Madonna Inn

july 2021

The ice machine wasn’t working.

Father in the unit up from us, some gentle arguing, mother and father youngish, not mean but the kid is enthusiastic and the mother seems to need a break. Kid says, “I’m going to get ice!”

There is no ice.

Father says, “OK Son, go get some ice, go get the bucket. It’s pink.”

I watch the kid bouncing over across the patio, knowing there’s no ice in the machine because it’s broken. He’s so excited.

He hits the button a few times and nothing comes out. The kid thinks if he holds the bucket differently that’ll make it happen so he’s trying to maneuver it under the ice spout. He keeps hitting the button. He sneezes, wipes his face then hits the button again. Nothing.

Dad comes out and walks over. “How’s it going buddy?”

“There’s no ice.”

Sun is starting to set but it’s probably still in the 90s. Dad dicks around with trying to get ice a few times, holding the pink bucket under the schnozzle. No ice is forthcoming. He explains to the kid that the ice machine seems to be broken. Kid coughs a little. So much COVID19 on that big metal button at this point. Just trying to find an organic host as it starts dying on the warm metal.

“Maybe it’s just empty dad?”

He says maybe. Maybe it is because it’s broken. They walk back to their room, defeated, but dad has his hand on his son’s shoulder as they walk by.

The ice machine wasn’t working.

I brought back ice from the restaurant down the hill earlier. Also got some ice at the pool bar. The woman who gave me a big bag of ice said, “Yea I’ve heard.” when I told her the ice machine was broken.

Dad needs to up his game. I assume they had reservations at the restaurant that night. We couldn’t get reservations because Madonna Inn is at max capacity this weekend. In retrospect eating in our room was probably safer. The pink booths in the restaurant were cute.

I assume Dad brought home ice from their dinner. I want to believe they had all the ice they wanted that night.