An interesting, my sister's (Leola's) life story - WRONG NUMBER Leola Starling of Ribrock, my dear sister, Tenn., had a serious telephone problem. But unlike, most people she did something about it... The brand-new, $10 million Ribrock Plaza Motel opened nearby, and had acquired, almost the same telephone number as Leola. From the moment the motel opened, Leola, was besieged by calls not for her. Since, she had the same phone number for years, she felt, that she had a case to persuade the motel management, to change its number. Naturally, the management refused claiming that, it could not change - its stationery. The phone company - was not helpful, either. A number was a number, and just because, a customer was getting someone else's calls 24 hours, a day - didn't make it responsible. After her pleas - fell on deaf ears, Leola, decided to take matters, into her own hands... At 9 o'clock - the phone rang. Someone, from Memphis (USA), was calling the motel, and asked for a room, for the following Tuesday. Leola said: "No problem. How many nights?". A few hours later, Dallas checked in... A secretary wanted a suite, with two bedrooms, for a week. Emboldened, Leola said: "The Presidential Suite, on the 10th floor is available for $600 - a night." The secretary said, that she would take it, and asked if - the hotel wanted a deposit. "No, that won't be necessary," - Leola said, -"We trust you!". The next day, was a busy one - for Leola... In the morning, she booked an electric appliance manufacturers' convention, for Memorial Day weekend, a college prom, and a reunion, of the 82nd Airborne veterans, from WWII (world war II). She turned on her answering machine, during lunchtime, so that, she could watch the O.J. Simpson trial, but her biggest challenge - came in the afternoon, when a mother called to book the ballroom, for her daughter's wedding in June... Leola assured the woman, that it would be - no problem, and asked, if she would be providing the flowers, or, did she want the hotel - to take care of it. The mother said, that she would prefer the hotel, to handle the floral arrangements. Then, the question of valet parking - came up. Once again - Leola was helpful. "There's no charge for valet parking, but we always recommend, that the client tips the drivers." Within, a few months, the Ribrock Plaza Motel - was a disaster area... People, kept showing up for weddings, bar mitzvahs, and Sweet Sixteen parties, and were all told there, were no such events. Leola had her final revenge, when she read in the local paper, that - the motel might go bankrupt. Her phone rang, and an executive, from Marriott said: "We're prepared to offer you $200,000 - for the motel!". Leola replied: "We'll take it, but only, if you change the telephone number!".
