Читать бесплатно онлайн книгу  Revelations of the guest house

авторы Kristina Arnautova, Yuliana Genkin

Kristina Arnautova
Yuliana Genkin

Revelations of the guest house

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© Kristina Arnautova, 2019

© Yuliana Genkin, 2019

The house lives when it is inhabited and dies when it is being abandoned.

Its fate depends on people, as well as the owners fate changes, to some extent, with a new home purchase, sale or foreclosure loss.

This is the story of an ordinary house whose fate has radically changed thanks to the new owners.

ISBN 978-83-8155-299-8

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

Contents

1. Revelations of the guest house

The house lives when it is inhabited and dies when it is being abandoned

Its fate depends on people, as well as the owners fate changes, to some extent, with a new home purchase, sale or foreclosure loss.

This is the story of an ordinary house whose fate has radically changed thanks to the new owners.

My name is Moss Rose Vacation House. I was named after the street on which I have the honor to reside for forty-two years already. The Moss Rose Lane is located in a quiet neighborhood in a small Gulf town of Crystal River in Florida (USA)

About three years ago my life changed radically. Before that, it was no different from the boring life of other houses around in the area. My previous owners abandoned me because of the mortgage debt and I was handed over to the cold-hearted and indifferent bankers, replenishing the ranks of other similar houses, which, in those times of crisis, throughout the country were plenty. I just stood there and waited for my fate, deteriorating slowly but surely.

After all, any home is alive as long as it is inhabited. We like when we are cared for, clean kept and cherished. We like to have a living spirit inside, feel happy or get upset together with our owners, live a full life!

Who knows what my destiny would be, but one day I was bought by one very energetic young couple. I was completely renovated — from head (my roof) to toe (flooring)! It was a compete rebirth!

Do not even remember now how many plastic surgeries I went through… I gave myself trustfully and unconditionally into the skilled hand of my new owners. And …tah-dahm … — totally renewed! Shining like a diamond I was back in to this world again (on a market) put up for sale, in a new hope of finding caring and loving people But there it was…

I waited for about a year… starting to decompose again, feeling lonely, but hoping for the best… And then one day She came. The lightning stroke me — She is My Lady! It was love at first sight. Yes, and she liked me. Immediately I felt hope for a better life, that she would never give up, would take care of me and cherish. Nothing else needed!

Besides she was up to something interesting… to transform me into a Guest House, kind of short-term vacation rental property. I really liked the idea right away. On one hand it promised me an interesting life after so many boring years of being vacant, and on the other — only a short-term temporary parting from my Ownie, whom I liked so much!

I got an inexplicable feeling that for all these years I’ve been waiting just for her! And again I got a loving “family doctor” (one of the guys who did remodeling and decided to join my Ownie in this project) to take care of me. Him I got devoted to as well!

I liked the idea of transformation into a rental property very much. No sooner said then done! In a short time I was furnished and all necessary appliances installed.

And since it was the New Year’s Eve I got a very nicely decorated Christmas tree. By the way, it is still there… It was given the glad hand! My Ownie tried to put it away so many times, redecorate the interior, but guests liked it so much that my green beauty stays there all year round! So I can easily be renamed into the House of the Eternal Christmas Tree!

When the furnishing was over I was advertized on the hotel booking sites, my photos posted and full description given providing all my advantages and features for leisure activities. Well, this is the regular procedure in real estate business. There are a lot of houses on the market and competition is tough!

My advantages were that I was newly renovated, fresh, good-looking, well-groomed and spacious. I can easily accommodate a couple of families or a party of ten at once. And also I’m located in the very center of local attractions and entertainment spots!

The most important fact is, I’m literally a few minutes drive from the famous Crystal River and the Three Sisters springs where manatees live!

Manatee is such a sea mammal, a very funny and completely harmless creature, living in Gulf coastal Florida waters and strictly protected by law.

To see them, and if you’re lucky to swim with them is the dearest dream of every child and even adult!

