The Beginning by Tina Anne Page A

extra rooms we would need for the people coming down to help us out. The hotel’s owner was so excited to finally have her hotel filled. In fact, she had to call a friend of hers who owned a neighboring hotel to get all of the rooms that we would need.
    She looked so happy that I was happy for her. But, I was still just a little concerned that these hotels were not up to the standards these people were used to. However, on the plus side maybe one of them would open a better hotel here. I didn’t want to run the small businesses out of business, but I did want to attract a higher end visitor. Surely there was room for both.
    Pete brought the contract over personally. He was rather proud of himself and the way he handled George. I’d known Pete for years, I was proud of him too. Frankie and I signed the contract and Pete went down to make it official, whatever that meant.
    Frankie, Jerome, and I sat together at a table in Frankie’s room and tried to plan exactly what to do next. We decided to call a mandatory meeting of all of the park’s employees. Everyone from the girl in the ticket booth to the head of HR must attend.
    We also decided that everyone would go through the hiring process again. We would conduct interviews, get fingerprints, and do background checks on each and every employee. In addition, we wanted to make sure everyone had the job that made them the happiest. When Frankie and I were at the park that first day, it was obvious that most of the employees did not like their jobs nor were they motivated in any way to do a good job. When I questioned how we were going to do this, Frankie just looked at me and smiled.
    “Of course, Honey, you called in another favor. Some famous HR firm is going to come in and do all of this for us?” I said smiling at him.
    “Um, what?” Jerome said.
    “Frankie is a financial genius. He’s made some connections in his career,” I said.
    “Jerome,” Frankie said smiling, “finance is to me what engineering is to you.”
    Jerome smiled, “something you’ve been dreaming about since you were a kid?”
    “Exactly. By the way, you and I will talk more later, but you’re going to finish your degree and get your license so you can be the head of engineering for us.”
    “I’m sorry, sir, I don’t understand?”
    I thought I did. Frankie and I had discussed Jerome and how great it would be for him to finish his degree.
    “You know the park, you love the park, and you know the rides. There is no one better to be in charge of the rides than you,” Frankie said.
    Jerome smiled. “Thank you, but I can’t afford to finish school for a while. And I will not take charity. I must earn what I get.”
    Frankie held his hands up, “it’s not charity. We will be starting a tuition program, and I think a scholarship program for deserving employees. You will be the first recipient. So, no pressure, but you are the one all the others will have to live up to.”
    “I will be a role model for the other employees?” Jerome asked.
    “Yes, you will,” I said.
    “Ok, I can do that,” Jerome said smiling.
     
    ***
     
    The next several days were full of meetings. Meetings with all of the experts. We met in groups, we met one on one. We met at scheduled times. We met when someone called and asked to meet. I had never attended so many meetings in my life.
    We had meetings with the current staff. We held the mandatory meeting and interviewed and performed background checks on all of them. Most of them were rehired and kept on. Some went to new positions and some went to their old ones. Some were promoted and some were demoted. Then they all had the choice of helping with the renovation or not working and being called back when we reopened. Most chose to help. They were put on duties like cleaning, painting, and sweeping.
    Somewhere in all of these meetings, something occurred to me. “Frankie,” I said, “we only have about three security guards. We’re going to need to