When The Rich Son Falls

Eleven

At exactly three in the afternoon, Topher arrived at the hotel’s pool area to find a bunch of kids running around and playing in the water. With them were some of the parents who were chatting, and a few other adults in the hotel staff’s uniform, handing out finger snacks and drinks.

It was still burning hot and humid, which certainly didn’t help Topher’s mood after having a difficult time trying to take a nap. The sun had the audacity to shine bright and unhindered, and without black-out curtains in his hotel room, Topher just kept tossing and turning in his bed for hours. He couldn’t even check his i********: to pass the time, so he settled on alternating between scrolling through old photos and trying to sleep with his head under the covers or pillows—all to no avail. Then just as he found the right and most comfortable position to take a nap without getting his eyes attacked by the damn sun, the alarm he set went off.

So, albeit begrudgingly, he managed to peel himself away from the bed, get ready for the volunteerism he signed up for, and go down. It was a good thing that he was way too stubborn not to do so.

Topher had been standing and observing by the side for barely a minute when James came into view. He was holding a few juice boxes in his hands and approaching kids one by one with a smile—one that Topher just then realized that the man had used with everyone except for him.

He was determined to change that.

With a confidence that he always wore, Topher strutted towards James and smiled. As soon as James noticed him doing so, his smile fell off and was replaced by a scowl.

“What, now?” the hotel owner asked, already sounding like he wasn’t up for any of Topher’s shenanigans.

“I’m here as a volunteer, see?” Topher proudly showed him the badge that Mandy had given him earlier.

“Why?”

“Because,” Topher took a juice box from James, “I want to do something for the community.” He was about to take a straw when James grabbed it back.

“These are for the kids,” he stated. “And you’re going to volunteer? In that?” he looked at Topher’s outfit with judgment, making the man look down at his floral button up shirt and khaki shorts, then frown up at him.

“What’s wrong with this?” he defensively asked. “I even took the time to choose these carefully.”

“You can’t go into the pool in that.”

“Who says I’m going into the pool? I’m just here to look after some kids, like Mandy said. No need to get wet.”

James let out a sigh. “You look after them in the pool. We only need volunteers to help teach the kids swim.”

“That wasn’t part of the job description,” Topher protested. “I didn’t prepare my hair for pool water! Maybe I can do something here on safe, dry land.”