Late in the afternoon, a man in his fifties, his skin tanned by the sun and the fresh country air, slowly entered the lobby of the city’s most luxurious hotel. He wore a faded brown coat, stained in places, and old plastic sandals with a honeycomb pattern. At first glance, it was clear he was a farmer who had come from the countryside.
He walked towards the reception desk and said in a sincere voice:
— Hello, I would like to rent a room for one night.
The young receptionist, with her bright red lipstick, looked him up and down, frowning. In her eyes, a five-star hotel catered only to elegant and « successful » people, not peasants in stained clothes. She cleared her throat and said coldly,
« Sir, our hotel is very expensive; it’s not for you. You should look for a small motel over there. »
The farmer remained patient, smiled gently:
« I know, but I want to rent here. I only need one room, any category will do. »
The receptionist was beginning to lose patience:
« Look, our establishment caters to a business and high-end clientele. Go somewhere else, there’s no point in wasting our time. »
Several nearby customers looked at him with a mixture of pity and contempt. They all thought that this peasant was « aiming too high, » that he didn’t know his place and yet dared to enter a luxury hotel.
He thought for a moment, then said nothing more. The atmosphere became tense, the receptionist pretending to ignore him, unwilling to continue the conversation.
An elderly security guard, witnessing the scene, felt embarrassed but didn’t dare intervene. Deep down, this farmer didn’t seem to be looking for trouble; on the contrary, he seemed very calm.
As the receptionist was about to leave, the farmer calmly took his phone out of his pocket. It was a new, shiny model. He dialed a few numbers and called someone. His voice remained calm but confident:
« Hello, I’m in the lobby of your hotel. It seems the staff doesn’t want to rent me a room. Come down and help me, please. »
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