It happened the day his old friend called in for a quick visit.
The man used to be a neighbour before he moved away. They hadn’t seen each other for a while, so after a call to let the man know he was in the area, he made his way back to where he used to live. He was met at the door and shown in. When his visitor walked into his friend’s lounge, he froze. He stood staring at the huge art piece that filled the corner of the room.
“Wow!” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like that!” He stepped a few paces closer. Obviously impressed and with a look of amazement, he turned to his friend and said, “If you don’t mind me asking, who made that?”
The other proudly replied, “It’s by a local artist.”
“However did you come across them?”
The other smiled. “As it happens, my neighbour’s son…”
“Your neighbour’s son? He did this?” His friend blurted.
The owner shook his head. “No. My neighbour’s son works backstage as a sound technician for the state orchestra. He and the second cellist were recently engaged. She has a cousin who works for the man who manages the bakery in the high street. His brother-in-law, the baker’s, not the manager’s, often does casual work as a roadie for a local pop group. They were performing in a club when he met the woman who runs the local estate agency. She had met the artist while she was on holiday in Ibiza.
She happened to be in the same dentist’s waiting room when we got chatting. By chance, she still had one of his business cards. It was she that told me about this local artist. She recommended him.”
He smiled again.
“He did it!”