The time spent with Jimmy Hall was like time spent with an old forgotten friend that you reconnected with after coming across them on MyFace. As we sat in the entry lobby of the hotel, drinking our tea together, I started to notice little quirks about him.
He was animable and quite talkative, sometimes breaking into laughter at strange moments. His fingers would tap against his cup if he was excited and fall still when calm. He was also quite expressive with his facial features. He would smile before his lips spread into a full on grin, his smile lines becoming more noticable. His bushy brows would raise when shocked or surprised, but mostly remained straight above his dark brown eyes that now seemed endless. Though they would gloss over on occasion when I asked about the history of the hotel, Mr. Hall seemingly lost himself in memories.
The Sea View Hotel was originally bought in the late 1970s, the previous owners selling to Jimmy's family. As his father was both a magician and teacher by trade, the hotel was a perfect investment as there was a huge auditorium with specialty seating for dining. But things changed after his father died. With no performer to help bring excess revenue in, Jimmy's mother asked an old family friend and distant relative of his father's - Harvey Hall - to help with the upkeep of the hotel. He became a second father to Jimmy before he, too, passed away under mysterious circumstances.
As Jimmy told me this, I couldn't help but think there was something more going on.
The hotel, regardless of both deaths of the previous owners, should at least still have some people coming in and going out. And where were the workers? Mr. Hall obviously needed help... Maybe he was in more financial strain than he let on.
My thoughts were broken when a low rumble was heard from somewhere deep in the hotel.
"Oh, those would be your jeans and socks," Mr. Hall stood, "I thought that I would dry them for you so you wouldn't have to worry about them being still wet from the rain."
I'd almost forgotten.
My cheeks felt warm with embarrassment, looking up at my host, "Mr. Hall, I must ask that you ask me before doing anything with regards to my belongings. I do appreciate the thought, but it scared me that I didn't know where my jeans had gone to. For all I know, they could've been stolen by a peeping tom that snuck into the building."
Jimmy looked down, looking much like a child with his hand caught in a cookie jar. I reached out, hoping to ease this strange man and his quirky tendencies, "Please, all I'm asking is that you ask me first before you take... And the only reason I'm asking is because we hardly know each other."
Mr. Hall muttered something under his breath, something along the lines of "And yet it seems as if I've known you forever."
Silence filled the void between us now, where there had once been animable understanding.
"I understand, Miss Martin," He rocked onto the back of his heels before the soles of his shoes collided again with the aged carpeting, "You are right, and I apologize. I meant no ill will toward you as a guest in my hotel. Please understand that."
"Thank you," I smiled, a little disappointed that he didn't take my hand as a sign of agreement, "And I do understand, Mr. Hall. I appreciate and am forever grateful you allowed me to stay here for the night, as well as lending me a fresh pair of clothing to wear while they were being laundered."
He grimaced in my direction, not making eye contact with me at all, before muttering, "Stay here while I fetch your clothing. It will only be a moment."
I nodded, watching as he stalked off. When he returned moments later, I inquired if he was still willing to do his performance that evening.
"Why, of course!" his whole demeanor did a complete one-eighty, his slumped body suddenly straightening, "I think you'll like it, Kylie, I really do!"
"Well, if you will allow me, I will change and return the borrowed clothing and we can meet in the auditorium?"
"Ah, yes, I think that will do splendidly. I will have to prepare a few things beforehand, but I will meet you there."
"Very well. Um, which direction...?"
"Oh, forgive me," he chuckled, indicating with his hand, "It's down this hallway, and you'll want to go to the far end - first door on your left. That would be the closest entrance to the stage."
I nodded in agreement, pulling my jeans and socks into my arms and heading toward the lift.
When the doors closed behind me as I ascended, I felt a strange sense of relief - now that I was away from my strange host. It was clear to me that he was, indeed, quite lonely, as if no one came here anymore. The hotel seemed abandoned completely, even though there was still someone lurking in the halls.
'What could have happened to make people stop coming?'
Well, for starters, there were already two deaths from what Mr. Hall had told me - one surrounded by mystery, but what about the first? Did his father have health problems that caused him to pass away at such a young age? And if so, what did the rumors about the hotel suggest?
I tapped my foot in frustration as the lift stopped at my floor, my thoughts now starting to run wild. Stepping from the lift, I headed down the hall toward my room with clothing in hand. I honestly was so lost in thought that I nearly ran into a girl who was running down the hallway.
Wait, girl?!
