One summer, we went to Baltimore for vacation. The hotel we stayed at wasn't exactly a five-star hotel, but it was clean and decent. And the complimentary breakfast buffet was remarkably delicious. I had a good time making waffles and helping myself to all the coffee I could drink.

We spent the day touring the city, shopping, and having lunch. Much of the architecture was impressive. I especially liked the bookstore in the Old Power Plant at the Inner Harbor.

We spent one sunny afternoon at Camden Yards, where the Orioles hosted the Oakland Athletics. We sat at field level behind third base. The employees at the ballpark were very courteous. And the food was good, especially the pulled pork sandwiches. The park had a small hometown atmosphere for a major league stadium.

The next day, we visited the aquarium. It was more spacious than I had expected. Perhaps I was expecting it to be similar to the aquarium back home in Connecticut. I thought the penguins were fascinating - I didn't know that there were penguins in South Africa. I was also surprised to see an aviary in the aquarium.

But perhaps the funniest part of our vacation occurred back at the hotel. Our room was on the third floor. Soon after we turned in for the night and turned out the lights, I heard a faint rustling sound somewhere in the corner of the room. We often get mice in the attic of our house - so, I recognized the unsettling sound immediately. We were a bit creeped out about sleeping in a room with a mouse, but there wasn't much we could do about it at the moment. It was late, and we were exhausted from the day. I figured we'd make the best of the situation and try to get some sleep. First thing in the morning, I would notify the hotel.

The next day, before breakfast, I spoke to the concierge at the hotel desk in the lobby. I told her about the rodent situation, and she apologized profusely. She said she would have it addressed right away. We thanked her and proceeded to help ourselves to waffles, bacon, eggs, and coffee in the dining room. We went back to the room for a few minutes to freshen up and gather a few things for the afternoon ahead before leaving the hotel for the day.

When we returned to the hotel for the evening, the woman at the desk told us that "maintenance has resolved the problem," and she humbly apologized again. We spent the night in comfort without a sound – not a creature was stirring!

At the end of our stay, we went to the hotel desk to check out and settle our bill for the week. The clerk added up the nights we stayed, minus an unexpected discount, plus tax. The final tab was still a bit more than I had figured. "Why the extra charge?" I complained.

"Oh, that was for the mouse."

Story and Cover Illustration Copyright © 2021 by Michael DeFrancesco