able to recover.
Arthur became a better human being and that was reflected in his business and in his life, so what happened became for him an accurate and timely wake-up call.
