The New Job 1/?
By: Saga Chrztine
For: Bloom’s Hotel
Story number: 2
Characters: All the Boyz, Sunniva and a few townspeople and the arrival of a few girls
Summary: You learn more of the Hotel’s specialities and some of the Keeper’s part.
Beta: Annie
Feedback is always welcome
A/N: Please remember that this takes place in December 2004 and January 2005, so there aren’t any other girls than Sunniva at the Hotel until I mention their arrivals. If any other females are mentioned, they come from the town of Donbury and are made up by me.
I also plan one day add some to the last paragraph of this chapter.
Please do not print this, not even for private use.
Chapter 1
The time flew by. When I finally had a little of it to myself, I sat down to reflect on the last few days, realizing that weeks had passed. I couldn’t believe how fast things had happened. It didn’t feel like it had been that long since I’d been called for an interview, gone, been offered a job and said yes.
I was uncertain if there would be enough time to make all the necessary arrangements that would follow with my commitment to the Hotel. Of course it didn’t help that it was the busiest month of the year, with Christmas and New Year. The things I did need to do seemed to multiply day by day, because I wouldn’t be staying in my hometown any longer. A lot of extra arrangements needed to be made, because I wouldn't be staying in my hometown any longer. All I knew was that I was on the way to moving out of the country for the very first time. I had, on a few occasions, lived in other places, but only for short times. It wasn't relocating, where the work I said yes to could be short-term to a very long. During my travels, I knew what it meant then. Now I had to try to prepare for what this travel intended. It wasn't only what I might need to bring with me that I worried about, but also how I needed to prepare myself for how the trip might turn out that I worried over. Even though I had learned that I was drawn there magically, it could be that I would need to travel miles and miles to my destination. A part of me just couldn't believe things would turn up or be moved without some sort of normal process.
I was excited, but worried how it would really go and if I would be able to do the job, not just make the arrangements. It didn’t really help my state of mind much that I had some experience in my travels before, but those had mostly been journeys to explore new places and things, not moving to a totally different place to work and live. It certainly was a new thing to try. Add to that the task I would be doing… was like nothing I’d done before and not sure I would ever want to do again, should I fail. I tried to tell myself that if I had to make a move, it was best to do it big. I really tried to keep upbeat, to see things in positive and learning light.
Leaving my apartment wasn’t that hard. Simply put, it was a place in which to reside. In my heart, I preferred to live closer to nature than what my previous occupation had allowed. I lived in a city almost completely surrounded by houses and more houses. The streets were filled with cars, busses and trams. I never received a single hour of silence a day and everyone around me seemed stressed. Most of the time, it overwhelmed me. The city suffocated me with its constant sound and the frenetic energy of its life.
The hardest things to leave behind would be my few friends and, of course, my father. Yet, I knew they had always known me to be a soul consumed by wanderlust; they knew it was hard for me to settle down or stay interested in one thing longer than a moment. Many times, I had been accused of being flaky when the ability to stay with one task to the end, simply was not a part of my makeup. I was restless and needed to be moving. My wanderlust had resulted in several travels, some provided by an understanding father and others when I was old enough, were founded by my own money.
My restless behaviour was caused in part by my inability to give many people the chance to really get to know me, thus providing no real anchor to my hometown. This resulted mainly from my childhood. Back then, I didn’t understand everything, which partially, I still don’t. Most of the time, how I act is due to learning that I was different than other children, that I possessed some of the looks and abilities that not many people possess in our society, which caused my schoolmates to tease me. It happened mostly during a vulnerable time, and I took it very, very personally, forming a dislike of being among people for long periods of time. I took refuge in spending my free time in stables among the horses and other animals, and in being close to nature. To my great fortune, I seemed to have a strong connection with those that were unable to speak up for themselves.
I didn’t completely shy away from people. I let in the few that have become my closest friends. They made up a lot for those that left me alone. They came to know me very well, and did not tease me nor belittle me, but allowed me time and space when I needed it. It was these friends that I would have the hardest time leaving.
Maybe after leaving behind my childhood and the better part of my teenage years, I had become too good at concealing how I really felt among people. Somehow I learned to play the part of the perfectly adjusted woman, easy to be with and quick to laugh, always making acquaintances and effortlessly surrounding herself with people. It was a necessity for survival. If you couldn’t play the game, you were damned to being a societal outcast, which was not what I strived for at all. I had too much to give and I still hadn't found my utopia, the place where everything would be just to my liking.
During my first week back from the visit to Bloom's Land and in-between the beginning of packing, I made visits to my friends to let them know what I would be doing at the beginning of the New Year. We shared tears and I made promises to keep in contact and to come and visit.
I decided to not get rid of my apartment, but to rent it out second-hand. I knew that if I wasn’t able to get anyone moved in before I left, I would have to release the contract. Yet, no matter what came of that end, I still had to get all of my things in boxes and moved out, since I couldn’t bring myself to let strangers use my belongings. I was quite happy that I didn’t own much, that I had spent more money on travelling than buying things for home. The boxes had been easily prioritized as needed all the time and needed for long stays.
The most difficult endeavors I ran across were the legal aspects. It being December automatically made paperwork go very slow. That was most of the reason why I had to send word I would start after the Epiphany weekend, a week and a half into January. I received a reply that stated that was perfectly fine and that they understood.
When Christmas arrived, I spent the time with my father and his new lady. I had also a few other relatives that I wanted to see since it may well be that I would not get a chance for a long time. I say that, but it actually was more to clear my conscience than physical need, as I really am not close to them.
New Year’s Eve showed itself to be a surprise, when my lovely friends had, without my knowledge, arranged a party! Even if they weren't often found together, I was elated that they did this for me. It was a mixture of a New Year's party and a goodbye party, and it showed how much they cared for me. I got teary-eyed and it was even harder to go home, knowing that from my start date at the Hotel, I wouldn’t know how often I would hear from them, let alone see them. All I could do was to try to keep in contact with them. I was sad that I couldn’t see exactly how things were going to work or exactly how special the place would actually turn out to be. I had mentioned this more to Jonna and Helen, since I knew it would be easier to tell them I would be working with mostly guys.