I spun on my heels quickly, turning to see where this mysterious child had come from. As soon as I turned, she was gone. I hadn't heard any footsteps coming toward me, and she was moving quite quickly - like something had scared her. The walls of the hotel would've also echoed her running steps as well, for mine echoed when I moved through the halls at a walking pace.
'What the hell...?'
I felt a shiver run up my spine, like something was warning me again to leave the hotel - the weather be damned. I could only swallow down the growing lump of fear that suddenly formed in my throat as I moved a bit more quickly down the hall.
Perhaps Mr. Hall knew something about what I had just seen...
***
I may have underestimated the humor that came forth from the stage auditorium that night.
When I returned only a few moments later, heading into the auditorium, I was surprised at how spacious the room was.
From where I had entered, there were two double glass doors, each one with a beautiful simple design carved of wood. Both doors lead into the auditorium, which was filled with tables and chairs, seated for perhaps a thousand or so. All were turned toward the stage, something that looked straight out of theatre. Looking at it, with its heavy deep scarlet curtains and deep mahogany wooden panels, I was surprised that no one else had come - if not for a laugh, but to at least see a live performance.
Maybe I just had an old fashioned spirit inside me that loved the antiques, I'm not sure.
One table was set, sitting directly in front of the stage - a white cloth covered it with a time-worn candelabra sitting in the center. A single table setting was set before one of the old mid-back chairs - apparently meant for the only guest available.
As I took my seat, a voice broke out over the speakers above me:
"Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my greatest pleasure to present to you our entertainment for tonight! Please, welcome to the stage, the great Hugo Punch!"
I clapped as loud as I could as the curtain opened, revealing Mr. Hall - or, Mr. Punch rather.
He was still dressed the same, minus the vest and the bowler hat. He had donned a black evening jacket and changed the black tie for a red one with white polka dots. The top of his head was clean-shaven, the stage lights reflecting off the top like the sun on crystal clear water. His unruly curly brown hair spread around the lower portion of his head near the base of his skull like a cloud that had gotten trapped around his head.
As he did his opening, I couldn't help but smile. It seemed so odd that he pretended there were more people in the audience rather than just me - but, I suppose it may have been a while since he actually performed for anyone.
The humor made up for it though. He was good, better than any other comedian that I had heard or seen. His topics of choice ran from everything; traffic, politics, food, the strange fashion that models wore but no one else would. It seemed he had done everything in the book. I was practically crying because I was laughing so hard, I couldn't even remember the last time I laughed so hard.
There was one moment during this performance that made me go completely silent.
He was discussing the topic of finding a significant other, whether be male or female.
"So, I told my family about this girl I like," Hugo said, "And when I asked my father how to properly woo a girl, he gave me a bat and said, 'If she survives more than one bop on the head, she's a keeper.'"
I felt a chill run up my spine as he continued, "So, I took his advice and brought her home to meet the family. By this time, she was completely unaware what had happened or what was going on.
"I said to my mum, 'Look, I brought a girl home!'
"She then replies, 'Well, darling, she certainly seems nice. But it's awful hard to tell with her laying on the floor like that. How many times did you bop her?'
"'Oh, about ten or fifteen.'"
I wasn't sure if the story was true, but now a stone was sitting in the pit of my stomach - though it felt more like a boulder. I could feel some laughter in the room, but it was all coming from the stage - he was laughing at his own joke and it wasn't even funny!
I bared through the rest of the performance, laughing a bit uneasily instead of choking.
When Mr. Hall bowed at the end and the curtain closed, I stood and clapped. It was mostly good, four point five out of five. He came through a side door near the stage, striding over to me with quick steps as I returned to my seat. He all but fell into the chair beside me, his eyes sparkling with hope and delight.
"Well? What did you think?" he was grinning madly, eyes wild, and fingers drumming against the table with excitement.
"I enjoyed it," I answered truthfully, "but I think you should leave the bopping story out. That was... a little unsettling."
"But that's one everyone seems to enjoy! I will admit I do get more comments about that one than any other joke, but that's the beauty of it!"
"Mr. Hall, perhaps it is funny to you and a handful of others, but not to me. It... it made me feel a bit uncomfortable."
His features fell, whether in disappointment or something else, I wasn't sure. I placed a hand on his in comfort, "I did though enjoy most of it. Didn't you hear me laughing?"
"Of course," a slight smile had returned to his lips, "Your laughter is a true thing of beauty... speaking of which," he stood suddenly, pulling his hand away from mine, "I have something both of us can enjoy. I was saving it for a special occasion, but I think now is the proper time to use it."
"Oh?" I bit my lip in worry.
"Stay here, I'll be back."
As quick as a flash, he was gone.