It was a normal Tuesday (well, as normal as things get in hotel laundry) when Mr. Smudg heard a faint thunk inside a heavier-than-usual tangled up sheet pile. He braced himself. Could’ve been anything: jewelry, food, last week it was a sock with an attitude problem… you had to be there.
But this time?
Two glossy button eyes stared up at him.
Brown, fuzzy, soft as a baby’s blanket, it was…. a teddy bear?
Mr. Smudg sighed. “Great. Now I’m responsible for child psychology now, too.”
He did the professional thing: called the front desk.
“Hi, it’s laundry. I’ve got a missing teddy bear situation.”
Pause. Shuffle. Hold music. Transfer to Housekeeping. Transfer back to Front Desk. Finally:
“Oh yes, Room 214. Their child has been in tears for hours.”
Bingo.
Now, Mr. Smudg could’ve just walked it up to them like a normal, kind human being. But where’s the fun in that? Instead, he left a “ransom” note for the bear:
”I have your bear. Return payment required for safe release: pay three cookies or he gets a one-way trip through a heavy-duty wash cycle with fabric softener. You have until sundown.”
Once the cookies were secured, and Mr. Smudg finally handed the bear back to its rightful owner— a swollen-eyed, blonde haired, devastated little boy clutching his parents’ legs; the sobbing stopped instantly. The bear was snuggled so tight Mr. Smudg half-worried he’d have to rescue it all over again.
The boys parents laughed, and Mr Smudg shared a cookie with the bear, and the bear’s friend, then grumpliply shuffled back to his mountain of linens with a smirk.
This week’s lesson?
Bears don’t belong in spin cycles.
Cookies are still valid hotel currency.
And lastly, Mr. Smudg does indeed consider bribes.
Until next time,
Mr. Smudg
Still here. Still grumpy. Still waiting for his cookies.
#MrSmudg #LaundryChronicles #TeddyBearRescue #HospitalityHumor #CookiesAccepted