I'm Traveling with MacGyver

It is my opinion that as people get older, they develop a strong sense of paranoia and cynicism. I would like to offer my mother up as one of these people. Let me make my case…

We had just finished the most lovely of dinners at our little hotel in Sentheim. This hotel is owned by a very sweet couple. The husband manages the hotel and restaurant and the wife is the chef. He was so accommodating to us and we chatted a while earlier in the afternoon. He brought us a special dessert and was very attentive to our needs. After dinner we went back upstairs to get packed for our journey to Paris today and finally settled in to bed to snuggle as we were left with but one bed in the micro-room. It’s late – about midnight or so – lights out and we are trying to wind down from the day. My internal clock is still out of whack and I am wide awake. As the window to our room on the second floor opens to the parking lot, I can hear people leaving the restaurant and driving away. I decide to look out the window to check on the situation. I discover that we are the only patrons of the hotel that evening and tell mom . The only other car in the lot must be the owner’s.
Well, you have never seen a 70 year old woman spring to action so quickly - I thought she was moving fast in the train station. Before I knew it a chair and 2 suitcases were wedged against the already locked door. I pointed this out to her. “They have a key!” was her response. “This should slow them down. By the time they get through the door, we can be out the window.” I sat there in awe and amazement. I thought she was protecting us from strangers , but alas no, she was protecting us from Norman Bates and his lovely wife. This is the same couple who would have breakfast waiting for us the next morning so we would have something to eat before we left today in spite of the fact that their restaurant is closed on Monday.

Mom will say she did the right thing because “See, we weren’t attacked last night; were we?” I guess we’ll never know what could have happened if the door were not barricaded so skillfully.

Thank you dear mother for protecting us. Paranoia? You be the judge…