Peter arrives at his father’s hotel and demands the establishment’s ownership be transferred to him. His father sets a challenge: run the hotel for a day. However, a random homeless man upends Peter’s plans. Peter’s jeep stopped outside the hotel, but he didn’t get down. He sat in the vehicle for a long time, waiting for the driver, Arnold, to open the door for him. Peter had grown up with privileges as the only son of a wealthy businessman. It didn’t take long for all the wealth to go to his head, and he grew into an arrogant young man who never treated others with respect.
But Peter was no less troubled as a kid. His bad grades would often worry his father, who wondered if Peter would ever learn about the importance of hard work. But what Peter lacked in discipline, he made up for with his wit. He had this ability to talk himself out of any tight spot. “How long do I have to wait before the door opens?” Peter now snapped at Arnold, who immediately exited the vehicle, approached Peter’s door, and opened it.
Stepping inside his father’s luxurious hotel, Peter was greeted by a young woman named Jenny. She asked if he’d like to have a welcome drink. “Do you not know who I am?” Peter glared at her. “I only drink the special blend made for me!” Jenny had no idea because she had only started working at the hotel a week ago. She apologized and disappeared to the kitchen to prepare Peter’s drink. Peter made his way to his father’s assistant, Marcus. “Is Father in his office?” he asked, approaching the man. “Ah, yes, sir,” Marcus looked at him. “He’s waiting for you.”
“Why do you have such a displeased face, Marcus?” Peter quipped, making Marcus uncomfortable. “How can you work at a hotel when you can’t even manage to smile?” “I apologize, sir,” Marcus replied politely. “It’s been a long day, but that’s no excuse. I’m sorry if I let it show on my face.” “Look, Marcus, pretty soon, I’m going to take over as the owner of this hotel. There will be no room for excuses then, believe me.” Without waiting for a reply, Peter strode towards his father, Mr. Greenwood’s office.
Peter greeted his father, and they sat across from each other. His father called a waiter and ordered two cups of coffee. “Hope it’s better than the last one I had here,” Peter sneered at the waiter. “It’s OK, Thomas. We all have our off days. Just make it the way you do,” Mr. Greenwood told the waiter, who took the order and left. “You need to respect everyone around you, son,” Mr. Greenwood said. “Everyone plays a role in this establishment.” Soon, the coffee arrived, and Peter got straight to the point. “Dad, why don’t you consider retirement?” he said. “You’ve worked hard all our life. Let me prove to you that I can run this place.”
“But why do you need the hotel, son?” Mr. Greenwood reclined in his chair. “You’ve got $5 million in your accounts, set aside for your future.” Peter explained he wanted to earn his legacy, to prove that he wasn’t some rich kid who had inherited his father’s wealth. But Mr. Greenwood refused, knowing Peter couldn’t run the business. However, Peter kept insisting, so Mr. Greenwood devised a test.
“Marcus will be there to help you,” Mr. Greenwood continued. “I’ll leave the hotel in 10 minutes. Today, you’re the boss.” “But yes,” Mr. Greenwood added as he was leaving. “Never forget our values, Peter. We treat every guest equally and how we want to be treated. I’ll be back tomorrow.” An hour had passed since Mr. Greenwood left. Peter comfortably sat in his father’s chair, talking to his friend on the phone, bragging about how he was the hotel’s owner for the day when someone singing distracted him. It was too loud to ignore, so Peter approached the window from where the sound seemed to be coming.
A homeless man stood on the pavement outside the hotel’s entrance, lost in signing. Peter was furious. He hung up the phone and angrily dashed out of the hotel to chase the homeless man away. “What do you think you’re doing, huh? Singing in front of my hotel?” “This pavement is a public place, sir,” replied the man. “And the last I checked, there’s no harm in singing.”
The homeless man accepted the cash. “Not many people would do something like this! Thank you!” As the homeless man walked away, Peter sharply turned to Marcus. “You didn’t have to lose half a grand to get rid of a bum!” “Sure, sir,” Marcus replied. “But the way I see it, I ensured he left with gratitude, not resentment. You never know how these situations can escalate.” Suddenly, Marcus’s phone beeped. “I advise we head inside, sir,” he said, checking his phone. “Our first guest arrives soon.”
“The food is excellent, and the service is prompt,” one of the businessmen said, making Peter sigh in relief. “I must say, I’m really impressed.” “I’d like to add that the flavors of the food served here are remarkable!” the Brazilian businessperson remarked. “Amazing food!” “Good food, I agree with that,” the third nodded, slicing his meat pie. “And the ambiance is very charming,” the fourth added. A wave of relief washed over Peter. His clients were satisfied, and that was all he wanted. But it wasn’t long before his calm was disrupted. Peter turned around, and blood drained off his face. The homeless man he had chased away some time ago stood at the reception.
“Don’t worry, gentleman,” Peter turned to face his guests, maintaining his composure. “I’ll take care of it. Please enjoy your dinner.” Peter angrily approached the homeless man, demanding he get out. But the man waved the $500 he had received earlier and said, “I want to rent the cheapest room here for the night!”