The fact is that it can be done easily only in our little town. So people come to visit us from different countries to come in touch with this world of beauty. Besides being located by the Gulf of Mexico and the canal where such tasty seashells, the scallops, could be fished out once a year, I could be a perfect host for families and friends in a hope for their “lucky catch”. It’s been an annual tradition for scallop lovers for years…

Well, and the main advantage of our area is summer and sun all year round!

You can enjoy boating, fishing or just laying on the beach any season.

I have a garden with a small pond outside (it’s inhabitants will be introduced later). There are sunbeds in guests disposal and a grill, two kayaks and a pair of bicycles. You can make a bonfire outside or catch a fish.

With all these details I was posted on the most popular hotel booking sites. Also, guests were given the opportunity to contact my Ownie if there were any questions. Very soon we realized that questions are always there no matter how much information is given. Nobody really reads it…

Most of the time people just look at photos and make their choice based on what they see. Some of our potential guests prefer to talk to my Ownie in person (she sleeps with her phone nearby ever since!)

Many overseas guests do not realize that there is a 6 to 8 hours time difference between Europe and Florida and my Ownie needs some good night sleep.

The communication goes through our intermediaries, the booking sites, and their rules are strict. Your prompt and detailed response is very important. You will be taken points away for not replying immediately. For not accepting the booking you can be even removed from their site. One impolite response — and say goodbye to your business!

Also after each stay visitors have an opportunity to leave a review: praise and compliment me or complain. My reputation and the success depends on those feedbacks. After all, no one wants to visit creepy homes with rude hostess. So, my Ownie needs to be on call any time of the day, she got already used to it. But not all calls are on business, some people just like to chit-chat…

Nevertheless, the kick off was made and guests started to book me!
At first I was nervous, as well as my Ownie. What kind of people would come? Will they not offend me? For my moral support and to keep me company my Ownie moved in a little friendly spirit of the house named Nathan, who is now responsible for my aura and spiritual life (by the way, he is the one who is writing down my revelations) for which I am thankful to him and wish him well!

I was also granted a guard the Gator, which stands at the entrance, and his assistant the Frog, located in the backyard.

It should be noted that life in my backyard is humming along, the inhabitants change all the time… come, fly in and out, crawl: the Owl, the Rabbit, the Turtle, the Gator’s wife, lots of other little crocodiles and the Woodpecker. The last one is my personal alarm clock.

Instead of chasing away the squirrels off my head it pecks on the electric pole since early morning. I do not even know why he loves it so much cause trees are much safer and more natural.

That’s our company and we have worked for almost three years. What can I say? The Owners are happy and this is important! I gave up being nervous and I am VERY satisfied and cordially happy! I’m in demand! Life is in full swing after so many dark years!

Every day I see new faces, feel new energy. But new energy is not always positive… like sometimes poor Nathan has to heel my aura for days! And there are easy and smooth going days. It is great that good guests prevail!

Guests are all different of course, everyone has their own quirks… Me and Nathan have seen a lot but the most special ones I would like to tell you about.

Once upon a time the guests came with their usual intention to swim with Manatees. Apparently, they were from the category that never reads full info on the website but just browses the pictures. An ordinary family, husband and wife with two kids. They arrived by our check-in time at three pm. At least an hour or two they spent on just unpacking things. Nathan and I were counting suitcases, bags, sachets… uncountable. Sometimes you get surprised why people leaving home for just a couple of days are taking all their belongings just like they are moving. They finished unpacking at the sunset.

Kids noticed Nathan up on the fridge hidden behind a bouquet of decorative flowers and reached out to him with their little hands. Kids are so eagle-eyed… Nathan is holding dollar bills, not real ones but still real enough for children to try to pull them out of his hands. Poor bogy… it is a real temptation to take those dollar-bills away from you. Your hand twitches but you are a stand up guy, holding on to your money. Many attempts were made but no success! So, desperate kids left him finally alone and went over to their gadgets.

