“What do you mean cancel?” A woman was yelling into the phone.

“Ma’am, I mean we cannot host your event right now, not with the zombies running loose and all. We are only thinking of the safety of our guests and our staff.”

“I don’t care if the zombies bite every one of you and the staff running the hotel are all turned into zombies themselves, my daughter is having her bat mitzvah on her birthday, not the day after, and definitely not a year after.”

“I’m sorry ma’am but it’s just not possible. Haven’t you been watching the news? Don’t you realize how dangerous it is to be out in public right now?”

“I don’t trust the news, they are all fake. The channel I do trust hasn't said anything about the zombies being dangerous. They haven’t said I need to cancel my plans, so I’m not going to.”

“Ma’am it doesn’t matter, we are not going to be open. We have barricaded ourselves here, no one is allowed in and if someone chooses to leave, they are not allowed to come back. So you see, I have no choice but to cancel your event.”

“No sir, I don’t think you understand. I’ve been planning for this bat mitzvah for an entire year now. I’ve spent money on caterers, a live band, a photographer, and more. It’s too late to get refunds, all of them say no refunds if you don’t cancel at least six months in advance. And do you want to know what's even worse?”

“No ma’am, it doesn’t matter …”

“Sir, are you married?”

“Yes, ma’am”.

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“I had to call my mother in law and invite her to the bat mitzvah and I don’t like my mother in law. But being a good Jewish daughter in law, and a good wife to my loving husband, I swallowed my pride and called her. And do you know I had to listen to her rant about how much her son failed her by marrying me and how I can’t cook a decent matzo ball soup and how I am failing my children. I had to plaster a smile on my face and take it for a good hour and twenty minutes.”

“I’m sorry ma’am.”

“An hour and twenty minutes, have you ever had to stand there and be nice to someone you really didn’t like for an hour and twenty minutes, sir? Have you?”

“Well, we’ve been on this call for about 30 minutes now.”

“What’s that got to do with anything? As I was saying, there’s no way you are going to cancel this very important day in my little girl’s life, do you understand?”

“I’m sorry there’s nothing we can do for you, I will gladly refund the money you’ve paid us.”

“It’s not about money, don’t you get that. It’s too late to make any other plans, her birthday is on Saturday. We are not canceling.”

“But ma’am I can’t do anything about that.”

“Can I speak to your manager?”

“No ma’am, my boss was bitten three days ago.”

“I don’t care, put him on the phone or I will come down there and speak to him in person.”

“I’m sorry ma’am, he’s outside the hotel.”

“Is he still there, if I leave right now, will I be able to speak with him? Actually never mind, I am going to come down there anyway. I’m going to get this settled with the owner if your boss isn’t around. My baby is having her bat mitzvah come hell or high water.”

“Ma’am the owner was bitten last week, he’s the one who bit my manager.”

“I told you I don’t care, you better pack your stuff because by the time I get done talking to them, you won’t have a job any longer.”

“Yes ma’am”