‘And here,’ the real estate agent gestured with a practised hand, ‘is the pièce de resistance, the shining jewel at the heart of the home.’
We followed his outstretched fingers upwards, to take in a beautiful crystal chandelier, flecks of light and glass dancing seemingly unsupported through the air in a magnificent symphony of design and function.
‘It’s gorgeous,’ my husband whispered, and I frowned at him. He was never usually this moved by art – let alone housing fixtures.
‘It’s a fancy lightbulb,’ I shrugged. ‘So what?’
‘So what?’ my husband repeated back to me, aghast. ‘So what?’
‘Yeah,’ I shrugged again. ‘It’s just a light fixture.’
‘It’s–it’s–‘ the real estate agent spluttered, ‘it’s art!’
‘Why do I want art in my entrance hall?’ I frowned. ‘I don’t want people distracted while I’m trying to get them inside.’
‘Maybe we should move on,’ my husband piped up sadly. The agent nodded solemnly, gesturing towards the staircase hidden behind the chandelier.
‘This is, uh, the stairs, I guess,’ he said glumly, placing his hand on one of the glass balustrades. ‘Designed in Melbourne, I think…’ he trailed off.
I looked up at the stairs and my world just – stopped.
Here was an example of glittering perfection, stretching further and further away, out into the realm of the unconscious, a beautiful sloping design of crystal, wood and glass.
I pressed a hand to my mouth, choking back tears. The two men looked at me strangely.
‘Angelica?’ my husband frowned at me. ‘What’s wrong with you?’
‘That… that balustrade,’ I choked. ‘I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.’
‘It’s just a staircase,’ the agent chided, looking for all the world like he wanted to end the sentence with “silly woman”. ‘There’s nothing unique about a staircase.’
‘This one, there is,’ I whispered, unable to take my eyes off it. ‘How quickly can a glazier do a glass replacement, near Melbourne?’ I asked.
‘Are you planning on breaking it?’ the agent said quickly, alarmed.
‘No,’ I breathed. ‘But I couldn’t bear to be without this magnificent piece.’
‘So…’
‘Yes,’ I nodded. ‘We’ll take the house.’