The couple, mom and dad, settled down on the patio, lit the lights on the Christmas tree, opened a bottle of wine, and relaxed began to enjoy the silence and privacy. Everybody likes my privacy. Generally I am located in the very center of civilization, so to speak, but at the same time I stay hidden away from all the bustle and hassle like as on an uninhabited island.

There are big trees around the pond, behind them you can not see any neighbors, roads, or even another side of my pond when it’s dark. It is so tranquil and peaceful there!

When the bottle was almost finished, kids were put to sleep, a romantic idea came to my guests mind – to kayaks round the pond right now the very night time! Why not?

After a certain amount of wine such an idea does not seem to be unreal …

But, we have a huge warning sign by the pond on the tree – No trespassing! Not to notice it is impossible even in the dark. But apparently, the alcohol demon insisted on the romantic mood. It was a long time when the couple had a chance to relax. Same all, same all … The pond looked in the dark like a real boundless river floating into the Gulf and the Three Sisters springs and Manatees … The kayak was launched.

Nathan and I took a deep sigh and froze. My guard the real Gator, who was already falling asleep hugging his second half, woke up from a splash of water. Immediately assessing the situation and realized that it was too late to run, only managed to cover up his wife with his body and lie low. The Turtle was there too, scared and quiet. She’s a lady of age and a weak heart. All the fish darted wherever. The Owl, dozing on a branch, opened her eyes, gasped, and fainted. The Woodpecker brought her some valerian root drops. But our romantic couple, despite of everything, pushed away from the shore pedaling forward. It’s good that we have a small pond! The kayak banged into one, then other side of the pond, circled around, and finally our guests lost their direction in the dark and decided to nest to the shore … And then the Gator sneezed! Hearing this, the couple began to row in panic and hit the Gator with a paddle on his head a couple of times. Poor Gator screamed at people for carelessness. Those two instantly sobered up and realized that they had to run for their lives. In a hurry, getting out of kayak, being not very stable and not very skinny guest mom, losing balance, fell into the water. Since the pond is a shallow one, she stepped on both gators and the turtle. You can imagine how much shouting there was! The children woke up and half asleep ran out into the backyard to help their dad to take mom out of the pond.

Having finally reached the patio, swallowed another glass of wine, our poor kayakers decided that they had have enough romance for tonight. The couple woke up the next morning, looked around with a sober eye, saw the Gator and his wife taking a sun bath by the pond … they realized what a heroic move they have done the night before.

It also came to them that among all the Manatee trips and other adventures in life the last night trip with real alligators was the hottest! Still remembering their experience guest canceled the morning swim with manatees. Kids were upset but explained that the manatees suddenly fell ill and today they are not visitable and promised to come back next time! Poor children got neither dollars nor manatees. After a while my Ownie received a very positive feedback from those guests. They liked everything, learned a lot of new and interesting things and telling other guests to always read the information carefully before booking and look at the map of the surrounding area! And in their comments what needs to be improved at the property they wrote: need to widen the pond and extend it down to the Gulf. And replace the Gators with Manatees! And put more lighting outside cause it’s dark in the backyard. Luckily it wasn’t the scallop season I thought. Otherwise they would ask for the scallops to be fished right there out of the pond!

And yes, every guest has his own wishes! But life goes on and I keep getting more and more neat and tidy guests. Sometimes check-out looks like check-in, every thing is on it’s place. I want those guests to stay a bit longer :-) Like 10 guests are checking-in and I am prepared for the worst, for a big mess and then they leave without a dust particle on my floor! Or vice versa — two guests are able to turn me upside down! The most exciting are those guests who during their 2 nights stay can manage to swim with Manatees, visit all local restaurants, do all king of shopping, do some home-cooking as well using all my kitchen ware, flip through all the books and booklets, watch TV, play cards, text my Ownie providing pictures of their achievements, ride bicycles and kayaks, fish, make selfies with the Turtle… the list can be continued…

And there are their counterparts, who have stayed with me for two weeks and, unfortunately, never found any beach or bicycle path (which we have everywhere), and never took a minute to ask my Ownie any directions… Some guests were not lucky with our Florida weather or the mood was not right. Such guests often leave not very happy and their feedback is corresponding. Once there was a guest who did not have a chance (or time) to enjoy the bonfire and left his negative response because of it…

Another time I had some super active and super sociable visitors one could never forget! Had arrived for two days and my Ownie was their personal 24 hours phone guide.

