Now, I am going to have loads of stories about this place. Some of them hilarious, some of them horrific, but for now I am just going to introduce the cast of characters... these people are way too strange to be fictional. I promise you, everything I will relay through this blog is true.
Kenny - (he has since passed on, so I feel ok about using his real name), was one of my favourites. A long time coke and heroin addict, he had most of the fingers shot off of one hand by an ex-girlfriend. Kenny was quite old-school and followed old street codes. He was insanely protective of me and would never allow me to see him use drugs. He was always questioning me about the behaviour of the other guys who lived in the motel. If he had found out that any of them were being pigs, he would have gone postal on them. He had a really sweet heart and smiled constantly. He was the only person I've ever seen to get charged for Drunk Walking from the Denny's across the street.... all he wanted was a burger.
Long Hair - He was about 6'2, had hair down the centre of his back, a long beard and always wore a trucker's cap. Another really nice one, always respectful and never perverted with me. Because he had a warrant for his arrest, you'd have to use a special knock to gain entry into his room on a Sunday... (he was always convinced that the police preferred to pick up the people with warrants on a Sunday.)
Teddy - Teddy must have been in his early 20s. I think he had some sort of neurological problems because his hands were always half-shut. He was extremely depressed and admitted to attempting to drown himself in his own bathtub. I am not quite sure how one would attempt something like that... which is why the attempt was unsuccessful, no doubt. Most people in the Motel called him 'Chicken Choker'... a joke in reference to his hands. I'd never heard him speak of his family... pretty sure he didn't have anyone to talk to.
Glamour - This one was 27 and was absolutely in love with himself. He constantly wore Drakkar Noir and everyone called him 'Glamour' because of the amount of time he spent doing his hair. It was feathered. He had no qualms about sleeping with young girls, but we'll get into that another time.
Carradine - He kept to himself aside from the week of the full moon, when he could be found in the middle of the parking lot doing midnight Tai Chi and preaching about the end of the world in the year 2000. If he didn't go kamakaze at the end of '99 he must have jumped on the 2012 bandwagon.
W - was an old friend of my mom and dad's. He was an addict, like many of the people who hung around Main & Center st in the 70s. Like Kenny, he was always respecful with me and slightly angry that I was so young and living in that place. He also did needles, and would give me a few bucks to run down to McDonald's and grab him those old plastic coffee spoons..
Mary - was a coke addicted prostitute. I'm always one who will defend prostitutes, after all, well adjusted women with self-esteem and healthy childhoods don't end up on a street corner, but this girl was an asshole.
Tallboy - A 20ish guy who lived in the basement of the motel. He had about as much respect for young girls as Glamour did.
Coke Head Rick - My mother's asshole addict boyfriend. He'd beat the shit out of her and then find anything he could to cut himself open... chest, arms, legs... it didn't matter. His goal was to hit the hospital and avoid prison. I've got many stories about this guy, but no time for him today.
Psychward - Tallboy's brother. He was in and out of the psychward, which was surprising to me after meeting the other occupants to the Motel...
I found the motel on Expedia... the reviews made me laugh. I'll share some with you...
“This is an absolute dive!”
“Avoid this place like the plague”
“WORST EVER – you will end up catching
some HIV/STD”
“AWESOME, if you like living in public
washroom environments”
“Wouldn’t stay here for a million dollars”
