– Ghost Story: Zosia–

THE MAID

Many of you already know our maid Zosia, or at least have seen her reflection in the mirror of Room 208. Zosia arrived at Hotel Greene in 1932 at the age of 16. Originally from a small town in Byelorussia, she was seduced by a young man who persuaded her to leave with him for Paris to study art. They got as far as Hotel Greene. The young man left her here, but, she insists, promised to send word and money to join him as soon as he was able. Too proud to return home, Zosia took a job in the hotel and, for eight years, lived on her meagre salary and hope that seemed to fade with each passing year. Zosia never complained and met each day and its tasks with a professionalism beyond her years. Much loved by staff and guests, she is often referenced in Herr Kleist’s diaries.

Zosia’s fate remains speculative. She left Hotel Greene abruptly and without explanation in 1940, and no one heard from her after that day. Her contemporaries assumed the worst— another friend or colleague murdered in the holocaust. For us, however, there is a tantalizing postscript to her story. In the 1990s, a book collector in Amsterdam bought a small collection at a flea market. Inscribed in Polish in at least two of the poetry books was the name Zosia and 'Hotel Greene.” In one book he found a scrap of a telegram from a man named Roman expressing deep remorse and halting hope. Also included was a letter and the stub of a train ticket. We can only hope that Zosia’s gentleman had come to his senses and together they survived the war.

Zosia is most frequently sighted on the second Friday of each month. Shy and hardworking, Zosia is easily startled by guests (particularly men) moving too quickly in the corridors. Approach her quietly and make gentle eye contact. If she returns your gaze, ask her about her plans for Paris and attentively nod and smile.