And they did not speak English, and my Ownie was not strong in Spanish… But in some miraculous way they understood each other…

She planned their route, gave directions and when they finally got lost and could not find their way back home, my Ownie was in touch with them until they got back safely. For which they were very grateful to her!

Also I remember one desperate fisherman residing for a couple of days. He decided to catch a fish in our little pond. The picture of each fish he caught, with it’s name provided, was sent to my Ownie… They were literally fishing together. But now she knows what kind of fish lives in our pond and what bait to use for each one. The guest was very satisfied with this communication and left an excellent review of his stay! He noted that he had never met such responsive Hosts yet and said that he would not go to any other place but me! My Ownie was exhausted but happy, my rating had risen!

Yes, we have seen lots of different guests… but don’t get shocked any more. It is not a surprise any longer for my Ownie to be awakened in the middle of the night by some anxious guest who has booked me, paid money, but here is the trouble: he forgot already where to go and when? One of them booked me in a year ahead, and once a month periodically reminded my Ownie of himself…

Sometimes my Lady gets text messages sent by mistake by previous guest being not able to find the lid from the frying pan in his own house… and she tries to find it anyway…

Once, guests just have checked out, locked the door, left my key and… their credit card inside. Their flight was in two hours.. What to do? Call my Ownie of course. They would not fly without a credit card. My Lady drops everything and rushes to the rescue. Together they are looking for that credit card all over me. All the blankets got shaken, beds, chairs and even plates been moved, toilets been checked as well. Nothing! My Ownie suggests to look into their suitcase once again, although been assured it could be there no way…

And what is your best guess? Of course the card is there, sits on top of everything…

Some guests take home my towels or blankets by mistake, sometimes they send them back, sometimes not. Each company is different…

I remember once we received a letter from our former guests with words of gratitude about how wonderful they had spent their time with us, and with a thousand apologies for the fact that they accidentally took our plastic spoon, which was immediately sent back to us.. It was touching. Little thing but nice!

And once we had such guests that it’s terrible even to remember! The fact is that I was booked by a company of young people to celebrate someone’s birthday. To tell the truth, even to think about it now gives me chills… What have they done to me! Of course, everyone got drunk, the music was loud, full volume, my ears almost bleeding. Trash was everywhere, my body soared: pasta with tomato sauce hung on the walls, sinks and toilets clogged with leftovers, wrapping paper and bottles scattered everywhere… And that was not all! They managed to ride bicycles in the hall, and apparently tried to launch kayaks in the bedroom! Literally I was creaking at the seams when my boozy guests got an idea to invite one more friend to their party and replenish their alcohol supplies. They still had plans to dance outside round the fire. Fortunately, the thunderstorm came with heavy rain and blackout all over the area! The company had nothing more to do but go to bed! Of course, when my Ownie came to clean me and saw all this mess she was ready to let go the reins. Lucky us, it was not a turnover so we had time to pull me together. Nathan was busy cleaning my aura. The Woodpecker with the Frog also helped to clean up the backyard. The Gator brought his pregnant spouse to life. We got through that mess, God bless! But that was a good lesson! Now all sorts of celebrations such as birthdays and all other parties are strictly prohibited on my territory!

Summers are usually restless. It is hot and humid in Florida. My lungs — the air conditioner — are always on full time and sometimes can not cope with the flow of hot air and do not have time to cool my space quickly enough. This is a problem of many homes in our region, not just mine. This situation is aggravated by the fact that many guests are embarrassed to admit that they do not know how to use an air-conditioner (because many people see it for the first time and start pushing all buttons at once). Once, a party tried so hard that they broke the thermostat and started to gasp of the heat inside! The timing was as usual ....the midnight…