The Motel

He stepped outside his car. It was almost midnight and everything was peaceful and dark outside.

He was staring at a motel right here in the middle of nowhere.

His head was throbbing with pain and so he desperately needed a place to rest tonight.

He entered the motel and saw a man standing at the reception area. The man's eyes flinched for a moment seeing the stranger in front of him but then he lowered his eyes and whispered, "welcome back!".

The stranger tried to recall if he knew this man from before but his memory failed him.

"Do I know you?" The stranger asked.

The man thought for a moment and finally spoke, "Oh never mind! Here is the key to your room" and took out a key from the drawer and pushed it towards him.

The stranger thought maybe he has been mistaken for someone else, but he ignored that for now. He took the key and went inside instead.

***

He was staring at a photograph of his family, the one he always kept in his pocket. He never liked being away from them for long but his job was such that he has to travel a lot.

He glanced at the clock in front of him. Maybe if he leave now, he can reach early morning and give them a surprise, he thought.

So, he got dressed quickly and went downstairs with his belongings. The pain in his head was still giving him great discomfort but he had to ignore the pain for now.

He went to the reception area and saw the same man standing there, feeding something on to the computer.

"I need to leave now" The stranger said and pushed the key of his room towards him.

The man took the key and placed it in the drawer. He then thought for a moment and whispered, "Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead" The stranger said.

The stranger can feel that the man was trying his best to form the right words in his head but eventually he did and said, "Does...Does it hurt?"

The stranger didn't understand the question at first but then he thought maybe he is inquiring about the pain in his head, so the stranger replied, "No, Not that much!"

The man nodded and so the stranger took his belongings and left without saying another word.

***

He was driving continuously for a long time on the highway. He smiled at the thought of seeing the surprised look on his wife's face when she will find him sleeping next to her in the morning.

He didn't realise when his eyes closed briefly and his car drifted towards another lane.

He only saw a flash and then all of a sudden, everything went dark in front of his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, he felt a throbbing pain in his head. He stepped outside and saw a motel in front of him.

He desperately needed a place to rest tonight, he thought to himself.